Pets

Dogs, like people, are social creatures and most enjoy interacting with other dogs through play.  This is an excellent release of energy, a great form of exercise, and a good psychological boost to dogs – unless, of course, playing becomes fighting.

Playing dogs can appear vicious through barking, showing their teeth, wrestling, and even occasionally growling. It isn’t hard to see why telling the difference between playing and fighting can sometimes be difficult!

Dogs who are having a good time playing with their canine companion will show the following signs:

• Loose, fast tail wags
• Wide, excited eyes, glances at, and away from, the other dog
• Relaxed mouth, slightly open (teeth covered)
• Play Bows (front end on the ground, back end in the air)
• Fluidity to their movements, almost like dancing

Fighting dogs will act in the following manner:

• Straight tail, slow stiff tail wags
• Squinted, intense eyes/stare
• Exposed teeth, snarl, possible quick bites
• Rigid posture, hair on back raised
• Calculated, harsh movements with intent to threaten or harm

There are some characteristics that Playing and Fighting dogs may show. They must be taken into account with the rest of the dog’s body language to determine the dog’s intentions.

Both Playing and Fighting dogs may show:

• Quick movements
• Wagging tails (Playing – Loose, fast. Fighting – Straight, stiff.)
• Biting (Playing – soft bites, no intense reaction from playmate. Fighting – harmful bites, elicit intense response from other dog.)
• Wrestling behavior

One surefire way to determine whether dogs are playing or fighting is to separate the dogs by moving the aggressor (the one playing/fighting the hardest, usually this is the dog who is on top during wrestling behavior) away.  If the other dog happily runs right back to the dog, rest assured, they were playing! If the other dog instead runs away, growls, raises his or her hackles (back hair), or continues to focus intensely with squinted eyes, then you just broke up a dogfight.

Most dogs will work out their differences with a couple of hard, intense stares, and the occasional growls/snaps. In fact, it is usually best to let dogs work things out amongst themselves.

However, if your dog has a history of getting in fights, or if you or your dog are unfamiliar with the other dog, break up these potential fights as early as possible!

In the event of a dog fight, the best way to intervene is to determine who the aggressor is and wrap your arms around the dog’s belly – just in front of the dog’s back legs – and lift the back legs off the ground. This throws the dog off balance and will cause him or her to look back at you to see what is going on. As soon as he or she looks at you, grab the collar and lead the dog away. Keep the dog as far away from you as possible during this to prevent a “transference of aggression” where the dog may potentially use excess energy to bite you.

Keep these tips in mind next time your dog begins a canine interaction and remember the golden rule – if you aren’t sure whether the dogs are playing or fighting, break it up.

If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle the submitted questions, and give practical advice to solve common dog behavior issues. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.

One of the most common ways that people acquire pets is as a gift. With Christmas right around the corner, it is possible that you may be considering giving a dog or puppy as a gift to someone you care about. It might be your children, spouse, parents, or friend – but whoever it may be, there are a few things to consider first.

Make sure that the recipient of the puppy knows what your plans are. There are oftentimes situations going on in someone’s personal life that we may not know about. For instance, can this person reasonably afford the high cost of owning a dog after food, vet visits, vaccinations, toys, and other expenses are factored in? Does his or her daily schedule make it possible to give the attention and time needed to properly raise a puppy?  Will this person be dedicated to training their new dog – as challenging and frustrating as it may be at times? Many people also need to feel a special bond with a dog before letting him or her become part of the family. Offering to take this person with you as you pick the perfect canine companion ensures that the right dog will be found!

Are your children really ready? Giving children the gift of a puppy is a wonderful thing, but only if your children are truly ready to understand what it means to have a family pet. Can your children remain calm when they need to, and can they reliably follow simple instructions? Are they old enough to help with feeding, cleaning up after, and walking the puppy, or are you ready to take on that entire responsibility, as well as caring for the kiddos? Have they expressed an interest in having a family dog?

Another thing to consider with children are your children’s friends. Many dogs do not tolerate children well, but generally, puppies raised with kids will do fine with the children of the family. In order to ensure that your new puppy will get along with all kids, make sure that the friends who come over to play with your children are taught how to properly interact with a puppy. This means no fast movements, no yelling, no tail pulling, no barking at the dog, etc. It is best for your children’s friends to meet the puppy one-on-one instead of as a group. Make sure that these visits are well supervised and that they are kept short, as small children may not be able to remain calm for very long around a cute little puppy!  Encourage soft and gentle petting on the puppy’s back and chest – not the top of his head. Also, keep in mind that your children may have some friends who will not be able to meet the puppy until the puppy gets older. These friends are the ones who have a lot of energy and cannot control themselves well in exciting situations. Children (and adults!) like this can scare puppies, putting them at risk of developing a phobia of children, loud noises, and/or fast movements.

Does this person have physical limitations? Caring for a puppy or even an adult dog can require a lot of energy, depending on the dog. If this present is for an elderly relative or friend, please consider whether this person is capable of keeping up with a young, energetic bundle of fur! Puppies jump, play bite, whine, pull on the leash, and require a great deal of training.  To effectively socialize a puppy, they need to be out and about in the community and around all kinds of situations. They need a lot of exercise, and they need boundaries that are consistently kept. If the recipient of your gift cannot adequately meet these necessities, consider adopting an older dog. Older dogs make wonderful companions, are generally trained and housebroken, and don’t require as much exercise as a young dog would. They have a lot of love to give and are more than happy to do so calmly curled up beside their owner.

Before you give a puppy or dog as a gift, keep these questions in mind. This will make sure that you, the recipient, and the puppy find the best fit possible for a forever home.

If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.

 

Every single day, countless dogs who have entered their golden years, sit in shelters, waiting for the chance to find their next home. They watch puppies and young dogs come in and leave with a swiftness that they probably will never know. After all, why get a older dog when there are young ones to adopt!

The truth is, senior dogs (age 6+, depending on the breed) have a lot of life and love left to give. In fact, if you’re looking for a laid-back, easy to manage, housebroken, and low maintenance dog, an older dog would be a perfect fit for you.

Most senior dogs aren’t found on the streets as strays. Younger ones, particularly between the ages of 1-3 years old, are much more likely to have entered shelters as strays, or for behavior problems, meaning that they will require a lot more time, energy, patience, and training to fit nicely into a family when compared to an older dog.

Senior dogs generally end up at the shelter due to an owner passing away, or an owner being unable to afford their dog any longer. They are usually housebroken and know at least the basic obedience commands. And please, don’t think that just because a dog is labeled “senior” means that he or she doesn’t have energy! I have met many incredibly energetic dogs who are 9+ years old. These dogs are perfectly content to snuggle with their owners on the couch during a rainy day, but are also thrilled when walk time comes around. Best of both worlds.

I’m sure, also, that you’ve heard the old adage, “You can’t teach and old dog new tricks,” but I’m here today to tell you that just isn’t true. One of my clients has a 9 year old, 10 year old, and 12 year old dog, all living together in the same house, who have all learned new skills during private lessons.

While older dogs are absolutely still capable of learning, there are a few things you’ll need to take into consideration when training an older dog.

For instance, sometimes medical conditions (hip displasia, etc.) can limit what these dogs are physically capable of. It is just fine to teach dogs with these conditions commands, but be patient and understanding if they are slow to follow, or if they can only repeat the command a few times before growing tired.

Older dogs also need more rest. Generally, training sessions with young dogs and puppies should last about 10-15 minutes. With older dogs, shoot for 5-10 minutes then take a break so they can rest up. Believe it or not, learning new things is mentally taxing (think back to math class in high school!) and can be a great way to tire out a dog of any age on a bad weather day.

Golden-aged dogs are at a special place in life. Much like our human senior citizens, these dogs deserve a chance to just enjoy life at their own pace. No dog should have to live out their golden years in the high stress of a shelter. For everything they have been through in life, they deserve a nice warm dog bed, human companionship, toys, and love.

If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.

In honor of October being “Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog” Month, I thought I’d share some hints and tips on adopting shelter dogs. All shelter dogs have had a rough go at life, whether they arrived at the shelter due to abuse or neglect, an owner’s death, financial hardship, “uncontrollable” behaviors, or any other reason. These dogs have been separated from everything they know and thrown into a high stress environment that can put even the calmest, most laid-back dog on edge.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when adopting a shelter dog:

The most common time for a dog to become a resident at a shelter is when they are between 6 months – 1.5 years old. The reason for this is generally because the cute little puppy suddenly became a big, active, playful dog. If you’re looking at a dog in the shelter who seems unruly, please know that he or she can be taught dog-manners! Unfortunately, some people just don’t want to take the time to teach  an energetic dog the rules of the house, and they end up in the shelter. These almost grown dogs have a lot of love to give and way too much youthful energy to be confined to a kennel!

If you already have a dog at home, or if you plan on frequenting the dog park with your soon-to-be-adopted dog, ask the shelter staff which dogs they use as “Intro Dogs.” These dogs are the ones who are used to test the social skills of new shelter dog residents.  Intro Dogs have highly developed canine social skills and will generally get along with any dog they meet – which means you can enjoy your multiple-dog household, and the dog park, with little worry.

Shelter dogs don’t usually show their true colors until about a month after arriving at their new home. They may be more subdued, or more wound up than they naturally are for the first month. For this reason, it is incredibly important to establish household doggy rules right off the bat. For instance, if you want to teach your dog to never run through an open door, start on day 1. If you don’t want your dog to jump on you as a greeting, start immediately teaching him or her not to.

Consider adopting a dog who is currently in a foster home, especially if you are a first time dog owner, or if you don’t have a lot of training experience. Foster parents have been living with these dogs in a home environment, and can tell you exactly what to expect from them. You will know for sure if the dog you’re considering is housebroken or paper trained, energetic or calm, knows any obedience commands, has health issues, etc. These dogs will also have a much easier time transitioning into your family since where they are right now is a home setting instead of a loud, chaotic shelter.

If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com

The Thundershirt (www.thundershirt.com) is marketed as “The Best Dog Anxiety Treatment,” but does that mean it really works?

The Thundershirt is relatively new and sells for around $40 at most pet retail stores. It came out marketed to pet owners whose dog shows signs of anxiety during thunderstorms. Made of a soft, stretchy material, the Thundershirt is designed to snugly wrap around your dog and to give him a sense of comfort when in stressful situations.

Recently, it began noting that it also works for separation anxiety, fearfulness, hyperactivity, barking, and more. Since this appears to be a pretty trendy dog accessory these days, I thought I’d pick one up and try it out on my fearful reactive dog. Here’s what I found for her, and a couple of clients’ dogs.

For my dog, Karma, I noticed a change as soon as I put the Thundershirt on her. She was much calmer. During walks, she barked less at people (some not at all!), and during car rides, people walking near the car didn’t seem to bother her as much either.

To really put it to the test, I took Karma to her least favorite place – the Vet. In this instance of extreme stress and anxiety, I didn’t see any change with her wearing the Thundershirt. She was still very anxious, barking, and incredibly uncomfortable with being there.

A Group Class student was next to try the Thundershirt out on his fearful dog. She ended up being calmer during walks as well – much easier to handle!

Another client who tried it on her dog, found that her dog was also easier to handle during walks, paid more attention to her while outside, and accepted treats while on a walk. Usually, her dog was very focused on the various outdoor scents and cared much more about them than about her or treats.

Perhaps the biggest breakthrough I saw, however, was on a client’s dog who is afraid of the stove. He runs out of the kitchen, all the way down to the basement, whenever the stove or burners are turned on. With the Thundershirt, and some positive reinforcement training, he was sitting calmly beside the stove with both the oven and burner turned on within 5 minutes of working with him!

So does the Thundershirt work? Yes and no. It seems to be a wonderful tool to help teach your dog how to remain clam during periods of low to moderate stress. High stress situations, with most dogs, there probably won’t be a noticeable change.

It is important to note that while the Thundershirt may produce a calming effect over your dog, very little research has been done. It is possible that dogs may become accustomed to the Thundershirt and its effects may wane over time, or that the dog may begin to associate the Thundershirt with stressful situations and begin to feel nervous just by wearing it. It is too soon to tell.

The Thundershirt is probably a worthwhile investment (especially since you can return it if you don’t notice a difference in your dog!) if you are willing to also put in the time to train your dog while he is wearing the Thundershirt, instead of relying solely on the shirt to do all of the work. That way, the transition between wearing it and not wearing it will become much easier and your dog will no longer be in need of this training tool!

Have you tried a Thundershirt on your dog? If so, what do you think about it?

If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.

“I think she needs a friend.” This is a pretty common line of thinking with single-dog households. At some point, we start to wonder if our dog would be happier if she had another canine to run around with.  The answer varies from dog to dog – some dogs seem to adore other dogs and do wonderful with them, and other dogs seem to not really even notice the existence of other dogs. Then, of course, there are a few who make it known that, under no circumstances, do they ever want another dog around!

Even with the best trained, most dog-loving dog in the world, adding another dog to the household could cause problems. These problems can certainly be corrected, but it is important to know that, like humans who live under the same roof, dogs who share a house can find themselves in occasional disagreements.

The addition of another dog may even bring out sides of your dog that you have never seen before. This may show itself as toy or food guarding, attention hoarding, withdrawl, dominance, or aggression. Sometimes it is healthy and perfectly acceptable to let dogs work things out for themselves. For instance, the occasional growl or snap to signal that one does not wish to play at that moment, or that the other is much too close, is just fine. True fights, guarding of resources, or overt displays of dominance, however, will require some leader intervention.

My dog, Karma, and I recently took in a foster dog from the Southside Animal Shelter. Bandit is her name, and while she is a little shy around people, she loves other dogs. Karma is used to dogs coming and going in our home, but all of them have a tendency to bring out different sides of her.

Ivanna, our first foster dog, brought out Karma’s annoyed and “don’t mess with me” side. Jacob, the next foster dog, brought out her toy guarding side. Others have turned her into the annoying little sister who begs for play, or into the aloof big sister who doesn’t wish to play.  All of these issues can be, and were, solved pretty easily.

With all of that fixed in Karma, Bandit has shown me a side I never expected of Karma. You see, I spent about a week telling Karma that we were going to get a foster dog and that she would be Karma’s responsibility to entertain and to help me train. I guess it went to her head.

Karma started showing signs that she believed she owned Bandit. This includes dominant stares, prolonged holds during play, keeping other dogs away from Bandit, pushing in between Bandit and myself while I was petting Bandit, rushing to be first out the door once released from Stay, etc.

Bandit is not innocent in all of this. She never once stood up for herself. She let Karma walk all over her, which led Karma to believe what she did.

I am quite happy to report now, that the two dogs are perfectly at peace with one another. Bandit has learned to tell Karma, “No,” in an appropriate way, and I have managed to show Karma that she in no way, shape, or form owns Bandit. It is very clear that they care about one another and they have a fantastic relationship.

A few things to keep in mind when introducing a new dog to your household:

• Introduce the dogs in a neutral territory – If neither dog recognizes where you are as “home,” they will much more readily accept one another as a playmate, instead of as a threat.

• Make sure your current dog has rules – It is important to already have a leadership role with your current dog, and to have some rules that they must consistently follow. This could be waiting patiently for their food, not jumping on furniture, sitting to have the leash put on, or anything else.

• Teach the rules to the new dog immediately – By showing the new dog the ropes, you will be teaching him or her that you are the leader. Your current dog will also be learning the same lesson, and will view you as fair, making it less likely that your current dog will lash out at your new dog.

• If you notice any issues between your dogs, consult with a Certified Dog Trainer – Often times, my clients come to me with problems dealing with multiple dog households where the issues have been occurring for years. Catching problems early makes for easier fixes and a stable household for years to come.

If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.

Methods of training our canine friends have evolved an incredible amount – even in just the last 15 years. Common methods of choke chains, harsh punishments, and forceful leadership that were prevalent, even in the 90’s, have now been replaced by methods that allow our dogs to learn to place trust in us, instead of to fear us. If group dog training classes didn’t work for you in the past, please consider trying them again.

Dog Trainers everywhere differ in their approach to running group classes. This is truly a wonderful thing since dogs are much like people in that they all learn different ways. Believe it or not, there are an astonishing number of ways to teach the same command or trick. What some dogs understand right off the bat may not work for other dogs, or may take a much longer time if the method goes against how your dog’s brain is wired.

Teaching your dog basic obedience commands such as Sit, Stay, Leave It, Come, etc. can be life saving. No matter the age of your dog, it is never too late for him to learn. The old adage of, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” just doesn’t apply.

For example, after learning Stay and Come, one of my students in group class said that his 1.5 year old dog escaped from the yard, and what would have been a 45 minute chase, was only a few minutes because he yelled for her to Stay, which got her attention, then called her to Come. No longer does he need to worry about his dog running into traffic, or having to chase her through the neighborhood!

When you’re thinking about signing your dog up for group classes, here are a few things to take into consideration:

• Your dog does not need to be perfect – Many people are afraid to enroll their dog into group classes for fear that he will bark uncontrollably, that he won’t understand commands, or that he will be too afraid of the situation. Group classes are actually wonderful for dogs like this! By learning new commands in a setting full of other dogs and people, these skills are much more likely to be transferred over in to the “real world.”

• Dogs learn in different ways – Before signing up for classes, make sure you have an understanding of the Trainer’s methods. Try to find a Trainer who not only understands basic obedience training, but who is also skilled in dog behavior and dog psychology. These Trainers can help you better understand your dog and will find the methods that are best suited to your dog’s learning style.

• Class size matters – In order for you and your dog to get the individual attention necessary to make sure you have a firm understanding of the training methods, aim for smaller classes (3-6 dogs as opposed to 7-10). There will still be sufficient distractions in the class for your dog to learn around, but your Trainer will be able to focus more time on each student individually as well.

Your dog will be part of your life for years, whether you have a puppy or an adult. It is never too late for him to receive an education in basic obedience commands. Imagine the holiday season with a well-trained dog, instead of one who jumps on guests, steals food from the table, and runs through the door when people try to come inside! Start soon, and that could be your Christmas present to yourself and your dog this year.

And remember – every dog can learn. Every single one of them.

If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.