Unleashed Unlimited » Tips for Owning and Training Dogs

What’s the Deal with Humping?

Paul — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:21:09 +0000

Whether it was one of your own dogs being the guilty party or another dog doing it to yours, we’ve all seen two dogs hump each other at some point. Yes, it’s embarrassing and obnoxious, and it’s not something you want to encourage, but what does it all mean?

There are a lot of theories floating around out there about mounting and humping, some think that it’s sexual, humping is dominance, or it’s mainly done by intact males. While some of these and other theories can be correct in some cases, the most common type of humping/mounting that I see on a daily basis is redirected excitement that usually ends up in play.

While mounting and humping may be a way to start a nice game of chase, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t obnoxious or shouldn’t be interrupted out in public. You definitely don’t want to be the owner of that dog that is constantly mounting and going to town on every dog at the park, telling them to come would be an important management skill to have in this case. It’s extra important in situations like these to be able to interrupt it because some dogs will instantly turn and correct a dog for mounting them. But around a group of well-socialized dogs with no behavior issues – why not let them go?

Start to observe your dog a little closer when it comes to their humping. You may see them do it in times of high excitement or as a way to get another dog to play with them. While it isn’t appropriate in all situations, humping is not a sign of a bad dog.

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5 Steps to Ruining a Dog

Paul — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:34:15 +0000

Last year at this time we made a post about Improving Your Relationship with Your Dog. This year we thought that we would take a different approach and tell you how to ruin your dog. Although there are MANY more that could have been added to this list, here are just a few.

Ignore Every Warning Sign of Behavior Issues - This is a good one if you’re trying to screw up your dog. Fido bit the kids, he growls when you approach his food bowl, he appears fearful when strangers enter the home, and pins dogs to the ground upon meeting them – ahh, that’s nothing! It’s probably just a phase, he’ll grow out of it automatically on his own, just ignore it!

Why this can ruin a dog - Behavioral issues usually start to present themselves long before an actual “event” occurs. So whether you realize it or not, that weird little character flaw that you are seeing from your dog can quickly escalate into a full blown problem, and often times it’s a lot harder or sometimes impossible to fix. Many dogs end up in shelters because warning signs were missed and now the responsibility falls to the shelter and the future owner(s). It’s hard enough to adopt out dogs, let alone those with serious behavior issues. If you see something you’re not sure of, ask a trainer!!

Avoid Crate Training Like the Plague - OMG, crate training – NEVER! How dare you! Fido doesn’t need a crate, he’s about 1.5 years old now and he only pees and poops in the house a few times while you’re at work. He can be trusted inside the home while everyone is out, the couch he tore up was old and you were thinking about replacing your kitchen table and chairs anyway, right?! Perfect!

Why this can ruin a dog - You may not need to crate your dog for their entire lives, but it’s a great aid in potty training, it’s a fantastic aid in controlling space, it make traveling with your pet a lot easier, and I have never heard anyone regret crate training their dog! At some point in your dog’s life they are going to have to be crated – there is not getting around this. Whether it’s at the vet’s office, the groomer, a boarding facility, or at a friends home, the time will come to crate your dog. If you never expose your dog to a crate and teach them the correct way to behave in the crate, they are going to nervous, anxious, they may panic, and it will be extremely stressful for them, and injury is possible if they try hard enough to escape.

Encourage and Reward Whining and Other Signs of Anxiety - This seems to be one of the more popular items on the list. Fido cries in the crate, he runs over to you and shakes when the garbage truck drives past, he has also started to hide behind your legs when men enter the home, and he barks at the window to let you know that someone has just walked past the house. Make sure you let Fido knows that he’s doing a great job at being afraid, be sure to teach him that his crying is the best way to get your attention, and make sure you constantly touch him and tell him “it’s okay” when he’s fearful and hiding. That’ll learn ‘em!

Why this can ruin a dog - Barking, fearfulness, whining, and other anxious behaviors are NOT desirable traits in dogs. So why do so many owners pet, praise, and verbally mark such behaviors? From my experience, dog owners may be attempting to send the correct message in these instances, but they are using human emotion to deal with a canine problem. If your child was nervous of thunder and lightening, you are going to give her a hug and tell her that it’s okay, there is nothing to worry about. When you do the same for a dog, your’re basically encouraging them to be more fearful by implementing physical touch and verbal praise. Marking and encouraging behaviors is training. It’s up to us to make sure that we are marking and encouraging the correct behaviors in our dogs.

Expect Them to Fill a Void in Your Life – Did you just go through a hard break up, are you lonely, dealing with depression, or having a hard time dealing with all that life is throwing at you lately? Let’s get a dog!!!!! Fido will be a great listener, it will be his job to love you, Fido will fill in where your life was lacking. No need to get to the root of the problem or deal with people in a social manner, that fuzzy little BFF will make it all better!

Why this can ruin a dog - If you expect a dog to fill a certain void in your life, you will put unrealistic pressures and responsibilities on your dog. You’re not going to be providing your dog with what he/she needs from you, but instead you’ll be expecting things from your dog that falls outside their umbrella; this quickly creates an unhealthy relationship and behavior issues ensue.

Avoid Training and Discipline as to Not Make Them Unhappy – This is a good one. Your last dog never had any training or rules and he was the happiest dog ever – ask anyone, they’ll tell you! Sure you had to chase him around the neighborhood on a weekly basis when he bolted out of the front door, he was anxious in the house and was always pacing around, he panicked and drooled profusely whenever we took him to the vet, and he was constantly barking at people who walked by the front of the home; but it’s cool, he liked it! Yeah, he may have had some issues, but at least you never made him do anything that he didn’t want to do.

Why this can ruin a dog - Some people tend to believe that happiness or spirit is demonstrated by the complete lack of self-restraint and boundaries. This couldn’t be further from the truth for a dog. The bottom line is a dog that is unbalanced, anxious, and neurotic is not a happy dog. They need discipline, structure, and rules in order to thrive in their environment. They need to be taught to relax and shut off at times, they need to learn to think, they need to know what is expected of them, and they need to be taught skills in order to handle daily life. All of this is accomplished through training and leads to a balanced and happy dog.

Dangerous Human Foods for Dogs

Paul — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 07:58:53 +0000

Each year the Animal Control Poison Center receives a few hundred thousand calls relating to dogs consuming dangerous human foods, plants, and other poisons. While some dangerous items like pesticides, non-food items, human medications, and household cleaners are clearly hazardous to our dogs, some other items that are commonly found in our homes can also be harmful. While we are all aware of the dangers related to our dogs eating chocolate, here is a list of some other dangerous human foods for dogs.

Avocados - The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
Macadamia nuts - These nuts have caused weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Signs usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and last approximately 12 to 48 hours.
Grapes and raisins - Although the toxic substance within grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure. In pets who already have certain health problems, signs may be more dramatic.
Xylitol (an artificial sweetener found in many items) - Initial signs of toxicosis include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Signs can progress to recumbency and seizures. Elevated liver enzymes and liver failure can be seen within a few days.
Onions, garlic, and chives - These vegetables and herbs can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage. Although cats are more susceptible, dogs are also at risk if a large enough amount is consumed.
Milk - Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other milk-based products cause them diarrhea or other digestive upset.

Our dogs are constantly surrounded by these items on a daily basis, that’s why it’s extra important not to leave your dog outside while unattended, crate your dog when you leave the home, and supervise them when you are at home. If you miss your training moment and you find yourself in an emergency situation, be sure to have the phone number and address of the closest 24-hour vet and/or the Animal Control Poison Center phone number (888-426-4435) in a place of easy reference.

How Long Should Your Dog be Placed?

Paul — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:54:16 +0000

As most of you know, the place command is such an important skill to teach your dog. Not only is it extremely useful in a variety of situations like answering the doorbell, keeping your dog out of the kitchen during dinner, managing window barking, but it also teaches your dog to calm down!

Take a look at the video below, it was shot a few years ago and is a time lapse video of placeboard duration with some distractions.

While this is a good way to proof your dog’s ability to stay on a placeboard, it doesn’t necessarily help to teach the dog to calm down and settle. It’s also important to place your dog while you are eating dinner, working on the computer, or watching tv; this is where the real self-c0ntrol comes in.

All of us should be placing our dogs multiple times a day for long periods of time. We often get asked, “How long should I keep my dog on a place?” There is one simple answer to this question – until he/she falls asleep. This may take hours for some dogs, it may take shorter periods of time for others, but the bottom line is if your dog hasn’t fallen asleep while doing a duration drill on a placeboard, you’re not doing it long enough.

Try this tonight when you sit down and relax for the night, you’ll be amazed at how extending your placeboard duration drills will help in so many facets of your dog’s life!

Realistic Expectations in Dog Training

Paul — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:38:25 +0000

You might be reading our dog training blog because you are currently involved in a training program or you are researching different training options for your dog. Either way, it’s important to figure out what you would like your dog to start doing, what things you want your dog to stop doing, and what you hope to accomplish.

The beauty about some training issues is that they are pretty straight forward and when they are approached the right way, these things can be eliminated or improved rather quickly. Meanwhile, other more serious or complex behaviors and habits in dogs can sometimes take longer periods of time to get under control and to the point where progress can be seen. Longer periods of time without seeing the payoff of your efforts can be very frustrating; especially when we’re used to getting a lot of what we want RIGHT NOW!! It’s also extremely important to realize that not everything is “fixable”. There may be issues that are just always going to be present in your dog, but it doesn’t mean you can’t see great improvement and use your dog’s newly found skills to manage these behaviors.

Sure, a good training program can teach your dog some functional skills like coming when called, proper greetings for people, how to go to their bed and stay there, how to walk nicely on a leash, and much more. But, a good training program will not let you off the hook for any type of redirection, guidance, interaction, supervision, and other ownership skills. Like I mentioned above, a good dog training program can teach skills, but it’s then up to you to use those skills to properly manage your dog throughout daily life.

Here’s an example of what I mean: We can teach your dog to come when called in any situation (including real-world distractions) regardless of whether they’re on a leash or not. But, this does not mean you can let you dog in the front yard unattended and expect them not to roam off of your property. You can absolutely hang out in the front yard with your dog and call them back to you if they get too close to the street or if they start chasing a squirrel, but your supervision and interraction are still required.

Here’s another example: We can teach an un-socilaized, dog aggressive dog some self-control (no barking, lunging, or biting) when in the presence of other dogs. This does not necessarily mean that you should go to an off-leash dog park (check out some Austin area dog parks here) and expect your dog to get along with every dog at the park. The reality is that not all dogs belong at a dog park, especially those with limited or poor social skills. With that being said, it doesn’t mean you can’t take your dog for a nice walk around the neighborhood or on-leash trail and have them walk calmly at your side and not fire up when passing other dogs on your walk; you just have to be there to manage your dogs behavior through redirection.

Through consistent communication and management, dog training can make a huge improvement in the level of enjoyment you have together. Staying consistent over time will make your dog’s new behaviors permanent and almost automatic, but until then – keep your training expectations realistic!

Doggie Doors are Great, Right?

Paul — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:09:27 +0000

Your dog can come and go when he or she pleases, your dog can instantly “check out” any strange noise they hear, you never have to get off of the couch to let them out, and they don’t have to feel trapped inside while you are at work – sounds great!! Although most people may view a doggie door as a convenient aid to dog ownership, we often see the downsides of allowing your dog to freely use a doggie door.

Giving your dog free access to everything (in this case we are mainly talking about space) often contributes to a large list of behavior problems. Issues like fence fighting, digging, territorial issues, unwanted chewing, inability to be confined in a crate, and increased prey drive are just a few issues can be fueled by a doggie door. Really, who the heck knows what else your dog is practicing when they are outside unattended? Besides behavior issues, a dog door lessens your role in your dog’s world because you become less and less significant as they need you for fewer things.

Don’t get me wrong, some dogs can handle the freedom of coming and going through a dog door just fine, and they never develop issues. Unfortunately, due to our line of work, we more commonly deal with the dogs that can’t handle the freedom. Instead of just giving your dog everything, teach them to look to you for the things they need; it directly puts you in a leadership role and increases the connection that you are looking for. Create some boundaries and structure for your dog and teach them how you want them to behave inside the home and yard. Controlling your dog’s life and actions is not cruel, it’s not mean – it’s called being a good dog owner and having the proper relationship with your companion.

Halloween Safety Tips for Your Dog

Paul — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:46:49 +0000

Halloween is quickly approaching and we always experience and increased rate of certain dog related issues pop up during this time of year. Here are some things you will want to be aware of this Halloween season with your dog.

It’s Halloween, of course there will be costumes – for people and dogs! Please be aware of the following things:

Children in costumes will most definitely appear different to your dog and can easily scare a dog
Many dogs will become reactive to children and adults in costume
Certain dog costumes can be a chewing or choking hazard for them
If you will be dressing up your dog, make sure that your dog has good peripheral vision to enable them to fully use their senses
Be aware of how other dogs perceive your dog when he/she is in a dog costume

You are going to have a lot of visitors; be aware of your doorbell when handing out candy.

Because your door will be opening and closing frequently, make sure your dog knows no to bolt out of the door
There will be loud and excited children in costumes on the other side of the door, make sure your dog isn’t reactive
Don’t be afraid to crate your dog away from your door to reduce stress levels and prevent the unexpected

Monitor your dog around chocolate, candy, and other items that are potential hazards.

Make sure you keep candy out of reach of your dog
Be sure that your children are not giving the dog candy
Make sure your dog does not chew or eat candy wrappers

If you think about each aspect of Halloween, it’s almost the most unfair and potentially stressful day for your dog. Follow the steps above and keep your dog out of potentially dangerous situations this Halloween.

Continuing Education, Again

Tracey — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:22:27 +0000

In a few weeks I will be heading out of state to attend a continuing education conference in Iowa. Epalooza is an annual event sponsored by That’s My Dog! that brings together professionals from a variety of different backgrounds in the dog world. As with every year, the lineup of speakers is excellent and the topics being discussed promise to be extremely beneficial. Some of the topics of this years conference include first aid for your pet, dealing with canine aggression, current trends in training equipment, and lots more! Not only am I excited to open myself up to soak in new information, but I’m excited to reunite with old friends and meet some new ones as well.

Continuing education is important in all professions, just as it’s important to your dog. Dogs that are constantly being taught new things are able to learn easier, and it keeps them fresh leaves them with a sense of purpose. If you are looking to teach your dog some new things, check out our Austin Agility Seminar or have a mini training session at home tonight, do some trick training, or enroll your dog into some other type of learning activity. Remember, mental stimulation is just as important for your dog as physical exercise! If you’re not sure how to properly exercise your dog’s mind, start by getting them into a great Austin dog training class!

Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook Fan Page and Twitter account as I will be posting pictures and updates from the conference.

Whats the Big Deal with Hand Signals?

Paul — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:14:24 +0000

Before title of this post annoys anyone or comes across as arrogant, let me first say I absolutely get that dogs are visual communicators and hand signals can aid in the communication process (check out this video). I also understand that there are benefits of using hand signals in the hunting industry, agility fields, and other applications, but this article specifically relates to the average pet dog owner, the average pet dog, and the average pet dog problems where hand signals are often used as the benchmark standard of a well-trained dog. I’m not saying hand signals aren’t cool or shouldn’t be used, I’m just asking, “What’s the big deal?”

When starting off new dogs in our training programs, we use a lot of visual cues to help aid in the learning process. This may mean adjusting our body language for the sit command, pointing to the ground for ‘down’, and bending down for a recall. The reason that we do all this is because dogs generally learn easier and faster with visual cues. But once the dog knows what down means, should you really still have to bend down and point the the ground everything you need them to lay down? No! At some point we have to ween them off the help and hold them accountable to a command that they know; we need to stop helping them if it’s not needed.

Also remember that in addition to always needing to add a hand signal to your dog’s commands in order to get a response, remember that in order for your hand signal to be effective - your dog has to already be looking at you!! So if your dog is in heavy prey drive and is in the act of chasing a squirrel, is making a grandiose hand gesture for ‘come’ really going to help your dog turn around and come back to you? Or let’s say your dog is leash reactive and is firing up over the sight of another dog, is your raised hand going to help him sit and regain his composure?

Because we don’t always have the luxury of setting up and staging our training, hand signals become less and less effective and more of a burden in real world training applications.

I guess my confusion exists because a hand signal is a form of help in my eyes, not a complex skill that only a few gifted dogs are capable to soaking in. I guess I’m just more impressed with a dog that is functionally trained and managed with voice commands. Am I missing something here?