Leadership Quiz
We often give our dogs mixed messages and as a consequence we our dogs can feel confused. Because of this inconsistent leadership, problem behaviours can start to occur such as barking, separation anxiety and being reactive to other dogs out on the walk.
Take this quiz to see whether you are giving your dog consistent leadership.
Can you honestly answer yes to every question?
1. Is your dog really off all furniture, all of the time?
Yes/No
2. If your dog leaves his food do you take it away?
Yes/No
3. Are you giving 1-2 toys at a time and rotating them?
Yes/No
4. Do you only give your dog attention when he is calm?
Yes/No
5. Does your dog have his own bed or mat and do you move it around?
Yes/No
6. Does your dog go through doors & up stairs after humans?
Yes/No
7. Do you ignore your dog 5 mins before you go & upon your return?
Yes/No
8.. Does your dog have to obey a command or be in a passive sit/lay to get attention?
Yes/No
9.. Do you ignore undesired behaviour when possible?
Yes/No
10. Do you reward desired behaviour?
Yes/No
11. . Do you use your dogs name just to get his attention (not as a rep remand or command) ?
Yes/No
12. Is everyone using a calm voice when interacting with your dog?
Yes/No
13. Does everyone only say a command once? (No chanting)
Yes/No
14. Are you consistently doing short, fun training sessions daily?
Yes/No
We often give our dogs mixed messages and as a consequence we our dogs can feel confused. Because of this inconsistent leadership, problem behaviours can start to occur such as barking, separation anxiety and being reactive to other dogs out on the walk.
Take this quiz to see whether you are giving your dog consistent leadership.
Can you honestly answer yes to every question?
1. Is your dog really off all furniture, all of the time?
Yes/No
2. If your dog leaves his food do you take it away?
Yes/No
3. Are you giving 1-2 toys at a time and rotating them?
Yes/No
4. Do you only give your dog attention when he is calm?
Yes/No
5. Does your dog have his own bed or mat and do you move it around?
Yes/No
6. Does your dog go through doors & up stairs after humans?
Yes/No
7. Do you ignore your dog 5 mins before you go & upon your return?
Yes/No
8.. Does your dog have to obey a command or be in a passive sit/lay to get attention?
Yes/No
9.. Do you ignore undesired behaviour when possible?
Yes/No
10. Do you reward desired behaviour?
Yes/No
11. . Do you use your dogs name just to get his attention (not as a rep remand or command) ?
Yes/No
12. Is everyone using a calm voice when interacting with your dog?
Yes/No
13. Does everyone only say a command once? (No chanting)
Yes/No
14. Are you consistently doing short, fun training sessions daily?
Yes/No
Is your dog bored?
Is your dog digging holes on the back lawn or rearranging the plants in your garden? Is your dog destroying outdoor furniture or destuffing your couch? Or is he leaving scratch or bite marks on your doors and fences?
When we think about these behaviours we see them as “problem behaviours”. They are all however normal canine behaviours that simply need redirection.
We need to think about what activities your dog likes to do. Providing an environment where your dog can dig, can seek and destroy, and can hunt something out is going to mean that your dog is both stimulated mentally and physically.
Make feeding fun
Thecanineclub recommend that you get rid of your dogs food bowl!
Feeding your dog in ways other than in a bowl can help to use those canine talents of sniffing out their food. It can also help to slow down the feeding process which is great for the dogs that seem to inhale their food or for the dogs carry a bit of extra weight.
* Hiding your dogs biscuits in piles around the backyard, or simply scatter them across your lawn or deck. Then let your dog race outside to hunt out every last little piece of Kibble.
* Putting your dogs food inside an empty muesli bar box, and then put that box inside the Weet-Bix box, and then put that box side in an even bigger box. Then let your dog to rip through the boxes, tearing with those teeth and pawing at the boxes until he gets all of his biscuits out.
* We often suggest to our clients to freeze your dogs food, and give him a dog food popsicle to chew. For my dog, he’s a retriever, I get one cup of his biscuits, put them into an empty ice cream container, pour cold water on top, enough to cover bikkies, and freeze into a great solid block of dog food. My dog spends ages chewing through this on the deck. It is great to get those teeth clean, and keep Simba cool in the summer. ( this is also a great teether for puppies, as the coolness soothes the gums) For smaller dogs you can do the same with yogurt pottles.
* Put your dogs food into a food orientated toys such as treat balls, frozen in a kong or kong wobbler.
* Feed your dog his kibble through training on his walk
Active time wasters for your dog
Providing a sandpit for your dog, and burying some yummy treats in there, is a great way to redirect digging.
Hiding some food-I-fied toys in the sand will give your dog an incentive to dig there, rather than in your garden.
Hone in on your dogs talent of destroying things, and getting the insides of something out. Give him soft toys to destuff and destroy, this is a great way to channel that particular canine talent.
I visit op shop’s and buy lots of soft toys, I cut off anything that could be potentially dangerous to my dog, I then let my dog pull all of the stuffing out.
I come home to a deck covered in white stuffing, but I also come home to a happy stimulated dog and a lounge suite intact.
Once my dog has destuffed the soft toys, I can then use that to hide his food in the next day.
When you think about leaving your dog for the day, take a couple of minutes extra to set up a fun environment for him. Keeping in mind the particular activities your dog likes to do, and provide an outlet for that.
When we think about these behaviours we see them as “problem behaviours”. They are all however normal canine behaviours that simply need redirection.
We need to think about what activities your dog likes to do. Providing an environment where your dog can dig, can seek and destroy, and can hunt something out is going to mean that your dog is both stimulated mentally and physically.
Make feeding fun
Thecanineclub recommend that you get rid of your dogs food bowl!
Feeding your dog in ways other than in a bowl can help to use those canine talents of sniffing out their food. It can also help to slow down the feeding process which is great for the dogs that seem to inhale their food or for the dogs carry a bit of extra weight.
* Hiding your dogs biscuits in piles around the backyard, or simply scatter them across your lawn or deck. Then let your dog race outside to hunt out every last little piece of Kibble.
* Putting your dogs food inside an empty muesli bar box, and then put that box inside the Weet-Bix box, and then put that box side in an even bigger box. Then let your dog to rip through the boxes, tearing with those teeth and pawing at the boxes until he gets all of his biscuits out.
* We often suggest to our clients to freeze your dogs food, and give him a dog food popsicle to chew. For my dog, he’s a retriever, I get one cup of his biscuits, put them into an empty ice cream container, pour cold water on top, enough to cover bikkies, and freeze into a great solid block of dog food. My dog spends ages chewing through this on the deck. It is great to get those teeth clean, and keep Simba cool in the summer. ( this is also a great teether for puppies, as the coolness soothes the gums) For smaller dogs you can do the same with yogurt pottles.
* Put your dogs food into a food orientated toys such as treat balls, frozen in a kong or kong wobbler.
* Feed your dog his kibble through training on his walk
Active time wasters for your dog
Providing a sandpit for your dog, and burying some yummy treats in there, is a great way to redirect digging.
Hiding some food-I-fied toys in the sand will give your dog an incentive to dig there, rather than in your garden.
Hone in on your dogs talent of destroying things, and getting the insides of something out. Give him soft toys to destuff and destroy, this is a great way to channel that particular canine talent.
I visit op shop’s and buy lots of soft toys, I cut off anything that could be potentially dangerous to my dog, I then let my dog pull all of the stuffing out.
I come home to a deck covered in white stuffing, but I also come home to a happy stimulated dog and a lounge suite intact.
Once my dog has destuffed the soft toys, I can then use that to hide his food in the next day.
When you think about leaving your dog for the day, take a couple of minutes extra to set up a fun environment for him. Keeping in mind the particular activities your dog likes to do, and provide an outlet for that.
How to teach your dog great manners at the front door
Everyone has that home they avoid visiting because as soon as you walk through the front door you get jumped on, wee'd on, scratched by, and slobbered on by their adorable dog. We love dogs, but it is always so much nicer to be around well mannered dogs.
Prevention is better than avoidance, simply putting your dog away when guests arrive is not the answer, nor is restraining him by holding on to him.
In order to train your dog to have great manners at the front door, you need to start by making the front door an area that you train your dog.
Often we leave it up to our dogs to work out how to behave in different situations, and then we just end up only responding when our dog gets it wrong.
Our dogs are not learning how to behave, they are just learning how not to behave.
So in order to have a dog that is well-behaved the front door, we simply need to show them exactly what we want them to do there and reward them for getting it right.
Training steps:
· Make sure you reward your dog with a high-value reward such as cheese or ham for getting it right
· Train step by step slowly, make it more difficult over time.
· If your dog gets it wrong, simply start again
· Training sessions should be a minute long each time.
Prevention is better than avoidance, simply putting your dog away when guests arrive is not the answer, nor is restraining him by holding on to him.
In order to train your dog to have great manners at the front door, you need to start by making the front door an area that you train your dog.
Often we leave it up to our dogs to work out how to behave in different situations, and then we just end up only responding when our dog gets it wrong.
Our dogs are not learning how to behave, they are just learning how not to behave.
So in order to have a dog that is well-behaved the front door, we simply need to show them exactly what we want them to do there and reward them for getting it right.
Training steps:
- Go to the front door with some treats in your hand, wait for your dog to sit without any commands or prompts. Reward him for sitting.
- Then tell him it is time to move off by saying a release word such as “OK”.
- We then want to go to the front door, wait for your dog to sit down without any commands or prompts, and then move away from him without saying anything at all, move back to him and if he has stayed sitting reward him and then tell him he can move off by using the release OK.
- Next you want to make sure that you can walk away and open the front door without your dog moving. Wait for your dog to sit without any commands, then move to the front door, open it, shut it, and then return to your dog, reward him and then release him with an OK.
- Lastly you want to add people coming and going to the equation, first start with people that are familiar to your dog and then do the same training techniques with new people.
- Ensure that people coming into your home ignore your dog so that he doesn't think people coming and going is any of his business.
· Make sure you reward your dog with a high-value reward such as cheese or ham for getting it right
· Train step by step slowly, make it more difficult over time.
· If your dog gets it wrong, simply start again
· Training sessions should be a minute long each time.
Keeping Your Dog Safe In Off Lead Areas
With Summer coming we will all be taking our dogs to beaches in the morning or evenings, and dog parks during the day to enjoy the great outdoors. With responsible ownership it can all go well, however it is important to understand some of the natural characteristics of dogs. Recognising what is “Good Play”, and having off lead control of your dog are essential ingredients to safe socialising.
Dog attacks seem to be on the increase, and I’m not convinced it is all down to “Aggression”. Many dogs show predatory behaviour. Some dogs will run up to other dogs or chase them, but once they have caught up to them, that is the end of the game. Other dogs often show slow moving stalking type behaviours when they see other dogs, but this might not ever eventuate into an attack. These are standard aggressive behaviours that are trainable and manageable.
There is a phenomenon Ian Dunbar calls "Predatory Drift", however, which I believe is completely unpredictable and the most damaging form of “aggression”. I don’t believe it is something you can train out of a dog, and because there are normally no warning signs, it is very difficult to manage.
Being aware of possible circumstances that could spark an incidence of Predatory Drift, and avoiding these is the best way to prevent it from occurring.
Social situations that would normally not cause any concern at all can quickly turn if not managed. Learning to read dog play can help, and learning to maintain control and focus with your dog is essential when you are out in public areas.
Predatory drift is an instinctual kicking in of predatory reflexes often stemming from play between a large and small dog, or a group of dogs acting as a pack.
There is also a danger of this instinct sparking when a small fast dog races around in an open space near a large breed dog. A large breed dog will run after, pick up and shake a small fast moving dog. Social play interactions can also trigger an incidence of predatory drift if the smaller breed was to yelp or submit. The aggressor is normally a dog that has never shown signs of dominance or aggression in the past and so the attacks normally come as a huge surprise to the owners.
Whether you have a large breed or a small dog, we each have responsibilities to ensure we keep them safe and that we provide a social environment conductive to our canines needs and instincts.
We offer a great REAL WORLD class to work on calm, focus and control in the outdoors. It is a great training environment because you are working alongside other dogs and people in Real Life scenarios.
Dog attacks seem to be on the increase, and I’m not convinced it is all down to “Aggression”. Many dogs show predatory behaviour. Some dogs will run up to other dogs or chase them, but once they have caught up to them, that is the end of the game. Other dogs often show slow moving stalking type behaviours when they see other dogs, but this might not ever eventuate into an attack. These are standard aggressive behaviours that are trainable and manageable.
There is a phenomenon Ian Dunbar calls "Predatory Drift", however, which I believe is completely unpredictable and the most damaging form of “aggression”. I don’t believe it is something you can train out of a dog, and because there are normally no warning signs, it is very difficult to manage.
Being aware of possible circumstances that could spark an incidence of Predatory Drift, and avoiding these is the best way to prevent it from occurring.
Social situations that would normally not cause any concern at all can quickly turn if not managed. Learning to read dog play can help, and learning to maintain control and focus with your dog is essential when you are out in public areas.
Predatory drift is an instinctual kicking in of predatory reflexes often stemming from play between a large and small dog, or a group of dogs acting as a pack.
There is also a danger of this instinct sparking when a small fast dog races around in an open space near a large breed dog. A large breed dog will run after, pick up and shake a small fast moving dog. Social play interactions can also trigger an incidence of predatory drift if the smaller breed was to yelp or submit. The aggressor is normally a dog that has never shown signs of dominance or aggression in the past and so the attacks normally come as a huge surprise to the owners.
Whether you have a large breed or a small dog, we each have responsibilities to ensure we keep them safe and that we provide a social environment conductive to our canines needs and instincts.
We offer a great REAL WORLD class to work on calm, focus and control in the outdoors. It is a great training environment because you are working alongside other dogs and people in Real Life scenarios.
Does your dog have SEPARATION ANXIETY?
Separation anxiety is one of the most common issues I am called in to deal with. It is usually something that we inadvertently reinforce, because often we are giving our dogs mixed messages.
Signs that your dog is stressed when you are gone can include one or many of the following:
Pacing tracks in the yard ( particularly near fence lines)
Escaping
Destroying Property
Barking, whining, howling
Hyper excitement when the family returns home (sometimes even urinating)
Self traumatising, chewing or licking feet or skin
Defecating & urinating inside
Your dog follows you around the house the entire time you are home
So, how do we fix the problem of our dogs panicking and stressing when we leave them alone? Follow these 5 simple guidelines for a more stress free dog.
1. We ensure we make it none of their concern when people come and go.
Ignore your dog (no eye contact, physical contact or verbal contact) for at least 5 minutes, by then your dog should be calm and will not relate your attention to people arriving home. No “Hellos & Goodbyes” is a great first step to having your dog understand that people will come and go, it is nothing to get hyped or stressed about.
2. Exhaust your dog before you leave him.
Take your dog for a good walk or run, play fetch in the back yard, or hide and seek in the home to get rid of that pent up energy. A tired dog is less likely to look for trouble.
3. Establish & maintain good leadership relationship with your dog.
Have your dog “earn” your attention, and his food through fun command training sessions. Teach your dog to walk nicely on lead, and return to you off lead. Have an “invites only” rule for games and cuddles. Ignore demanding behaviour and offer alternative rewarded behaviours, ie ignore a jumping up dog, as soon as he settles and sits, reward that.
4. Train & play with your dog in areas of high stress
If there is a fence line your dog is pacing at, take him out there when all is quiet, and play fetch, or tug games, or have a quick command session. This will change the area from one of stress and anxiety, to one of fun and leadership.
5. Set up a stimulating and challenging “enclosure” for your dog when you are preparing to leave. Scatter his food over the back yard. Wrap his breakfast in layers of newspaper, or get him working his food out of a kong or treat ball. Hide jerky sticks in old destuffed toys, rawhide cigars can be smothered with peanut butter and hidden fro him to sniff out. Get a sandpit and bury yummy treats or balls for him to find.
These 5 steps will take a bit of time and energy, so set yourself up with a plan. Get up earlier in the morning or change around your routine to accommodate the extra time it will take to implement these changes.
Signs that your dog is stressed when you are gone can include one or many of the following:
Pacing tracks in the yard ( particularly near fence lines)
Escaping
Destroying Property
Barking, whining, howling
Hyper excitement when the family returns home (sometimes even urinating)
Self traumatising, chewing or licking feet or skin
Defecating & urinating inside
Your dog follows you around the house the entire time you are home
So, how do we fix the problem of our dogs panicking and stressing when we leave them alone? Follow these 5 simple guidelines for a more stress free dog.
1. We ensure we make it none of their concern when people come and go.
Ignore your dog (no eye contact, physical contact or verbal contact) for at least 5 minutes, by then your dog should be calm and will not relate your attention to people arriving home. No “Hellos & Goodbyes” is a great first step to having your dog understand that people will come and go, it is nothing to get hyped or stressed about.
2. Exhaust your dog before you leave him.
Take your dog for a good walk or run, play fetch in the back yard, or hide and seek in the home to get rid of that pent up energy. A tired dog is less likely to look for trouble.
3. Establish & maintain good leadership relationship with your dog.
Have your dog “earn” your attention, and his food through fun command training sessions. Teach your dog to walk nicely on lead, and return to you off lead. Have an “invites only” rule for games and cuddles. Ignore demanding behaviour and offer alternative rewarded behaviours, ie ignore a jumping up dog, as soon as he settles and sits, reward that.
4. Train & play with your dog in areas of high stress
If there is a fence line your dog is pacing at, take him out there when all is quiet, and play fetch, or tug games, or have a quick command session. This will change the area from one of stress and anxiety, to one of fun and leadership.
5. Set up a stimulating and challenging “enclosure” for your dog when you are preparing to leave. Scatter his food over the back yard. Wrap his breakfast in layers of newspaper, or get him working his food out of a kong or treat ball. Hide jerky sticks in old destuffed toys, rawhide cigars can be smothered with peanut butter and hidden fro him to sniff out. Get a sandpit and bury yummy treats or balls for him to find.
These 5 steps will take a bit of time and energy, so set yourself up with a plan. Get up earlier in the morning or change around your routine to accommodate the extra time it will take to implement these changes.
Do you fall into the trap of Correction Training your dog?
It is normal for people to fall into a pattern of training their dogs through correction training. This is tiresome, negative, often loud & raucous and most definitely not a very calm relaxed household.
All of your energy is spent through saying “get down”, “leave it” or “quiet”. You are always on the back foot and your dog is not learning what he can do, only what he can not do.
If you were to concentrate on giving your dog a tiny treat every time he was Quiet, Laying calmly on his mat, Sitting without having to be told, and Standing with all four paws on the floor, you will be reinforcing all of the behaviours you want to continue.
This means that these desirable behaviours will be repeated again and again, because your pup will associate them with a yummy treat. Eventually these positive calmer and more socially acceptable behaviours will replace the old habitual “naughty” ones your pup was doing in the past.
You will not have to treat with food every time once these are new learned behaviours. If you don’t give your dog a lot of pats and vocal praise for free, he will then see this contact with you as valuable and will accept these as reward enough when he is doing the right thing.
Attention for our dogs can be
1. Their state of mind (are they calm, excited, anxious etc)
2. The behaviour they are doing the moment you give the attention.
So it is far more useful and effective to use your time in a positive way. Catch your dog doing ANYTHING at all that you like and offer him a reward of some description.
This is going to guide your dog into doing the behaviours you like rather than you constantly, and inadvertently, reinforcing all of the behaviours you don’t want to continue.
Have fun with your dog and hope to see you at a training class to stimulate your dog and create an even closer bond, we look forward to showing you how clever your dog can be.
All of your energy is spent through saying “get down”, “leave it” or “quiet”. You are always on the back foot and your dog is not learning what he can do, only what he can not do.
If you were to concentrate on giving your dog a tiny treat every time he was Quiet, Laying calmly on his mat, Sitting without having to be told, and Standing with all four paws on the floor, you will be reinforcing all of the behaviours you want to continue.
This means that these desirable behaviours will be repeated again and again, because your pup will associate them with a yummy treat. Eventually these positive calmer and more socially acceptable behaviours will replace the old habitual “naughty” ones your pup was doing in the past.
You will not have to treat with food every time once these are new learned behaviours. If you don’t give your dog a lot of pats and vocal praise for free, he will then see this contact with you as valuable and will accept these as reward enough when he is doing the right thing.
Attention for our dogs can be
- Verbal – growling or praising our dog
- Physical – patting, scratching bellies or pushing down
- Eye contact – even looking at your dog is a reinforcer
1. Their state of mind (are they calm, excited, anxious etc)
2. The behaviour they are doing the moment you give the attention.
So it is far more useful and effective to use your time in a positive way. Catch your dog doing ANYTHING at all that you like and offer him a reward of some description.
This is going to guide your dog into doing the behaviours you like rather than you constantly, and inadvertently, reinforcing all of the behaviours you don’t want to continue.
Have fun with your dog and hope to see you at a training class to stimulate your dog and create an even closer bond, we look forward to showing you how clever your dog can be.
Is your dog trying to give you a message?
Potato - thecanineclub member
Sometimes our dogs give us a gentle reminder that they are there and have needs over and above food & shelter. This might be in the disguise of a fight with another dog in your home, shreading your couch, excessive barking or weeing on your bed, to name a few manifestations.
Often we get busy and tied up in our day to day lives and don’t have the time to put into training our dogs.
Plenty of people start of with great intentions, Puppy Preschool is a great start, then another class or two to ensure they know the basics and are socialized well.
Then we tend to but training to the back of our minds, it is done and things should go pretty well now right? Not so much, your dog needs to be reminded of the rules on a regular basis.
Also we need to make sure we are keeping the goal posts in the same position by keeping life constant. Not changing the rules for your dog from one day to the next.
This is especially important for homes with pups, it is their job in the first year of life to challenge most boundaries you put in place. Give an inch and they will take a mile. It is a lot harder to retrain your dog than to get it right the first time.
My suggestion is to have a “Set of Rules” printed out and stuck on the fridge so that you and anyone in the family has a constant reminder.
These could cover issues such as:
· Fido should be off all furniture, all of the time
· If Fido leaves his food take it away
· Give Fido 1-2 toys at a time and rotate them
· Only give Fido attention when he is calm
· Make sure Fido does not go through doors & up stairs before humans
· Ignore Fido 5 mins before you go & upon your return
· Encourage Fido to “work” for attention
· In order to stop undesired behaviour offer a rewarded alternative
· Reward desired behaviour
· Only say “Fido” to get his attention, not to tell him off or call him
· Try to only use a calm voice when interacting with Fido
· Have short, fun training sessions daily, great idea to do a quick session every time you put the kettle on.
Make sure that what you agree on is do-able in your busy household. Sometimes when we set our expectations too high, things often get thrown in the “too hard’ basket.
Most of all, have your dog join in as much of your family fun as possible. Dogs love to get out and about with you.
If you would like to brush up on some training we offer some great classes at thecanineclub.
Often we get busy and tied up in our day to day lives and don’t have the time to put into training our dogs.
Plenty of people start of with great intentions, Puppy Preschool is a great start, then another class or two to ensure they know the basics and are socialized well.
Then we tend to but training to the back of our minds, it is done and things should go pretty well now right? Not so much, your dog needs to be reminded of the rules on a regular basis.
Also we need to make sure we are keeping the goal posts in the same position by keeping life constant. Not changing the rules for your dog from one day to the next.
This is especially important for homes with pups, it is their job in the first year of life to challenge most boundaries you put in place. Give an inch and they will take a mile. It is a lot harder to retrain your dog than to get it right the first time.
My suggestion is to have a “Set of Rules” printed out and stuck on the fridge so that you and anyone in the family has a constant reminder.
These could cover issues such as:
· Fido should be off all furniture, all of the time
· If Fido leaves his food take it away
· Give Fido 1-2 toys at a time and rotate them
· Only give Fido attention when he is calm
· Make sure Fido does not go through doors & up stairs before humans
· Ignore Fido 5 mins before you go & upon your return
· Encourage Fido to “work” for attention
· In order to stop undesired behaviour offer a rewarded alternative
· Reward desired behaviour
· Only say “Fido” to get his attention, not to tell him off or call him
· Try to only use a calm voice when interacting with Fido
· Have short, fun training sessions daily, great idea to do a quick session every time you put the kettle on.
Make sure that what you agree on is do-able in your busy household. Sometimes when we set our expectations too high, things often get thrown in the “too hard’ basket.
Most of all, have your dog join in as much of your family fun as possible. Dogs love to get out and about with you.
If you would like to brush up on some training we offer some great classes at thecanineclub.