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.