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Q & A with Dale Stavroff, author of "Let The Dog Decide" By: Dale Stavroff
Dale Stavroff, author of the recent publication "Let The Dog Decide" tackles some of the most common training problems that dog owners face. We invited our Toronto4Dogs visitors to submit their most important and popular dog training issues.
What's the most important things to avoid while training a new puppy?
The biggest mistake I see, and the most damaging, is that people directly "punish" puppies for misbehavior. This mistake is closely followed by owners who use force when teaching puppies new behaviors. As forgiving as the puppy is to his master, he still sees these actions as a direct attack on the self. By their nature these experiences drive the puppy into avoidance and break down the bond between dog and owner. This is why we see the puppy, who at 8 weeks old, followed his owners around and always stayed nearby, now reluctant to come near this same owner as well as wandering off looking for new experiences.
Negative reinforcement must be delivered to the puppy "covertly" by the owner. This is to say that the puppy must never see uncomfortable or unpleasant experiences come directly from his owner. This is why I strongly advise that all puppies be fitted with a flat collar with a line attached. Now the owner can restrict the puppies movements and interrupt any unwanted behaviors by using the line and therefore reserve their hands for praise and pets. Note here that now the owner can control the pup while keeping their distance. This method is particularly effective if the line is used while the puppies back is turned. The puppy never knows where the discomfort is coming from and therefore never makes the association between its owner and any unpleasant experiences.
How can I stop my dog from jumping up onto the kitchen counter!
How do I get our puppy from stealing food? She literally jumps right on the table and steals from our plates!
The answer to the previous question should offer some clues to the solution of both of these problems. If we have a line on the dog we are able to control it in some surprising ways. I like to "set up" a situation for the "kitchen counter dog" that will teach it the very important lesson of not going there.
First I put a delectable treat on the counter to invite the dog onto the counter. I move away from the area and act in an indifferent manner. Once the dog goes for the bait, I use the line to pop the dog off the counter and away from the food while his back is turned and his focus is on the treat. Once the dog hits the kitchen floor I recall it immediately to my welcoming, loving arms where I shower it with affection and treats. I repeat this as often as necessary. The dog learns that the counter is a dangerous and unpleasant place to be ... while at the same time learning that I am his loving owner and rescuer and provider of all that is good.
How should I house-train my puppy?
The best way to house-train puppies is by using a crate. Let me say first that the crate must be made into a positive place for the puppy to be. This is done by leaving the door to the crate open and loading it with treats. Once the puppy is happily going in and out of the crate you can begin closing the door for brief periods of time. Never open the crate door while the puppy is whining. Wait until it is quiet ... and then let it out.
As an example ... you would begin the day by taking the puppy to its designated "elimination spot" in the yard or surrounding area. If the puppy eliminates it comes back in the house for an hour or two of play. Then the puppy is put back in the crate for twenty minutes and then taken out to its spot to eliminate again. Use a cue word for elimination ... I like to use "hurry up." If the puppy eliminates it comes back in the house for another play session. If it does not eliminate, it goes back into the crate for another twenty minutes and is offered another opportunity again after twenty minutes.
Just follow this routine throughout each day and you will have a perfectly house-trained pup. One important note ... never! and I mean never scold a puppy for making a mistake in the house. Just hurry them outside to their spot. Act as if you are helping them to learn an important lesson ... because you are!
How do I get our Puppy to stay out of the garbage?
Leaving the garbage out in the home is just asking for trouble. Why invite the puppy into a problem with all those irresistible smells? Put your garbage container under your sink or in any other convenient cupboard. A snap latch can be attached to prevent any little Einstein's from figuring out how to open the cupboard!
How do you stop an 8 week old puppy from biting too hard when playing?
Puppies themselves have a very effective method of teaching each other how to control their mouths when playing. In this case we will take our lead from them. When one puppy bites another too hard, the puppy who has been bitten screams out in pain and turns his back on his playmate and refuses to engage in any further play. We will do the same.
Do not wait for the next incident to happen. Get down on the floor and begin playing with the puppy. As soon as the puppy bites at all, cry out loudly as if in pain and immediately get up and walk away from the puppy. When the puppy follows and tries to get your attention turn your back on him. I like to stand and face the wall and pout like a child. It is important that everyone in the home act in this way during the incident no matter whom it was who was bitten. This effectively ostracizes the puppy from the family. Puppies understand this response and a few repetitions quickly teach the puppy not to bite members of the family. It is important to understand that NO BITE is acceptable no matter how soft or apparently harmless. Only dogs who will eventually work in some form of protection can ever be allowed to put their mouths on a human being. This behavior must be forbidden to ensure that no more serious bite will ever occur.
Please help! How can I stop my dog from jumping up so much?
How can I get my dog to stop jumping on people when he meets them?
Jumping up can have many different meanings to a dog. Whatever the genesis of this behavior, it is both dangerous for the elderly and children and an unacceptable means of getting attention or interacting socially. Since dogs only repeat successful behaviors, we must assume that there is some gratification for the dog in this interaction. What we must do is create a more rewarding behavior for the dog to engage in when he sees the set of circumstances that cause him to jump up.
What we want to do then is teach the dog a positive behavior, like the sit, as an alternative. So first you must put in the time and energy to teach the dog a positive sit. (I advise using operant conditioning or "clicker" training to do this.) Once the dog is sitting well for his treats you can begin to step sideways when the dog tries to jump up so that he falls past you. Immediately ask for the sit and reward it heavily. The dog will quickly learn that the more successful behavior is the sit rather than jumping up. If you practice this at home you will have no problem when dealing with strangers who the dog meets when out walking.
If you have an older dog that is strongly committed to jumping up you may need to use an aversive to stop the behavior. In this case we will encourage the dog to jump up by patting our hands on our belly and praising the dog verbally. When the dog jumps up we will continue to praise the dog effusively and grab its front paws with our hands. Squeeze the dog's paws while continuing to praise. As you see the dog begin to show signs of discomfort lower the dog's paws to the ground. When the dog is on the ground praise even more and offer the dogs treats. Repeat this until the dog is reluctant to jump up at all and reward him heavily for keeping his feet on the ground.
It is important to remember our rule that discomfort must not come from the handler (unless the dog is directly challenging us in some direct form of attack or bullying.) This is why the praise is so important during this exercise. If you praise and reward effectively the dog will not detect that the discomfort is coming from you even though you are the one squeezing his paws! The dog will soon choose to get his praise and treats with all four feet on the ground.
Our puppy completely destroys the place when we're gone. He has chewed my couch, my shoes, his leash, the kids' toys, his dish, and the curtains. We provide him with many chew toys and lots of exercise. We have enrolled him in obedience classes but they haven't helped. How can I get him to stop?
Every time I leave the house, my dog cries and whines. What can I do to help him overcome his separation anxiety?
I would refer here first to the question on house training where we explained the importance and value of using a crate. Both of these problems could be solved by training the dog to stay in his crate while we are out. In the first case it is asking way too much of a puppy to manage itself alone in the house. Dogs when in the wild, they are only active a few hours a day. The rest of the time they den up in a shallow hole or under a fallen tree etc. This represents their safe place or den. What we wish to do is recreate this safe place in the form of the crate. Teach your dog that the crate is a positive and safe place to be and all anxiety will disappear when you leave the dog home alone. You will have to work at crating the dog when you are home and practice by leaving the house for short periods of time and returning to let the dog out. Never punish, in any way, the dog while it is in the crate. Never punish the dog by putting it in the crate. Going into the crate must always be a positive experience.
Both dogs in our questions above are responding to anxiety. Both dogs can be helped by being given a safe place to be while the owner is not home.
How do I stop my dog from barking at the door?
This is also a problem that can have several different reasons for its existence ... from fear to aggression. Regardless of the reasons for its genesis, the outcome is that the dog does not feel safe. Because aggression can be involved in this response, it is also a more complex problem. In any case we must find a behavior the dog can engage in that represents an alternative to its fearful or aggressive behavior. I always use the down to deal with these kinds of problems.
The dog must be taught a good solid down in a quiet safe place. Again, operant conditioning can be used to teach the down, however, this time we need the dog to "escape" psychologically from its distress to make the down reliable. This means that we must use "the bench" to finish the process. (I'm afraid that readers will have to refer to "Let the Dog Decide" for this information as it is too complex to cover here.) Once the down has been properly taught to the dog we can begin to take it to the door to down when someone arrives. It is a good idea to use "visitors" that are friends or family at first to proof the dog before having the dog greet strangers in this way.
The down has submissive overtones and few dogs can act aggressively while lying down. Make sure that both you and the "visitor" reward the dog for staying in his down at the door.
What can I do to stop my golden retriever from digging? My garden is a mess.
Digging is usually an expression of misdirected energy. You need to teach your dog to fetch and spend its energy that way. (This is a natural behavior for the Golden Retriever ... after all ... it is a retriever!!!) However, once a dog has started digging it can be difficult to stop it. The best way to do this is teach the dog to respect boundaries. Put a small fence around your garden. (There are many easily installed and varied examples of these at your local garden store.) Supervise your dog while using a long line to prevent it from crossing the boundary. Every time you stop the dog from crossing the boundary with the line, recall the dog to you and reward it heavily.
Why does my dog growl at everyone every time she is in heat?
Being in heat involves many substantial changes in the dog's chemistry. these chemical changes can radically alter behavior or make existing behaviors more pronounced. All good bitches will become more protective of themselves, their family, and their potential brood when in heat. Breeders recognize this and tend to keep their more sensitive animals in a calm, quiet, and friendly environment during this time.
About the author: DALE STAVROFF trains dogs for technical work, including search and rescue, as well as leading seminars and courses on puppy and dog training for owners such as Dr. Laura Schlessinger. He has written and taught extensively on dog behaviour, having worked with RCMP tracking dogs and handlers, and has instructed at search and rescue conferences. Dale Stavroff lives in Vancouver.
Let the Dog Decide is the first training manual to offer dog owners more than Alpha-pack dominance, choke chain or clicker-based training. His secret is that he uses a dog's natural instincts to train it. This approach is simple, dog-friends and can be done in just 15 minutes a day. The psyhcological approach and technique is new and is destined to become the definitive dog training guide.
Visit him at www.letthedogdecide.ca/.
© Toronto4Kids - March 2007. This article may not be reproduced in part or in its entirety without the expressed written permission from Toronto4Kids. |
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