Tag Archives: dog-training

Behaviour, Dogs, Training tips

Taming the Party Dog

Excitable dog behaviour such as jumping on people and mouthiness are very common behaviours, especially amongst young dogs. While a Chihuahua pup might not cause much damage when it jumps at your visitor, the hurtling missile of fun in the shape of the adolescent Labrador can cause injury. Jumping up, attention barking and even mouthiness are often linked to the pet’s level of excitability.

Times of high arousal lead to excitement and frustration in the pet – so daily greetings, playing, requesting food or meeting someone while out on a walk are all triggers for an explosion of inappropriate behaviours such as jumping up and mouthiness. These behaviours can be given a safer and more appropriate outlet.

JUMPING UP

If your dog jumps up to greet you, how about teaching a totally different behaviour, such as to retrieve a toy, sit calmly and give it to you. That then gives the excitability an outlet and means that the dog has something in its mouth other than your hand.

MOUTHINESS

A pup’s choice of tool for investigating and interacting with the world is its mouth. They’ll use it to explore everything including grabbing your fingers, hands, arms, clothes etc. If you squeal when they nip you this can be misinterpreted as a game, with you as the squeaky toy. To prevent this, make hand movements around dogs slow. Also, resist the urge to roughhouse play with your dog using your hands — and ALL members of the household need to adhere to this rule.

Provide appropriate chew items for your dog such as raw hides, raw carrots and chew toys.

BARKING FOR ATTENTION

For dogs that bark for attention, immediately withdraw your attention by turning your back on the dog. Saying ‘No’ to the dog in this instance actually rewards the barking as the dog can just as easily interpret the ‘No’ as ‘Hello’. Dogs are masters of body language, so removing your facial contact with the dog is far more effective at diminishing this behaviour. However, remember that you still need to reward the desirable behaviour. When your dog is quiet, reward that with calm, low key praise.

SUPPORT

Some dogs seem to understand what is expected more easily than others. At Hall Veterinary Surgery we can help you with these problems through personalised training strategies and behaviour consultations. Our website has a range of help sheets for you to download, or you can have a chat to a trainer or our veterinary behaviourist by calling us on 6230 2223.

 

Behaviour, Caring for your Dog, Dogs, Training tips

Teaching your pup to heel

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Walking well on a lead is the most valuable skill your pup will ever learn. Enjoyable outings depend on your dog following you and not dragging you around.

If your dog pulls ahead stand still until the lead goes loose before walking on. Treat him when he stays by your side. Persist, because if you give in and let him pull ahead he will take you where he wants to go, which rewards him with what he wants and ensures that he will do the same next time too.

Call his name to get his attention and make it fun to follow you. Change direction and encourage him to follow with a treat. Every time he stays next to you say “yes” or “good” and give a treat. This makes it clear that you want him to walk next to you.

Next encourage him to sit next to you every time you stand still. Stop walking, say “sit” and give a treat when he sits. Eventually he will sit when you stop even without a reward. This is vital near roads and bicycle paths.

 

Behaviour, Caring for your Dog, Dogs, Training tips

Teaching your dog to stay

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The key to succeeding with the “stay” command is to make small steps of success and not giant leaps of failure! Break the exercise into three components – distance, duration and distraction. Add one at a time and build on successes.

Start teaching “stay” on lead. Train in a quiet location with no distractions.  Do not move anywhere at first. Ask your dog to stay, place your flat hand in front of him and stand up straight beside him. Count to five. If he hasn’t moved in this time say “yes” or “good boy” and give him a treat. Practise this three or four times before extending the stay to 10 seconds. (Duration 10 seconds, Distance 0, Distraction 0)

Add the challenge of distance: tell him to “stay” and use the same hand command. Take a small step out to the side for one second and then move back in. If he doesn’t move say “yes” or “good” and give a small treat and praise. Practise this three or four times before moving further out. (1sec Duration, 1 step Distance, 0 Distraction)

With your dog on lead gradually move further and further out until you are confident you can drop the lead. Do this in a safe environment in case your dog decides to take advantage of his freedom.

Only progress one of the Ds at a time, so that your dog always wins the game you are playing. Either increase the time he waits or increase the distance between you, but not both at the same time. This seems slow to us but your pup learns more rapidly and permanently through repeated successes and having fun.  Keep your training sessions short and end on a high note so neither of you get frustrated.


Caring for your Dog, Dogs, Training tips

Reward-based training

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Dogs play an important part in many of our lives. With proper training from an early age, they can learn to interact with people in a positive way.

With this in mind the Australian Veterinary Association has developed a set of practical recommendations for vets and dog trainers on training methods based on positive reinforcement.

Reward-based training: a guide for dog trainers outlines the benefits of reward-based training and identifies some of the problems associated with alternative training methods. It also includes a number of case studies, examples of training and comprehensive list of references for further reading on the subject.

Dogs, Training tips

Effect of Training Method on Dog Learning

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From Applied Animal Behaviour Science via the RSPCA’s Science Updates Issue 33.

Dogs are trained by their owners using a variety of techniques.
Although the use of reward-oriented training protocols has increased in popularity in recent years, many owners still report using different kinds of punishment, especially for specific, unwanted behaviours, such as stealing an object.

However, there have been few empirical studies on how an owner’s training style affects a dog’s temperament and later ability to learn new tasks.

The authors of this paper surveyed around 50 dog owners in the UK, to ask them about the methods used when training common tasks such as toilet training, sitting on command and walking to heel. The owners were then interviewed in their own homes, and their interactions with their dog were video recorded, especially while training the dog to perform a novel task (touching an object with its nose). The researchers found that dogs owned by subjects who reported using a higher proportion of punishment were less likely to interact with a stranger, and those dogs whose owners favoured physical punishment tended to be less playful.

Dogs whose owners reported using more rewards tended to perform better in the novel training task. Ability at this novel  task was also higher in dogs belonging to owners who were seen to be more playful and who employed a patient approach to training. The authors conclude that, for dog owners, the use of reward-based training appears to be the most beneficial for the dog’s welfare, since it is linked to enhanced learning and a balanced and healthy dog-owner relationship.

Rooney, N.J. & Cowan, S. (2011) Training methods and owner–dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 132: 169-177.

Caring for your Dog, Dogs, general, Today's News, Training tips

Aggressive Dogs

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Meghan Herron, veterinarian author of a recent study on dogs aggressive to other dogs says “the number-one reason why dog owners take their dog to a veterinary behaviorist is to manage aggressive behavior. Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them, or intimidating them with physical manipulation, do little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses.”

The use of such confrontational training techniques can provoke fear in the dog and lead to defensively aggressive behavior toward the person administering the aversive action.

Far better to use non-aversive training methods including:

  • Training the dog to sit for everything it wants (only 2% of owners reported aggression afterward)
  • Rewarding the dog for eye contact (2%)
  • Food exchange for an item in its mouth instead of forcing the item out (6%)
  • Rewarding the dog for “watch me” (0%)

With consistent and regular sessions using these positive methods, aggressive dogs slowly gain confidence in their owners and become easier to take out on walks.

“Canine aggression and other behavior problems are not a result of dominant behavior or the lack of the owner’s ‘alpha’ status,” Heron says, “but rather a result of fear (self-defense) or underlying anxiety problems. Aversive techniques can elicit an aggressive response in dogs because they can increase the fear and arousal in the dog, especially in those that are already defensive.”

These fear inducing, aversive techniques should be avoided:

  • Hitting or kicking the dog (41% of owners reported aggression in response)
  • Growling at the dog (41%)
  • Forcing the dog to release an item from its mouth (38%)
  • “Alpha roll” (forcing the dog onto its back and holding it down) (31%)
  • “Dominance down” (forcing the dog onto its side) (29%)
  • Grabbing the jowls or scruff (26%)
  • Staring the dog down (staring at the dog until it looks away) (30%)
  • Spraying the dog with a water pistol or spray bottle (20%)
  • Yelling “no” (15%)
  • Forced exposure (to something that frightens the dog, such as tile floors, noise or people) (12%)
Caring for your Dog, Dogs, general

Dogs are good for you!

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The doctors and scientists have confirmed what pet owners have known for centuries – dogs are good for you!

Pet ownership increases physical activity and reduces obesity, but also reduces stress and builds community.

Owning and walking a dog significantly increases the amount of walking a person does. Young girls who own a dog spend 29 minutes more per day in physical activity than their friends without a dog.

Scientists proved some years ago that obese people who diet and exercise with their obese dogs are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off than people who diet and exercise alone.

Recent studies of school age children have shown that just incidental play and interaction with the dog were enough to prevent obesity.

Children of dog-owning families were in better physical condition even if they did not personally walk the dog.

Dogs owners report that their dogs are a strong source of motivation, companionship and social support – that is great mates!

Dogs have social benefits and build community networks because owners interact with other people on walks and at dog related activities like obedience classes.