Diva Dog Training

Stop Your Dog From Jumping!

A jumping dog is the number one complaint of people with larger breed dogs and of the friends and family of people with little dogs who think that it doesn’t bother anyone that their dog jumps to greet them.

It’s important first to look at what we do to contribute to this response. Our front doors are typically a place of greeting – animated voices, excited energy of seeing who’s there and welcoming them into our homes. If they are dog lovers or suffer from guilt of not being, they may anxiously speak to the dog as they touch him as he’s jumping up on them. You’re telling the dog “off!” and your friends are saying “Oh, it’s okay!” I think it’s obvious to understand the confusion of the dog.

The focus is the door and the entry. Good things happen there! Your dog is not only responding to the excited energy of everyone greeting each other, but to being touched as he jumps. So, he’s also getting affection while he’s jumping. Not exactly what you want!

The other part of this is the all-important question of how much you’ve actually worked with your dog using a situation like this for training purposes. Here is one way of breaking your dog from the habit of jumping on people when they are at the door.

• Stage a visit – have a friend or neighbor come over and work with you and your dog.
• Put a leash on your dog and keep them back from the door far enough so that they can’t immediately jump on your guest.
• Invite your guest to let themselves in and to walk past you as they ignore the dog. Yes, ask them to ignore the dog – completely! If the dog jumps as they enter, immediately correct them and have them sit (the dog, not your guest!)
• When your dog is calm and sitting, you may have your guest greet them.

This may not produce instantaneous results, as it is a process. Consistency and patience will pay off and will bring better results. Your dog will learn that they get affection and praise when they are away from the door and off your guests! There are other suggested ways to work with your dog not to jump. I’ll cover those in later posts.

Why Dog Commands?

That’s a good question. I heard Cesar Milan make reference to the fact that dog training per se is a human thing. That’s so true! Humans developed training methods in order to live with dogs and to bring them into our environment as pets. These methods have changed almost as often as the teaching methods used by our own schools.

I have four dogs and I’ve never witnessed them conducting school where a fellow pack member is up in front teaching everyone how to sit and stay. (That would be wonderful!) Obviously, dogs learn from each other in different ways and when we can closely emulate that, we have success.

So, we bring dogs into our homes and practice our methods of teaching things like sit and stay. Amazingly, the dogs get it. They even like it! I don’t suggest that you just let your dogs be dogs without leadership, structure, and training. I do however, think it’s important to remember that we think differently than them and when we forget that, no one pays attention.

The basics of good communication with dogs is really no different than how we communicate with the people in our lives – some are difficult, some don’t seem to listen, some are hard to understand, some don’t care what we have to say, and some would do better with a different form of teaching.

Be willing to listen and to try a new approach if needed – with your dogs and you can try it on your humans too.

Seven Reasons to Train Your Dog

1. It creates a better relationship between you and your dog.

2. You’ll be happier with your dog.

3. Your dog will be happier with structure and purpose.

4. You won’t be embarrassed as you walk your dog down the street!

5. Once the dog is trained – you can lower the dose of your blood pressure medication.

6. You’ll save money on furniture, nice pillows, Persian rugs, and other unintentional dog “toys.”

7. You CAN live in harmony with your canine companion.

Dog Behavior Modification Through Desensitization

Does your dog have a certain behavior that occurs on a regular basis? Does it go “crazy” when the gardeners show up? Does it get overly excited at fast moving cars or do they get car sick? When guests arrive do you brace yourself for the certain to happen someone’s-at-the-door-I-need-to-get-excited response?

Not to worry. Dogs get into behavioral patterns much like we do. It has been tested and proven that in order to change a human behavior, we must consistently do the desired behavior for 30 days. If we slip up one day, we’re told that we need to start the count over.

Fortunately, behavior modification in dogs can occur as quickly as one session; however, don’t be disappointed if you have to take things slowly and progressively desensitize your dog to the trigger of the undesirable behavior.

For example: If your dog always run nervously from window to window barking while the gardeners are working and your standard response is to get nervous, run after them as you yell, “NO, STOP!” – it’s time for a different approach. Assuming that your dog has been through some training, put the leash on the dog and prior to the gardeners arriving, go over the basic commands and get the dog more focused on you. It’s difficult for a dog to run franticly when they are lying down.

Be prepared. Reward for the desired behavior (verbal praise works wonders). When the gardeners arrive, the dog will be in a different frame of mind. The leash can remain on as a training tool until the behavior changes.

It’s also good to remember that if your dog is lacking in exercise and they have not been given an opportunity to use that energy it WILL be inappropriately directed toward something else.

Exercise and training combined will help immeasurably with desensitizing your dog and changing their behavior.

“Appropriate” Dog Behavior

Animals, like us, are beings of energy. There is kinetic energy. This is energy in motion. I am not referring to that, but rather the energy that is the basis of everything — the stuff that we’re all made of.

You’ve probably heard that what you feel travels down the leash to the dog. More importantly, as dogs they convert whatever energy we are experiencing through our thoughts and actions into an “appropriate” dog thought and action. In other words, they respond in the “dog equivalent” to our human emotion, thought, and posturing.

It is through awareness and observation that we can make subtle shifts in what we are feeling and in how we are using our bodies. This transfers to a different and what we humans would call a more desirable reaction from our dog. Let’s just say, we are more likely to get the response we want and have a much more attentive and content dog.

Dogs are never intentionally responding inappropriately nor are they ever bad in the way that we may interpret the word. They are just acting in a way that is natural for them at that particular moment in time. We spend a lot of wasted energy trying to get the dog to understand human thought rather than it being the other way around.

I’m not saying that we should just accept whatever the behavior is. It is difficult not to transfer our emotional expression to our dog. We assume that they are thinking as we are. By humanizing our dogs, we miss the opportunity to see what’s really going on.

Chances are, your dog is responding appropriately given their history, genetics, training (or lack of), and maybe most importantly, their instincts.

As a side note, I think it’s fair to say that we humans tend to forget that we also live a lot of our life based on instinct – human instinct. We should remember to understand and work with our dogs based on their instincts and not ours.

For a related article on humanizing your dog, check out: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/humandog.htm

The Magic Dog Leash for Training Success

If only. If only there was a leash or collar that I could bless or maybe have Cesar Milan bless that would train your dog effortlessly. I would then offer it to the public as the answer to their dog training problems.

This is it! Now, my career as a dog trainer and behaviorist will be over and the livelihood of all other trainers will be threatened. Read on. . .

I’m referring to the soon-to-be-released Magic Dog Training Leash. It is UNBELIEVABLE. I mean that literally in that it is not to be believed. Seriously, don’t believe any of this. . .

Imagine! With this leash, your dog will instantly heel, sit, stay, lie down, eat all his food, have no aggression issues and be completely housebroken. BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! If you buy now, I’ll throw in the unadvertised special Subliminal Dog Training CD that is guaranteed to keep your dog off any and all furniture. It will also end the need for your dog to chew on expensive shoes! You just play the CD while your pup sleeps, and wait for the miracle of your dog’s behavior modification.

If only. . .

I guess you know that the only way to have a well-behaved dog is to consistently train them. If I can some day perfect the ideas above, you’ll be the first to know!

Are Dog Parks a Good Place to Take Your Dog?

Dog parks or off-leash parks can be great places to let your dog socialize, play fetch, and for some aspects of training.

I have been to several parks that are very small, smell of urine, and the humans haven’t been responsible for picking up after their dogs. I have also been to parks that were amazing and the dogs and humans all had a great time! Here are a few things to consider:

• If your dog is aggressive with other dogs, stay out of the parks and find a trainer who can work with you and your dog in a more suitable environment.
• If you are feeling insecure about entering the park, chances are your dog will sense that from you. Alway take their leash off in the area provided prior to entering the area with the other dogs.
• Dog parks are for well-behaved humans and their well-behaved dogs.
• If you can’t handle your dog outside of the park fence, then inside the park is not the place to be.
• Dog parks are good for human socialization and for dogs to use some of their energy. However, some dogs will leave the park more energized.
• Never leave your dog unattended.
• Dogs will be dogs and will do their introductory sniffing. Not all dogs will like each other. Don’t try to force that. Just be responsible and aware if there appears to be signs of an altercation.

If you are interested in going to a dog park but aren’t sure about your dog in that environment, contact a trainer and have them meet you there. They can evaluate your dog and go in the park with you if that’s appropriate. It can be a great place for you and your dog!

No Means No – Does Your Dog Know That?

Shortly after bringing home a new dog, I often hear clients say that they tell their dog “no” and it doesn’t listen. I think this is more of a communication barrier than a lack of intelligence on the part of the dog.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if by raising our voice we could say anything to anyone whether they speak our language or not and they would instantly understand?! So, when you feel the need to yell “NO!” Ask yourself if the dog really knows what you’re expecting.

Once they do get it, try following the correction with something that is positive for the pup. None of us like to be yelled at all the time!

Should dogs be allowed on the furniture?

My answer to that question – it depends. I don’t allow my dogs on the furniture because there would be no room left for a human. If you have dogs with aggressive or dominant tendencies, I would suggest that they not be allowed on the furniture.

If through training and behavior modification they have a change of attitude, then you may allow them on the furniture but by invitation only. This also applies to allowing them to sleep with you. It’s YOUR bed and you might allow them on it and you might not.

Consistency is extremely important while your dog is being trained. It is also important to give them a place (bed or crate) where they can be a part of the family. Remember, when a new puppy or adult dog comes into your home, they need to be shown that they are living with you and that there are rules and guidelines that they must abide by.

You won’t hurt their feelings. It’s quite the opposite. By expecting and demonstrating mutual respect, you can share your home with your canine companion and maintain peace in the kingdom.

The Best Dog Command for Consistent Results

As a dog trainer and behaviorist, I would like to openly admit that my favorite at-home command is “whatever.” It’s beyond reason how quickly my dogs learned to respect the power of the word “whatever.”

If I say it with a slight 1980’s Valley-girl tone, they are happy to respond. I find it particularly beneficial to use this command when all five of them are at the door waiting to come in and I am attempting to limit the entry to two of them.

As they are lined up at the door, I may say “Zoe and Moby, stay! Olive and Najiv, ok.” As Zoe starts to move, I ask her politely if her name is Olive? She will sheepishly back off. Okay, so it doesn’t happen exactly like that.

As I select who may enter and who may not, I will – with much authority – release all of them with the respect-gaining “whatever” command. It always works! This is really taking dog training to another level, so I advise that you proceed with caution when incorporating this strict form of structure in your own home.

Do not attempt to use the “whatever” command without proper instruction and guidance from a professional dog trainer. Results may vary. =)