Dog Training

Dog Training FAQ

Q: I am not sure whether I should get a male or female puppy. I have heard that females are easier to deal with. Do you think gender matters?

A: In my experience the temperament of the dog is the most important factor. Both male and female dogs can have behavioral issues. Gender is no guarantee of an "easy" dog. An experienced breeder will help you find the right puppy for your situation, male or female.

Q: I am a first time dog owner. I want a puppy but my friends are telling me the right thing to do is rescue a dog from a shelter. I'd like to but I worry about bringing a strange dog into my house.

A: I recommend that first time dog owners start with a puppy. Rescuing a dog is a noble thing to do but requires an experienced hand. Shelters do a wonderful job of assessing their dogs and work hard to find good matches for them.

Yet, there are behavioral issues that will only exhibit themselves once the dog is in its new home environment. Rescue dogs can make wonderful pets but an owner must be prepared to potentially deal with a host of behavioral issues.

Q: I got my puppy a couple of weeks ago from a kennel. It is 13 weeks old and very healthy. The only problem is that every time I try to touch her, she tries to bite me or jumps or tries to squirm away. Why is this and what can I do?

A: Pups that are kenneled throughout their socialization period (approximately 5-11 weeks) with very little stimulation and interaction with humans may be difficult to bond with or train initially. I have worked with puppies that have had plenty of toys but very little human interaction. They are a handful! They can be very reactive to touch making them a challenge to groom. Getting them accustomed to being handled takes time, a gentle touch and patience. Over time they will develop trust and enjoy being handled.

Q: There are so many foods on the market these days. Is it that important to spend the extra money on more expensive brands?

A: The food you choose to feed your dog, particularly puppies, will have a long-term impact on its health and can even affect its behavior. So yes! I recommend spending what you can on a quality food. I particularly recommend avoiding brands available in supermarkets. Because of economics, these foods are made as inexpensively as possible to qualify for supermarket shelf space. There are business school case studies written about this. Sometimes large food manufacturers will buy a dog food brand as a way of utilizing by-products from their human food production.

Q: What do you think of flexi-leads? I like using them because it makes walking my dog so much easier!

A: I think flexi-leads are great for very young puppies. They are a wonderful way to introduce puppies to a leash and a good training aid for teaching puppies to come when called. However, when the pup is between 4-6 months of age, and certainly after 6 months I'd put it away.

Continuing to use a flexi-lead past 6 months teaches the pup to pull against the leash and take a leadership role on walks. They give the walker very little control and leverage if Rover suddenly decides to bolt! I can't count the number of times I have seen a dog running loose with a flexi-lead bouncing along behind it!

Q: We are going away for a vacation and can't bring our dog with us. What arrangements do you suggest?

A: My first choice would be to find an experienced friend or relative willing to baby-sit. As an alternative, there are lots of reliable pet sitting services. Ask your friends, Vet or search on the web for referrals and service providers. Once you find a sitter I recommend having them come for a visit a couple of times so they do not arrive after you are gone as a total stranger.

Both of these options provide the least stressful and healthiest option for your dog.

Q: My friends keep encouraging me to take my dog to a local dog park but the first time I tried my dog was attacked and now he seems tentative around other dogs we meet on walks. What should I do?

A: I am not a fan of dog parks. There are too many people that are inattentive to their dogs or have very poor control over them. Moreover, the dogs are in a very excited frame of mind and therefore more likely to provoke or initiate a charged encounter.

Q: It is very important for you to continue to socialize your dog. One of the biggest mistakes we can make is not continuing to socialize our dogs after a negative encounter. As hard as it may be, it is also important not to coddle and comfort our dog immediately after a confrontation. An emotionally loaded reaction from us will only serve to further imprint the negativity of the event.

A: I highly recommend finding a playgroup supervised by experienced people or better yet, arrange play-dates or walks with friends who have dogs. If your dog's reaction is "tentative" at this point it probably won't take long for him to regain his confidence and social skills.

Q: My husband and I want a dog but we already have a cat we love and we don't want to upset it or have it feel like we are chasing it out of the house. What is a good way to make sure they get along?

A: I'd start by getting a puppy between 8-11 weeks old. At this point a puppy will be able to bond to your cat most readily. Your cat will want to get away from the puppy when it is particularly rambunctious and that is normal but it will understand that it is a puppy and more of an annoyance than a real threat. The character of the relationship will also depend on the nature of your cat. If it is very nervous, it may never be best buddies with your dog but they can certainly learn to co-exist.

I'd take some time when both of you are home each day and spend some relaxed moments with everyone together. Don't let the puppy get to the cat yet. Let it have a favorite toy and get accustomed to being in proximity to the cat without having to engage it. This will also let the pup know that this is your pack and the cat belongs to you. Be prepared for some puppy/cat encounters as they work out their relationship. The important thing is not to freak out! Control the encounters and make them as positive as possible.

Q: I'm crate training my dog. She's 7 months old now and I don't want her to have to be crated every time I leave the house. How will I know when she is ready to be left out in the house?

A: I am presuming since your girl is 7 months old you'll already have puppy-proofed the areas she will have access to and that she has adapted to being alone. There is no set age when a dog becomes reliable enough to be free in the house alone. But you can begin by testing her for brief periods of time. Leave the house for 15 minutes at first and see how she does. You can use pet gates to confine her to certain areas if you feel more comfortable with that. After she can successfully be left alone a few times for 15 minutes, gradually increase the time. She may do beautifully with her new freedom. On the other hand she may reach a point where she looks for something interesting to occupy her time like your carpet or furniture. If you find that she has damaged something don't give up. Start over with the same increment of time before she got destructive and practice that for a while before increasing the time again. Make sure she has plenty of chewy and entertaining toys available.

Q: About a month ago our dog Toby became obsessed with his tennis ball. He'd take it to his bed and chomp on it till it would pop. At first we thought it was funny and we'd give him another one. He seemed to enjoy it so much. A couple of weeks ago though he growled at my wife when she reached down to pet him while he was chewing the ball. She told him "NO" and walked away. Since then he started showing his teeth and growling deeply if you go near him while he has the ball on his bed.

We called a trainer and he told us not to let him get away with it. He took the ball away from Toby two or three times and each time Toby got more angry till he bit the guy hard enough to draw a little blood. The trainer told us to get rid of him but we love Toby and don't think it was his fault. Do you have any ideas? We need help quick!

A: I agree! But I would need a lot more information from you to understand your situation well enough to devise a strategy. I would suggest you contact a local behaviorist or book a call with me soon!

In the meantime, take the balls away. This is only a temporary solution. In my experience obsessive behaviors are a symptom of an imbalance and though removing the balls will stop this expression it will probably re-surface in some other area.

The trainer you called was using a method I call "flattening the button". You repeat an action (button) till the dog becomes accustomed to it and it loses its charge for the dog. The problem with this method is you have to apply it at the right time. This method might have worked with Toby when he first started displaying the behavior. Once the growling escalated to showing the teeth and snarling the risk was that this method would escalate the behavior to the next level - which it did. Repeating the action frustrated Toby to the point where he had to resort to what sounds like a warning nip to get it to stop.

At this point you want to de-escalate the situation. If Toby's behavior has been "normal" with the exception of the ball obsession I would recommend doing training exercises with him till you get help. Keep them upbeat. Take him for daily heeling walks and have him do something for you like sit before he gets his food or goes out. Be calm and self-assured with him and avoid activities that excite him.