Category: Puppy Advice

Dogs are pack animals. You and your family, and any other pets in the family, are his pack. When everyone leaves for work and school, some dogs get highly upset and may become destructive or aggravate the neighbors with constant barking and whining. What causes this behavior and is there anything that you can do about it?

My Experience

Long ago, I had a dog named Pepper. She was part Australian Sheppard, and was a very sweet dog, although she was also really…ahem….active. I had her for 11 years, and for the first 9, she was a great dog. Even as a pup, she never chewed on furniture, shoes, or clothes. Each day, everyone left for work and school, and Pepper caused no problems. After 9 years, she suddenly became very destructive. It started when she got left in the basement one day, and it stormed. Being deathly afraid of storms, she wanted access to her usual hiding place – under a bed. So, she dug her way through the basement/kitchen hollow-core door. I came home to find the poor thing hiding under the bed, along with a big hole in the door.

But this was merely the beginning. In the next 24 months, Pepper dug through doors, walls, and even the front door. She crashed through windows screens and shredded upholstered furniture. We bought her a sizable crate, and on her first day inside it, she broke the thick plastic floor lining, and her even-thicker plastic water dish, into shards. She also broke both of her upper eye teeth off along the gum line attempting to chew her way out. We took her to the vet to have her teeth fixed, and I asked for a prescription for doggy Valium. The vet told me that, without a doggy psychiatrist’s treatment, doggy Valium only works in about 5{d4f4ff813a06e2c77cbb9c6effe011ebffe2f8986e44983e90e08c54deb62f63} of cases. And in many cases even with a psychiatrist, they just help in about 15{d4f4ff813a06e2c77cbb9c6effe011ebffe2f8986e44983e90e08c54deb62f63} of cases. I have since heard better numbers than that, but at the time, it left us feeling pretty hopeless.

In the last few months that Pepper lived with us, we moved into a big, brand-new home. In the beginning, she seemed as happy as we were with our new digs. But before long, she started her destructiveness again. She chewed on woodwork, shredded the carpet in several places, and destroyed some window screens. We finally came to the heart-breaking decision that we were going to have to find her a different home, before she totally ruined ours. At 11 years of age, we weren’t sure that anyone would want her. But we did find her a great home, with a lot of room to run, and someone who is home for her the whole day.

We never could determine what caused Pepper’s sudden separation anxiety. Looking back, I think it may have started about the time we purchased a new box springs and mattress. Up till then, Pepper had always slept on the bed – not at the foot of the bed, but right up there on the pillows. It had gotten to the stage that when I rolled over onto my stomach or side at night, I’d get a mouthful of her shed hair. So when we got the new mattresses, I stopped letting Pepper sleep on it. Maybe being alone all day was ok, so long as she got her cuddle time during the night, and all of the destructiveness was her means of letting me know she didn’t appreciate being exiled from sleeping on the bed.

I believe Pepper’s case was somewhat unusual, but there are actually steps that can help with more “normal” cases of separation anxiety. Start reading this article about CBD for dogs and then move on to the next few things that can help too:

Food and Exercise

Give your dog sufficient exercise. An exercised dog is a happy dog, and is also a tired dog. Plus a full belly is a happy belly. A dog that has been on a nice run and gotten his belly full is more likely to take a nap and sleep much of the day away. Ah, the life of a dog 🙂 And of course, you should also be sure that there’s fresh water and food readily available for your canine friend.

Sights, Smells, and Sounds

Leave the television or even a radio on. It can be reassuring to your dog if he can hear human voices. Leave a window open. Dogs like the fresh air plus the outside smells, plus they are able to see and hear people and other animals that are outside. You might have to leave it open only a crack, though, depending on your dog’s behavior. Pepper would go right through a screen that was open wide enough.

Something to Do

Leave your dog some favorite toys. It will give him something to do. Toys that both you and your dog have played with, and therefore have your smell on, can reassure. Ropes, nylon bones (not real ones, they could splinter and cause all kinds of problems or worse), squeaky toys, and balls are all good. The dog I have now goes out in the front yard on a 20-foot lead. I’ve seen him play with the lead, as though it were a live person or animal, when there was nothing else to do.

Answering Machines and Web Cams

Set your answering machine to screen calls, so the caller’s voice can be heard, and call your dog once or twice during the day and let him hear your voice. If at all possible, set up a web cam at home and at work so that you can look in on your pup and see what he is up to. If he’s misbehaving, call the answering machine and reprimand him. If he appears to be getting anxious, call and speak to him in a soothing voice.

Put Your Dog in a Crate

Although it didn’t work with Pepper, it may work for you. It might sound mean to confine your dog to this type of small space each day, but it can actually be reassuring to him. A dog often comes to think of his crate as his own familiar “bedroom”. One Fourth of July, when my current dog, Bo, was just a pup, he ventured outside and heard a huge firecracker boom. He ran back inside, cowering. He came out again, and it happened again. His third time out, several loud fireworks went off at once, and Bo ran back inside, down the steps, into his crate, and curled up and hid in there. It was his safe place to go. Crating works best if your dog is used to it, or is raised from a pup using a crate.

Stay Calm

When you leave, and when you initially get home, stay calm. Your dog will detect your vibes, and if you become nervous because he is likely to be nervous or upset, your dog will detect it. Make coming and going no big deal.

Interval Training

Leave the house for just a couple of seconds, then come back in. Go out again, and wait a few minutes and then come back in. Vary the amounts of time that you are gone. Get your dog used to being separated for small amounts of time, and gradually increase the time. Go in or out different doors. Take your keys with you one time, but not another. Go when your dog is looking, and when he isn’t. And stay calm. Eventually, your dog is not going to know if you will leave for a long or short time. But he will begin to realize that you always return.

I’m hoping these tips will help you and your best friend to live in harmony. Love My Dog Blog would love to hear any stories you have about your dog and separation anxiety, or any stories about your dog. You can also visit Love My Dog Blog for information and facts, tips, and human dog interest stories.

Dog Training (Adiestramiento Canino) is the process of instruction a dog (Canis lupus familiaris) to perform plastered actions in response to certain commands which the dog is trained to understand. It is a general term which does not, by itself, describe what or how the dog is taught.  

There are many methods of dog training and many objectives, from basic obedience training to specialized areas including law enforcement, military, search and rescue, look for, working with livestock, assistance to people with disabilities, entertainment, dog sports and protecting people or property.  

As pack animals, wild dogs have natural instincts that favor cooperation with their fellow dogs. Many domestic dogs, either through instinct or breeding, can correctly interpret and respond to signals given by a valet handler.      

 

Basic training

Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people who want them to behave in ways that make them pleasant to be around, keep them safe, and provides for the safety of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; they must be trained.  

The hardest part of training is communicating with the dog in a humane way that the dog understands. However, the underlying rule of all communication is simple: reward desired behavior while ignoring or correcting undesired behavior.  

Basic pet obedience training ordinarily consists of six behaviors:  

• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Recall (“come”, “here” or “in”)
• stopping point (or loose-leash walking)
• Heel

“Corrections” should never include harmful physical force or violence. Using force while training is controversial and should not be interpreted lightly, because even if it ends the behavior, when applied inappropriately with some dogs it may lead to a loss of drive (enthusiasm for the given task), stress, and in some cases even aggression. A handler may decide to use force, however the standard used by most trainers is the minimum amount necessary to inhibit the unwanted behavior.      

 

Puppies and learning

The antenatal period is a recently recognized developmental period of puppies. It is thought that “long-term effects on behavioural development may also be produced in some mammals by events occurring in utero”. (Serpell, 1995, p. 80) Previous studies tended to overlook the existence of this period, since the puppy’s behavior could not be observed. With the development of the ultrasound elevator car, a puppy can now be observed within the mother as early as the fourth week of gestation.  

It was found that puppy fetuses would react to pertain and/or pressure from the outside of the mother’s abdomen. In addition, it is theorized that since puppies have such a well-developed sense of touch at feature, the sense of touch would also be well-developed before birth. Studies have found that “when a pregnant animal is petted her litter is more docile”, (Denenberg and Whimbey 1964, in Fox 1978) According to Fox, this facilitates relaxation, emotional attachment, and socialization. Other studies have indicated that puppies that receive outside contact (petting of the mother) while in utero have a higher tolerance for touching than puppies that receive no contact at all. One could theorize that well-off petting of the mother’s abdomen could help to facilitate positive, beneficial puppy socialization with people.  

During the first two weeks of a puppy’s life, also known as the neonate period, puppies can learn simple associations. (Serpell, 1995) However, early experience events are unlikely to carry over into later periods. Studies indicate that puppies in the neonate period do not seem to learn by experience. (Scott and Fuller, 1965) It is theorized that this is due to the fact that the puppy’s brain, sense, and motor organs are still undeveloped. Based on its limited capacity to sense and learn it would be difficult to affect the puppy psychologically, either in a positive or negative sense. (Scott and Fuller, 1965)  

The next period of development is known as the socialization period. This period begins around 3 weeks old and ends around 12 weeks old. (Beaver, 1999) The main aspect of this period is social play. Social examine, playful fighting and playful sexual behavior is very of import to developing social relationships during its life. (Scott and Fuller, 1965) New behavior patterns are directly influenced by the puppy’s interaction with its mother and other puppies in the litter.   During this period puppies develop social relationships, with other puppies as well as with people. However, there is a point at which the puppies can develop a fear of strangers. At 3–5 weeks of age, puppies will actively onset strangers. short thereafter stranger avoidance begins and slowly escalates until it peaks around 12–14 weeks of age. (Beaver, 1999) While this natural fear of strangers could serve as a way to keep a curious puppy away from predators, it can also hinder normal relationships with people.  

During this period, startle reactions to sudden movement and sounds develop. This serves to help the puppy learn to differentiate between dangerous and safe or insignificant events.(Scott and Fuller, 1965) During the socialization period, the development of attachment to certain locations occurs. This is displayed by an extreme disturbance in the puppy whenever a change in location occurs. This is known as localization. (Serpell, 1995) Localization often peaks in puppies between 6–7 weeks old (Scott and Fuller, 1965), and then tapers off after that time until a change in location is no longer distressing to the puppy (cachorro).  

Dogs that are handled and petted by humans on a regular basis during the first eight weeks of life are generally much more amenable to being trained and living in human households. Ideally, puppies should be placed in their lasting homes between about 8 and 10 weeks of age. In some places it is against the law to take puppies away from their mothers before the age of 8 weeks. Puppies are innately more fearful of new things during the period from 10 to 12 weeks, which makes it harder for them to adapt to a new home.   Puppies can begin learning tricks and commands as early as 8 weeks of age; the only limitations are stamina, concentration, and physical coordination.   

For a puppy, feeding is like breathing. Filling a belly does more than merely nourish; it displaces the nervousness caused by the pangs of hunger. The warm glow that comes from a full tummy assures the puppy that he is securely connected to his group. Therefore, we shouldn’t hesitate to use food in training.

Since eating is so basic with a puppy, it is easy to excite him with a treat. If in his rush to grab the food, he snaps at your hand very hard, do not correct the dog or get mad at him. Just take the time to calm him by giving him a steady flow of food so that he is reassured that he is going to get all the food he wants. As he becomes satiated, his drive to grab the food will start to subside and he’ll be ready to learn how to take the food gently from your hand.

Food is very effective with adult dogs as well. It clearly indicates to the dog that he has an instinctive advantage in doing what his trainer wants. Also, food can be used to relax an adult dog’s nervous system by washing away social resistance. Remember that although our pet seems domesticated, his instincts are still wild and need to be calmed.

(more…)

I hope you can help me. I have an eighteen month old Border Terrier called Lucy. She has been housetrained and was doing fine. But recently she seems to have regressed into a state where she suffers from separation anxiety quite severely.

I’ve tried training her again to show her that whining and crying won’t have any effect and I’ve also tried giving her a treat before I go out and when I get back, but she appears to be in the same state of distress when I get back as she was in as I left. I can’t think of anything that could have triggered this.

Do you know of a possible cause and a recommended course of action?

Christine Duncan, Fife.

Reply from Christine Emerson

Hi Christine

You were right to try and eliminate attention-seeking as the cause but as your efforts made no difference we need to look at other causes. Separation Anxiety is an overused expression. I see many dogs that are agitated when left alone but they are not anxious, just frustrated, bored or have simply never learnt to be patient.

(more…)

How Dog Training Methods Have Evolved Through the Years

When you look down at your brand new, small and tender puppy peacefully sleeping in its little bed, it’s hard to think that in just two to three months it may grow to be 40, 50, or even up to 100 pounds depending on the type of breed. And although its behaviors may cute at the moment, like jumping up and putting his front paws on your body, these actions will be far less enjoyable when your dog is all grown up and literally knocking you over.

It’s always a sound idea to start training your puppy from day one so that he can learn proper manners as he grows into adulthood.

Puppies that are not trained in this manner end up learning all of the wrong stuff and their owners wonder why they cannot seem to get their dogs to behave as they age.

Many years ago, when dog training methods used more punishment oriented (using harsh methods to train puppies), dog trainers typically required all puppy trainees to be at least six months old.

The reason was partly due to the fact that such physical correction protocols used could not be done with dogs that were too small or too young.

What is ironic about dog training in the dim and distant past is that by the time most puppies are six months old they are big enough and mentally stubborn enough to ignore commands and are altogether tough to train.

Modern Times, Modern Dog Training Methods

Over the last 20 years or so, the dog training profession has embraced more friendly and loving training tactics for their puppy clients.  Most trainers now except puppies that are as young as 8 to 10 weeks old. They are typically enrolled in socialization classes and puppy kindergarten.

Positive training is now used instead of the old-school methods of negative reinforcement. Puppies are taught to walk politely on the leash.

They learn the basic commands of sit, stay, lie down, and come. In addition to these simple instructions, other useful techniques are learned by puppies such as how to relax, give and take their paw, and polite greeting.

Modern Dog Owners are More Clued up Today

Another interesting aspect of raising dogs that has been noted over the last couple of decades is that more and more dog owners have taken it upon themselves to train their puppies. 

This is partly due to the fact that so many dog training publications and manuals have been written. Modern dog training programs are based more and more on scientific principles and psychological studies of animal behavior and temperament.

Simple puppy training programs have taught dog owners to utilize techniques such as clicker training and luring.

Clicker training involves the use of a small mechanism that makes a clicking sound when pressed. When a dog hears the sound it will associate the click with whatever reward you give him.

This tells the animal that something good is coming and he should repeat whatever behavior or action you have been teaching him.

Luring training is simply using food such as a dog treat, or even a toy, to induce the dog to display a specific behavior in order to follow the lure in hopes of getting the reward.

Puppy Training – How To Control Nipping & Biting

One thing you can count on when bringing home a new puppy is the fact that he will nip and bite at your fingers during the first few days or weeks. This is perfectly normal and there is no reason to get alarmed that you may have purchased an aggressive dog.

Important: If you’re looking for immediate, expert advice to [keyword id=’biting’]… click here and we’ll show you how to fix the problem today!

However, like any behavior you wish to change about your dog, you need to take a few steps so that he realizes that nipping is not something you as the “pack leader” want him to continue doing.

So how do you change this natural biting behavior that a little puppy has? Well the first thing to do is determine his age.

This is important because puppies under the age of about 15 weeks need to be handled a little differently when it comes to mouthing and nipping than puppies over the age of 15 weeks.

(more…)

Puppy Barking Problems – How To Prevent a Puppy Barking from Attention

For any new dog owner, handling all of the loud barking of a new puppy can be quite an unnerving experience. Most new dog owners are not prepared for the intense amount of barking and yelping that young puppies start doing the minute they arrive in their new home.

Although it is totally natural, some puppies do not give their owners the luxury of quieting down, especially at night.

One of the biggest phases that a puppy will go through is the fear of being alone. And I’m not talking about being alone in the sense of you leaving the house. Some puppies will go absolutely nuts even when you only leave the room for a split second. They just can’t bear to be alone because they are used to having their mommy or littermates around non-stop.

When faced with this situation, what you do? If you run to your puppy to sooth and caress him every time he cries, then you are only feeding the behavior and creating a spoiled dog. On the other hand, if you ignore him and let him bark his brains out, the rest of the family (especially your spouse) will become very annoyed with you for letting the barking go on.

(more…)

All of the games and skills discussed below are designed to contribute to both the fun and the positive upbringing of your puppy.

These energy-producing exercises act as building blocks that make advanced training easier and enhance the bond between owner and puppy.

Grooming Practice: Starting grooming procedures at an early age teaches the puppy acceptance of hands-on treatment over all parts of his body and emphasizes relaxed “stays.”

Grooming also assures the owner of dominance as nails are cut and teeth are cleaned, as the puppy learns to be quiet and tolerate-these “house-cleaning” techniques.

Hide & Seek: Hide and seek is fun for owners and puppies alike and helps teach your puppy how to come.

(more…)