Wet Nose Academy Blog

A Blog About Dog Training & Behavior

THE ABC OF CPR

Feb 5

Posted by Susie in Dog Wellness

How to treat an animal who is not breathing or has no heartbeat and is not conscious?

A = AIRWAYS

Is the animal’s throat and mouth clear of foreign objects? If yes go to Breathing.
If No:
1) Lay the animal down on one side.
2) Gently tilt the head slightly back to extend the neck and head.
3) Pull the tongue between the front teeth.
4) Use your finger to check for and remove any foreign material or vomit from the mouth.

B = BREATHING

Breathing rates: Small dog or cat (under 30 pounds): 20 – 30 breaths per minute.
Medium or large dogs (over 30 pounds): 20 breaths per minute.
Is the animal breathing? If yes go to circulation.
If No:
1) Open the airway. See A = Airways.
2) Medium to large dogs: Seal the mouth and lips by placing your hand around the lips, gently holding the muzzle closed.
Cats and small dogs (under 30 lbs.): Your mouth will seal the mouth and lips.
3) Place your mouth over the animal’s nose and forcefully exhale.
4) Give 4 or 5 breaths rapidly then check for breathing. If not breathing, breathing is shallow, or irregular continue artificial respiration until you get to vet or for maximum of 20 min.

C = CIRCULATION

Small dog or cat (< 30 lbs):
1) Lay animal on its right side.
2) Kneel next to your pet with the animal’s chest facing you.
3) Place the palm of one of your hands over the ribs at the point where the animal’s elbow touches the chest. Place your other hand underneath the right side of the animal.
4) Compress the chest ½ - 1 inch.
5) Chest compressions are altered with breath. – If working alone, 5 compressions for each breath, then check for a pulse. If two people, one person does breathing other compressions at rate of 3 compressions for each breath.
Medium to large dogs (30 to 90 lbs):
1) Stand or kneel with the animal’s back towards you.
2) Extend your arms at the elbows. Cup your hands over each other.
3) Compress chest at the point where left elbow lies when pulled back to the chest.
4) Compress chest 1 – 3 inches with each compression.
5) Chest compressions are altered with breath. – If working alone, 5 compressions for each breath, then check for a pulse. If two people, one person does breathing other compressions at rate of 2 or 3 compressions for each breath.

Giant dogs (> 90 lbs):
1) Stand or kneel with the animal’s back towards you.
2) Extend your arms at the elbows. Cup your hands over each other.
3) Compress chest at the point where left elbow lies when pulled back to the chest.
4) Compress chest 1 – 3 inches with each compression.
5) Chest compressions are altered with breath. – If working alone, 10 compressions for each breath, then check for a pulse. If two people, one person does breathing other compressions at rate of 6 compressions for each breath.

Your trainer and CPR expert

Susie

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Cold Weather Tips for Pet Owners

Feb 5

Posted by Susie in Dog Wellness

Hi Dog lovers,

Don’t let the cold winter weather stop you and your dog from enjoying the outdoors.

Outerwear

Short-coated breeds such as Greyhounds, Boston Terriers, Chihuahuas, Min Pins, Boxers and Dobermans are vulnerable to cold. Outerwear in the form of a sweater or a coat is recommended for protection. Choose one with a high collar that covers the dog from the base of the tail to the belly.

Coat Care

Winter grooming is very important. Regular brushing help keep the fur clean and improves skin, coat and circulation. Clean and healthy fur lofts air that helps your pet stay warm. Don’t shave your dog’s fur during the cold winter months. That fur helps protect against the cold. Consider a neat trim instead. Completely dry your dog after a bath to avoid illness. Pets often suffer from flaky itching skin during the winter months. This is due to the dry heated indoor air. Coat conditioners and sprays can help prevent this problem. When coming in from a walk, completely wipe down your dog’s fur to remove snow, ice, and moisture.

Paw Care

Dogs’ paws can be very sensitive to snow and ice. Consider boots during the winter months, especially for dogs with hairy paws or using wax like the “Musher’s Secret” to protect the pads and skin in between them, snow will not build up and freeze and if they do they will not stick to the hair and easily be removed. Snow stuck between the toes and pads form ice balls can be very painful. Trim the hair around your dog’s paws and between the paw pads. To protect your dog’s paws apply a small amount of petroleum jelly, cooking oil or spray before going out for a walk. Clean your dog’s legs and paws after a walk. Use a spray bottle with warm water and gently spray the paws then wipe with a clean towel or paper towel. Salt and other chemicals can irritate the paw pads. Also, most dogs lick their paws and you wouldn’t want them ingesting any toxins.

Diet

Good nutrition is very important during the winter months. Dogs that spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities or live outdoors require an increase in caloric intake to generate more energy and ward off the cold. On the other hand, pets that don’t get much exercise in the winter and spend most of their time being couch potatoes should have their caloric intake decreased so that they don’t become over weight.

Antifreeze

Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which has a sweet smell and taste making it appealing to pets. Keep antifreeze safely stored and immediately clean-up any spills. Consider using animal friendly de-icing and ice melting products, such as those that contain propylene glycol. If you suspect that your pet has ingested antifreeze, immediately seek veterinary attention.

Age

Puppies and senior dogs don’t tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs. Take them outside only to have them relieve themselves and shovel out a potty area. Puppies may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If this is a problem consider using Wee Wee pads. Arthritic dogs will feel more discomfort in cold weather. Make sure you provide your indoor pets with a warm cozy bed away from drafts.

Car Safety

When taking your pets along for a ride or errands, never leave them alone in the car. The temperature inside a car can quickly become refrigerator cold or even freezing cold. Keep a winter kit in your car that includes blankets, towels, water, bowl, flashlight and first aid kit.

Outdoor Safety

Don’t leave your dog off-leash to run around in snow and icy conditions. Dogs can lose their footing and slip resulting in breaks, fractures and dislocations. More dogs are lost during the winter than any other season. This is because dogs can lose their scent in snowy conditions. Always make sure your dog and cat is wearing ID tags. Icy ponds are another hazard. Don’t walk on frozen ponds or allow your dog to play near or on frozen bodies of water. Dogs love to eat snow and catch snow balls. Be aware that eating snow, even if clean, can cause gastrointestinal upset that can lead to diarrhea, stomachaches and colds.

Frostbite

A pet’s ears, tail, and paws are susceptible to frostbite. Exam your dog for frostbite when outdoors and after coming in from being outdoors for an extended period. Frostbite is characterized by pale white, gray, or blue skin which may be difficult to see under the pet’s fur. If your pet has frostbite, try to thaw the affected area using a towel that has been soaked in lukewarm water. Hold the dripping wet towel on the affected area for 20 minutes, don’t rub. Contact your veterinarian.

Outdoor Pets

Outdoor pets need to be provided with adequate shelter. The dog house or pet shelter should be large enough for the pet to stand up in and turn themselves around, yet small enough to retain body heat. The shelter should be equipped with warm dry bedding such as straw, shavings, or other dry insulating material. Change bedding frequently to keep it clean, dry and warm. Blankets and pillows are not appropriate bedding as they can trap moisture from the snow, rain, ice and mud that the pet drags in. Position the opening or door flap of the pet shelter away from the wind, snow, and rain. Increase the caloric intake of your pet by providing more food and a high quality diet. Make sure your pet always has water and use a heated water bowl to prevent the water from freezing. Be aware that pets need time for their bodies to acclimate to changes in temperature. Sudden changes in temperature can cause illness. In extreme weather, consider bringing your pet indoor, even if it is the garage. If you witness an animal being neglected or not being provided with adequate shelter, please report the situation to your local Animal Control Officer.

Your Training team
Gil & Susie

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The Nylabone Scare

Aug 25

Posted by Gil in Dog Wellness

Hello all dog lovers,

You might have innocently bought Nylabones to your lovely chewers and it never occurred to you that Nylabone could be a life-threatening product so here is a true story:

Bruno, my 16 months old Lagotto Romagnolo is a notorious chewer so, I bought him a “nice” Nylabone at the nearest Petco store.

As usual, Bruno waged his tail happily and with a smile on his face grabbed the bone and ran out to the back yard to work on it.

Well, I haven’t watched him longer than a few minutes to make sure he was fine and went back to my business. I haven’t noticed that the Nylabone has disappeared and I was looking for it next day everywhere, it was gone. I thought that Bruno or my other dog have hidden it in a hole in the ground as they tend to do sometimes with other goodies,

About a week later, Bruno stared to vomit along with a bad diarrhea. On the second attempt to vomit there were two weird 1.5” hard chunks coming out of him. This scared the hell out of me. I collected the vomitus and those two chunks and zoomed with Bruno to see his Vet.

The Vet identified the chunks to be Nylabone pieces and was very surprised as Nylabone was not supposed to brake like that at all. The Vet wondered if there was anything left in Bruno’s stomach but as Bruno didn’t seem to suffer, she decided to administer antibiotics, put him on bland diet and keep a close eye on him.

Next day, Bruno was just fine and we played as usual, nothing seemed to bother him. There was still diarrhea but no vomit at all. I thought we were on the right track.

Nylabone knuckle

The day after that, we went for out for our morning walk and then breakfast. Half an hour later we were back to square one, running back to the Vet. X-Ray did not reveal anything (Nylabone will not show on X-Ray) and The Vet tried to locate hard pieces by hand gently squeezing the belly. As she was doing it, Bruno started to vomit again. And lo behold, there came another Nylabone knuckle out. So now it looked much more serious than we thought. As Ultrasound was not available at this clinic, we rushed to Manchester, NH to another clinic mentally preparing for a surgery.

An hour of ultrasound examination showed more debris and a lot of internal tissue damage yet, no other big chunks.

Bruno was put on different antibiotics to help him with the healing and anti-vomiting shot as well as strict bland diet.

A week later, Bruno is back to normal. We have escaped a surgery and a life threatening condition. And yes, this could have killed him.

NO MORE Nylabones !!!

Your trainer Gil

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Fear Aggression – Can we save Colleen?

May 18

Posted by Gil in Dogs Behavior

Colleen

Hello dog lovers,

It has been long debated whether or not dogs with fear aggression could be rehabilitated and turned around. Many would say that a dog that has been growling, showing teeth and nip, even if it hasn’t harmed anyone yet, will eventually bite thus, needs to be euthanized, and sooner the better.

Me and Susie belong to the ones that will think it over several times and rather give a dog a chance, or to be more precise, will give it a chance if in proper hands. The handling, the love and patience with rehabilitating dogs is the profound key to success and as long as an aggressive dog has not gone beyond the point of no return, there is always a good chance for recovery.

Colleen is rescued female coming from a shelter in North Carolina. She has been with her adopting loving family for three months before they called us in Mid November 2009 to see if we could possibly save her as she was showing aggressive behavior such as growling, showing teeth and nip occasionally. They feared she might harm their grandchildren or someone else. Colleen’s family was close to bringing her back to the shelter. However, knowing that dogs returning to the shelter with signs for aggressive behavior are not adoptable and will end up euthanized, they decided they want to try and save her.

We went to see Colleen for evaluation:

About two years old midsize Lab like mix spayed female, has been on good diet looking healthy with a shiny coat. Prior history before getting to the shelter is unknown. She was growling and showing teeth at family members and strangers yet has not exhibited any dog-dog aggression. There wasn’t any bite history and she has not bitten anyone yet but displayed clear Fear Aggression at the Vet’s office and had to be sedated for exams. Colleen would not let anyone touch her and definitely not pick her up onto the examination table. She will growl and show teeth in any touch attempt.

She is okay when walked on leash yet, will make it a challenge to put the collar on her.

Colleen is extremely fearful from any noise such as falling dishes, clapping etc. She gets scared when the upper freezer fridge compartment is being opened and will run away. She is horrified by passing cars when walked out and will shiver, pant and pull the leash, when her tail is deeply tucked under, even away from the sidewalk. She is so stressful that it takes her a while to recuperate.

Colleen’s constant fear is tremendously reducing her ability to focus. She is awfully suspicious and tail is tucked under for most of time while we were there. Colleen did not take a treat from our hands and was fearful from men more then women thus, our trainer, Susie, tossed a cookie away and Colleen picked it up and dropped it looking around suspiciously and then ate it.

Susie and I continued to drop and toss treats on the floor and after a while Colleen picked it up and swallowed them right away. Slowly, she approached closer and closer until eventually she ate from our hands. As soon as that happened I said to myself “we’ve got ya”!!! At this moment I knew that we can help this dog. This was a critical icebreaker.

We took Colleen out to the back yard and she was willingly playing with Adele (her owner) retrieving a tennis ball. Susie and I have tried to engage in the play as well but Colleen wasn’t comfortable with us at all. When I raised my hand to throw the ball she growled at me and showed her teeth in a threatening way. She must have got scared from my raised hand and an immediate thought crossed my mind: “has this dog been beaten by a man?”

Known Medical History: Has been treated for heart worms, had complications in spaying and had one litter per Vet’s examination.

Although, not mentioned by the Vet, we have observed a tight and non-smooth movement in her rears while trotting or running. Also, Colleen wouldn’t seat to urinate but go while walking or standing. I suspect she had a hip injury of some sort.

Assessment:

Colleen has been most definitely traumatized some time in her life, whether she has been badly abused and beaten or got hit by a car we will never know and guessing will not change the way we would treat her. What we are looking for are the little hints that will tell us she is worth the try and she has given it to us – eating from our hands.

Conclusions and immediate recommendations:

Fear Aggression Level 1 – No serious bites and has not broken the skin.

1. Basic training in very short sessions (dog has difficulty to focus)

2. Minimize exposure to fear inducing stimulus

3. Desensitization and counter-conditioning

4. Handling exercises

5. Increase activity level

6. Diet – exclude artificial flavors and preservatives and increase good source of protein.

7. Try to use head halter or no-pull harness

8. Try background music

9. Orthopedic examination

So where is Colleen now? Has she been saved?

Yes, she has been in training for 18 weeks now and is way into rehabilitation. She is a completely different dog now and if you are interested in how she has been turned around come back and visit us on this site.

See you soon…

You trainers,

Gil & Susie.

1 Comment

Lagotto Romagnolo – 2nd blog

Feb 12

Posted by Gil in Interesting breeds

Hi folks,

dscn2444 I have not been writing for a while and Bruno, my Lagotto is now 9 months old. It is a harsh winter here in NH and he loves the snow and the cold weather and will not let me rest before his one hour run in the snow at 7:30 in the morning. The fact that it is 10 degrees out there doesn’t seam to bother him at all, I am the one to suffer. Yeah I know, there are some nuts in this world, and I am among them that will do everything for their dogs :-) .

Bruno’s nose is phenomenal, he can retrieve a tennis ball hidden a foot deep in the snow and he will not give up searching till he brings and drops it at my feet asking for his reward. What a game…

Next month we are going to take a “Nose Work” workshop and will start training him to utilize his nose for the benefit of human beings. Bruno will be trained as a scenting dog particularly detecting cancer cells. Did you know that dogs are being used to detect cancer? Yes they can tell the difference between healthy tissue and a sick one and they can alert when a person is exhaling suspicious lung scent. Dogs are just amazing animals.

Bruno has been on a vigorous training program since he was 10 weeks old yet, he can be a brat just like any other puppy. Last week he has “helped” my Miniature Dachshund to take off the bandage she had on her leg and he swallowed it. This was the second time he has done that putting me on high alert every time he went to do his business – thank god, it passed.

Thisdog is very smart and bright and has learned so many things in just a few months and is in process of generalizing the behaviors so that he can be relied on to obey anywhere any time and this takes quite a while. On one I can rely on him 100%, he will not go out of sight for more than a few seconds and when we walk in the woods he will be 50 to 100 yards away from me and will catch up with me if I take a turn in another trail in two seconds. So if you happen to raise a pup start the walks in the woods when he is very young and play peekaboo with him, go hide behind trees and rocks and have him find you, this will teach him to stay in eye sight all the the time.

If you consider a mid-size hypoallergenic, friendly, kids lover working dog, Lagotto is an excellent choice.

Please do not hesitate to contact me  with questions you may have regarding this breed, I will be more than happy to assist you. And by the way, I have just been granted a seat on the Lagotto Club of America Board.

Your trainer

Gil

2 Comments

Lagotto Romagnolo breed

Jul 28

Posted by Gil in Interesting breeds

bruno-4-months-2You can find Lagotto general information on the web. That is not why I wanted to write about this dog. Although, if you have found the general description about Lagotto you must have noticed the comments about the dog’s traits in finding truffles deep in the ground. This dog has an unbelievable nose and retrieving natural skills.

Bruno, my Lagotto puppy is only three months old and already showing his sniffing skills. 10 days ago he started to nibble on my foot in a very particular spot and came back to it over and over again. I thought he is just playing a puppy game but, two days later I have developed an eczema in this exact spot. Two days ago he did the same thing on my other leg’s toe and guess what, this morning another eczema showed up right there. I was stun.

Can my Lagotto sense a change in scent of ill cells?

I will be following up on the development of these special traits in my pup and if he really shows the ability to alert for upcoming illness I will go with him for the next step, training him to alert and identify cancer cells.

Researches has been using dogs to identify cancerous cells for quite some time now in several clinics in Israel, UK and the US and all clinics state that certain breeds of dogs can tell between healthy and sick tissues. Isn’t this great?

An interesting article about this research has been published In 2006 in the Science Daily on line magazine follow this link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060106002944.htm

Another cool trait of these dogs is the ability to dive and retrieve objects in the water and I am definitely going to give my pup the opportunity to show me how. One thing for sure, he loves the water and jumped right in as soon as placed a small pool in my back yard.

Did you know? The Lagotto has a web in between his fingers to help him swim just like a duck. Yes, lagotto is a some sort of water dog and it is a rare one slowly picking up popularity here in the US. It is not yet recognized by the AKC but I assume it will be soon.

Your trainer, Gil.

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Crate Training

Jul 23

Posted by Gil in Dogs Behavior

Hello puppy owners,

Puppies are fun aren’t they? But are you really up to the task and commitment? Are you ready to put in the extra work for the next few months? Will you give your pup a hug when he wakes you up crying to get out of the crate and go out to eliminate or will this drive you nuts? If it does, do yourself and the pup a favor, DO NOT GET ONE!!!

But if you can wake up with a loving smile on your face twice a night, a puppy is for you and I am sure you will have a lot of fun making a new life time friend who will pay you back ten folds for all the love you have invested.

Ready to get started?

Let’s crate train:

The crate – My personal preference is a plastic crate with front metal grid door and air grills on the upper sides and the back. This kind of crate gives the dog the feeling of being in a den where he can hide and have his privacy and it is easier to black out the front with a blanket.

I would advise buying a crate that will fit the dog at fully grown size so you don’t have to invest in a crate twice and also have the pup get used to the same one from the start.

Puppies will not soil their bedding providing that the initial space you are giving them fits the size of their body fully stretched and at the height they can comfortably sit. So, if you have purchased a full size crate you will have to put in a partition which you can later move and change the space as the dog grows.

I have recently got a lovely Lagotto Romagnolo puppy (imported from Slovakia, will tell you about him in my next blog) and I am using a full size crate and an old stove grid as a partition fastened with metal tie downs. It works great and the puppy is getting used to the full volume of the crate yet, he can’t really use it all but he can see, smell and feel it and it will not be a whole new crate to get used to as he grows.

Bedding – I have found in many cases that people suggest not to put any bedding into the crate to make it really uncomfortable for the puppy if he does his business inside. I must say that I find this ridiculous and inhumane. If your dog has had an accident in the crate the only one to blame is yourself!!!. You have failed to either get up early enough and let him out or you have locked him up in the crate without proper preparations and adjustment or you have locked him up and walked out of the house without training him for separation – it is not the dog’s fault, you might have done something wrong. A dog eliminating in the crate can very quickly become a serious behavior issue.

Also, dogs that lie on hard surfaces for many hours can develop Hygromas, these are hard to get rid of pressure growths around the hocks or elbows. Trust me, you don’t want to be there.

OK, so lets do it:

1. Please make sure you get a solid yet, cushy bedding, one that will not be easy to chew and take a part and put it in the crate. make sure the dog can lie down there fully stretched out and sit tall. Many puppies love to sleep with their legs fully stretched :-)

2. Get rid of any alternative pillows and block ways to carpets. Ideally keep the dog confined in a tiled territory.

3. Leave the door open and throw few treats into the crate. Make sure the puppy sees them. Then just wait for the pup to go get them on his own. repeat several times during the day and hide the treats under the bedding to encourage play. You can feed the dog two to three times in the crate but do not make it a habit. The point is to make the crate a fun place to be and avoid scare. Feeding the dog in the crate too many times will associate feeding times with going in the crate and this should be avoided.

4. Throw a few chewable toys into the crate and let the puppy play inside. YOU ARE STILL WITH OPEN DOOR.

5. If the dog is busy chewing in the crate, start closing the door in a very slow motion to the point that the dog will get up and jump out. let him out, DO NOT FORCE HIM IN.

6. Repeat this drill several times a day. You will find that every time you will be Able to close the door a little further to the point that the puppy will feel confident to let you lock him in but will be let out the moment he is asking to. DO NOT LET HIM CRY HIS LOUNGS OUT begging to get out. Just let him out!!!

Remember! You are building trust and if the dog will not trust you he will give you hell.

7. Once you managed to lock him in and keep him quiet playing or sleeping, you are on the right track.

DO NOT GO OUT OF HIS SIGHT. If you must leave, open the door.

8. Wait for night time. Avoid water an hour before bed time. Throw an old T shirt of yours that you have just worn for 15 minutes into the crate. This will give the puppy the impression that you are still there (an awesome trick).

9. Turn on the radio tuned to non-stop classic music station (99.5 FM in Boston region is great). Dogs love music and it is very relaxing for them. Funny, but they love Mozart :-) .

Take the puppy for last elimination before bed time.

10. If your puppy has fallen asleep in the crate this is great but, if he has fallen asleep anywhere out of the crate, very gently pick him up and put him in there and very slowly close the door on him while petting softly and soothingly along his body (just like his mom used to lick him all over) say “good boy/girl” and quietly lock the door.

11. Cover the door with a black light weight sheet (prepared ahead of time). If the puppy cries put you fingers through the door grid and let him sense you are still around.

12. Sit there at the crate till it is completely quiet and start pulling back very slowly. Do not be surprised if the puppy will sense you are backing off, dogs smell and hearing senses are so sensitive that they can easily tell when you are close or going far.

I have just done this, sitting at the crate and very slowly sliding off and back closer several times. It may take 15 to 20 minutes till you find your self 10-15 feet away from the crate then get up and walk away quietly.

13. Stay in the area and listen. You may hear the dog wining quietly. This is normal and is a process of self relaxation. If the dog cries loudly, let him out and take him out to eliminate. Praise and treat when done and put him back in the crate.

Yes, you will have to repeat the whole process all over again, tough life…

You may consider spending the 1st night sleeping next to the crate, at least you will get some sleep that night. I have done this and it worked. I did not have to do it the night after.

After the puppy has fallen asleep you can set you alarm clock to the maximum hours your dog can hold. The rule of thumb is the age of the pup in months +1 = number of hours he can hold. So if the puppy is 3 months old he should be able to hold it for 4 hours Max.

If for some reason your puppy can’t hold for that long and needs to go more frequently during night, get him checked by a Vet.

During the day make sure to remind your puppy to go out to eliminate frequently. Puppies are like children, they get busy and forget to go out. If the dog is very active he will drink more and pee more – that is fine. Dogs in training will need to go more frequently too, training is an excitement for them which provokes elimination needs.

NEVER EVER STICK YOUR DOG’S NOSE INTO HIS STUFF even if he had an accident. DO NOT YELL OR HIT THE DOG FOR SOILING!!! if you catch him doing it just pick him up say:”AH- AH” firmly (no shouting, no yelling) and take him out.

If you have not caught him while doing it, there is no point at doing anything, he will nor remember it after 30 seconds, just clean it up and make sure to spray the place with enzyme odor eliminator otherwise, the dog will get back to the same spot and do it again. It is an instinct and he will not be able to avoid it.

Please remember, dogs DO NOT do anything on purpose nor they do it as a revenge or anger or try to boss you. If they do it wrong it is because we are not doing it right.

Enjoy your pup

Your trainer Gil

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Aggressive Dominance in puppies

Jun 29

Posted by Gil in Dogs Behavior

Hi puppy admirers,

Can a 9 weeks old puppy be “aggressively dominant”? Is there such a thing or is it owner’s ignorance and lack of socialization issue?

A recent incident has made me bring this issue up to current and future puppy owners’ attention.

I have been called for behavior evaluation of a 9 weeks old gorgeous little pup. The owner claimed that the puppy was growling and snapping at kids and mainly when presented to a large group of them.

I went to see this little guy and was greeted by an intensive bark while at the door which was not a usual thing for such a young pup.

Ignoring him, I have stepped into the house as he suspiciously opened a 4-5 feet distance away from me. I have sensed the tension this little pup was under so I have avoided any eye contact with him. Then, I tossed a yummy treat (I always have them handy) towards him and he grabbed it. Then, another one a little closer. It took 4 treats and he was sniffing me to explore all the interesting scents I have brought with me. Well, you know that as a dog trainer I carry tons of other dogs’ scents on me so I guess I made an interesting object for him.

In just a few minutes we became good friends and I could not avoid
falling in love with him. He was playful and lively and really a gorgeous dog. I was there for an hour playing with the dog, introducing him to my senior dachshund and watched his play. All I have observed was a typical play behavior of a normal pup.

The family with their two kids really loved him. Yet, while there, I have witnessed one incident when the small child was hitting the dog on his had with one of her plastic toys. Nothing “big”, in our terms, but still, pretty annoying for this pup. Have you ever seen a dog bend down with his ears stretched backward with quick lips licking? That was a stress signal. This pup did not like it and definitely wasn’t comfortable in this situation but haven’t snapped at the kid this time, he was tolerant.

I made a note to the parents about this but wondered how many times this happened before and revoked growling and snapping.

From the investigation of the parents I have learned that the puppy has been separated from his mother at 6-7 weeks of age (way too early), has been in process of crate training and has been presented to a large group of kids without prior preparation.

I have left the house with the recommendations for immediate socialization and puppy class for basic obedience training.

On a follow up call a week after I was told the puppy has been surrendered to a local shelter as he snapped on an elderly family member.

I was really saddened and felt so sorry for this pup. I really hope he will find an understanding family that will give him a daily warm hug and put him on the right track otherwise he will grow to be a bitter unsocial and possibly dangerous dog ending up euthanized.

So to all of you who own or intend to get a puppy please remember:

1. Puppies ARE NOT TOYS. Kids and elderly in particular must be educated how to properly approach and handle them
2. You must closely observe the puppy and kids play at all times. If you can’t have an eye on them you rather put the pup in a pen with his own toys.
3. Puppies must be very gradually exposed to the world without scaring them. DO NOT let the crowd or a bunch of kids jump all over them, this can be very stressful and the only way they can defend themselves is with the bedding of sharp knives in their lovely mouth.
4. Learn their body language, it is vital!!! They are talking to you and giving you signals. If they growl they do it for a reason, they are not comfortable with what is being done with them. A growl means leave me alone and get me some space. Ignoring that signal may result a snap and then a bite. DO NOT ignore signals.
5. DO NOT let people pet them on their had, many of them don’t like that. Watch for a slight head down and front body bending and ears pulled back. Watch for short quick lip licking (not a wide yummy lick) telling you “I am not comfortable, I am stressed”. Watch for yawning and/or panting telling you “I am scared, leave me alone”.
6. Puppies need to be socialized with other puppies, adult dogs, people, places and noises etc. (the world) – get advice from dog trainers.
7. Puppies need to be trained. At the minimum they should be obedience and good manners trained.
8. Early puppy separation (before 9-10 weeks of age) from the mother needs extra attention.
9. Proper Diet and wellness have a bearing on the puppy’s behavior. Get advice from the professionals.

Care, love and respect your pup, you will be well paid back by him when he grows.
Do not be ashamed of asking. Be ashamed of neglect.

“Good manners and soft words have brought many a difficult thing to pass” (Sir John Vanbrugh).

Your trainer, Gil.

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Do our dogs try to dominate us?

Jun 22

Posted by Gil in Dogs Behavior

Hello dog friends,

I have been asked by a few of my website visitors about their dog’s behavior that looks to them like he/she was trying to dominate the house and the available books and articles by old school trainers suggest that all dog owners should take the bull by the horn and show the dog who is the BOSS and any bad behavior on your dog’s part is due to him trying to dominate you.

Now, you wonder if you have got the right answer? Well, let me surprise you, YOU HAVE NOT!

Dogs have never ever tried or will dominate you. This myth is just not true.

I know, you may ask as why so many books and celebrity trainers claim that “Alfa” dogs or “Leader of the pack” will take charge if you do not suppress their drive to lead you. The answer is simple: it sounds dramatic and it makes an attractive TV show. Not only that, they will give you 101 ways and show you how to get down on your poor dog and make him submissive. But even if you like watching those TV shows go for Animal Planet channel and see that even Victoria Stilwell will not blame dogs for dominance and will strongly suggest a positive reinforcement methods.

This “dominance” theory relating to dogs living in groups has been in circulation for many years and qualified behaviorists around the world are rapidly shying away from this as it became clear that domestic dog groups simply do not operate in this way.

The source of this myth is an outcome of an old research done on wolves gathered from various locations in captivity where a sort of hierarchy seamed to be observed. Although, wolves out in the wild do live in packs, they are all offspring and family related and will never challenge the hierarchy. And although, you will find the “Alfa pair” in each pack, they don’t necessarily lead the pack for hunting, for instance.

But domestic dogs had been living with humans for thousands of years and are no longer hunting for their own food so it would be wrong to compare their behaviors to those of wolves, they have evolved to be a completely different animals. And for those who insist and associate today’s dog with its wolf ancestor, it has been clearly observed that wolves will never challenge the pack hierarchy.

So the bottom line is that your dog is not trying to dominate you and you should get guidance as to how to positively reinforce your dog when training for wanted behavior and gain mutual trust and respect with your dog. Do not just try to copy TV shows ways for training.

My observation of canine behavior leads me to the conclusion that where there is a miss-behaving dog there is usually an even more ignorant and miss-behaving owner.

Your trainer, Gil

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Electric, invisible fence – Yes or Not?

Jun 1

Posted by Gil in Dogs Behavior

A tribute to a gorgeous Husky girl named Daisy

Daisy’s story has ended sadly on one of the main roads in the town of Hollis, New Hampshire where she was hit by a car still wearing her electric shock collar that supposed to confine her to the “fenced” yard. The system tested aftermath was working fine…

Hello dog lovers,

So, as you understand from visiting my website, I am a great fan of Positive Reinforcement. I will never punish a dog by any means, no hitting or kicking, no yelling or screaming, no yanking on the leash and will never use electric shockers of any kind.

The mutual respect, trust based built partnership and understanding the dogs nature and needs is all that matters and my belief is that you can’t really gain a real partner to rely on, performing out of fear.

How long would YOU partner with someone or work for someone out of fear? Eventually you will find the way to escape and if you are lucky you will make a new happy partnership with someone else. DOES YOUR DOG HAVE THE SAME CHOICE?

Yeah, I know, you will tell me that I am trying to humanize the dog. Well, I am not! I know the dog is a dog but I bet you that 99% of dog owners will agree that dogs do have emotions similar to ours and that even if emotions are many times hard to define we can clearly identify some basic ones in dogs.*

If you have spent some real quality time with your dog and observed dogs behavior you could clearly tell when your dog is expressing fear, anger, happiness, love, alertness etc. Your dog is communicating emotions by body language and sound.

Does any of you doubt that his dog can smile or express happiness? I don’t think so. Have you ever seen any smile or happy signals from a dog hit by electric shock, even a “mild” one? I don’t think so either.
I have shocked myself with such a collar and I bet you a million, you will not be smiling when you do try it yourself.

So I hope we all agree by now, that shocking is inhumane. But it is more than that, it is a punishment for innocent behavior. So your dog may keep away from the fence to avoid the shock till a chipmunk, squirrel or a mouse swifts by and crossing the yard. This “fence” will not stop intruders so, then what?

Let me tell you exactly what will happen. Adrenaline is being released to the blood system and the brain is completely shutting off all pain sensors sending the dog the HUNT signal. Unless your dog is very highly trained and you are right there to stop him when this happens neither you or the dog can control it and nothing on earth will stop the dog from chasing the little creature except a passing car on the road…

This is exactly what happened to poor Daisy. The family was devastated and so have been I. She was a wicked smart dog and picked up basic obedience so quickly something every trainer would admire. We miss her so much.

So, please, please, if you care for your dog’s happiness and safety and your own as well, put a real physical fence into your yard. There are some nicer ones out there and you can always plant some nice greens to cover it and make it look nice and decent. Keep the smile on your dog’s face as well as yours.

Have a great week,

Your trainer, / Gil

* See a great article by Patricia McConnell, PhD on dogs emotions in the May/June 2009 APDT Chronicle magazine.

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