The Right Dog Training Style

My take on Cesar Millan is that he has great insight to dog behavior and dog psychology. My concern with his style was that it is so intuitive based on dog behavior that it could be difficult for the average person to implement with their dog. It seems to me (and don't quote me here) that his method is less heavy on technique and more on feel and intuition. This works great for him but I wonder how well that can be taught to novices. All in all, though, it is obvious that Cesar understands dogs quite well.

He then asked my opinion on Victoria Stillwell and other trainers like her who are big on treat training and other such methods. My response was that I disagreed with that style. It is an unnatural style that does little to foment a dog/owner relationship of structure, respect, etc. I have never seen a treat have the capacity to show a dog a proper leadership balance. Stillwell's style is one that shuns corrections and considers them cruel.

My client went on to say something that I felt profound and is the reason for this blog post. His words were, and I'm paraphrasing here, "People don't realize that dogs that don't receive corrections/discipline are much less happy. And the corrections that these 'treat trainers' claim to be as corrections; namely ignoring bad behavior, stern tones, etc. do nothing to firm up the relationship that dog owners want to have with their dogs."

The more I thought about it the more I realized he was right. Dogs that don't get corrections are much less happy. Dogs are physical learners. That means that any command we wish them to know needs to have a physical aspect attached. Physical doesn't mean harsh and should never equal cruel treatment. Corrections should be firm but fair and should be used as means of guiding behavior and building a better bond between dog and owner.

I must say that I completely agree with this dog owner and wish to take it further. This advent of treat training techniques may be one of the most damaging movements in dog training in recent decades.

My hope is that as you undertake your dog training endeavors that you use an approach that is balanced, humane, fun and relationship building.

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How Badly Do You Smell? Just Ask Your Dog

Many people are confused by this and I've met many dog owners who are convinced that their dog must have it out for them because they just chewed up a pair of expensive shoes. If dog owners really knew what was going on, they should be flattered! Well...not really, but at least they would understand their dog better.

You see, your shoes, socks and underwear are the items in your home that smell the most like you. They are right up against the sweatiest, smelliest parts of your body and that is what your dog loves. The reason dogs like to chew these things is because, with such a heavy concentration of 'you-smell' these items act like a 'surrogate you'. When your dog is stressed, lonely, or bored it makes sense that he would want to be as close to possible as something that reminds him of you.

When I help dog owners train a dog to stop chewing there are several things that I recommend. One of those things, though, is to create a 'surrogate you' to give your dog an alternative to chew.

Making a surrogate you is simple. Take 5 minutes a day and interact with your dog with one special toy. I like a Kong Toy or hard bone as they are porous to hold scent yet won't get destroyed any time soon. During that 5 minutes you hold the toy, toss it for your dog, wrestle around with your dog while playing with the toy, etc. The idea is that you place a very fun association on that toy and cover it heavily with your scent.

Do this daily but then take away the toy. If you leave the toy out all the time your dog will become bored with it. The only time you give it to your dog is when you are about to leave so that, in your absence, he's got something to chew on that reminds him of you.

Happy Training!

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The Difference Between Separation Anxiety and Anxiety Caused by Separation

Separation anxiety is a term that is thrown around by many dog trainers, dog behaviorists, and veterinarians. They use it to describe a dog that whines when left alone, chews things, or goes to the bathroom in the house. While these behaviors could be symptomatic of separation anxiety they most often are not. Most of the time these behaviors, amongst others, are the result of a lack of training.

So what is separation anxiety? Separation anxiety is an actual chemical imbalance in a dog's brain that doesn't allow him to process stress in the way that most dogs can. Most often this is manifested by a dog that is frantic and maniacal in their behavior when left alone. For example, a dog that chews apart a door frame in a frantic attempt to follow his owner to work likely has separation anxiety. A dog that chews shoes and the couch when left alone likely hasn't been trained properly. A dog that is left alone in a crate and whines for hours straight and claws at the door of the crate until bloody quite possibly has separation anxiety. A dog that barks for a half hour when left alone is simply lonely.

Separation anxiety is very rare. In my years of training dogs I've probably run across 6-10 bona fide cases of this disorder. Most of the time when a dog owner is prescribed medication from their vet to deal with destruction the reality is that the dog just needed proper training. Medication does very little to help a dog that doesn't have a chemical imbalance in the first place.

There does exist, however, behavior problems caused by the anxiety of an owner leaving a home. While anxiety is the root of the behavior problem this is still not separation anxiety. Remember, separation anxiety is a chemical imbalance that needs both medication and training to fix. Behavior problems caused by anxious dogs simply need training to fix.

The next time your vet tells you that medication will fix a behavior problem, make sure to do the research to determine if he or she is correct.

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The Power of Obedience Training

In every case I handle the training in a different manner. There is one aspect, though, that is the same with all of these issues. That aspect is obedience training.

The way I like to picture a dogs mind is in two regions. This isn't a true model of the dog's brain but it helps to illustrate a point. In one region exists the state of mind that leads to issues like hyperactivity, destruction, anxiety, chewing, digging, etc. This region of the brain is chaotic, hectic, and not under control.

On the other end of the dog's mind exists a state of mind that leads to calmness and control, i.e. obedience.

Control and chaos don't exist together. Where we see control (obedience) we don't see chaos (aggression, hyperactivity, destruction, etc.).

Regardless of the issue you have with your dog it is always a good idea to start with obedience training as a means of correcting the issue.

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The Craziest Thing I've Seen in Months!

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