Learning about body language is very important when it comes to dogs.  They have all kinds of ways of telling us not only when they are happy, comfortable and want to engage but also that they are uncomfortable, stressed, anxious, hesitant and want to be left alone. One thing we hear a lot after a dog has bitten is that he was "wagging his tail".  

Wagging tails mean many different things. So how do you know if that tail is an invitation or a warning?  A happy tail is usually loose and involves more than just the tail.  The back end will move, the tail may go side to side or have a helicopter 'around and around' motion.  

When a dog is using his tail to say "back off" there is a stiffness, the tail may only go to one side. The body doesn't move.  Here's a good example from a recent case of a tail that is a warning.  The sound is disabled for client privacy but the only movement you see other than the tail is when the dog barks.  Even then you can see the stiffness in the body.  So watch the tail.  It only goes left, not passing the center line.  It's stiff, not loose.  The back end stays stiff.  The dog is in a guarding position in front of the human.  

It is very important that we teach body language, especially to kids.  It's easy to misinterpret what the dog is trying to tell us and we need to be able to read the dog from tail to nose.   If body language doesn't work the dog's behavior may escalate.

​Does your dog have a behavior that is driving you nuts? Perhaps they are getting into the garbage, counter surfing or jumping on people. Every time Fido does this unwarned behavior he is rewarded.  Either by your attention or his prize off the counter or garbage can.   To resolve the unwanted behavior we have to first identify what we would like them to do instead. Then we put in a management plan to prevent the dog from doing the unwanted behavior while we work on the new skill.

Management is the most important step because every time the dog does the unwanted behavior that bad habit is reinforced, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes the behavior is self rewarding.
which makes it much more likely to continue. If you push a dog away while they jump they are excited and rewarded by the attention.  Counter surfing or getting in the garbage are self rewarding in that they usually find a prize.

After we make sure the behavior cannot continue we  focus on teaching the new skill and getting it generalized to lots of different environments and situations. Station training for jumping, leave its for the garbage and counter surfing.  We also want to add enrichment to keep their brains busy so they are less likely to get into trouble. 

If you need help we are here. Email ronda@29K9.net.

​Saturday we tried to go to the home improvement store but she let us know she did not want to do that. Instead we hung out in the parking lot, watching people and carts go by. She got lots of treats when she engaged. Then we left. We didn't push it any further, just went home with lots of rewards. This way she was left with the positive rather than a scary impression if we'd tried to push her.

Thursday we made another trip to the home improvement store and she rocked it.​ I had no goal in mind, just following her lead. She was excited, showing none of the fearful behaviors from Saturday. She wasn't hiding behind us, she was wiggling with excitement (her back end wiggles so hard she smacks herself in the face with her tail), she gave little barks (well, for a Great Dane they are little barks) to get people to pay attention to her and as soon as they looked she'd wiggle even harder.

This is why I tell puppy people not to make too big of a deal when something that was normal is suddenly causing fear. Don't make a big deal of it, reward the little interactions (if they look, if they get closer, if they don't hide) so that a positive impression is what your puppy is left with. If it's a normal fear period your dog will grow out of it fairly quickly. If it's more than that talk to a trainer who specializes in treating fearful dogs using reward based methods sooner rather than later.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has released their position statement that supports the use of reward based methods for all training.  Click on the link below to read the entire statement.  

Evidence supports the use of reward based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare. Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviors. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification​

Humane Dog Training Position Statement 

Punishment can cause fallout behaviors.  Increased aggression against other humans and/or dogs, anxiety, fear... it goes on and on.  This is the reason I set out to educate myself,  having seen the difference in our own dogs.   Due to a combination of a back yard breeder and major health issues that resulted in isolation during her first year we had a Great Dane with just about every behavior challenge there is. Punishment was used to try and correct the behavior issues, from reactivity to resource guarding.  We weren't beating her but we were using a prong collar, yelling... It did not work.  The behaviors would stop temporarily and then come back worse. What appeared to be 'behaving' was actually her shutting down.  It wasn't changing her emotional response which is what is needed for long term success.

Through education I learned how to have a positive approach while using science as the guide.  It does not matter the dog breed.  We have worked with everything from the smallest Chihuahuas and Yorkies to the largest Pitbulls and Great Danes, high drive dogs like GSDs and Huskies as well as everything in between.  What I learned with Jinkies gave me the passion to do what I do.  To help other dogs without pain, without punishment.    

#reinforcementdrivesbehavior #sciencematters #dogtrainingrocks #compassion #respect #kindness #rewardbasedtrainingisbest #lovemyjob 



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New puppies are awesome.  Seeing a puppy causes the same physical reaction that occurs when seeing a baby.  It gives us the warm fuzzies and causes the release of oxytocin, the hormone that causes bonding and brings out our protective instincts. 
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Puppies don’t know the rules, tho.  Puppies, like humans, learn thru play. They learn what causes the play to continue (polite behaviors) and what causes the play to stop (impolite behaviors).   Play may be with other dogs but it should also be with their human.  One study found that proper daily play time reduced the likelihood of up to 22 different behavior challenges.

When bringing in a new puppy to your family they need to learn the rules. An older dog may give them a free pass on play behaviors that may be unwanted or too over the top.  They may correct the puppy with a grab of the snout or they may turn away or walk away.  At some point, tho, you may need to intervene. 

Puppies are like toddlers in that when they are tired or hungry those over the top behaviors start to happen. Puppy piranha mode (where they want to mouth everything and anything they can) will often happen at this time.  Offering them something to chew on aside from your other dog will be a big help.

Watch for signs of stress in your older dog (licking, ears back, whale eyes, constant shifting away from the puppy). These stress signs signal that it is time to intervene and either engage your puppy in a play session with you, such as tug of war or throwing the ball, that allows your older dog time to relax and regroup.  Provide both your puppy and your older dog with a self entertaining activity, such as time on a snuffle mat, stuffed kong or a new chew toy.   This reward for an older dog will help reinforce that a puppy can be a good thing and will remember that reward instead of just the piranha puppy.

We’ve all seen the stories of the shelter dog who finally finds his person and they live happily ever after in perfect harmony.  Unfortunately, this is not the norm.  When a dog ends up in a shelter they have suddenly lost their family with no idea why.  The reason doesn’t matter because the dog does not know that reason, just that his home and family are gone.  The rescue or shelter may be amazing but it is not their home. 

It can be very hard for a dog to adjust to shelter life.  Staff and volunteers come and go, as do the dogs around them.  They can hear other dogs barking, sometimes in fear, as well as smell the disinfectants.  They don’t know what is going to happen from one moment to the next as they are moved from one kennel to another to a play yard with strange dogs.  When a person or family makes the decision to adopt the dog they are then thrown in to another new place with new people and maybe even new dogs.  This also applies to the "rehomed" dog.  
 
Be patient.  You will want to show off our new family member but please remember that Fido’s world has been turned upside down and he needs time to decompress and adjust.  Supervision is very important to make sure he doesn’t escape his new home and is safe with the new people and pets in his life.
 
Dogs do not generalize behaviors to all locations unless taught.  They may have been house trained but that doesn’t mean they are trained to your house.  They may have had a doggy door which allowed them free access.  Set up a way for the dog to tell you they have to go by using a bell hanging from the door.  Take them out frequently, ringing the bell before you open the door.  Soon Fido will be ringing the bell to let you know.
 
For the first three weeks your new dog is building his trust in you and learning some of the family rules.  Separate Fido from children and other pets when you are not there to actively supervise.  What may be normal activity in your home may not be something he is familiar with and may cause fear.  He needs time to process and learn the family rules.  Now is not the time to take him to the dog park.  You will start to see his personality come out. You may also see some challenges that need to be addressed with a positive reinforcement trainer.
 
It takes about 3 months for most dogs to fully adjust.  Fido may need a trainer to help him learn how to follow family rules, social skills, leash training and safely introducing to new dogs and environments.  Adding lots of enrichment can help him learn to settle and keep him out of trouble.

A great resource for bringing home an adult dog is Patricia McConnell, PhD  book Love Has No Age Limit, Welcoming an Adult Dog Into Your Home.  She discusses the Rule of 3s and how to apply it to making your new family member feel welcome and wanted.