This week, Traci Moriarty, Certified Pet Dog Trainer, addresses two helpful behaviors for your dog.

“How do I keep my dog from barking at other dogs that are walking by?” “How do I keep my dog from jumping up on people or bikes passing us?”

It’s called “Watch Me.” Here’s how it’s introduced.

STEP 1: As always when teaching a new skill, start in a quiet place with little distraction. Then, place a treat in your hand, put it next to your face, and say “Watch Me.” When your dog looks at you, give him the treat.

STEP 2: Start to place your hand further from your face each time you give the “Watch Me” cue. Continue to move your hand away until you can have your hand completely down at your side and when you say “Watch Me,” your dog still looks at your face. (This can take up to 2 weeks of regular practice.)

STEP 3: Next, build up how long your dog watches you by delaying the treat for a few seconds. Say “Watch Me” and when your dog looks at your face, praise him for a few seconds before giving him the treat. You can practice this during commercials while watching TV.

STEP 4: You’re ready to bring it outside! First, try it outside without any distractions coming to make sure your dog understands the cue outside. Once you feel confident that your dog is responding to the “Watch Me” cue, try it as another dog or a person on a bike is approaching.  Say “Watch Me” and when your dog looks at you, give a treat and praise enthusiastically! Build up to having your dog look at you, then cuing him to Sit and Stay or just keep walking by the distraction while your dog is watching you. Make sure to generously treat your dog for ignoring the distraction—your dog has earned it! If your dog won’t take the treat, then try better treats, increase your distance between your dog and the distraction, and/or practicing with lower level distractions.

The goal that when something distracting is coming at you or is nearby, you can ask your dog to “Watch Me” and your dog will look to you, ignoring the distraction.

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Sit can be taught by “capturing” every time your dog sits. To capture the behavior, you “mark” it by saying “Yes” and giving a treat. Adding the verbal cue “Sit” prior to the behavior after a few successes will help your dog associate the cue with the behavior.

You can also lure the dog into a sit with a treat just above the nose, moving the treat back just a bit so the rear part of the dog “Sits.”

Practice makes perfect, so practice sitting for attention, treats, for meals, and before going in or out a door. Waiting for your dog to sit before pets and/or treats will make this a default behavior. Your dog can also learn to sit before every person and not jump!

To build on the Sit behavior:

• Practice teaching Sit from a distance, for example, from the couch while your dog is across the room.
• Have your dog sit next to you and not just in front of you.
• Apply a hand signal to the Sit cue.
• If you are expecting a baby or have a baby, practice Sit while holding things in your arms.

Traci Moriarty is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, C.L.A.S.S. Evaluator, and APDT Professional Member. For questions, email Traci or visit Traci’s web site.

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The new year is officially here. For many, this means creating lists of resolutions with intentions of modifying one’s behavior. My sidekick, Poncho, and I would like to encourage you to resolve to to help dogs stay in their homes and out of animal shelters. Here are some tips to reduce the shelter dog population:

• Location, Location, Location: We realize it’s difficult to foresee the future, but pet owners need to investigate before they bring a dog into their homes. If you’re a home-owner, it’s best to match the home layout with the dog’s personality and temperament. Consider age and energy level vs. size or breed. If you rent, know the current policies where you live. As for moving, determine if you can bring your dog to the new location. If not, have a back-up plan. Make arrangements with a friend or family member to house your dog, even if it’s just temporary, until you can find a place that allows canine residents.

• Basic Training: It’s important to keep in mind that putting canine needs ahead of your own is necessary for developing a healthy and happy dog, both physically and mentally. Many behavioral issues that lead owners to relinquish dogs to shelters in the first place can be prevented through management and the use of simple training steps. Even a few minutes a day can buy years of being problem free. The Out of the Box Dog Training Game I developed is designed for busy dog parents who have mere minutes a day to teach the skills and behaviors they want to see from their dogs.

• It’s All About the Budget: Fortunately, the needs of our domestic dogs are, for the most part, pretty minimal. Water, food, shelter, an old tennis ball or stick, our attention and belly rubs are usually all they’ll ever really want. However, because of some laws, and the fact that we enjoy spoiling them and want to keep them around for as long as possible, health care, licensing, collars, leashes and all the extra goodies we want to provide tend to add up — especially health care. Determine if the expenses calculated over the lifetime of your dog is something you can afford. For those on a tighter budget, check your local area for low-cost health care options. Fostering a shelter dog is another option to fulfill your Fido fix while keeping your list of financial responsibilities to a minimum.

• And Puppy Makes 3 … or 4 … or More: Adding another dog to the list of household pets can often lead to unforeseen circumstances, even resulting in sending him or her to a shelter — either because siblings don’t get along, you find out there really isn’t enough space, or there were policies that went overlooked. Again, we encourage you to ask around and plan ahead.

• Ain’t Misbehavin’: A higher percentage of dogs turned in to a shelter are young, en-ergetic and lacking in basic manners. Pet parents should focus on teaching the dog the behaviors they want. Attending a dog training class, joining a dog group and/or working with a certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist can help you achieve success in your overall behavior goals.

An Ounce of Prevention: In the U.S. alone, millions (yes, millions) of dogs and cats are euthanized every year. Take the necessary steps to ensure you’re being a responsible dog parent — or dog-loving friend — by planning ahead and taking care of your dog’s physical, mental and emotional needs. This way, dogs get to stay in loving homes and out of shelters.

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Joan Mayer is a certified professional dog trainer, founder of the Inquisitive Canine, and the developer of the “Out of the Box Dog Training Game,” and Poncho the dog is her trusty sidekick. If you have questions about behavior, training, or life with your dog, please email Joan directly or visit Joan’s web site.

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I thought it would be fun to get a picture of my dogs with “Santa” this year. A local pet-friendly establishment was offering photos with Santa, and when it was our turn, I walked my dogs, Sylvie and Sarge, toward Santa. Sylvie approached Santa with a loose body, relaxed wagging tail, and open mouth, with her ears in a neutral position. Her body language said she was comfortable with the Santa. On the other hand, Sarge’s body language communicated a different message. Sarge cautiously approached with his head and tail lowered, and with his mouth closed; as he got closer, the hair on his back raised. Sarge was saying “I’m not comfortable with this strange bearded person in a furry suit.” My “jolly routine” (speaking in an upbeat happy manner) didn’t affect Sarge’s emotional state, so rather than allow my dog to continue to be stressed, and pushing him to face something he was wary of, I cheerily called Sarge to me (which we have practiced hundreds of times) and calmly escorted my dogs away.

An essential part of C.L.A.S.S. (Canine Life And Social Skills) is understanding your dog’s body language. Here are several reasons why understanding canine body language is important.

First, we should understand what our dog is saying to help keep ourselves, our dogs, and other people and dogs safe. Every dog has the equivalent of a dangerous weapon in their mouth—their teeth. How they wield that weapon is affected by their genetics, environment, and training. Regardless, it is vital that we be able to “read” a dog to prevent and avoid potential conflict.

There was a time when I misunderstood dog body language, and I missed the pre-cursors of aggressive behavior, which later developed into a serious behavior problem. Had I been aware that my dog was feeling uncomfortable or behaving defensively, I could have addressed the root of the problem with help from a trainer before the behavior escalated.

Secondly, it is important to understand your dog’s body language so that he is not exposed to unnecessary amounts of stress. Just as with people, stress in dogs can cause health and behavioral problems. There are many specific ways that dogs display stress, for example, a yawn, lip lick, sweaty paws, dilated pupils, freeze, refusing food. When I recognize these signs, I try to determine the cause and do what I can to help a dog relax by removing the stressor, or through training or management.

Third, understanding your dog’s body language is key to your relationship with your dog. Relationships are built on and sustained by communication. Communication goes both ways—we should strive to “listen” to our dogs just as we want our dogs to listen to us.

I find there is always more to learn as I take time to observe dogs and glean information from resources available on canine body language. The more we understand dog body language, the better we will understand and appreciate these remarkable creatures.

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Ann Allums, CPDT-KSA, has been a professional dog trainer since 2003. She currently works for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers as the Special Programs Coordinator.

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Dear Joan and Poncho,

If I arrive at a friend’s home dressed well, and they haven’t trained their dog to keep from jumping, what should I say to keep the peace, while keeping my clothes in one piece as well?

Cheers!

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

Poncho and I both agree that your question “What should I say?” is a great way to begin the training process: you’re opening your friend’s eyes to their dog’s behavior, while enlisting them in taking part of the decision making. They might want to follow the same steps as this Dear Inquisitive Canine reader who was having “jumping-to-greet” problems at home with her own dog.

Although using your voice is ideal, we recommend you also use non-verbal communication to help teach your friend’s dog to greet politely. In other words, allow your body language to “do the talking” for you. This way, if you prefer not to confront your friends (humans can be touchy about these things), or you don’t have time to discuss it, or the situation doesn’t allow for it, you’ll still be able to teach your friend’s dog how to greet politely. We know, it’s kind of passive, but it’s simple, effective, and fun! Plus, your friend will probably want to have you over more often!

Whether your friend requests something specific or not, you can still use the following steps as your back-up plan to help their dog greet you politely:

Reward what you want: Reward the dog only if he or she is sitting, lying down, or at the very least has four paws on the floor when greeting you! That’s it! The owner gives petting, praise, and food treats for sitting/lying down, etc. Then the final reward is you saying hello! Either a scratch under the chin, a food treat, or a “Good dog!” from afar.

Ignore unwanted behavior: And we mean ignore! If the dog gets up and begins to launch him or herself to greet you, then you retreat (or turn away) and ignore this inconsequential behavior! Zero eye-contact and zero pushing or yelling. You can even walk out if you have to. Remember, attention is still attention!

Practice! Either actively set up sessions with your friends and their dog when you’re wearing your casual clothes, or passively set up practice sessions by arranging to stop by and say *hi*.

Providing some situational awareness to your friends, along with a little practice, should help set everyone up for success! As the saying goes, “It takes a village.” On behalf of myself and Poncho, we thank you for being part of our “village” and taking the time to help dogs become better accustomed to our human environment.

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Joan Mayer is a certified professional dog trainer, founder of the Inquisitive Canine, and the developer of the “Out of the Box Dog Training Game,” and Poncho the dog is her trusty sidekick. If you have questions about behavior, training, or life with your dog, please email Joan directly or visit Joan’s web site.

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Dear Inquisitive Canine,

Our dog Tyler loves going to the dog park. But since he learned to fetch, all he wants to do is play with a ball. He doesn’t play chase and run with the other dogs, and in fact rarely even sniffs hello.

We’ve tried not taking our ball flinger, but the park is covered with abandoned balls and somehow Tyler always convinces someone to throw the ball for him. How can we get him back to playing with other dogs at the dog park?

KC

Dear KC,

We’d be more than happy to give you pointers for getting Tyler more engaged in dog play with other dogs at the park. The following dog training tips should help make these adventures fun for you, while still making it rewarding for Tyler.

First and foremost, determine what your main goal is. To me it sounds like it would be for Tyler to engage in dog play with various dogs during these outings. You’re correct in taking the ball play out of the picture during park visits. Bringing toys to a dog park is similar to a child bringing his/her Nintendo DS to another child’s birthday party at Great America. If there are no other dogs around to play with, then fetch is fine. But if you want your dog to play with other dogs, then yes, do away with the superfluous distractions.

You’ll also want to think about what behaviors are being reinforced, which ones you’d rather reinforce, and which ones you want to ignore (or limit by withholding rewards.)

• Interacting with other dogs: Reward! Reward! Reward!
• Ignoring balls: Reward!
• If another ball is found, ask Tyler to do something else, like walk nicely next to you, get rid of the ball, and reward him for staying with you.
• If Tyler continues to be ball obsessive, you can always put him on leash for 20 seconds as a “time out,” while ignoring him. Then take him off leash and reward him again for desired behaviors.
• Other humans and their behavior: Ask for help if necessary. Let others know that you are teaching Tyler to play with other dogs, and that “fetch time” is played elsewhere. You can thank them for helping you out. If they want to give a “Good boy!” to Tyler whenever he shows interest in their own dog, that would be even better, and much appreciated!

When it comes to teaching Tyler to play with other dogs, you’ll want to do so in “baby steps.” This is called shaping behavior. Instead of waiting for a full-on play session, you can reward small steps, starting with a glance, then moving up the behavior chain to approaching another dog, showing interest in another dog, allowing Tyler to set the pace until he is interacting with multiple dogs at once.

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Joan Mayer, a certified professional dog trainer, is the founder of the Inquisitive Canine, and Poncho, a 10-pound mutt, is Joan’s trusty sidekick. Email Joan directly or visit Joan’s web site.

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Are your dog’s favorite activities digging, chewing, hunting and scavenging, running, chasing, fetching and retrieving, going for walks, and greeting the neighbor dogs? That sounds pretty much like a normal dog! Rather than suppressing his energy or relegating him to the yard, give your dog acceptable outlets for his energy. Dogs can get all of their dogginess out in a healthy manner, but in a way that makes everyone in the home happy. 

A few training tips to consider are:

Reward the behaviors you like! A few I would recommend are the times when your dog is quiet and calm in the house and backyard, ignoring plants, sofas, and water lines. Dogs are more likely to perform those behaviors than the ones they don’t get rewarded extra for.

Manage your dog’s environment! During those times when you can’t monitor your dog’s behavior, keep your dog confined to his own special area, sort of like a doggy den – either a crate or separate room. Give your dog stuffed food toys and chew bones that will keep him comfortable, mentally stimulated, and away from enticing things like sofas and plant life. 

Teach your dog the behaviors you want! If your dog enjoys being busy, how about taking a dog training class? Or agility? Flyball? Rally-O? Treibball? Nose Work? You’ll learn all about teaching your dog the behaviors you want your dog to have. Plus your dog gets to use his brain and problem solve, while burning off some of his excess energy.

Provide your dog with a “Stimulus Package!” Enrichment, both physical and mental, is great for dogs in general, but really important for active, energetic dogs. These are a few suggestions geared towards your dog’s favorite activities:

• Digging: create a digging pit for your dog in the yard. It’s kind of like a huge sandbox, but just for your dog to play in. Fill it with dirt, sand, and other ground cover that feels good on doggy feet, and then bury bones, treats, interactive food toys, and all sorts of other goodies your dog likes. Finding the buried treasure keeps your dog focused and busy in one area, while tapping into his innate doggy behaviors. The special items themselves will continue to keep your dog busy.
• Chewing: Provide acceptable chew items that YOUR DOG likes – not items you think your dog should like. We all have our preferences. Then, when your dog chooses these legal items, you can reward your dog with an extra yummy treat. This communicates to your dog that his choice was correct!
• Exercise: Some runs and walks are great, but sometimes they’re just more “fun” than tiring. Make you’re your dog has gotten his yah-yah’s out with plenty of mental and physical stimulation, especially before expecting your dog to be relaxed inside the home.

Think about teaching your dog what you want in a way your dog will understand, that is both fun and rewarding. It’s best to teach your dog what you want versus depending on time, old age, or another dog to decrease his energy level.

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Joan Mayer, a certified professional dog trainer, is the founder of the Inquisitive Canine and the developer of the “Out of the Box Dog Training Game.” Email Joan directly or visit Joan’s web site.

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“My dog lies down and cowers when she meets other dogs. How can I help my dog overcome her shyness?”

As a dog mom and certified professional dog trainer I’ve learned to recognize the appropriate behaviors associated with healthy “dog play.” In a nutshell, “normal doggy play” is the practicing of the many behaviors dogs would need in order to survive in the wild long enough to pass on their genes.

Imagine your dog, out on her own, hunting for food, chasing down prey, running away from predators, finding a mate, and making babies. Of course we know they won’t need to do any of this, right? We feed them, spay and neuter them, (or arrange “marriages”), protect them from danger, etc. But their DNA still says to practice and become proficient in all of these skills.

One of the most important elements of healthy dog play is that it be reciprocal amongst all parties involved. Sure, there are some dogs that would rather be chased, or rather be the one chasing. But it needs to be consensual. If one dog doesn’t consent, then it’s not fun.

In the case of a dog who lies down and cowers when meeting other dogs, here is some foundation work to help your dog overcome her shyness around other dogs and build confidence:

1. Pack up your treat pouch with little pieces of food that your dog loves. Then, whenever you go for a walk, give your dog pieces of the food, but ONLY when another dog is around! When the other dog goes out of sight, the treats stop. With repetition and consistency, your dog will start to associate the presence of another dog with getting tasty treats. You’ll know it’s working when your dog looks at another dog, then at you, almost saying “Where’s my steak?”

2. To further build self-confidence, again you’re going to carry treats with you. But this time you’re going to focus in on your own dog’s behavior, and not what’s going on in her environment. You are going to reward your dog, with a yummy treat and lots of praise, for bravery! At first it will be just for looking at the other dog, progressing to your dog walking closer and closer to the other dog, then eventually having the other dog walk towards your dog. Of course, only advance if it is safe for all parties involved. As your dog gains confidence, you can gradually work towards greeting another dog.

Having a basic understanding of what appropriate dog play is, as well as a plan to help your dog overcome her shyness and build confidence, will help make greeting other dogs more pleasant for everyone.

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Joan Mayer, a certified professional dog trainer, and is the founder of the Inquisitive Canine and the developer of the “Out of the Box Dog Training Game.” Email Joan directly or visit Joan’s web site.

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The tips below are not shortcuts, but real training based on the principles of animal learning. It takes little or no extra time out of your schedule to incorporate these suggestions.

1) Ignore undesirable behaviors that your dog does to get your attention. A dog who jumps up on you when you return home, barks at you for a treat, or whines and paws at you for food or attention, usually gets rewarded with attention for these behaviors. Ignoring the dog takes away the reward of the behavior. If everyone is consistent by ignoring the uninvited behavior, the dog will eventually stop the behavior because there is no pay-off. But if you try this, expect the behavior to get worse for a short while as the dog tries even harder to get your attention. And be sure to give your dog the attention he needs when he is NOT doing undesired behavior!

2) Reward your dog for giving you attention. Does it seem as if your dog never listens to you, even though you constantly try to get her attention? Perhaps your dog has learned to tune out the constant chatter as irrelevant. Try just waiting for your dog to look at you. When she does, immediately reward with a treat so your dog learns that it pays to attend to you!

3) Catch your dog in the act of doing something you like. Your dog already has behaviors; through training, we show our dogs what behaviors get rewarded, and dogs are more likely to repeat behavior that is rewarded. I wanted to teach my dog Sarge to play bow on cue. I noticed that he would bow on his own each morning to stretch. So, I stashed some treats in several convenient (but out-of-reach to the dog) places around the house. Then I simply watched Sarge, and when he bowed, I started saying “Yes!” and giving him a treat. Within a few days, Sarge was offering more bows, as he made the connection between that behavior and a yummy treat.

4) Train during work breaks or TV commercials. You don’t have to set aside thirty minutes for a training session. Dogs actually learn best in short sessions, from as little as 30 seconds to a few minutes. (Using their brain is hard work!) Just have your treats ready, and see how many behaviors you can reward your dog for during your break.

5) Once your dog can do a few behaviors on cue, have him say “please” for things you are already going to give him. Cue him to sit to attach his leash. Ask your dog to sit and wait before giving him his bowl. Ask him to lay down before you let him outside. This gives the dog a job, and helps to maintain those behaviors he’s learned with regular practice.

Every interaction with your dog is a training opportunity. So with a little planning, you can start to train your dog in no time! See Canine Life and Social Skills for ideas of real-life training goals.

Ann Allums, CPDT-KSA, has been a professional dog trainer since 2003. She currently works for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers as the Special Programs Coordinator.

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Communication is important for any animal. There are universal signals that can be understood from animals of the same specials and between different species. The same goes for us as humans with our canine companions. However, each species has also subtle signs and ways to communicate, and these can be dangerous if we don’t read them correctly. This is why I like the growl.

A growl is a clear warning sign that the dog gives. An exception to this rule is when the dog is playing. My dog gets very vocal when she plays and growls a lot, but the rest of her body lets me know that this is just play, nothing more.

But why would a dog growl in other instances? Well, most of the time it is to let us know that the dog is not comfortable in a certain situation or she is trying to protect/guard something.  If a person is walking up to a dog and she growls or air-snaps (biting the air), that lets you know that she is not comfortable with that particular stranger approaching her. So why not discipline her for growling? Well, if you use any form of punishment i.e. yelling, leash corrections, or shock, you take away her warning without changing how she feels.

Let me put this in another way. Let’s say you don’t like spiders, but I allow a huge, hairy one to approach you. Every time you scream I hit you or yell at you. You still don’t like spiders, but now you are afraid to scream because you get hit or yelled at every time. So now the spider approaches you and instead of screaming to scare the spider away, you stomp on it if it gets too close. This is the same for your dog. In this case, it’s best to remove her from the situation or prevent the scary thing, be it a child, adult, or other animal, from approaching her. If you punish the growl, your dog may now only give more subtle warning signs, such as enlarged pupils or tongue flickering, which most people can’t see or don’t realize are warning signs, too. Then, you may hear comments like “That dog bit with no warning.”

By using Positive Reinforcement techniques instead of corrective/punishment methods, we can help the dog view things that are scary in a different way. Eventually with desensitizing and classical conditioning, the dog will become more comfortable around these scary things.  Before you attempt to modify your dog’s behavior, seek help from a Positive Reinforcement trainer.

If your dog is growling when you get too close to her possession, a toy, food bowl, etc, this is known as resource guarding. If your dog is resource guarding, please contact a Positive Reinforcement trainer for help.

Tracy Matzinger is a professional dog trainer for Dogz’N Harmony. Email Tracy directly or visit the Dogz’N Harmony web site.

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