PawPrintPets

Making You & Your Dog Happier


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Autumn Joy with our Dogs

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Pawprint puppy class with Karen WildI don’t know many people that say they hate Autumn.
We all complain about the gloom and the damp, the cold weather and the grey skies, but there’s the brightest colours to make it all feel good.

Yesterday whilst with a client, the leaves from her Lime tree suddenly rained down like confetti, fluttering around us as her puppy played and chased them around.
Autumn, for our dogs, brings all the smells and damp earth that they love. The smells of wild animals sneaking around at night, the hunting amongst piles of fallen foliage, are a dream landscape for a dog.
Of course, there is something really heartwarming for us about kicking through crunchy leaves and seeking out conkers.

Now is the time of year to take your dog for longer, rambling walks. Let your dog sniff to his heart’s content as he potters around following the squirrels’ paths as they tease him from high above.
Let the dogs learn how to play with one another, especially those of you with puppies. Set up a nice Autumn walk, wrap up warm, even think of getting a little coat to keep puppy warm whilst their coat develops. Find nice adult dogs that are generous with a youngster. Let them get to know one another and have a little game. There are fewer things more enjoyable than watching your dog caper about with another one!

Along with leaves and damp comes plenty of mud! Leave some towels laid out flat by the door, so that you and your dog can come in without fear of transferring the wet any further. It keeps the doormats a little cleaner, and towels soak up most of the moisture from their paws. There’s nothing to stop you bundling them around your dog too, for a drying off cuddle, as long as you both enjoy this of course!

If your dog really is soaking, and you know this is likely, set up a drying crate. Our Collie used to jump into every dyke possible, some very silty! I would then try to send him to swim in a clearer one, before we came home. At home I had set up his crate by the door with a tasty chew placed inside and a few treats thrown in as we arrived. Inside the crate were dry towels with a few more over the top to catch the inevitable shaken off water.

Result? One dry, clean-ish dog by the time he had finished his chew. It also gave me lots of time to change my shoes and clothes into something a bit more indoor-friendly.

Next, another favourite Autumn pastime. Cuddling on the sofa with my dogs snoozing on a blanket, watching repeats of ‘Bake Off’ and seeing the squally weather remaining firmly outside the window.

See above for a lead to keep your dogs close and let them explore when you want. Click the image for more info.

A dog training walk workout!

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dog on lead karen wildYou walk your dog every day (and if you don’t, start now). Why not use the time to do some on the spot training that will build your skills and help your dog learn?
You might as well use the time, rather than meandering along wondering what you will have for tea tomorrow. Here’s a few quick dog training workouts for you to add into your walk.

Before you start: Take some food treats with you. The best things to use are small (the size of your little fingernail, no bigger!) pieces of meat such as ham or sausage, mixed in with a portion of your dog’s normal biscuit. Either get a treat pouch, or line your pocket with a plastic bag. These are your dog’s wages, so don’t be a mean boss.
Next start on your walk. Don’t allow your dog to drag you down the path. Stop, call your dog to you, give him a treat, then say it’s ok to move. If he lunges forward, repeat. Keep repeating until he stops and waits for you. Congratulations, you have made a great start already. If your dog is just too excited to do the first exercise, don’t panic. Try it each day. It will come!

As you walk down the road, try to say ‘Good dog’ and give your dog a treat every time he is by your side and not pulling. Easy and quick.
You will find he walks at your side waiting for his next bit of wages, if you do this every day.

Steadiness challenge! Count 5 paces, and ask your dog to sit. Pay him with a little bit of food, then tell him ‘heel’ as you walk again. Count 10 paces, then sit him again. Another little food piece. Then count 5 paces again… as before, sit, and reward. Vary the number of paces you take but always ask your dog to sit when you’ve counted the number. You might want to do a few more, or even just 2 paces, to keep your dog guessing.
If you get it right, your dog is soon going to be watching your every move, waiting for the sit command. This is what we call control, and is the kind of behaviour that makes others admire your cool, calm and collected handling!

Now it is time to do a bit of recall practice. Either on or off the lead, whichever you prefer, step back a little way and happily call your dog to you. Give him his wages (a food piece). Walk a bit further, and repeat, calling him, step back, he comes to you, reward. Do this at least twenty times on every walk.

If you have problems and your dog ignores you, put him back on the lead so that as you step back, he is drawn gently towards you.

Keep repeating these little circuit training workouts as you walk, until you are home.
Congratulations! Your workout is complete!

Linked above are some treats to encourage your dog on your walks. Click the image for more info.

How long does it take to train a dog?

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Pawprint puppy class with Karen WildHow long does it take to train a dog?

This is a question I would love to have a set answer to. I was asked recently if I could ‘cure’ a dog of the problems he has picked up over 8 years of his life. He needed a lot of help, but we cannot wipe his memory clean of all those moments he was allowed to do things the human family didn’t like.

If only we could spare a few minutes each day. Two sessions, five minutes each, or three sessions of just a couple of minutes each, every day, can be spent training your dog. Asking your dog to sit for a couple of seconds, paying him with a piece of food, then repeating it again a few times, is plenty of training in a single session and will take only a short time.

If you repeat this, ten minutes in total per day, you have completed over an hour of training in only a week (70 minutes to be exact). Multiply this over a year and we have over sixty hours spent teaching your dog all the good manners you want.

You might say you do not have time. However, how many times do you say ‘no’ to your dog? Do you push him off the sofa or have a miserable walk with him dragging you about? I am sure you spend a lot longer on this.

The answer is easy. Have a plan of working with your canine best friend a little each day. If you need guidance, my book ’21 Days to the Perfect Dog’ will help you as if follows a daily plan.

Whether you have a new pup or an older pooch, start by counting out ten small but tasty treats, and ask for a sit for each one. Those are your dog’s wages. Tomorrow, ask him to sit for a little longer. Once he has this established and is confident, choose to ask him to lie down for the same ten treats each day. Then, do the same thing in the garden. Start in the back garden if this is quieter, then the front. Next, practice it on your walk.

After this, give him a treat for walking at heel. The same ten repetitions will help. Before long you have a nice attentive dog who is earning wages. Not a miserable, fed up dog who cannot understand what you want and hears the word ‘no’ (which basically means, nothing much or that you are cross and fed up).

From now on, the word ‘no’ means ‘I am an impatient, not very good trainer’. Maybe we can work for ten minutes a day on improving your skill, too!

Have fun!

Here are some treats to help you on your journey! Click the image for more info.

Love me, love my dog – positive ways to train your pet

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hugo rosettes ready steady dog

Hugo has learned using positive reinforcement throughout his life and look at all his achievements!

Love is important, for other humans and for our pets. Did you know that petting your best friend (in this case a dog, but I suppose the choice is yours as long as you’ve asked first) increases the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin? Even more incredible is that it releases that same hormone in your dog.

It is fair to say that your dog ‘loves’ you, but why? Does he read your mind? Can he completely understand the blurb that we humans utter all day? Unlikely, but if he did I’m sure he’d listen to Positivity radio. I’ve yet to meet a dog that was unhappy when allowed to do the things that come naturally to them. They are very positive creatures. Even Simon Cowell says his dogs cheer him up. That’s some skill, right there.

The truth is, dogs have co-evolved alongside us humans for many thousands of years. They might not always listen, but they do watch us. All the time.

Dogs like ‘practical’ love – the things you do, not say. Rather like your beloved partner buying you a gift, flowers, taking your hand when you walk together. Making you laugh or fetching a cup of tea. Practical care, the kind that you can see, is what your dog notices most. (By the way, if you do all those things for your dog, can I apply to be your next one?)

So, if dogs can’t read our thoughts but they learn by seeing what we do, how can that help us haphazard owners?

This is what positive training is all about. It’s a means to physically show your dog that he or she made a choice you like. It’s as simple as ‘sit – gets a treat’. Or as complicated as teaching the dog to search for a lost person. Dogs learn by being shown what to do, followed fairly swiftly by being paid well in something they value. They don’t value expensive watches or fast cars. They like eating cat poop, or rolling on dead fish, or hunting for rabbits. We might need to provide alternatives to these (!), but basic dog happiness is formed by food, strong scent, exercise, safety, play with toys, and social contact.

Next time your dog does something you want them to repeat, show them the love. Mostly, a food treat is cheap and easy to give (cupboard love, my mum used to call it – but don’t over feed your dog).

Play gently with the dog and the dog will play gently with you. Act rough, and guess what – you’ll be training up an expert wrecking ball on legs.

Let him pull you on lead, and before you know it you’ll have draft horse or sled dog equivalent. Ouch. Instead, a bit of simple training and a well-designed harness saves the day and buys beautiful walks.

If, as most owners do, you have plans for your dog to sit nicely at the door, not pull on their lead, not bark… The answer is in the practical love. Decide what you want to physically see your dog doing, and reward it. Make that plan. Training is something you do daily when you want to reach your goal. And most of all it has to be fun, for everyone.

It’s as simple as A-B-C

A – Anticipate the situation

B – Behave! – what do you want to see your dog do?

C – Consequence – make it a nice outcome for your dog and he will repeat B over and over when A happens.

Example:

A – Visitor coming to door

B – I want dog to sit so he can’t jump up

C – When he sits, he gets a food treat and he gets petted by the visitor

Result? In future, with practice, he will sit for visitors. He might need guidance and to be put on his lead whilst he is learning but that’s ok. Many folks learn to drive in a dual-controlled car.

Which gives me an idea for my next dog training project. Dog Formula One, anyone?

 

 

 

Karen Wild, CCAB is author of 3 books on dog behaviour and training published by Hamlyn. She is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Dog Trainer based in Peterborough, UK www.karenwild.co.uk

My book 21 Days to the Perfect Dog will provide more info on further developing your dog’s training and behaviour in these situations. Click the image for more info.

Play mates and play dates for your dog

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KWPawprint-image1 lili chinHow do you recognise your dog’s doggy friends? Can you tell which dogs are likely to be fun playmates, from the ones you meet? I still hear many complaints about the ‘bouncy’ dog that lands like a grenade amongst other dogs and squashes, pounds and pummels the unsuspecting peers into the grass.

‘He’s only being friendly!’ the owner says, oblivious to the upset and annoyance they have allowed their dogs to create.

If another owner dares to complain or points out that their dog might not be so receptive to this canine wrecking ball on legs, it is met with denial, even aggression, from the other owner. If the other dog themselves decides to respond by attempting to move the wrestler dog away, that can also be met with owner hostility.

If I had a fiver for every owner that has told me about situations like this, where their own dog has been left terrified or has snapped at a boisterous visitor, I would be inviting you all onto my yacht for parties!

Let’s focus on what makes a suitable playmate for your dog, and what makes your dog into a good sociable pal.

Firstly, take a look at your own pooch. Is he or she a confident, relaxed dog, or can they be a little sensitive to things? Are they physically quite small, but tough? Or are they reluctant to ‘get physical’ and prefer to stay near you. If they are physically fit, young, wiry and bouncy, you can probably mix them with all different sizes of dog, as long as they do not turn into a bossy protagonist. If they are more delicate, frail, elderly or very young, a big bouncy dog will probably flatten them and create a fear that will last a lifetime. Instead, a dog of similar size, or a larger one that is relaxed and gentle, would be their best bet.

Of course, many small dogs do not regard the size of the other dog as an issue. All too often they realise too late that whilst it is not the ‘size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog’, a bigger dog has more power and physical size to suppress even the most enthusiastic little dog.

Planning a play date is an important part of your dog’s week, especially if you normally live in a remote area. A walk where there are other dogs may end up being a bit hit and miss (or hit and run with some dogs!) so make sure you choose your dog’s regular playmates wisely.

Meeting up for a walk and a play can help both dogs to interact with a ‘give and take’ game. This is where one dog takes the lead, but then rests whilst the other directs the play. Anything too one sided and the balance will tip, probably into a squabble. Give them a rest and see if you can reintroduce them when they are both calmer.

Karen’s new book ‘Being a dog’ is available on PRE-ORDER here!

Being a Dog: The world from your dog’s point of view