More Prong collar problems

Ok as you all know I have already written a blog about prong collars and why I don’t like them.  It seems this holiday season has brought more and more distraught clients to me who have aggressive issues with thier dogs.  With the rush came a large amount of people who are using prong collars.  In all of these cases the clients have noted that their dogs are biting harder and getting more aggressive.  I urge you to stop using prong collars on aggressive dogs. 

Again the prong collar is used to mimic a dog bite and the harder you correct with it the harder the bite.  Dogs who receive this “bite” find it perfectly normal to apply the same amount of pressure in their bite!  If you have to keep correcting and using more force while using a prong collar you are using it incorrectly and risk making your dog more aggressive.  Please give this some thought and try an alternate route or hire a professional to help you use it properly.  It is harder to reteach bite inhibition to a dog then to teach it to walk politely on a leash!

Tara, Brandie & the “pack”

Thank you to those who are not giving up on their pets!

After a long week of holiday training, I want to extend a thank you to those who have decided to work with their dogs instead of surrendering them to a shelter. I know, to many people, there are times when it seems like there is no other alternative but to find a new home for their “misunderstood” dog (whether it be aggression or destruction). I want to thank all of my clients and people who have contacted me this holiday season, for deciding to work with them instead. All of your dogs are wonderful creatures who undoubtly love you and are eager to show you how much they can do right! As you all know my only goal in what I do is to help everyone keep their dogs, and this year has shown me that there are wonderful pet owners who are willing to put in the work it takes to make it work. For your dogs I thank you, and I am proud of everyone of you for the loyalty and persistance you all have put in to helping your canine family members.
Hugs to all and thank you again!
Tara Brandie and the “pack

Are you correcting the wrong dog?

  It seems like today everyone owns more than one dog.  Whether they acquired both at the same time, added a “companion” for the first dog, or felt bad for a rescue; a vast majority of these people never complete training for their first dog or research the breed characteristics before adding on to their pack.  There are thousands of dogs killed in shelters across the United States because of this.  The second dog tends to be “out of control” or just “not as smart” as the first dog.  I have many clients who hire me to “fix” the wrong dog. 

  I think my favorite saying is, “Duke was so easy to train, I thought he would teach the new dog everything”, (a bad move on anyone’s part is to allow the dogs to be in charge).  Most times after a few questions, I find out that “Duke” wasn’t as well trained as they believe.  I usually find out that “Duke” walks the owner, eats when he wants to, rushes out the door first, jumps up or paws at his family & guests, sleeps with them, and lays on them when watching TV.  In other words, “Duke” is the leader of the house.  The family just lives there and caters to his demands.  The second dog that comes in may be showing aggression towards him, marking, trying to push their way in for attention, or even displaying the same behaviors but with 2 dogs; it seems to be too much. 

  I think the most common problem is mistaking your dog’s proper corrections for aggressive behavior.  Case in point, I have a very nice client who owns 2 dogs.  She hired me to correct the aggression one of them was showing towards the other. In the initial consult, I asked a series of questions about their normal everyday behavior.  The “good” dog we will call Teddy, the “bad” dog I will call Lady.  I was told that both dogs sleep in bed with the owner, but Teddy slept on the pillows with her and Lady slept at the end of the bed.  Teddy was just more affectionate that way I was told.  Teddy also sits on the owners lap while Lady sits on the floor. Sometimes Lady will get on the couch but Teddy will either get up on the back of the couch or get in the owner’s lap. The owner leaves the food down all day (what we call “free feeding”) and they will dive in as soon as it hits the floor.  Teddy always finishes first. He then stands by “politely” waiting for Lady to finish, as I am told.  Lady generally walks away and will come back and pick all day. 

  The major complaint from the owner is that Lady will growl at Teddy when he is trying to play or getting near her rawhide or bones.  The owner sees this as Lady being mean and corrects this by taking away Lady’s possessions.  She does admit that if he can, Teddy will “claim” all items (toys & bones). 

  While asking these questions, I noticed that Teddy was sitting on the owner’s lap and giving Lady a very hard stare.  Every time Lady would move about, Teddy would jump off the owner’s lap and run at her.  The owner told me he was very “playful” and really wanted her to play with him.  There was no play bow involved, it was a “linebacker” charge at her.  When Lady came up to me for attention, Teddy jumped off the owner’s lap again and pushed his way in for the affection.  When ignored, he then proceeded to try again to “play” with Lady by barking and biting at her legs and face.  Lady then turned and growled at him to no avail.  After 2 more polite warnings, Lady then turned and snapped at him to which the owner then said, “That’s what I mean! He wants to play and she is nasty to him.” then proceeded to pick up Teddy and love on him.

  This is a classic situation in most households.  People tend to believe that the Teddy types are just being sweet.  Now lets break down this case.

  Teddy is sleeping at the head of the bed while Lady was pushed down to the foot of the bed; he has the better sleeping spot making him the leader.

  Teddy would lie in the owner’s lap while Lady was on the floor.  The owner assumes it is because she is just not as affectionate.  I explained to her that dogs “claim” their owners by laying on them and judging by the hard stare he was making this perfectly clear: “This is mine, do not come any closer!”  He was also clearly keeping her where he wanted her.  The owner’s view of “playing” was a direct charge at her.

  Teddy would eat all his food then “politely” wait for her to finish.  What he was really doing was giving a hard stare to intimidate Lady away from her bowl.  The owner thinks Lady is just a picky eater but she is eating when he allows her to or when he is not around.  Too many people let their dogs get in the other dog’s food, “bowl surfing” I call it.

  Lady has developed resource guarding towards him because he is challenging her for her possessions then losing them for correcting behavior the owner should be correcting.  Again, Lady is turning around and away from him trying to body-block him, while he is circling her and barking at her.  She will then growl to get her point across.  When this doesn’t work, she will snap at him then the owner yells at her and takes it away.  She clearly gave him enough warning and the owner missed the fact that Teddy is being pushy.  As a result, Lady’s guarding becomes more pronounced.

  The final example is when Teddy pushed his way in for attention.  Again, when I ignored him; he redirected to her by biting her legs and face.  Another “play” session or so I was told.  Clearly, he was trying to get her away so he could get the attention.  She again, gave him plenty of warnings before correcting his behavior then she was scolded for not “playing”.

  In the dog world, it is considered rude to get in another dog’s face.  We see this many times when an uneducated puppy meets an older dog by jumping at his face continuously.  The older dog will correct it quickly by being vocal and snapping.  Most dogs are considered dog aggressive because they will bite another dog that gets in their face. They are reprimanded for attacking another dog that is clearly being rude.  This behavior is unacceptable in dog language and causes their defense drive to kick in.  If an owner cannot protect them, they will protect themselves.  I go over this more in my dog/dog aggressive article. 

  If you have more than one dog, I recommend paying close attention to the whole scenario before you decide one dog is completely wrong.  All dogs in your household should clearly know you are the leader and they are all equal in rank. 

  Tara, Brandie & the “pack”

 

How to stop or break up a dog fight safely!

  I can’t begin to tell you how many people suffer severe dog bites from trying to break up a dog fight.  In 20 years I have seen some horrific injuries, & most of these fights could have been prevented. 

  There are a few things I would like to point out first so you can avoid a fight instead of breaking one up.  First I would recommend keeping your dog on a short leash when walking them.  Too many people use “extenda” leashes and can not bring their dog in quick enough to avoid a scuffle.  If you are walking your dog and a loose dog comes running towards you, you need to put your dog behind you and yell at the intruder.  Do not pick up your small dog, this makes them more of a prey item! Yelling at the intruder helps your dog see that you are a strong leader and you will protect them.  Most dogs become dog-dog aggressive because they do not believe their owners can protect them, therefore they must scare the dog away or defend you.  I have seen too many owners yell at their dog for reacting aggressively towards a charging dog, you must remember if you can not protect them they will go into defense drive. 

  If you happen to come upon a leashed dog who the owner says is “nice”, you need to look for the following:

1.  Body stiffness, if the dog looks like a statue and the tail is held stiffly up, do not let your dog say hello!

2.  If the dog tries to mount your dog or put their head on your dog’s shoulders, end the greet!

3.  If the dog is getting right in your dogs face, walk away!!

4.  If your dog seems uncomfortable and tries to get away listen to him!

Remember you do not have to let your dog meet every dog it sees! It is best to teach your dog they can not say hello unless you say it is ok! It teaches them self-control and boundaries.  Please note that “playing” in a dogs mind is a way to establish rank!  So be wary of letting your dog get rowdy with another dog.  These little things can help you protect your dog from a potential fight. 

Now if you do have to break up a fight DO NOT GRAB THE COLLARS!!!  You will get bit!  If you have water or something to make a really loud sound with use it! If this does not work and you are alone you need to loop a leash, lasso like and slip it over one of the dogs hind end.  It would be best to try and get the aggressor first.  Drag the dog to a fence or door and secure the leash.  Then do the same with the other dog, if you do not have 2 leashes, grab the other dogs hind legs and pull them up, wheelbarrow style.  Walk backwards in a circle like motion, by doing this the dog will be off balance and will not be able to turn and bite you.   Do not release the dogs in the same area, they will go back at it.   If there are 2 people, you both need to leash 1 dog around the rear or pick up the hind legs wheelbarrow style to separate them.  Again if you release them in the same area they will go right back into fight mode.   When all is clear take a deep breathe, calm yourself down and find the closest bar!

  Tara, Brandie & the “pack”