Dogs And Safe Homes

Does your dog feel safe in your home?

Or is your dog hypervigilant to every small threat, real or imagined?

Something to consider, and possibly resolve with professional advice.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Dr. Dolittle

Dr. Dolittle was a favorite story when I was a kid. Trained as a physician, he preferred to work with animals... and talk with them. 

There are no real Dr. Dolittles. Even the most experienced make mistakes when working with animals. There are fights in zoos, wildlife researchers are torn apart by their subjects, mistakes by wildlife experts sometimes decimate a species, and such. Add to this, there are no species that are truly wild anymore. Humans have an impact on every species all the time, thus their behavior has changed over the years.

No dog trainer is Dr. Dolitte, and I hate those marketing gimmicks which claim otherwise. 

Puzzling out a dog takes time as you get to know the dog. No two dogs are the same, no two homes, no two environments. Yes, you can make educated guesses, but no one can be 100% accurate.

Here's an example. I work with students to improve their handler skills. Sometimes I will demonstrate the skill, and it can be surprising and astonishing for students when their dog does something almost flawlessly with me whereas they are struggling to get 50% of the same results. I always remind them that I want them to take chances and make mistakes during the lessons so they learn and prevent making those mistakes in the real world. The last thing I want them to be is discouraged. I want them to keep trying and to discover what really makes their dogs tick.

It isn't magic. It is a lot of diligent, thoughtful work. It isn't a fictional story. And no one can do the work for you, such as shipping the dog off to someone else to train. You need to work to eliminate your mistakes, otherwise your dog might one day need clarity and you can't provide it. 

Plan accordingly. 

Searching Dog Problems On The Internet

For a very long time, I’ve watched internet forums on dog issues and behavior. One concerning pattern is for people to ask complete strangers (with little knowledge of dog training or behavior modification) for free advice on how to fix their dogs... (MORE)

Dog Training Secrets

Are there dog training secrets? 

I see this kind of marketing regularly. I don’t like it. It rubs me the wrong way, and I’m not sure why.

So, I think of what I know. Is my knowledge a basket of secrets? I wouldn’t say so, because I teach them along the way to my students. No one student learns all of what I know because their individual dog doesn’t need what maybe another student’s dog needs. But I am very clear when describing what we are doing but keeping it simple enough so that my student doesn’t need to read a science textbook to understand. 

On the other hand, I don’t just give it all away for free. 

For rescue volunteers, I don’t give it away for free anymore. I used to, but I learned along the way, with almost 3 decades doing this, that when you give it away for free it often isn’t valued. For some reason, in the rescue world, there is this mentality that they are entitled to what you give away for free, but because it is free it is not valuable. That is not so fun to experience, especially when I have paying students that helped subsidize my time so I could do volunteer work. So, while what I’m offering isn’t a bundle of secrets, it is information that should be treated respectfully and applied thoughtfully to help that dog out. It took a lot of hard work and investment on my part to have this knowledge.

For everyone else, what I have to offer isn’t a bundle of secrets, it is the knowledge that I have earned which I use to support myself. It is a reasonable thing to exchange that knowledge to earn a living. What I do offer is a set of principles and methods that have taken me a lot of years to develop and distill into practical lessons. My hope is always that what I offer has superior value. I like hearing people being happy with what is done, that we aren’t hurting their dogs, and they have never seen what I’m doing before but after experiencing it, they wonder why it all seems so simple. The answers might be simple, but the learning for me wasn’t simple. 

Contrast this to the marketing I have seen over the years, claiming someone has this secret method that no one else possesses. I just think it is not really adding value to the proposition. It is the idea that maybe curiosity, usually without credentials, will cause the buyer to spend some money. For me, that kind of marketing just makes me distrust the source. I don’t want to play games to get the knowledge, but that is how it comes across. At least to me. 

Anyway, the choice is this: sell secrets or sell transparency and authenticity. I’d rather do the latter. 

Are there “secrets”? I’d rather re-phrase it to ask, are there better ways than what you might have tried before? 

Dogs And Board And Train Programs

Unfortunately, my observation after all these decades, is that many people pay for a board and train program for their dogs to avoid the necessary work, assuming someone can sprinkle magical golden glitter onto their dog and in 2 weeks have a well-trained dog. 

Sorry, it doesn’t work out that way. Regardless of what you think you are getting or have gotten in the past. 

It isn’t pixie dust that is being applied. 

Plan accordingly.

When Should It Be OK For A Dog To Bite? (Updated)

I wrote this article over 20 years ago, and it still reflects how I view dog bite incidents. Too many innocent dogs have lost their lives, and innocent owners prosecuted and sued, for justifiable dog bite incidents. 

Here is my basic list. I'm sure I could add to this list...

(MORE)

Dog Behavior And Experience

I have studied dog behavior for many years. But study alone doesn’t give you enough knowledge or wisdom to diagnose or treat many dog behavior issues. You must have experience with a lot of situations and have seen a lot of things. Many of the concepts and solutions I have developed have gone beyond whatever I formally studied. I was presented with such a case the other day. I will give you the shortened version... (MORE)

Dogs And Vomit Like Smell From Denver Purina Factory?

‘Vomit-like’ smell from Denver Purina dog food factory sparks class-action lawsuit

I wonder what this is all about. 

I have suspicions, but I'll wait for more information as this goes along.

Plan accordingly.  

Illegal Dog Ear Cropping

"Phoenix man arrested, accused of 'ear cropping & tail docking' dogs while unlicensed... There's a prevalent foul smell coming from the home near Lower Buckeye Road and 75th Avenue where these 16 dogs were reportedly caged without food and water and were surrounded by urine and feces"

Assuming this is all true (innocent until proven guilty) what kind of person takes a dog to a backyard like this to have their ears cut off? I can guess what the dogs might be used for as adults... bet I'm right... 

Dogs And Online Scams

Years ago, I was looking to get another dog. I found a breeder by looking through a number of pet magazines (before the internet). I called them, but the lack of transparency was concerning. A couple of years later, they were busted as a major puppy mill. Hundreds of dogs were seized, many were in horrible shape and many had to be put down. A scam. 

That experience was one of the motivations that eventually led me to get involved in animal welfare.

There are still scams today. A King County woman has lost nearly $5,000 to scammers who claimed to have found her missing cat.

A friend encountered such a scam out out Utah a couple of years ago when looking to get a special purebred cat as a pet. 

Do you homework. You must personally inspect any breeder or rescue and not make a purchase or adoption sight unseen. 

Plan accordingly. 

Doing The Impossible With Your Dog

Dogs can be harmed by putting them into impossible situations as follows: the motivation is very high, the dog can't escape from the situation, and there is no ability for the dog to adapt to the situation. 

An example: having a dog chase a laser pointer dot of light. The artificial stimulus of the laser partially activates the prey drive mechanisms in the brain to a very high degree. While stimulated, the dog can't stop chasing the moving spot of light. And the dog can never reach the natural goal of prey drive, which is the capturing and "killing" of the prey... since it is just a light beam. So, you are turning on an innate drive in an unnatural way with an artificial stimulus, causing the dog to strive to obtain something that can't be obtained, and the drive isn't then turned off naturally. Thus, you can end up with a dog that chases shadows endlessly, with a side effect of anxiety and stress, and the dog can't shut it down. It isn't a pretty picture. 

I can give other examples, but it is best to not give bad people any ideas. The point is that normal dog training is good for dogs. New fads, which employ strange and artificial methods might make a dog exhibit a visual appearance of doing something useful, but inside the dog, it is damaging. These types of methods are used in sports where what you see in the field doesn't also show what the dog is like when home. 

If it sounds far out, it probably is. The more artificial the tool or method, the more questions you should ask and the more you should investigate the side effects. 

Plan accordingly.

Puppy Biting Provocations

I saw someone post on social media that their dog trainer recommended that they pin their puppy onto the ground when the puppy chews on the couch. The 12 week old puppy is now fighting back and biting them. Of course, the peanut gallery keeps giving the owner advice on how to further punish this puppy. 

The above is a great way to wreck a perfectly normal dog.

Find another trainer… immediately.

Plan accordingly. 

 

Dogs And Fireworks

You were warned.

It is too late to prepare dogs for the 4th of July. You should have started at least 6 months ago. Better come up with an alternative.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Speed Dating

I don't believe anyone can properly size up a dog on a first meeting or lesson. That is why some adoptions or purchases don't work out, because people make snap decisions without spending more time getting to know a dog, breed, or breeding program.

There are so many facets to any dog and it take time to tease out the potential of each dog. 

In my opinion, none of this sizing up is done in most board and train situations. Every dog is put through the assembly line and made to do whatever was promised in a couple of weeks, come hell or high water. I just don't think that is fair to any dog. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Athletes

I overheard a conversation the other day about the difference between good and great athletes. The assertion was that aggression was something that wasn’t inherent but was learned. The other part was a discussion of how much better the aggressive athletes performed. I didn’t interject because they weren’t soliciting my opinion, and I wasn’t a participant in the conversation... (MORE)

Dogs And You Think You've Got It Bad

I see a lot of people and a lot of dog situations. Some are very easy. Some are incredibly difficult. 

I'm often there for the very difficult situations. It goes way beyond normal dog training and behavior modification.

Anyone can get a dog to Sit for a treat. 

But not everyone is equipped to deal with some of the very complicated, sometimes tragic human situations that need a solution that integrates the family dog in such a way to make things easier in their lives. Sometimes that dog is the only comfort that these people have in their lives... if I can make it work out. 

So, when some people whine and post online because their puppy chews on their shoes, it comes across to me as pretty self centered and ridiculous in comparison to what some people are dealing with. 

Get over yourself. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dog Bite Pressures

Have you seen posts where they rank the various dog breeds based upon their bite force pressures?

All phony. 

No one has ever tested these assertions. It is just click bait.

Some dogs bite hard. Various factors, including skull and jaw shape, age, breed, breeding, what the dog is biting, whatever is stimulating the dog to bite are factors that could influence bite pressure. But there is no way to normalize such a test and no one has the time or access to all the breeds to make such an evaluation. 

There are better things to be thinking about regarding dogs.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Hot Cars

Don't leave your dog in a hot car. 

You know why.

Plan accordingly. 

Dog Rescue And Rabies

Yes, it can be dangerous to rescue stray dogs. While rare, it is possible to capture a rabid dog and end your existence. 

You should know the signs of a sick dog.

If you do stray dog rescue in areas where people don’t vaccinate dogs (such as rescuing dogs from third world countries), or if there have been wildlife rabies breakouts, you might want to consider getting the pre-rabies vaccination. Don't let your compassion run ahead of your common sense.

“Britain was today rocked by fresh rabies fears after a woman died after catching the virus while on holiday in Morocco. Health officials revealed the unnamed individual contracted the illness following contact with a stray dog.”

Plan accordingly.

Seasonally Lost Dogs That Never Come Back

“The summer months bring longer days, open windows, and more outdoor activities, all of which can increase the risk of pets slipping away unnoticed,” PetRadar stated. “Local parks and backyards become busier, and doors are left open more often, giving curious pets more chances to wander.”

Quite a disturbing article. 

Read it.

Plan accordingly. 

Hot Summer Dog Training

Living in Phoenix, AZ, I have had to adapt and develop my training programs to adjust for the extreme changes in weather. It is forecast to be 115 degrees on Thursday!

When I lived in Seattle, it had it’s own weather challenges, considering it rains about 9 months out of the year. I found all kinds of innovative locations to do lessons. One place was a park and ride under a tall highway bridge. The bridge gave us just enough space and cover to train even if it was pouring outside. 

One thing I know, putting off training just because of the weather isn’t always a good option. There are ways around most problems, and that allows me to do private lessons year round. 

Something to consider.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

When diagnosing a dog, sometimes the superficial explanations don’t add up.

Remember that scene towards the end of Lord of the Rings where Bilbo Baggins, for just a moment, is tempted by sight of the Ring, and an evil look contorts his face? Or one of the final scenes in the Maltese Falcon, when Brigid O'Shaughnessy feigns love for Sam Spade? The type of dog owner I’m referring to can do this, look closely as the façade cracks for just a moment.

Ah ha.

No wonder that dog has problems. 

Long ago, I learned to not just evaluate the dog.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs, Social Unrest and War

Look at the crazy time we are living in 1.) Ukraine vs Russia; major war and the cutting edge of drone warfare; 2.) China preparing for full on war with the US, using Taiwan as a pretext; sending in operatives to destroy US agriculture and infiltrating all levels of academia and government; buying land next to military bases in the US; 3.) Full on war between Israel and Iran; 4.) Nationwide protests in the US and in other countries; social upheaval over everything you can imagine; 5.) A full-on arms / space race between the US and China; 6.) US deportations; 7.) US scandals; 8.) A political assassination in MN; attempts on the Prez. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was also assassinated. 9.) India and Pakistan fighting… And probably 5 other things I haven’t even considered today. 10.) And while you’d think we would all be freaking out, we are acting as if this is all normal.

 

In the meantime, your dog doesn’t care about any of this. 

 

It is tempting to stay glued to the computer, phone and TV. 

 

Stop it. 

 

Get your priorities straight. Go spend some quality time with your dog; training new things is a good activity. Early morning walks are good too, before the day gets too hot.

 

Happy Father’s Day, too. Go do some family time.

 

Plan accordingly. 

100 Dogs In Alleged NC Puppy Mill?

Over a hundred dogs have been saved from an alleged puppy mill in North Carolina that was so cramped and dirty that it mirrored a scene from the Disney classic, “One Hundred and One Dalmatians.”

Disgusting. 

Arkansas Girl Mauled To Death Feeding Pack Of Dogs

Tragic.

Dogs will fight over food, and they will fight you, too. They will also guard territory.

A pack of 30 to 40 dogs is a recipe for tragedy.

Why hadn't animal control rounded these dogs up? There was no animal control.

I'm sure there is more to this story... 

“When they moved in, all the neighbors were very upset. They moved in with a huge amount of dogs and a large amount of broken vehicles,” Clay told the outlet.

Dogs And Poodle X Great Pyrenees Mixes

I have now worked with a few Poodle X Great Pyrenees mixes. In both cases, the dogs were mostly like Great Pyrenees. 

Usually the “doodle” mixes tend to be mostly like the other dog mixed with the Poodle. They look a lot like a very robust, large Poodle, but there is more to them than that. 

If you get one, study up on the breed traits of the Pyrenees. Especially their territorial and pack tendencies. Do a good job of thoroughly socializing the puppy before 12 and 16 weeks of age with people and animals.

Plan accordingly. 

Two Pit Bull Dogs?

I like pit bulls. I’ve trained a lot of pitbulls. I almost always have a student with a pit bull or some mix.

 

However, if you get two of the same sex, you have an increased risk of fights with each other. 

 

The old American Bulldogs were the same. I remember talking to John D. Johnson about his bulldogs back in the late 90’s since I was thinking about getting one. He said pretty much the same to me as he did in this interview, “These dogs are very dog-aggressive and do not live together well. Even when bulldogs were more plentiful, almost everyone that had one only had one or occasionally a pair, male and female. Almost no one had two males or two females because they could not get along with each other.”

 

My recommendation is, if you are going to have more than one, to get opposite sex. While there is still a potential for a fight, you lessen the chances. (Yes, I expect to hear about people that have more than this and have had no problems. That isn't the point.)

 

This does not make pit bulls, or American bulldogs, bad dogs. There are other breeds that I could mention, with no bulldog heritage at all, that I would make the same recommendation.

 

Bulldogs like this have a functional role. In the old days, you’d have a family bulldog. It would lay around and be like any other pet with the family and guests. But, like many communities in 3^rd world countries, there would be feral dogs that would be dangerous to the kids or the livestock. If a stray came onto the property, the dog’s job was to chase it off or kill it. Feral dogs are no joke, they are dangerous, and you need a defense. It is a similar role that flock guards do for sheep. They lay around with the herd, but if a predator comes nearby (coyote, wolf, bear, big cat, etc.), their job is to solve that problem. A fight to the death or to run it off. They are used for that role even today all around the world. Even greyhound breeds are used today to kill predators such as coyotes.

 

It is important to recognize that some breeds are not expected to love every dog they meet. Why people think otherwise is beyond me. Maybe they have watched too many Disney cartoons. Even people don’t like everyone they meet. The goal with every dog should be neutrality: you can take the dog places without incident. The dog shouldn’t be overly interested or defensive around other dogs, and you should be able to control them. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs, Protests and Riots

Will 2025 be another year of social unrest? 

Here is my recommendation: stay away from trouble. Check the news, GPS, and other sources to see if a protest is going to be going on near you. It will be 110° F in Phoenix this weekend. Imagine the extreme danger of getting trapped in a roadblock of some sort for several hours with your dog in your car. Your dog might not survive the heat if you run out of gas, your car overheats, or you have to abandon your car and walk out of that situation with your dog. What about your dog being exposed to a riot, teargas, fireworks, flash-bangs, tossed items, and such? How would your dog handle that?

So, watch current events for indications of protests. Avoid having your dog with you if at all possible. Bring extra water, an umbrella, extra leashes and collars, dog first aid, doggie boots, water bowl, keep your car full of gas, bring a "get home backpack", etc. Is your dog microchipped and wearing ID tags in case you are separated? 

If you run an animal shelter, what is your emergency plan? Have you had a discussion with your team?

Also, what is the plan if your dog is stuck at home and you are stuck somewhere for hours and can't get home? If you have kids, that multiplies the dangers; and would your kids be safe with the dog without you coming home? What if you are trapped in your home? Do you have extra supplies for your dog? And what if the power or other utilities go out?

Think through the implications of all of this.

Plan accordingly. 

Broken Dogs, Broken Homes, Broken People

Occasionally, I run into some tough people situations with dogs. 

 

My job, as I see it, isn’t to judge those people but to find a way to make the situation better for everyone, including the dogs. Finding a way to thread the needle. Sometimes that works out. But… 

 

It doesn’t always work out. I can’t fix people or their relationships. I’m walking into situations that have often built up during a lifetime of interactions that I will never know about and could have never influenced.

 

Dog training, good dog training, isn’t just about the dog.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Practice

If you aren't doing (almost) daily skills development with your dog, how do you expect your dog to understand and happily do what you want them to do when it really matters? Similarly, if you aren't developing your skills, how do you think that is going to work out? 

Yes that requires effort, time and (usually spending) some money.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Footwear

I have a variety of footwear that I use when training dogs. 

I see many people wearing the wrong shoes when with their dogs, whether on a walk or in a lesson.

Once you have skied behind a mastiff on wet grass, or had a puppy gnaw on your toes, you realize that maybe you need different shoes,

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Tools

I teach a lot of dog training "tools" to my students and their dogs. More than they realize.

Sometimes a student asks for a follow up lesson because of a new situation. Sometimes they don't realize the versatility of the tools they have been given, and they just need to be shown how far those tools can be applied.

Think of having a knife. You might have learned to use that knife to sharpen a pencil. And then someone shows you it can also be used to slice apples, or whittle a toy, or to make tinder for a camp fire. Same tool, but it had more uses than the original application. 

Good dog training works that way.

Plan accordingly. 

Dog Training Breakthroughs

It is always satisfying to see dog training breakthroughs, especially with dogs that start out in a bad place or have no previous training.

 

I’m working with a very timid Chihuahua. We have gone from the dog running and hiding from me on the first visit, to the dog now greeting me at the door when I arrive, looking to interact when the lesson commences, and the dog starting to take some initiative in the learning. 

 

Fortunately, the owner is understanding and patient. It has taken a lot of time to gain this dog’s trust. Even the owner couldn’t pick up the dog or put on a collar or leash when we first started. 

 

Yesterday was another breakthrough day. For people with easy working dogs, it would be hardly anything for their dog. For this dog, it has been challenging. She fell asleep before the lesson was over. Brain work is tiring.

 

Look for the breakthroughs and celebrate them. They are good for your dog. For some dogs, you need to closely observe them to see the progress. Dogs will often "tell" you they get it.

 

Plan accordingly. 

Is It Ethical To Correct A Dog?

When using the 4 quadrants of learning psychology, reinforcement is used to teach skills: I explain that to all my students. Punishment is to eliminate those remaining responses that are not functional. Technically a correction is not a punishment. If I have come to like hot coffee, but the cup I’m sipping turns out to be too hot on that first sip, I stop, let it cool. That sip didn’t burn my tongue, didn’t cause suffering, but it was a correction and caused me to wait. There was no lasting damage. No fear. No suffering. If I use a punishment or correction that is the maximum level I use and the maximum I teach students. It is not unethical or harmful. It is better for a dog to get such a punishment or correction than to get bitten by a snake, hit by a car, encounter a dangerous dog or certain wildlife. Thus, it IS ethical.

Ethically, you may wish to examine the philosophy of prevention of the greater harm. Under that principle, which is reflected in many philosophies and religions, is that it is morally correct to prevent the greater harm. That is what I teach and practice. Otherwise, what you are proposing is that either we allow the dog to never be exposed to the greater harm (the rattlesnake, the dangers of being in public, strangers into the home, ever being off leash, the possibility of equipment or barrier or judgment failure, essentially putting the dog in a padded cell or into intolerable captivity), or allow the dog to learn the hard way by letting them experience the greater harm. 

My students live in the real world with their dogs and there are dangers that can be anticipated, and some that can't, if a dog gets off leash. Thus, I would rather have a dog get a leash correction than a car bumper correction. We all know equipment and barriers and judgment fail, we have all seen it, and then we either have tools to prevent a disaster such as proper training, or we allow the tragedy in order to preserve this foolish belief that it is never appropriate to punish or correct a dog for anything (which of course is impossible unless the dog is meant to live in a cage, which is just a form of extreme neglect such as being a hoarder).

Plan accordingly.

Dogs And Rattlesnakes

It is rattlesnake season again. Yes, it is very dangerous for your dog if it is bitten. 

Prevention is better than treatment. 

The "purely positive" trainers claim they can snake train a dog. Knowing what I know about dog behavior that is all talk. The interest in a snake will override a dog's interest in whatever treats and rewards you used to train your dog to come to you when detecting a snake.

In other words, don't let someone lie to you.

Do you know what to do if your dog is bitten by a venomous snake? You should have a plan. 

I have heard varying opinions from vets regarding the effectiveness of the rattlesnake vaccine... most tell me they have no idea if it is effective. 

Learn to understand rattlesnake habitat and habits, behaviors and seasonality. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dog Handling Superpower

What is a dog handling superpower? Staying calm during emergencies. During an emergency, everyone else is going to be overstimulated, and your dog will probably be overstimulated, as well. 

If you let yourself freak out, you lose all focus, ability to think clearly, make fine motor movements, and you lose the ability to be a leader and direct others and your dog to safety. 

Don't be a weakling.

Plan accordingly. 

How Many Dogs Can You Walk At One Time?

I've seen a lot of demo videos of dog walkers and trainers going down the street with a LOT of dogs. 

I think this is ridiculous. My general observation is that you might be able to do a good job with 3 dogs, on leash, if you are agile. 10 to 20 dogs? You are an idiot.

Now we have this news story... 

“The other day, close to 40 dogs were congregated with multiple dog walkers in a narrow area of the park. A vicious dogfight ensued, resulting in one of the dog walkers being bitten until bloody. It was a dangerous situation for everyone, and it happens almost daily at this park,” the reader wrote, in part.

Should there be a law? No. Politicians don't know a thing about dog training, and new laws can't make people any smarter. Are you a dummy if you take on more dogs than you can handle? I think so.

Plan accordingly.