by The Crunchy Canine | Aug 14, 2018 | BLOG
Just don’t let your dog do that.
Sounds simple right? Maybe too simple?
I am often met with a frustrated client who feels like they have tried everything in their power to stop their dog from doing certain unwanted behaviours. What they don’t realize is that often (not always), but often, we can change a dog’s behaviour simply by interrupting the pattern or the habit. In more simple terms, just don’t let the dog do it, and they will stop doing “it”. When I work with owners of puppies, I show them how to stop unwanted behaviours from starting in the first place. The goal is to never allow the puppy to rehearse unwanted, self-reinforcing behaviours (such as barking, chasing, counter surfing, etc). By never letting the puppy practice the behaviour, t
hey will never create bad habit or pattern. While, this is part of our training for preventing unwanted behaviours in puppies, we can use the same concept for adult dogs. By simply not letting your dog practice a behaviour any more (we will get to the how), they will eventually stop trying or stop practicing that behaviour.
So, how do you not let your dog do that? Management! Management will allow you to stop the cycle of the behaviour. For example, if your dog runs to the front window barking every time someone walks by, have a leash on and simply don’t let him run to the window. When you are not home, close the blinds or restrict access so the dog can’t practice while you are not there to manage. If your dog begs at the table (first, don’t feed him from the table), but put your dog
on place so they cannot beg. If your dog jumps on people, have him on leash and step on the leash just enough so that when he goes to jump he will not be able to. Once your dog is no longer practicing the
se behaviours daily (sometimes several times a day), most often they will simply just stop doing them.
As mentioned, often it is as simple as not letting them do that…but there are times where training will get more complicated. I will always suggest first that if your dog is displa
ying some unwanted behaviours, try not letting them practice the behaviour through management and communication and see where that takes you. I will bet that within 2-4 weeks your dog will most likely stop that behaviour completely.
If you need help with not letting your dog practice unwanted behaviours, please contact us today! Email us at [email protected]
by The Crunchy Canine | Aug 12, 2018 | BLOG
What does leadership mean to you? Lately, the term leadership has gotten a bit of a bad rap from the “purely positive” crowd. Somehow it has developed a connotation of dominance and harsh discipline.
However, if you look up the definition of leadership this is what you will find;
lead·er·ship
ˈlēdərˌSHip/
noun
the action of leading a group of people or an organization.
“different styles of leadership”
| synonyms: |
guidance, direction, control, management, superintendence, supervision |
Nowhere in that definition does it talk about anything unpleasant. Even the words dominance and discipline don’t need to be negative, but that is for another post.
So how does being a leader translate into your relationship with your dog? It is simple. Be someone who you yourself would want to follow. So lets break it down given that definition above…
Give your dog guidance. Your dog is an animal, a predatory animal. He is not born knowing how to navigate this human world as a pet. Guide him, teach him, and show him how to behave as a pet dog. Give your dog direction. This means teach him right from wrong. Communicate to him when he is doing something right, and when he is doing something wrong. This does not mean physical corrections (though sometimes it can), but simply disagreeing with a behaviour will often be enough. Control and manage your dog. Put him on a leash until he can be trusted without it and crate train your dog until he no longer requires it. You don’t need to control every tiny aspect of your dog’s life, but through control and management you will be able to stop them from practicing unwanted behaviours. Supervise your dog. If you cannot supervise, then crate him. Supervision means that you can guide, give direction, control, and manage your dog. When there is no supervision your dog is left to make his own choices (which with young dogs is often a choice we do not like).
All of that combined with being calm, clear and confident is what makes a good leader.
If you are struggling with your dog’s behaviour, sit down and honestly evaluate your role in your dog’s life and whether your provide them with calm, and clear leadership!
We can help you become the leader your dog needs! Contact us today [email protected]
by The Crunchy Canine | Aug 12, 2018 | BLOG
- Actually teach your dog what the word “come” means. Put a leash on, say “come” and then reel your dog in to you and reward. Rinse and repeat MANY, many times in several different situations (all with the leash on).
- Don’t over use it, particularly when you don’t mean it. When you use “Come” all the time, dogs stop paying attention. For example, when you are walking your dog and they are sniffing the ground, don’t say come unless you are going to do a formal recall. Use “let’s go” or something similar.
- Never chase your dog. EVER. Only give the command when you can enforce it so practice on-lead until the dog is reliable.
- Don’t repeat the command. Say it once and then make it happen.
- Only give the command if you can enforce it. For example, if your dog is not fully reliable yet, do not unleash at the dog park and start using the “come” command. This will only teach your dog that the word “come” doesn’t actually have any meaning.
- Never punish your dog for not coming. You can give a leash correction for non compliance when the dog is ignoring you but once they get to you (or you to them), you must stay positive and reward.
If you want a dog who can be trusted off leash in any environment, contact us today! Email us at [email protected]
by The Crunchy Canine | Mar 19, 2018 | TESTIMONIALS
Ashley contacted us for help with her young Boxer named Bowie. He was the definition of an out of control dog. Jumping on guests, mouthing to get his way, pawing for attention, extreme pulling on leash, no manners, etc. Over the course of 6 weeks we taught Bowie what was expected of him, and how to behave so he didn’t have to go in his crate all the time, and could actually go out and enjoy walks! Here is the message we got from his owners before our final session;
“Last night I had work friends over and they had never met Bowie before. As most dogs are, he was very excited to see new people, but instead of jumping all over them he stayed down but was still his loveable self! I was amazed!
Usually throughout the night with people over he sniffs around, knocking things over and trying to eat everything, instead he lied down next to my chair the entire time, when my friends called him over he would walk over calmly and let them pet him but did not mouth them or get too aggressive! We had NO accidents and he got MANY compliments on how well behaved he is! I didn’t ever feel the need to crate him (which usually happens when we have lots of people over) I wanted to cry! “
Ashley with Bowie in Hamilton
If your dog sounds like Bowie, give us a call and we can help you!
by The Crunchy Canine | Mar 18, 2018 | BLOG
Your dog is not broken, he does not need “fixing”.
Every day I get emails and phone calls from people needing help with their dogs. Many of them want me to fix a problem they have with a behaviour that their dog displays. The problem with that is two things; one, the dog is not broken and does not need fixing, and two, they do want to make any personal changes and take no ownership for their role in the matter.
Dogs are animals, they are not humans. Before Fluffy is your cute little buddy, he is a dog, and before that he is a predator. Yes, your cute little Yorkie is a predator (if anyone ever met my Yorkie they would have no doubt that this is true LOL). We as humans bring these animals into our homes and expect them to know how to behave in our world. Many of the behaviours people complain about are actually very normal dog/predator behaviours, we just don’t like them. I am often telling people that I am mostly there to train the humans, and that it is 60% human training and 40% dog training (this is generous though, probably more 70/30). The dogs will usually get it, and quickly. It is the humans who struggle to change themselves, and respect the dog for who he really is….a dog. Not a four legged, furry, tiny human brought into this world to receive only love and no structure or rules.
Humans put emotion into almost everything they do. We overthink, analyze, and question the process. Dogs do not. They just do, and they do what is natural and what works. So, if your dog resource guards a meaty bone from you, he is not broken. He is doing what it would take to survive in the wild. If your dog pulls on leash, he is not broken. He is doing what he thinks works to get you to follow him (and in most cases it does work otherwise he would not do it). If your dog jumps on you or other people, he is not broken. He is not only doing what feels good to him but has not been taught not to jump on people.
So if you are planning on contacting us to “fix” your dog, don’t. We are not dog fixers. We are human and dog trainers who want to heal and repair the relationship between you and your dog (aka the predator living in your house). We want to teach your dog the rules of being a pet dog. What is acceptable and what is not. But, we also want to meet them half way by teaching their humans how to be more like a dog. Think like a dog. Have compassion where needed, and how to address the stuff we do not like in a way that is fair and that the dog will understand (ie. shouting NO! all the time is NOT an effective way to teach your dog). If you are open to thinking this way then please do call us! We would love to help you with your dog and help work through the issues you are having!
Serving Burlington, Dundas, Ancaster, Hamilton, Binbrook, Stoney Creek, and Grimsby.
Shoot us an email at [email protected]
