Can I Give Wolfie Too Much Affection

I am always petting Wolfie, picking him up, giving him hugs & kisses, talking to him in a high, baby voice...  Is that ok?

As dog trainers, we are asked this question a lot.  Sometimes we arent asked this question and have to instruct our clients on the errors of their ways.  Simply put, it is possible to give your dog too much love and affection.  The problem comes down to the differences between humans and their canine companions.

As people, we love affection.  We love it when people say good things about us, we are always in need of a hug.  We comfort our small children when we are leaving with a high pitched "Oh, dont worry, daddy will be right back".  In some countries, it is custom to give kisses on the the cheeks when greeting.  Since Wolfie is so cute and cuddly, we naturally pour the hugs and kisses on him.

This is absolutely the wrong thing to do.  When we give Wolfie too much hugs and kisses, we are sending him a signal that we may not be the strong leader that will keep him safe. Remember, the very top thing that Wolfie wants in life is to feel safe.  If properly trained, he looks to us as his leader who will provide him with that safety.  As strong leaders, we are resolute, firm, calm, and consistent. Wolfie should be providing us focus, intent on receiving the proper leadership to stay safe.

If we are constantly giving Wolfie our focus with all that "hugs & kisses" stuff, we are sending him the signal that he is the boss.  If we are picking him up to cuddle, we are giving him dominance and surrendering our leadership.  We are telling Wolfie he must be the Alpha Canine Leader of the pack.  Many times this will result in bad behavior such as jumping  barking, nipping, and separation anxiety.

So the bottom line is that you can give Wolfie affection, just dont go overboard with it.  If Wolfie is a small dog, dont pick him up all the time.  He has four feet, he can walk.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Dogs and Sibling Rivalry

My two dogs have been fine for years and all of a sudden they have become aggressive and possessive between each other.  I have heard this could be caused by sibling rivalry. I know I had this with my sister and brother, but can this happen with dogs?

The answer is "yes", dogs do have the ability to display sibling rivalry.  This might a simple snap and growl from time to time to a full out brawl almost every time they get close to each other.  The important thing is to try and correct this as soon as possible or you may have to rehouse one or both of your dogs.

Here are some tips that we have developed over the years:

• Keep your dogs separated until you are comfortable that they no longer act on aggressive tenancies or display dominance posturing.   
• Before you begin, you must clearly understand that the most important relationship that needs to be reestablished and strengthened is the relationship between you and each of your dogs.  Remember that sibling rivalry is often caused because the owner has not demonstrated enough leadership.
• Distance control is a very important exercise that you must practice with each dog on an individual basis.  Put the dog on a long lead and then throw something he will run after.  Gain his attention and have him come back to you.  If you cant easily get your dogs attention, give the lead a slight tug to get your dogs attention.  If you cant get their attention when they are going after a toy or bone, you will never get their attention if they start to go at each other.
• Sibling rivalry is also caused because one of the dogs feels that there has been a special alliance established between you and the other dog.  Make sure that you treat each dog equally. 
• Always have leashes on the dogs when they are together.  This will allow you and another family member to always be in control.  If you see too much staring or posturing between one or both of the dogs, redirect them back to you and have them do something on your terms.  A good idea is to have them sit in front of you and give you focus for a few moments.  After that, release them and continue to observe.
• If your dogs dont become aggressive when you are with them, always make sure that they are crated when you are gone.  As the leader, you can create any environment you wish.  You have decided that they are crated when you are gone and will take the opportunity for aggression away.  This helps to diminish the inappropriate behavior.
• As stated earlier, you need to build up respect between you and your dogs.  The term that I like to use is that you must be resolute.  Signs of respect that you should look for are:
• Head down
• ears back
• quick licking of the lips
• complete focus

The important thing here is to go slow and stay consistent.  Never put the dogs in a situation where you are not in complete control.  As the boss, you are in charge.  If you have more questions, please dont hesitate to contact your local Bark Buster Trainer at Great Dog Training in South Florida.

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