Spring fever is epidemic now, but it won’t be long before the ice has melted, the snow has cleared, and you and your dog are able to get back to your outdoor exercise routines. In fact, exercise is one of the most important things for your dog’s good physical and mental health. For high-energy dogs, a rigorous game of fetch or a run around the neighborhood will help to settle him down so he can better focus during a training session. And for couch-potato dogs, an easy walk around the block will do the trick to get his blood moving and be better ready to pay attention to you.

However, until the weather breaks, there are still some things you and your pup can do for indoor exercise to get his mood and energy hormones flowing. In addition, these activities will alleviate boredom. Consider trying these workouts:

• Stair climbing: A great way to build your dog’s muscle is to have her go up and down a flight of stairs. As you probably know, this is tough for humans, so it is just as tough, if not more so, for your pup. In other words, don’t overdo it,
• Hide and seek: Movement is key, and this is what an old-fashioned game of hide and seek will do.
• Exercise equipment: Here I’m talking about a treadmill or ball. Put the speed on low and let your dog walk for a short time. Be careful, though, as some dogs can become fearful which could lead to injury. Encourage your dog to push around a soccer ball, basketball, softball, or some other appropriately sized round object for a fun game of movement.
• Tug-of-war: Many dogs enjoy a good tug-of-war match and it’s also good for muscle building.
• Agility: Make your own agility course using brooms, boxes, or other safe household items and entice your dog around it by offering treats.

The key is for you and your dog to move, so try some of these exercises to strengthen muscles and increase stamina to prepare for the fun and rigor of good-weather outdoor workouts.

Resource guarding is the bane of many a dog owner and occurs when a dog decides a person, place, or thing is a treasure that is his and his alone. But frankly, rather than call it resource guarding, I prefer to refer to it as a dog’s communication style. When some other being, be it human, canine, feline, or something else, approaches a dog who has claimed his prize, communication behaviors ranging from running away with it to growling, to outright biting may occur.  

When a dog has become attached to his prize, he communicates what he wants in the only way he knows how. Think if someone were to come along and try to take away something you treasure – -a car, a diamond ring, your Buffalo wing pizza, a bag of peanut M&Ms. Chances are, you’d have something definite to say about it. You’d probably have a veritable hissy fit. You’d communicate. When something threatens your dog’s precious person, place or thing, the only way he can communicate is by running away, growling, or biting.

Canine Communication Ladder:

You’ll most often hear this referred to as the Canine Ladder of Aggression, but what we’re really talking about is how dogs communicate. Therefore, I much prefer the name, as do other expert canine behaviorists:

Canine Communication Ladder.

What this shows is an escalating sequence of how a dog communicates to a human about his “thing.” If your dog engages in any of these sometimes scary and often embarrassing behaviors, you are not alone. Resource guarding communication is common among dogs, with estimates as high as half of all dogs demonstrating these specific communication behaviors to one degree or another during their lifetime.

Can it be Fixed?

The good news? YES!  Resource guarding and its associated communication behavior can almost always be  corrected and simply boils down to:

• Determining what caused the behavior
• Getting help from a professional behaviorist quickly
• Being consistent in using the techniques you learn when at home
• Treats, treats, treats

What Causes Resource Guarding?

So, what happened to cause your dog to become so obsessed over something? Some of these obsessive behaviors are based on instinct, but the actual cause will be different for each dog.  For example, a frightened dog will behave differently than a dog who is protective over the same object. My job is to help you figure out what caused your dog to feel and act the way he does over the object.

Check out the following possible causes.

Lack of Socialization

When your dog hasn’t been exposed to other situations, people, or pets, he may show fearful or anxious behaviors, especially if he has been abused in the past or had multiple homes and no real security.

Possession

Do you think your dog “owns” you or someone else in your household? Dogs can become possessive over anything: a toy, their bed or crate, food, treats, and any gross but to them valuable thing they have scrounged up from your backyard.

Routine

Sometimes it appears “cute” when a dog covets a particular person, place, or thing. Or maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal as the dog’s behavior isn’t hurting anyone or anything. If there’s one thing to remember, it’s that guarding behaviors are not cute. No matter how insignificant they may seem now, they are a big deal and can escalate into something dangerous, especially with larger dogs that are known to be more assertive in their communication style.

Boredom

Have you ever been bored out of your mind? If so, perhaps you remember how your mind threatened to get you in all sorts of trouble. Guess what? Dogs get bored, and dogs think, and dogs can find ways to busy themselves. Guess how?

Aggressive Play

Do you play with your dog? Do you play tug of war? Wrestling? Or another form of play where the ante increases and your dog’s communication style quickly climbs the escalation scale? Dial it back. Let your dog win those tug-of-war sessions. Convert the wrestling match to a relaxed petting session.

Getting Help from a Professional

Your dog’s “prize” can move from one person, place, or thing to another, so the goal is to catch the signs early to make training even easier. This is where I come in.

I pride myself on using techniques that make dogs want to do something as opposed to having to do something. This means no electric shock collars, no chains around the neck, and no hitting or negative punishments.

Think of it like this: in your human world, you work because you get paid. You would not work if you were constantly hit or punished and not paid.

Yes, my techniques require more work, but your dog will modify his communication style – in a major way.

When your dog starts showing undesirable behaviors, do call to either arrange for private home visits or enroll in a class specific to your dog’s needs and behaviors.

Being Consistent

Unfortunately, many of my clients don’t regularly practice the techniques I teach them. Without regular reinforcement, dogs will revert to the original, undesirable communication styles which means you are probably not happy with your dog’s behavior, and you just lost a lot of money.

Treats, Treats, Treats

Underlying everything I’ve talked about here, and will talk more about in the future, is the use of treats. Back to the money thing: wouldn’t you behave better if someone gave you a wad or money than if that same someone kept prodding you with a taser?

Here’s the bottom line. When your dog gets a reward for not guarding the object, it will then become less and less important until at last – problem solved!

Need I say more? The fact is, I will in future articles.

For those of you who have worked with me before, you are very familiar with clicker training. But many people are not, so I thought it would be helpful to explain what it’s all about.

Another term used synonymously with clicker is mark and reward training.

So how does it work?

First, clicker training is positive reinforcement, or reward, training with the addition of a click sound. As soon as the dog does what you want, you immediately click and follow up with a reward. When you’re beginning clicker training,  the more high-value the treat, the more your dog will want to perform your desired behavior.

The concept of clicker training is based on proven animal science that rewarded behaviors are more likely to be repeated in the future. In other words, positive reinforcement is much more effective than constantly telling your dog what not to do.

So why a clicker?

Isn’t a treat or reward enough? A reward certainly helps, but the reason for the clicker is that it acts as a conditional reinforcer, similar to the idea behind Pavlov’s dogs where key events that the dogs came to associate with food caused them to salivate. The click becomes the key event in clicker training.

Here’s the idea – as soon as the dog does what you want, you immediately click, and then reward it. The click becomes the conditional reinforcer and “marks” the behavior.

Charge the clicker

The first thing you need to do is charge the clicker. Here’s how:

1. Take your dog into a distraction-free area.
2. Get a handful of yummy treats.
3. Put the treats in one hand and the clicker in the other.
4. Make sure your elbows are in at your sides and your dog is in front of you, sitting calmly.
5. Click the clicker, move the hand with the treats towards him, and pop a treat in his mouth.
6. Allow a short delay before popping the treat in his mouth.
7. Repeat this 20 to 30 times, several times a day.

NOTE: It’s important to always allow a short delay between the click and putting the treat in your dog’s mouth.

So now what?

There is plenty of information out there to help you learn how to train using a clicker, but your best bet is to hook up with a trainer, as in me, to help you work out the behaviors and right timing for your dog.

We just had a spell of cold weather, and I mean really cold, and if your dogs are anything like mine, they’ve been bouncing off the walls with cabin fever. Picture this: a dog climbing into the bathtub to grab a bar of soap and attempt to eat it. (I caught him before he could chew/swallow it and throw up bubbles for the next 24 hours); a dog trying to dig a hole in a plant to hide his bone; and a dog fighting with another dog when they are normally the best of buds. Can you relate?

Well, never fear, your heroic trainer is here with some solutions for bored dogs.

Is Your Dog Bored?

I just gave a few examples of a bored dog’s behavior, but here are some general signs that your dog may be bored.

• Out of the norm for his behavior: chewing shoes, shredding paper, tearing apart pillows, and even dragging streams of toilet paper all through the house.
• Excessive barking
• Digging in the yard (or your plants)
• Bugging you for attention way more than usual

What can you do to keep yourself and your dog sane?

Exercise

There’s nothing like a good romp to expel the excess energy that builds when my dog is bored. Granted, when it’s bitter cold, you don’t want to spend prolonged time out of doors, but get outside for long walks as soon as the temperature moderates.

Brain Teasers

Giving your dog something mental to focus on also alleviates boredom. Think tug-of-war or hide-and-seek by hiding treats around the house and your dog has to go find them. Puzzle toys are also great, such as lick mats and toys you stuff with goodies. Consider making your own puzzle toys.

Training

If you and your dog have ever taken a class from me, you know how exhausted your dog is after each session.  Training provides the epitome of mental stimulation. Basic obedience is the place to start, and you can take it more than once to work on specific behaviors. In addition, follow up the training with some sessions of your own where you teach your dog some tricks. You’ll find some fun and easy tricks in this article.

Socializing

You know how you go a little nuts when you’ve been isolated for too long, the same is true for your pup. Dogs need to engage with other dogs. I’m not a fan of dog parks for many reasons, but there are other ways to provide excellent socializing opportunities for your dog. For one, invite a friend who has a dog that is compatible with your dog for some playtime. Another option is to join up with doggy daycare, as in Wags to Riches!

These are just a few ideas to help you help your dog when the boredom gremlin hits. However, if you need some help, you can count on us!

You really have to read this article to learn some fantastical and amazing facts about our most beloved canine companions.

And I’d like you to pay particular attention to this fact:

Trying to be “dominant” over your dog is not the best approach

“Despite enjoying considerable popularity for many years, the “dominance” theory of dog training is finally seeing the truth come out. “You should never try to dominate your dog,” Hartstein insists. The idea that you need to show your dog “who’s alpha,” with methods such as eating before your dog, making sure you’re always in a higher position than them, or punitive behavior, is outdated and ineffective.”

Of course, you need to set a routine and make sure your dog understands rules and boundaries, but avoid traditional advice about displays of dominance.

Poop Eating Pups

This fact relieved one of my clients who has wrestled with the poop-eating of one of her pups. Despite her distress and embarassment over her dog’s gross habit, she learned that poop-eating is not abnormal. However, also adding to her distress is, depite all sorts of alleged remedies to stop the habit, the only real remedy is to march out with your dog in rain, snow, sleet, etc., and pick up the little brown pile yourself.

Want to know why dog’s eat poop? Read on…

Your dog’s crate should be his Mecca, his domain, his very, very happy place. But not all puppies welcome the crate at first, and in fact, fear may be their initial watchword. For some pups, getting them to cherish their crate may take time and patience.

But it’s all good and doable, and here’s how.

Picking a Crate

The size of the crate helps determine how quickly your dog will adjust to it. A large size crate for a small puppy is overwhelming, just as a too-small crate is cramped and uncomfortable. Select a crate just big enough so that your puppy or dog can turn around in it comfortably without any excess space for him to poop or pee in.

Introducing the Crate

Avoid putting your puppy in the crate right away. Instead, put him in the same area and every time he looks at it, give him a treat.

Moving Closer

After you have rewarded him multiple times for looking at the crate, set up a path of treats that leads right to the opening of the crate. At this point, you can also place a treat right inside the crate’s opening.

As your pup’s confidence builds and he becomes excited about getting the treat in the crate’s opening, reduce the length of the pathway to it and place additional treats further into the crate.

Moving In

Once your puppy has gone into the crate in a relaxed and happy manner, use treats to entice him to sit and/or lie down in it.  Try closing the door.

Give him toys and or a puzzle toy filled with goodies and walk away for a few moments. When you return, you guessed it – more treats. Gradually increase the amount of time you are away until you see that he is happy and relaxed being alone in his crate.

If at any time he becomes tense, back up to a previous, successful step.

Eating Meals

Now, think about meals. Once your pup has successfully entered the crate with the door closed, feed him his meals in it, with the door open.

Finally

Now your puppy should be comfortable being in his crate with the door closed for short periods of time. Also, when you are around and able to keep an eye on him, leave the crate door open so he can happily escape to his quiet little cave.

All you wanted for Christmas was a puppy! You got one, and now what? Read on for the best way to bring your new puppy into your life and home in a healthy and safe way.

First, take a big, deep breath. If this is your first pup, chances are you’re feeling overwhelmed. The more you can relax, the more your puppy will catch the vibe and lose some of the natural anxiety he feels from being in a new environment.

What You Need

Hopefully, you knew your puppy was coming in advance, so you have time to get the supplies you’ll need. These include the following:

• Food and water bowls – stainless steel is preferred
• Food – ask the breeder what food your puppy has been eating and be sure to feed him the same thing
• Collar and leash – there are many different options here. I will be glad to help you select the best ones for your puppy
• Identification tags – if your puppy should escape, an ID tag with your contact information gives you the best chance of getting him back.
• Toys – in the beginning try out a variety of toy types to see which ones he likes best.
• Treat – get plenty of high-value puppy treats: you’ll need these for training.

Crate

Using crates with puppies I find is very important. First, a crate gives them time to relax and sleep because puppies need to be sleeping 18 hours a day. Plus, when you don’t have time to watch them, it’s safe to put them in their crate. To first encourage him into the crate, use treats.

It’s a great start when they’re young to get them used to their crate, so as they go through life, they know that a crate is not a terrible thing.

Make Your Home Puppy-Safe

Puppies can get themselves into all sorts of trouble so it’s important that you make your home puppy safe.

Small Space

Set up a small space for your puppy to live in for his first few days or weeks at home. You can put him in a small powder room or use baby gates to section off a small space in a larger area. Put his crate in this area.

Electric Cords and Outlets

Hide cords or use cord concealers and put plastic safety plugs into unused outlets.

Trash Cans

Be sure to keep all trash cans covered or well out of reach from curious little noses.

Cleaning Supplies and Medication

Here lurks potential danger so make sure all are locked away or stored up high.

Plants

Use this ASPCA guide to determine if any of your household plants are toxic to your puppy and remove those that are toxic promptly. Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List – Dogs | ASPCA

Potty Training

Before you even bring your puppy into the house, take him outside to the area you have designated as his potty spot.

Your puppy may get it right away that this is where he does his business, while others may take more time. Take him out every 3 hours and after naps and eating. When he goes in his spot, praise him, and give him a treat.

Inside mistakes are inevitable. Don’t punish him. Just clean up the mess and take him outside.

Introductions:

Adults: Your puppy is bound to be scared and traumatized having left his mother, siblings, and the only human he has thus far known. In other words, resist the temptation to have a welcoming party and instead, keep it quiet – just immediate adults in the family; save the little ones for later.

Other pets: Do not introduce any resident pets right away, but after several days, begin to allow the pets to smell the puppy through a baby gate or the closed door on his crate. Do this several times each day for a few days. Once the pets have gotten each other’s scents, allow them into the puppy’s small, confined area. Supervise the interaction closely.

Kids: Special care needs to be taken with the small members of the household. Young kids may be loud and want to pet and pick up the puppy. They need to be instructed to only handle the puppy with adult supervision.

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