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Thursday, June 1, 2017

What Canine Trainers Listen a Lot


What Canine Trainers Listen a Lot

It does no one any kind of favors if the issue at hand is a dog who goes after your kids, but I am unaware of how the dog relates to them. Just because Little Johnny is supposed to be responsible for the dog, does not mean that the rest of the house gets to treat the dog any way they please. Dogs are a lot of work.




Usually, this question is posed from someone who is exasperated that this whole 'training the dog' thing is taking time away from something they 'd rather be doing. It simply means you may find that the dog just behaves. You got a dog.

Sudden onset bouts of aggressive, or fearful behavior should be a red flag that there could be something much more serious happening inside your dog. If your dog does require medical treatment, this does not automatically mean the unwanted behavior will disappear as the treatment does its job.

The only way I ever accept that as an excuse for not being involved is if you are truly not involved, in any way, with the care or interactions of that dog. Unless your roommates are onboard with following instructions on how to interact with your dog, or you choose to isolate your dog until you are present to supervise, the behaviors most likely will not improve. Dogs do not respond to "just wait 'til your father gets home."


When you use a system that has a reward for doing the right thing, the dog (much like a child) will catch on faster, then if you are only doling out punishments for incorrect behavior. That is not to say you couldn't use something else, like a special toy or game to reward the dog, but it does make it a touch more difficult when you, the Human, are so against giving your dog a piece of food. Use the dog's regular food; just stop giving it to them out of the bowl.

If you want your dog to be gentle and kind to your kids, you must be kind and gentle in your play with him. Teach him to play the way you want him to be around those tiny people, and he will mature into the kind of dog that will be great around children. Young dogs do not make the best decisions sometimes, so as guardians, it is our job to guide them into civil adulthood.

This person won't show up, do some mystifying things to your dog, and voila! For the rest of the dog's life, they are suddenly movie-star brilliant and loyal.


That is not to say you couldn't use something else, like a special toy or game to reward the dog, but it does make it a touch more difficult when you, the Human, are so against giving your dog a piece of food. While this struck me as somewhat normal for a dog to react to a massive change in scenery and smells in this fashion (some dogs just Do Not handle change well), upon more talking and questioning, it turned out that the change in geography had also triggered some pretty significant allergic reactions in this dog. It does no one any kind of favors if the issue at hand is a dog who goes after your kids, but I am unaware of how the dog relates to them. Just because Little Johnny is supposed to be responsible for the dog, does not mean that the rest of the house gets to treat the dog any way they please. Unless your roommates are onboard with following instructions on how to interact with your dog, or you choose to isolate your dog until you are present to supervise, the behaviors most likely will not improve.

While this is probably true, as I ask you about what you are feeding the dog, and if there are any lifestyle changes that have happened recently, please don't discount these questions. The title of Dog Trainer/Behaviorist comes with many subtitles. Getting to the bottom of what may be driving this unwanted and new behavior is my job.

Or are you eager to get through this whole 'puppy' thing so you can get back to your real life? Was getting a dog the right choice for you? I feel the same way when someone signs up for a group class, and they tell me they are there to "get the dog trained" before they go on vacation.

"How long before we can go running together? You are the person I want in my class! You are doing research and asking questions that lead me to believe you are envisioning a future with this dog.

Best to stick to things you know the dog is not going to react to in this fashion. If a training professional asks if there is anything your dog is allergic to, and you are aware of something that she is ... Please be honest. If you are unaware of any allergies, go ahead and tell them that, but it may also be helpful to let them know what kind of foods/treats you normally feed your dog, so they can plan accordingly.


Teaching your young pup, or adopted an older dog, to be away from your side may be simple, or not. The more times you have returned to the screaming dog, the louder he learns to be in order to make you cave in and release them from their solitude. A dog should be a welcome friend and family member, not a ball and chain.

Recently, I was contacted by someone who had just moved across the country with their two dogs. While this struck me as somewhat normal for a dog to react to a massive change in scenery and smells in this fashion (some dogs just Do Not handle change well), upon more talking and questioning, it turned out that the change in geography had also triggered some pretty significant allergic reactions in this dog. Making certain your dog is healthy before addressing any major behavioral crisis is exactly why I believe that any good Teacher will suggest that the animal needs to be on top (or as close to it as possible) physical health, before tackling a behavioral issue of this magnitude.




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