Positive Training Equals Positive Results
It is a widely held belief that if a dog shows behaviors such as guarding toys, food or locations in the home, urinating on beds, responding aggressively toward family and visitors in and out of the house, or bullying other dogs, the animal is trying to exert its authority in an attempt to become the "alpha" or "top dog" of the family. I see it differently. A dog that exhibits these kinds of behaviors is NOT a confident dog, nor is it trying to unleash an evil plan for home domination. This dog feels insecure and copes with life by trying to control the environment around it. Thus, from the beginning, owners must give their pets the tools they will need to live successfully in a human world. A dog given consistent guidance from an early age grows up to be a confident dog. Education brings security, security brings confidence, and a confident dog has no need to show anxiety-based behaviors, such as those described above.
So, how do you show your dog that you are an effective leader? Modern behavioral science has proven that forceful handling, such as physical punishment, leash yanking, excessive shouting or rolling a dog on its back to get it to submit, is psychologically damaging. Instead, the most successful modern training theories suggest that reinforcing good behavior with rewards, and marking bad behavior with vocal distractions or by simply ignoring the dog, yields much better results. Positive reinforcement (i.e., giving the dog a reward in the form of praise, play, food or toys when it behaves in a way that you like) has been shown to be the most effective training method. There is a marked difference between a dog that has been trained with harsh methods and one that has been trained using positive rewards. The first dog responds to an owner's commands out of fear; the trust between the two has been broken. The second dog looks eagerly at its owner as if to say, "OK, what do I have to do next to get that treat or toy out of your hand?" Ultimately, positive training results in dogs wanting to please and obey their owners. Aversive training, which uses fear-based tactics, often results in a "quick fix" that hasn't truly identified or modified the root cause of the animal's misbehavior. Anyone who says that using rewards in training is bribery should try working for no money and see how they like it. Our dogs were originally bred to work for us, so let's pay them for it!
So, how do you cope with a dog that is showing anxiety-based behaviors such as aggression, inappropriate urination, guarding, destructive chewing or barking? Know that your dog is not trying to take over your household, even though it might seem like it. Above all, as you begin the process of modifying your dog's behavior, BE PATIENT. Positive training relies on consistency, repetition and the following general rules:
1. First, identify WHY your dog is behaving this way. You cannot effectively deal with a behavior unless you know the root cause behind it.
2. Once you know the WHY, then you can ask yourself HOW to treat the behavior. It is vitally important that you understand your dog. I don't believe you can train a dog well without first understanding how he perceives the world. You can then use this knowledge to make training easier.
3. Learn to talk and think dog. Good communication increases the bond between dog and owner considerably. Dogs don't speak our human language, yet many people treat them as if they do. As a result, the dog ends up confused.
4. Be kind! Never hit, scream at or yank your dog. Dogs that exhibit aggression to humans or other dogs are under a great deal of stress, even though they might appear confident, dominant or just plain nasty. Think how you feel when you are fearful, angry or even violent. It is not a good place to be. Don't combat fear with more fear — recognize your dog's concerns, then slowly and gently teach him to overcome them.
5. Go very slowly when dealing with anxiety-related behaviors. The best way to rehabilitate an aggressive dog is to change how he perceives the stimuli that make him anxious. Do this by slowly showing your dog that the thing he fears is no longer scary. This technique is called desensitization. If your dog is guarding the couch, food bowl, or front door, show him gently that there is another way to feel that makes him happier and more confident. For example, shower him with attention when he is on the floor, and not on the couch. Show him that good things happen to him when you approach his food bowl, because it means you'll be adding more delicious food. Teaching obedience commands is relatively easy to do, but changing a dog's negative behaviors and perceptions is not. Therefore, it's important to enlist the help of a qualified trainer, who can help tailor a treatment plan for your dog's particular problem. Avoid trainers who use harsh methods or advocate choke, prong or weighted collars. And remember, positive training equals positive results. It might take a little longer, and require more time and patience on your part, but the positive changes you'll see in your dog are worth it.
For more information, visit Victoria's official site: www.victoriastilwell.com.
Victoria's Top 10 Training Tips
1. Keep training. Owners often think that once a dog is trained, there is no need to carry on. But your dog never stops learning, and training should be reinforced throughout your pet's life.
2. Think dog. Take time to think about how your dog perceives the world, and use this knowledge to make training easier.
3. Exercise your dog. A tired dog is a happy dog. Ensure, however, that the exercise is appropriate for your dog's age and breed.
4. To feel secure, all dogs need a calm, confident leader. Effective leadership isn't about dominating your dog and making him submissive toward you. It's about being a teacher and building his confidence. You can achieve that by encouraging and rewarding good behavior.
5. Look at your dog's diet, and see how you can improve it. You are what you eat, and the same is true for your dog. Many behavior and medical problems can be attributed to poor diet, so make sure your dog is eating the very best.
6. Sign up for an activity that you both enjoy, such as an agility class, flyball, heel to music, etc. Dogs get bored easily, so get yours out and moving.
7. Get your dog microchipped, if you haven't already. Also, don't forget his yearly checkup with the veterinarian.
8. Keep playing. One of the best ways to bond with your dog is to play games that you both enjoy. Play is a great stress reliever for both dog and human.
9. Keep your dog safe. Don't leave your dog alone in a car or tied up outside a shop. Dog theft is on the rise, so be careful.
10. Have fun and enjoy your dog. A dog should never be a burden. If you take the time to train your dog, you'll give him the tools he needs to live successfully in a human world.
For more information, visit Victoria's official site: www.victoriastilwell.com.
Victoria's Guide to Children and Dog Safety
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 50 percent of children will be bitten by a dog before their 12th birthday. Children under the age of 5 are most likely to be bitten and most of these bites come from a dog that the child knows, e.g., the family dog or that of a relative or friend. So why are children more likely to be bitten by dogs than adults? A child moves faster than an adult and a fast movement can sometimes illicit a dog's chasing instinct and stimulates its prey drive. Children talk in higher pitched voices than adults, which can sometimes startle a dog and make it fearful. They can frustrate a dog by rough play and teasing, or they can inadvertently inflict pain with the pull of a tail or a poke in the eye. Younger children are closer to a dog's eye level, making it easier for a dog to feel threatened by eye-to-eye contact and for the child to be bitten in the face. It is also much harder for a child to read and understand a dog's body language and, therefore, miss vital signals that can put them in harm's way.
How should children protect themselves?
Parents and guardians need to be responsible for their dog at all times, without exception, and especially around children. A child should never be left unsupervised with a dog at any time, and dog and child should only be together when a responsible adult can actively supervise. This keeps both children and dogs safe. Education for parents and children is essential. It amazes me that adults seem to be more ignorant than children about how children should greet a dog.
The following true story shows exactly what I mean. A handler was holding the leash of what seemed to be a very friendly rescue dog that had just come into the shelter. As I was standing in the room with the dog and the handler, a family came in with their 6-year-old daughter. The girl approached the dog and, without asking the handler, took the dog's face in her hands and kissed it on the nose. The handler asked the girl's parents to take her away from the dog as its history was uncertain and the dog's reactions couldn't be predicted. The parents replied that the handler was not to worry because the child had a dog of her own and was great with dogs. Now, if the parents didn't realize that they had just put their child in harm's way by allowing her to greet a dog like that, there was no hope for the child. What they should have taught her was NEVER to approach a dog that she didn't know without asking the handler first and to never kiss a dog on the nose. If the child had been bitten, the dog and its handler would have been blamed, when the real blame should have been with the parents. Fortunately, in this instance, the dog was very friendly and no one got bitten, but you get my point.
Dogs make wonderful companions and need to be treated with care and respect. Most dogs are very friendly and will not bite; however, there are some dogs that show aggression for reasons such as fear, anger, frustration or protection. It is vital that you recognize the signs that a dog is about to bite. Some dogs will growl, tense up, or bark aggressively at you while other dogs will give no visible warning, and this is why it is so important that you follow this guide to keep yourself safer.
1. Never touch a dog that is unknown to you. 2. Even if you know the dog, always ask permission to pet it from the owner first.
3. Even when you have permission, don't invade the dog's body space. Allow the dog to come up to you and sniff the top of your closed fist (palm down). If the dog doesn't want to come and greet you, respect that and leave it alone. Don't approach a dog from behind. Don't pet a dog directly on the top of its head. This could be threatening for the dog because the top of its head can be very sensitive, so it is best to pet on the back or chest.
4. Never stare at a dog and never put your face close to a dog's face. Remember to look at the dog briefly and then look away, look at the dog, and look away. These are calming signals and you are telling the dog that you are no threat.
5. Do not tease a dog.
6. Do not touch a dog that has been tied up or left at the end of a chain in a yard, outside a store or behind a fence.
7. Tell an adult immediately if you see a dog that is loose in your neighborhood. Do not touch it.
8. Do not touch a dog while it is eating. You wouldn't want a dog to come and take what you are eating, so respect that its food is its food and you should not go near it.
9. Do not touch a dog while it is sleeping. You might startle it and it could react without thinking and snap at you.
10. Do not take a bone or toy away from a dog if it is playing with it.
11. Do not push a dog off the sofa or chair if you want to sit there. Always get an adult to remove the dog for you.
12. Don't scream and run away from a dog. If a strange dog comes up to you and you are scared, fold your arms, stand still, look away, and completely ignore it until it loses interest in you and goes away. The more boring you can be the less the dog will want to interact with you. If you can, walk slowly away with folded arms.
13. If the dog tries to bite you, put a bag or coat between you and the dog and back away to a safe place.
14. In the unlikely event a dog starts to bite, get onto the floor, roll up into a ball with your arms around your head, and stay as still as you can until help arrives.
15. Remember that a dog is an animal and not a cuddly toy. Some dogs don't like being hugged. Be gentle with any dog and do not engage in rough play.
Seems like a lot of dos and don'ts but it is very important. If you print out the safety guide and put it up where you can see it, the tips will be easier to remember.
For more information about Victoria's seminars for kids and dog safety, visit Victoria's official site: www.victoriastilwell.com.
