When I Correct Wolfie and He Cowers What Then

I know that I need to tell Wolfie that he is doing something wrong and I am not hitting him or using those shock collars on him, but he is still cowering and hiding in the corner.  I dont want to scare my dog every time he is doing something wrong, but what can I do?

We have faced this situation many times where the Wolfie is overly fearful or has experienced a traumatic experience in his past were a straight correction, even slight, can cause a fearful reaction.  As dog trainers, we are not trying to scare a dog into obedience, we are trying to teach them what is the right thing to do and to build a positive relationship between Wolfie and his owner.

So, lets clean the slate of all those other correction methods and figure out what we can do with Wolfie.  Remember, we still need to show him what is right and wrong...

The bottom line is that we want to use an alternative method than the standard correction to let Wolfie know he is doing something wrong and we will teach him what is right.  As opposed to a correction which we know isnt working on Wolfie, we suggest an alternative method known as a redirection.  We still want to tell Wolfie he is doing something wrong and to teach him what is right, but we will use a more passive method.

First, you need to get a leash and click it on Wolfie during the day.  Take the leash off him and put it back on at random times so Wolfie doesnt associate the leash with a particular event or time of day.  You dont need to hold the leash, let him drag it around with him.  This will eliminate the leash as a special event and turn it into "simple white noise".  Please remember, you can only have the leash on him when someone is home and within earshot of Wolfie.  If he gets it caught on a chair leg, you must be able to release it quickly to no harm will come to Wolfie.

After a few days, Wolfie will be wandering around with the leash and will pay no attention to it.  Now you are ready to begin to use the leash as a tool of behavior modification through redirection.

Here is an example of how this works:

If Wolfie starts to act up such as running around the house like a crazy boy, dont chase him or yell and scream.  Simply approach the end of the leash which is six feet away from him.  Since you are not directly approaching him, you will not be adding to the adrenaline of the moment.  Calmly put your foot on the leash.

Wolfie will stop and look back to see what happened.  He thought he was in control of the room and could do whatever he wanted (run and go nuts).  For some reason, he lost control.  He sees you and you are calm & still, not approaching him, and standing tall.  This is what Wolfie expects in a good leader and teacher.  You passively told Wolfie that he couldnt run and go nuts and he needs to obey you because you are his leader and teacher.

I want to make it clear that you still told Wolfie "no", but you allowed him to come to that conclusion  by defusing the situation in a direction of your choosing.  You broke his focus on doing the wrong thing and drained his adrenaline fueling his inappropriate actions.  The end result is he is now doing what you want him to do.

There are many other nuances to this technique and we would be more than happy to review your specific issues to determine if this educational process would be most appropriate in your situation. For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

Read More..

Wolfie Eats Too Fast

Wolfie is like a vacuum cleaner when it comes to his food.  Nothing I try can slow him down and I am afraid it is going to hurt his stomach...

There are a lot of things out there you could try to curb a dogs "speed eating".  The most popular are the special doggie bowls that have bumps and sections in them to make it harder to get the "big bites" into Wolfies mouth.  We think we have a better way.

We would like to suggest a way to slow Wolfies "speed eating" while adding a bit of entertainment to the process.  The other good thing about this is that you dont have to buy a thing to implement it today.


Dogs, like many animals, are foragers.  They are always looking for things on the ground, on tables, chairs, etc.  We suggest combining their hunger with their natural foraging instinct.  We implement this through a process we call "scatter feeding".  When it is time to feed Wolfie, measure his food and put it in his bowl.  Instead of putting the bowl down, give him a command such as "meal time, food, eaties", etc. and then toss some of the food on the ground.

Wolfie will now go after the kibble that is now scattered on the floor.  As he is finishing up the last bit, repeat your meal time command and toss some more food on the ground.  If he is eating the food too fast, scatter the kibble in a larger area and make the portions slightly smaller.

This is an instinctive way that Wolfie naturally eats and a process that he can easily understand.  You have taken charge by managing how fast the food is presented to him and Wolfie is having a great time foraging for his food on the ground.

Give this a try and I am sure you will get some great results.

One note of caution.  If you have multiple dogs in your household and food aggression is displayed, you must make sure that the other dog(s) are separated before you begin to scatter feed with Wolfie.

For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

Read More..

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.

Read More..

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.

Read More..