No? Is that an acceptable answer?
By Adam Witherspoon and Adam Diederich
Training Director and Assistant Trainer Shiloh K-9 Dog Training Services LLC
Just recently I was in Wal Mart, doing some shopping, and just happened to notice a lady and her son that was in every isle in the store, at the same time I was. You know how it is, it seems every place you go, they are as well. You speak cordially, they speak back, and they become inadvertently your “shopping partner”. Her son was bright eyed to say the least, and into everything. This kid reminded me of myself when I was his age. Also, I noticed every time he got into mischief, the mother would give him the proverbial “I’m not going to tell you again to stop it!” This must have happened 15 or 20 times, and every time her son would call the bluff. How many times have you done this with your dog? Accepted no for an answer, and do nothing to correct it? This has to be in my opinion one of the single biggest problems that people have with their dogs. People who own dogs generally want to the dog’s leader, really and truly, but don’t assert their authority as the rule of the house. Another example is someone at the vet in the waiting area telling their dog to sit or be quiet, well over 20 times in as many seconds and yet the dog does not sit, and still continues to bark.
So how do we stop this vicious crazy cycle? Here are some steps to put in place that will help.
- Many people assume that from the first days of puppyhood all dogs understand us the same way we understand each other. We rationalize right from wrong, and just assume that they should be able to do the same. WELL, how many times have you over heard people talking about a person from another country, saying somethingto the affect of "This is America, they should learn to speak English!” While I agree with this sentiment to somewhat (not going to get into a political discussion here), the person must FIRST BE TAUGHT ENGLISH BEFORE THEY CAN SPEAK IT! Your dog must also be taught how to communicate with us, and to teach your dog, you must learn how they communicate. To sum it up, body language and voice tone are paramount, but ultimately their language is leadership. As a leader you must establish the rules and enforce them. "Enforce" seems like a harsh word to some. However it only means to not stray from what has been established as rule of law. You cannot however sit there and go over a list with the dog of his do's and don'ts. This must be demonstrated in a manner the dog can understand. So step one has to be accepting that you can’t explain the rules to a dog the same as you would a kindergarten student.
- Rule out “no” as an acceptable response. This will mean persistence and consistency. It may take you 10 minutes to get one point across, but for example if a dog will not stop barking at the door, or a runner traveling briskly down the street, you must put a leash on the dog, (another presumed headache, which is not if you do it consistently for a short time period) and do anything reasonable to stop that dog from barking. Use a squirt bottle. Walk the dog away from the source of the excitement. DO NOT call the dogs name and tell them to be quiet. If they won’t stop, they don’t the meaning of these words. Do not use the name, as the dog will associate positive things with their name, and only take it as affirmation. I challenge anyone who can and will do it, to use only a leash in correcting their dog and not talk to them. Watch the results. I do it during consultations all the time, and people sit on the sofa in my training center with their jaws dropped to the floor. I am not doing anything special, just not talking to the dog.
- Refer to my article on dog behavioral fitness, and pick one thing, JUST ONE to work on and do this until it is fixed. Get simple, and get stubborn. Do not lose or take no for an answer. Do not however try to fix the barking and jumping, and nipping at the same time. Address these one at a time and it will be easier as you go.
- Understand all dogs are different and what you did with your Golden Retriever 15 years ago, may not work with your Yorkie today. Also remember your life has changed since your last dog, ie schedule, commitments, cell phones, laptops, tablets, (all sources of time consumption) and things will never be the same as they were with the previous dog. I have a client who just got a new dog, and it is admirable that in working with this person, they have NEVER said "I wish this dog was more like my last!" They have made references to accepted differences, but only once maybe twice. Most people rant and rave about the previous dog and never accept their current dog for who they are, rather they reject their current dog for not being like the previous one. Owning a new dog is an opportunity for a fresh start and a better one at that! Do things with your current dog that you never did but wanted to with the previous one. Get creative, and make it an enjoyable experience.
- Avoid using food to stop an unwanted behavior!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now all the trainers that disagree with this are sure to write us with some hate mail, but I don’t care. Let me assure you that your dog knows how to eat already. There is absolutely no reason to try to reteach something they know very well and correctly already. Food is never a reward to a dog while experiencing a problem behavior. If you start using food, the dog will see this as a cycle. So in the dog’s mind, they think “Hey, if I go nuts at the door bell, my owner will tell me to stop, and I will, and then I get an awesome treat!” Think about it, and it makes sense. Let the reward be your happiness in the success of the dog.
So, make a decision to not accept no. This is a tough one. It require self discipline, and will power, but it can be done. Also we have a group class starting in February, and will be helpful in learning this concept. For more info, go to www.shilohk9.com/groupclass.htm. Hope everyone has a great New Year!!
