Archive for the ‘Dog Training Problems’ Category
Dog Training Problems
Even the most good-natured and ’submissive’ of dogs can present training challenges at some point in your relationship with them. The key to overcoming these obstacles successfully is to understand, in a sense, what your dog “is thinking.”
The first thing to realize is that dogs possess not only instincts, but emotions. They may not feel with as much clarity or self-awareness as we do, but dogs do experience love, hate, fear, jealousy and more.
It is, therefore, up to you to be aware of your dog’s ’state of mind’ and work with it. Compassion and patience are necessary. The responsibility is is on you to provide comfort and correction without shaming or traumatizing your dog.
Problem #1: House-Training Issues
If you’re dog is relieving himself at inappropriate times and places, he is most likely confused or frightened about some aspect of the process.
Dogs need routine and consistency, so the first question to ask is whether you are taking your out to use the restroom at the same times each day. If not, try to create a regular schedule and stick to it. This will train your dog to expect relief, lessen his anxiety, and learn to hold his movements.
The second question to ask if whether you are noticing your dog’s “I need to go out” gestures. Dogs don’t come to you knowing automatically how to scratch at the door. In puppy’s, the most common sign of needing to use the restroom is ’sniffing around’ behavior.
Yes, puppies seem to sniff everything anyways, but there is a difference when they need to go out. A puppy looking for a place to go will have his nose to the floor, as if searching for something, as he paces from one place to the next. This is the time to grab him and take him outside.
Finally, consider what you’ve been doing so far when your dog goes in the house. Do you hit, yell or otherwise punish him? If this is the case, stop immediately! This type of punishment is not effective and will only make your dog fearful of you.
Instead, work on praising your dog for a good job each time you take him out to use the restroom. If you catch him on the verge of going in the house, simply pick him up while saying “No!”, take him outdoors to finish, then praise him.
If it is too late to get him outside, take him anyways for a few minutes, but let the ‘offense’ go. You can not punish him after the fact, and he will not make the connection between your displeasure and his using the restroom indoors 5 minutes ago.
Problem #2: Aggressive (and “passive”) Dominance Behavior
Some dogs express dominance through obvious means: a growl, an ignored command, a snap at another dog too close to his own toys and food. Other dogs, particularly smaller breeds, tend to dominate by manipulation . They’ll whine or beg to be picked up, let onto the couch or given a table scrap.
In both cases, however, the remedy is the same: You need to show your dog that you are ‘alpha’, but do so in a way that helps him maintain a healthy sense of self-esteem.
You do NOT want to dominate through fear or punishment, as this will create an overly submissive animal with its own set of behavioral problems (e.g. fear-induced urination, hiding, heightened startle response).
Instead, reinforce the ‘rules’ by using the appropriate commands (“No”, “Sit”, “Stay”, etc) in a firm, but not harsh, tone of voice. Make only brief eye contact with your dog. Staring directly into your dog’s eyes is a display of dominance, but doing so for too long will frighten him.
If possible, always show your dog what you would like for him to do instead and reward him for it. If your dog is being aggressive towards you or other pets, give him a ‘time out’. Tell him ‘no’, then ignore him for 30 minutes.
In some cases it may be necessary to separate your dog from other pets. For example, if your dog is aggressive towards others around feeding time, then place the food bowls in separate rooms of the house.
This needs to be done in a way that acknowledges his dominance over the other dogs, but not over you. So, for example, if all bowls are in the kitchen, allow the alpha dog to eat there, while moving other dogs to their own room.
If any of the above problems continue or appear to worsen, you may want to have your dog evaluated by your vet to rule out any health problems. If he gets a clean bill of health, then consider taking him to obedience classes for some expert help.
