ALPHA K9 TRAINING
559-731-2238
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glenn@alphak9trainingyahoo.biz
Owning a dog should be a pleasure, not a problem!!
Alpha K9 Training
Visalia, CA
ph: 559-731-2238
glenn
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why socialize my dog?
Socializing
Before you can have a mannerly dog, he needs to be a social dog. Dogs that have been properly socialized early in life usually grow up to be friendly, confident, happy dogs, that get along with everybody and everything. If your dog isn't socialized properly he can become nervous, shy, aggressive and untrustworthy in social situations. You can still socialize your dog at an older age, it will only help your dog not hurt it.
What Is Socializing?
Socializing is more than just getting your dog to like people and other dogs. Don't get me wrong, those things are important but there is much more. Think of socializing your dog as "civilizing" him. You need to get him prepared for civilization as we know it. What do we encounter in civilization? Traffic, loud noises, crowds, noisy kids, big buildings, elevators, stairs, noisy machines, etc. Your new puppy needs to become comfortable with everything he will encounter as an adult dog. Obviously you don't expose your new puppy to everything all at once.
How To Socialize your dog or puppy
Start by getting him used to all the objects in your house that he will come in contact with. For example: scary, noisy things like vacuum cleaners and floor polishers should be done gradually. Begin using the machine while the puppy is in his crate on the other side of the room. Let him watch you clean the carpet and slowly move to the area he is in. Watch him to be sure that he doesn't panic. If he seems calm, continue. If he begins to panic, remove him to an area where he can watch, but you won't come too close to his crate with that scary machine.
Take your time. Once he shows no fear of it you can take him out of the crate and let him investigate the machine while it is off. DON'T turn it on while he is close to it.
- Why does my dog chew on everything?
CHEWING
THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY DOGS CHEW
ILLNESS CAN LEAD TO DESTRUCTIVE CHEWING
ANXIETY IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DESTRUCTIVE CHEWING
IMPROPER PUNISHMENT METHODS, ESPECIALLY DELAYED OR VERY HARSH ONES, CAN TRIGGER CHEWING PROBLEMS.
PROMOTING DESIRABLE CHEWING
Offer the dog a wide variety of toys. When the dog shows a preference for one type, buy several more of that type. Smear the toys with a small amount of peanut butter, or cheese to encourage chewing. Give large amounts of praise every time the dog begins chewing the toys.
Another way of getting the dog interested in his toys is to teach him to play fetch. Do not take proper chewing for granted. Every time the dog's mouth touches the toy, he/she should receive large amounts of praise.
DISCOURAGING UNACCEPTABLE CHEWING
As the dog is allowed more freedom, he can be taught to avoid previously chewed objects by making them taste bad. A small amount of cayenne pepper mixed with water petroleum jelly or white vinegar are deterrents for most dogs. For the dog that doesn't mind the hot pepper taste, try oil of citronella, which is very bitter. When many items must be protected or if a crawling baby in the home reduces the desirability of using cayenne pepper on everything, you can give the dog an object (not one of his toys) that has had air freshener sprayed on it. When the dog spits it out, give him lots of praise. The air freshener will become a cue for the dog to avoid items that carry that scent. Then, a small amount of freshener can be used throughout the house to signal "DON'T CHEW".
Another way of getting the dog interested in his toys is to teach him to play fetch. Do not take proper chewing for granted. Every time the dog's mouth touches the toy, he/she should receive large amounts of praise.
WHAT NOT TO DO. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOUR PET BE SPANKED, SLAPPED, KICKED, OR PHYSICALLY PUNISHED IN ANY WAY The risk it too high that the dog will become "hand shy" or a "fear biter". Use verbal reprimands followed by encouragement to chew on the dog's own toys. - My dog always jumps on me or my guests
HELP!!
Jumping
Jumping is a really common problem among dogs - or should I
say among dog owners? It's rarely a problem for the dogs
themselves - in fact, jumping seems to act as a reward in
itself.
It's a different kettle of fish for the exasperated owner, who's
forced to deal with a new set of muddy footprints/gouges in
their skin and clothes/offended guests/scared children!
Many owners inadvertently encourage jumping behavior from
puppyhood: when a small puppy comes running up to us,
wiggling with excitement and making small, clumsy leaps at our
knees, it's almost natural to lean down and respond in kind.
Effectively, we reward that puppy's "jump-y" greeting by
reacting with exuberant affection, hugs and kisses. The puppy
learns a fast lesson: jumping is a good thing, because it results
in plenty of positive attention and physical contact.
Your dog doesn't understand the difference between a jump as
a small, cute puppy, and a jump as a huge, hairy adult. To a
dog, a greeting is a greeting, and just because he's aged by a
few months is no reason to stop jumping - at least, not voluntarily.Stopping the jumping
Most trainers agree that the most effective way for you to
weed out unwanted behaviors (like jumping) in your dog is
also the easiest: all you have to do is simply ignore him
whenever he jumps up. The idea is to give him the cold
shoulder: withdraw all attention, even negative attention
(so no yelling, shoving, or corrections).
Here's how to implement this training technique: whenever
your dog jumps up on you, turn your back straight away.
Since dogs understand body language a lot more clearly
than they do the spoken word, you're going to be using
your posture to convey the message that such behavior
isn't acceptable here: fold your arms, turn your back, turn
your face away from him and avert your eyes.
This is where a lot of people make a mistake: they confuse
ignoring the behavior with ignoring the dog. You're not
ignoring the behavior - i.e., you're not carrying on with
whatever you were doing as if the jumping wasn't
happening; you're ignoring your dog. You're still going to
react; but your reaction is for you to actively ignore him.
The cold shoulder is a really effective way of communicating
your displeasure to a dog - he'll catch on very quickly.
Without the encouragement of your attention and your
reactions to his behavior, he'll calm down very quickly indeed.
Glenn Farris CPDT, ABC15814
All rights reserved.
Alpha K9 Training
Visalia, CA
ph: 559-731-2238
glenn
