Dog Training Basics

Archive for February 22nd, 2009

Ever get home after a long day at work to find your dog has been digging in your favorite flowerbed or chewed up the sofa?  If you’ve ever faced this situation, you definitely want to prevent it ever happening again.  One possible reason for this kind of behavior is separation anxiety, especially when a dog has been left alone for a long period.  However, it could also just be that the cause is simply just boredom.

Dogs need company and stimulation just as we humans do.  It shouldn’t, therefore, surprise you that your dog may get bored if left alone for a lengthy period of time.  If you don’t provide stimulation for your dog, he will find his own activities and these could involve chewing up your possession, digging up your garden, barking or whining constantly. 

Dogs should never be left alone for longer than four hours at most.  If because of your life circumstances or job, you can’t avoid leaving your dog alone for long periods, here are some tips:

•    Consider hiring someone to take your dog for walks.  Find a friend, neighbor or professional walker who can spend between 15-30 minutes a day with your puppy or dog.  Walks are a great activity for dogs. They stimulate him with all the fascinating sights and smells.  It’s fantastic exercise too

•    Being an only puppy or dog, like being an only child, can sometimes be lonely.  It could be well worth considering getting a second puppy or dog.

•    Create a specific place in your garden where your dog can ease his boredom.  You could create a dog sandpit where he can dig as much as he likes without ruining your lawn.  At the start it is vital to reward him repeatedly with a treat left in the sandpit so that this has positive associations.

•    Keep a variety of chews and toys for him changing the ones you give him daily to keep his interest high. Dispensing toys have a great interest for dogs when they are stuffed with treats as you can imagine. I would recommend that you try them. Also, make sure that you keep anything you do not want chewed out of reachI.

•    One way to keep up your dog’s interest is to hide treats around the house.  The treats should be placed to provide a bit of a challenge to your dog, but reasonably easy to access.  You could hide them under an upside-down bowl or Frisbee, or in an old sock.

I hope you find these recommendations helpful in dealing with boredom in dogs.  Obviously when you are with your dog, make sure that you take him out for regular walks and play games with him.  It is essential that you puppy dog is given the correct training.

Read more about separation anxiety in dogs and about dealing with emotional problems in dogs.

Let me ask you a simple question.  Do you know the triggers for fear aggression in dogs?  If not, then you need to read this article to learn more about this type of canine aggression.

Fear Aggression In Dogs

This is one of the most frustrating types of dog behavior problems.  Your dog may not hate all strangers; just certain ones.All men may be the object of his displeasure, or he may zero in on men who wear hats or who have beards.  He may absolutely detest kids under five, but older children are fine.  He may be fine with strangers outside the home, or he may bark at anyone who walks by the house.  

You can use dog behavior modification techniques to desensitize your dog to strangers.  But in order to do so, you need to identify exactly what it is about a stranger that’s scaring him.

Common Triggers For Canine Aggression In Fearful Dogs

Men often seem more threatening to a nervous dog than women do.  They’re bigger, their voices are deeper and louder, they may have beards or moustaches, they may wear hats.  Men have a more direct way about them.Another reason is that they make eye contact more directly, also.  Sometimes a man may remind your dog of someone who scared him or abused him in the past.

Just the presence of children is sometimes enough to send a fearful dog over the edge.  Their voices are high-pitched, and they move quickly and unexpectedly.  They’re sometimes attached to scary things like skateboards and roller blades.  Small children may come with noisy toys, which can be terrifying to a dog who’s nervous to start with.  

Kids also have a tendency to grab dogs with no warning and hug them.This behavior can be dangerous with an unfamiliar dog.  Most dogs don’t like to be hugged anyway.  Teach your children never to hug a dog, especially one they don’t know.

Any dog finds it threatening if someone makes prolonged eye contact with him.  This is especially true with a nervous, fearful dog.  Avoid looking a strange dog directly in the eye.  Look down or to the side instead.

Someone who’s just walking down the street fast or very slowly can be scary, too, especially if they appear to be coming right at your dog.  Anything out of the ordinary can be unsettling for him.

Odd movements like somebody waving their arms around, or jumping up and down, will also get a fearful dog’s attention.If the stranger brings unfamiliar smells, like beer or cigars, your dog may be scared, too.

Sometimes it’s not something as obvious as any of these things. You’ll need to spend some time watching your dog and making notes of which trigger, or combination of triggers cause him to display fear-based aggression towards strangers.

Dog Behavior Modification Can Help

Punishing a dog who displays canine aggression towards strangers doesn’t work.  Dogs learn by associating things.  So punishing a dog who’s already aggressive towards strangers only serves to teach the dog that strangers really are bad.  He gets the idea that if a stranger shows up, he gets punished, so he gets even more aggressive towards new people.

What you need to do is to desensitize your dog to strangers.  You do this by associating strangers with good things, like tasty treats.  Dog behavior modification is a long, slow training process that can’t be rushed.

A good dog training course can be worth its weight in gold when working with a fearful dog.  When looking at courses, you’ll want to choose one that has lots of good testimonials from dog owners who have used the course material.  It’s also important to find a course that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer.  Another essential feature you’ll appreciate is a dog owner forum where you can ask questions, and talk to other dog owners who have solved the same problem with their dogs.

This is the easiest way you’ll find to to deal with fear aggression in dogs.

Visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about fear aggression in dogs.

By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of fear aggression in dogs.  Plus you’ll also know several dog training behavior modification techniques to use when dealing with this problem in your dog.

What Causes Dog Behavior Problems Like This One?

Fear aggression in dogs can have many causes.  Certain dog breeds, like the herding breeds, are more prone to this problem than others.  Neglecting to socialize your dog when he’s a puppy can contribute to canine aggression towards strangers.  Past abuse may also be a factor.

Even if puppy socialization isn’t an issue, many dogs go through a “shy” period when they hit adolescence at around six months.  It’s important to keep exposing your pup to lots of situations to avoid him becoming wary of new people and new animals.

Dog Behavior Modification Techniques

If your dog is already displaying fear aggression, here are six steps for dog training behavior modification you can use to desensitize your dog to strangers.What you’ll be doing is teaching your dog that if a stranger approaches, good things follow!

To start, you’ll need a few volunteers to act as strangers.  You dog also needs to be on a leash so he’s under your control at all times.

First, figure out which treat your dog loves best.  It shouldn’t be something he gets on a regular basis.  Steak, liver, chicken, cheese, hot dogs, whatever it is, it should be something he absolutely loves.

Second, the only time he gets this favorite treat is when a stranger is present.  You’re training your dog to associate this wonderful treat with a stranger being around.

Third, identify the trigger that pushes your dog to display canine aggression.  He may be OK if strangers are outside, but not in the home.He may find all men frightening, or just certain men, or kids of a certain age.  Do sudden movements, or somebody getting too close agitate him?  Observe him carefully to see what sets him off.

The fourth step is to expose your dog to a stranger.  Stay inside your dog’s comfort zone.  You want to move slowly so you don’t provoke him to an aggressive display.  Your dog should know a stranger is around, but he shouldn’t be overly concerned about it. 

Fifth, as soon as your dog is aware of the stranger, start feeding him treats.  Sixth, before the dog starts getting aggressive toward the stranger, you either have the stranger leave, or your and your dog will leave.

It’s very important that your dog is continuing to eat the treats.  If he won’t eat, then the stranger is too close.  If the dog isn’t relaxed enough to eat, you’re moving too quickly with the dog training behavior modification. 

Remember that you aren’t rewarding your dog for doing something right.  What you’re doing is changing his emotional state.

More Tips For Dog Behavior Modification

You’ll continue to work within your dog’s comfort zone, varying the distance the stranger is from your dog.  The stranger may be six feet away one day, eight the next, seven after that.  As long as aggressive dog behavior isn’t seen, you’re doing fine. 

Continue these steps for several weeks.  Now you’re going to start working outside your dog’s comfort zone by having the stranger come a little closer, maybe five feet away.  Keep working to reduce the distance your dog is from the stranger. 

You can see that this is a long, slow process.  It can be tempting to try to move along faster, but if you push too hard, you can undo all your hard work.  Keep the training sessions short, and end the session if your dog is getting nervous.

Do yourself a favor and find a good dog training course.  This can be a very helpful aid when using dog behavior modification techniques.  You’ll want to look for one that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer so you can get help, if necessary.

Visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about dog behavior modification.

The German Shepherd Dog is perhaps one of the most recognizable breeds in existence today.German Shepherds were originally used to protect flocks of sheep in northern Europe around one hundred yeards ago. In these modern times, German Shepherds are often seen doing Police K9 work, military work, theraphy work and as guard dogs.  Because of how they are shown in war movies and police action television shows — where German Shepherd aggression is often depicted, it is not unusual for people to have an inaccurate view of the real German Shepherd Dog temperament.

The German Shepherd breed has quite a unique personality. They are known to be fearless, confident, athletic and intelligent. They generally have a good sense of right and wrong and the ability to tell if something is amiss. They are also known to be loyal and dedicated.  Contrary to popular misconceptions, it is quite rare to see a German Shepherd engage in random acts of unprovoked aggression.  German Shepherd aggression is usually kept in check unless the dog or its owner is placed into a situation that warrants it. An adult German Shepherd Dog when provoked is extremely capable of inflicting serious injury to anyone who does not heed the usual warning signals.

German Shepherd aggression is often due to boredom and inactivity.  This breed requires high activity level.German Shepherds generally love running, fetching, jumping, and finding. Conversely, because of its high intelligence, it bores very quickly when given nothing to do, or when activities become too repetitive.A bored German Shepherd can rearrange any home in a matter of minutes with their powerful jaws and tall stance.  If they do not have adequate outlet for their high energy drive, they will get themselves into trouble by chasing cars, bikes, barking, chewing, digging and other destructive and unwanted behavior.

A German Shepherd owner should be an extremely responsible person committed to the care, training and exercise of their dog. Such an owner should have adequate knowledge about this breed type and its needs before taking them on. This is not a dog for the couch potato owners as these dogs require a lot of time and work.It helps if German Shepherd dog owners have creative minds as they can give their dogs new and exciting twists to games and activities.  In general, German Shepherds need obedience training, proper socialization with both people and other animals, daily exercise and play and they must be a part of your family. These breed of dogs are the type that need to be kept busy even if they are to be family dogs. Boredom and loneliness often lead to behavior problems. Personality and activity levels in German Shepherds vary from dog to dog. A dog's personality is largely determined by their genetics, training, socialization and the care that they receive.