Training and tips for dogs life skills
Rescues and dog homing sites are full to bursting point for many different reasons, but one of them is because of dog behavioural issues. Some owners find it difficult to put the time and effort into training their puppy or dog.
Puppies, like children, need boundaries at the start of their lives. This makes for a well-balanced, confident, happier puppy or dog and results in a relaxing home environment for owners and their dogs.
Let us look at some of the behaviour issues some owners will contact me about. Below are just some examples and some tips I have added of what owners can do to help their dogs avoid repeating the same behaviours that owners dislike in the home and outdoors.
Common behavioural problems in dogs
1- My dog is constantly barking at the door when visitors arrive, jumping all over my visitors when they enter the house.
What can we do?
Barking is a classic example of dog behaviour, which is very natural. A great way of helping your dog stop barking at the doorbell is to teach them that the sound is nothing to react to. You can record the sound of your doorbell on your phone by turning the volume to low. It is important to start very low, hit play, and immediately feed your dog a treat; pause the sound. After this, wait 5-10 seconds and repeat the same volume. Once your dog is not showing any reaction to the sound, turn the volume up slightly and repeat the process. Keep practising over a period of days/ weeks until you can play at full volume and your dog does not react to the sound.
When visitors arrive, attach a light training lead so you have more control over your puppy or dog; you could ask a friend to help you with your door training, like a rehearsal before the actual event. Ask your friend to walk towards you and your puppy or dog, when you get close to them, stop a short distance away and ask your dog to sit, it’s a bonus if your puppy or dog gives you a sit without you giving a cue. Reward your puppy with a treat if they are calm, and all paws remain on the floor. Give them a treat now while you talk to your friend, reinforcing your dog’s good behaviour for being calm and not jumping up. (Remember to tell your visitors to stay calm and not encourage your dog to jump up)
Another good exercise is training your dog to be a cue place/settle in your home. It is a wonderful way to tackle behaviour problems. When visitors arrive, get your dog to settle down in its bed or crate. This means you can then start to pair the doorbell with your dog, going to its place on cue. This is one of my preferred exercises.
If you find you are busy answering the door and you cannot practice your training at particular times, it’s best to pop your dog in a crate or behind a baby gate so you don’t undo all the hard work that you have achieved. Remember, stay calm. Do not walk behind your dog shouting. Be quiet; you are just joining in on the fun, and refrain from grabbing your dog's collar at the door. I see this many times when I visit clients. It is normally chaos 😃
2- My dog will steal food from the counters and counter surfing.
What can we do?
Set your dog up for success. Do not give your dog access to this area until your dog can be trusted around food; the crate or a baby gate will come in handy at mealtimes, especially if you have young children. The crate is a good training tool when used correctly; it can be a lifesaver while you are training your dog the settle/place cue. Imagine cooking dinner without your dog hovering around or enjoying time with visitors. Once you have taught your dog the place/ settle cue, if you are using a mat or portable bed, you can easily use this place/settle cue anywhere in your home. Move the mat from room to room around the house, and even practice outside in the garden. Read my blog about the settle cue exercise.
3- My dog barks at the window, driving me mad.
What can we do?
A simple solution: do not let your dog sit in the window, block the window, and pull your settee forward so they are not using this to access your window area. Management is key, so you set your dog up for success, put baby gates up, use a crate when you cannot manage your dog’s environment, and block your dog’s view by closing the blinds. Replace window barking with more enriching pastimes, appropriate daily activities, exercise, and mental stimulation. Again, teach them the settle/ place cue. Its important dogs learn how to switch off. Every time you let your dog practice barking in the window, their stress bucket becomes full; the amygdala, which is the brain's emotional centre, immediately sounds the alarm and then activates the fight or flight response. After all that activity of barking in the window, do not expect a relaxing walk with your dog, especially if you have a reactive dog; the stress bucket is nearly full and ready to spill over.
4—My dog barks in the garden. I do not enjoy my garden anymore. He digs at all my flower beds and ruins my garden.
I am sure your neighbours do not enjoy their garden if your dogs bark constantly. Do not just let your dog run out in the garden like an adrenaline junkie. Place a training line on your dog. There could be a few reasons your dog’s barking in the garden: FEAR, ATTENTION BARKING, or BOREDOM, so the first step is understanding why your dog is barking. Do not leave your dog unsupervised in the garden. Keep them on a light training line so that you can quickly take hold of the end of the training lead and redirect them to something else, such as an engagement exercise. Go to my link on engagement. Positive reinforcement can work by giving praise when your dog’s quiet rather than responding to bad behaviour. The problem with shouting when he is barking is that, as far as the dogs are concerned, you are responding to the barking. When you reward quiet moments, he will realise that the response is associated with being calm. Make sure your dog is getting enough exercise and mental stimulation. Look at management in the garden to reduce triggers; if your fencing has gaps where your dog can see other animals next door, then block these gaps. You could also try getting a sand pit if your dog loves digging; a few of my clients have tried this and placed balls inside the sand pit. It’s worked very well, and it's great enrichment for your dog.
5- My dog toilets around the house.
What can we do?
First, rule out any health medical issues. Does your dog have any separation anxiety? Is your dog old? Again, finding out the reasons why is important. No matter the underlying cause of your dog’s inappropriate toileting in the house, punishment is not going to resolve the issue. One of the main problems I encounter with some owners of young dogs/ pups is that they have given too much freedom around the home too soon without supervision. It should be done in baby steps; using the crate will speed up toilet training. Try going to the crate every hour, put your puppy lead on, and walk your puppy straight to the garden; do not just leave your kitchen door open and put your puppy outside. You need to supervise your puppy or dog outside so that you can reward your puppy or dog when they have been to the toilet. If you do not want to use a crate, put a baby gate up so they do not have access to the whole house; this way, you can supervise your dog or puppy.
6—My dog is following me everywhere around the house, which is a worry because I cannot go to the shops.
Start training early to give space between you and your dog or puppy. The best way to start this exercise is by putting your dog or puppy behind a baby gate or in a crate (If they are crate trained) with some food enrichments; while you have some jobs to do around the house, your dog will realise when he’s behind the baby gate, this doesn’t mean you always leave the house, build your dog’s confidence slowly. When you think your dog’s ready, try without food enrichments occasionally. Owners sometimes, without knowing, reinforce the needy behaviour in their dog or puppy because owners will encourage them with pats, fussing, food, etc. Some breed traits, especially those that have been bred for centuries to work with people, are more likely to be Velcro dogs.
While it is healthy for a dog to look to its owner for commands and cues, it could be unhealthy when a dog cannot stop following or looking at its owner. This is especially concerning if a dog has chosen only one person. This is where separation anxiety/ attachment can appear, and a very needy dog is not healthy for your dog to have constant anxiety and always pacing; it is not good for your dog’s health. Imagine if you want to go on holiday without your dog, and you send them to a dog minder. Your dog will have a meltdown because they do not know how to cope in these situations.
7- My dog never comes back when called.
Never let your dog off the leash until your recall is 💯 proofed. The more you let your dog off the lead without training, the weaker your recall will become; your dog will see more value in other dogs and people than you, especially if you're going to park environments and let your dog play with Tom, Dick, & Harry every day. Also, it is not safe for your dog; they could end up getting attacked or bullied by another dog, which can then lead to your dog being reactive towards other dogs in the future. Please keep your dog or puppy safe. Get your dog a long recall training line. If you are going to let your dog mix with other dogs, make sure it is dogs, you know, in a safe environment. Read my blog on recall.
Points to remember before getting a dog or puppy.
What breed of dog?
When you are thinking about getting a dog or puppy, please do your research on the breeds and dog breeders. Can you keep up with their needs? The responsibility of having a dog is immense. Are you experienced enough with the breed you have chosen? especially with working dogs, such as your Spaniels, Belgian Malinois breeds, GSDs, Husky’s, etc. Please do not just go on looks.
Management/ boundaries in the home environment.
Managing and setting boundaries in the home and outside with your dog or puppy will hopefully prevent behavioural issues in the future and probably prevent your dog from being re-homed.
Crates/ baby gates can help while you are training.
Crates can be so controversial. Some owners really do have a meltdown when you mention them.
Did you know that dogs have a natural denning instinct? This means dogs instinctively seek out small, safe places to shelter and rest. Your dogs are probably going to have to go in a crate/ cage at some point in life, such as for vets, groomers, car journeys, and cage rest if any injuries occur in the future. So, it is kinder to get your dog used to these situations so they don’t get stressed if it ever occurs.
Crates should be a positive place where your dog can sleep, rest, chill, and decompress. Your dogs must get undisturbed sleep. Sleep is essential for the development of the central nervous system, brain, learning, and immune systems; if your dog is following you everywhere around the home, it is not getting the much-needed rest/ sleep it needs. This is why having their own place is important for their well-being.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of my training cases involve dogs with a lack of structure and boundaries. Some owners really struggle to set boundaries. They feel bad crating their dog, yet they complain that the dog is using the house as a toilet, chewing objects, stealing items, and jumping up on guests when they arrive.
Boundaries
Settling boundaries and structure benefits all animals, including children. We do not just put a baby in a big bed; the baby will start its early life in a cot for safety and essential sleep time. Everything should be done in stages until your dog understands the correct behaviours around the home, including the outside environment. It is for the safety of your dog and other people.
When not to use a crate.
It is not appropriate to crate a dog that is highly distressed in the crate, and the crate should not be seen as a quick fix for destructive behaviours or dogs with separation anxiety. Though a crate can be a useful tool to use as part of the training process, it is essential to treat the underlying issues at play rather than just relying on a crate to keep our dogs out of trouble. In fact, crating an anxious dog for exceptionally long periods could exacerbate the issue. Dogs should never be left in their crate for prolonged periods. The crate is a tool for you to use when you cannot supervise your dog, such as toilet training. The crate should never be used as a punishment for your dog.
Diet
It is essential for our dogs to be on a good diet for their well-being. The gut is known as the second brain because the many neurotransmitters used by the brain and the nervous system are created in the gut. It is estimated that up to 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut. So, diet can have an impact on your dog’s behaviour. I have known owners to feed cat food to their dogs. It is quite common, but it is not good. Cat food has higher protein fat and can trigger pancreatitis. Read my blog on the gut-brain connection in dogs.
Conclusion
Training is not just about correcting behaviour; it is also about understanding the root cause of it. This is why it is important to get help with a dog behaviourist.
For me personally, I just want my dogs to have life skills training that includes coming back to me when called, being respectful in the home, not barking at everything, knowing I can take them anywhere, such as dog-friendly pubs, restaurants, and hotels, and they always behave, being able to leave them if I go to work, and they don’t stress about me leaving. That is good enough for me.
A trained, balanced dog means more freedom and choice in the future. Life skills training trains your dog everything it needs to know to live safely in our confusing human world.
Justine Shone
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