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Case Study: Struggle for Leadership

January 1, 2014 By

Dog leadership struggle

I thought you might find it interesting to read the actual e-mail sent to me by the owner describing her dogs issues and what we did to resolve the problem.

E-mail

“Please help
I have two Cocker Spaniels, both girls who haven’t been spayed. Rosie is 8years old and Libby is 2 years.

I have had both dogs from puppies.

This has never been a problem before but recently the older dog Rosie growls as soon as the younger one goes near and it then develops into a fight and is very distressing. I got bitten the last time trying to separate them.
My vet and other people tell me I will need to re-home one of the dogs but I can’t do that. I love them both and couldn’t bear to loose one of them although I know it would probably be kinder.”

The Solution we put in place

When I went out to see the dogs and owner in their home environment it was very obvious to me that Libby in particular was doing what she wanted in the house. She would race past Rosie to get out the door first, She would jump up on the settee before Rosie, the owner had to stand between the dogs at feeding time or Libby (who wolfed her food down) would rush over to Rosie and try to get her food.

Contrary to what most owners think, when their dogs show aggression, these dogs did not hate one another. They used to play happily together. Something had gone wrong.

In this case the younger dog (Libby) had matured and was challenging the older dog for the lead position in the house hold. Rosie was not prepared to let Libby take charge so she had been warning her for months by growling and eventually this escalated into regular fights.

This is classic pack behaviour whether in a domestic situation or in the wild Depending on the temperament of the animal if they think the top job is vacant they will challenge for leadership. (The majority of dogs of the same sex live harmoniously together but on occasions different temperaments can produce rivalry)

Rosie was simply putting the younger dog in its place and she needed support from the owner.

Rules and boundaries were put in place. Lots of one to one work was done with Libby and she responded well She was taught not to jump on people and furniture. She learnt to wait behind the owner going in and out of doors, We did lots of basic focus exercises where she had to give eye contact and respond to the owners commands. Both dogs were fed separately.

Libby started to see that the owner was taking control and the top job was filled ! She calmed right down and became a much happier dog. Her temperament meant she was never a natural leader anyway.

Rosie saw she had support from her owner and did not need to chastise Libby again so severely, a little growl occasionally was all that was needed.

The owner of these dogs was committed to keeping her dogs together and worked very hard at changing how she handled them. It was not always easy and took a bit of time but both dogs now live happily together and the owner knows she must retain the ‘top job’ in the household.

A few tips to help keep your dog safe and happy over the holidays

January 1, 2014 By

Dog safety during party season

This time of year for most of us is filled with parties, visiting family and friends and lots of activity and excitement.

To a dog it is a time of change when his/her routine is disturbed.

Dogs really like consistency in their lives especially if he/she has a more nervous or timid temperament. Sometimes our pets can be overwhelmed by all the celebrations.

Here are a few tips to help you and your dog enjoy the holiday period and some pitfalls to avoid.

1) Make sure your dog has a quiet safe place to escape to when the activity is at its loudest.

2) Teach young children to respect the dogs space and let it rest.

3)Don’t let children hand feed the dog tit bits instead tell them to drop any food on the floor for the dog to pick up. (This avoids excited dogs accidentally grabbing at the food)

4) Be wary of feeding the dog turkey(or any other meat) with the gravy and avoid rich puddings …both can be too heavy and cause upset tummies (In the dog that is!) Keep any scraps plain and simple.

5) Keep all chocolate away from your dog. Excess human chocolate has been known to kill dogs in the past.

6)NEVER EVER feed your dog the bone of a cooked turkey or any other animal. Bones become brittle during the cooking process and can cause horrendous damage if they splinter inside the dog.

Be aware of the winter weather.

1) When the temperature plummets be wary of your dog near water e.g. lochs/canals ect our pets don’t understand that thin ice cracks so keep them on lead near any frozen water.

2) If your dog travels with you remember the temperature in the car can drop fast in cold days. If you have to leave your dog for short periods make sure:

You use a warm doggie coat especially for short haired dogs.

If your dog is settled in the car simply wrap a doggie blanket round him/her to retain heat.

3) If your dog has been out in the snow wipe your dogs paws to remove and snow / ice or road salts that may have accumulated.

How to exercise your dog during a spell of bad winter weather

January 1, 2014 By

How to exercise your dog

Ever noticed how dogs seem to disappear from the streets and parks during winter?

In really bad weather when it is more challenging to walk your dog as often as normal other tactics can be used to stimulate your pet. 20 minutes of working your dogs brain and making him think will tire him/her more than an hours run in the park.

In the house set aside 10 minutes and go back to basics and brush up on all your general obedience commands like sit, stay, down and come.
Hide toys/treats around the room for your dog to find.

If you don’t already have one get a Kong toy or food ball and fill with pieces of carrot / apple / peanut butter. Dogs can have lots of fun retrieving the food.

There are plenty of mind puzzle games that can be found on the internet to stimulate mental exercise.
Use your garden to practice focus exercises…..This is when your dog is encouraged to and wants to give you eye contact.

1) Put your dog in the sit position, then tell him/her to stay(always use a hand signal) then start to SLOWLY circle your dog The objective is to complete the circle without your dog moving and keeping focus on you. Give lots of praise at the end. If your dog moves simply put him/her back in the sit position and repeat. Gradually over days make the circle bigger and bigger.

Use a lead / long line for extra control of excitable dogs. Practice each exercise a maximum of 4 times. 5-10 minutes of training twice a day is sufficient. Any more may be too tiring for the dog and you end up with bad behaviour.

2) Teach your dog to sit and stay by your side ,throw an object allow your dog to fetch and return to you. Give lots of praise. All these simple exercises can be done in the house (If the room is large enough) or garden /driveway. Daily mental stimulation will help prevent the bad behaviours like destruction and hyperness that can result from boredom and lack of exercise.

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The do’s and don’ts with dog training

November 12, 2013 By

Bringing a new dog or puppy into the home is a time of excitement and joy. However, this joy can quickly turn into lots of frustration. You will just think about how you got into this as you clean a mess all over again. By teaching your dog proper behavior, you can regain the happiness you first felt. The advice below will help you set out a winning strategy.

Proper and generous rewards are critical to dog training. Reward your dog with some treats right after they obey an order. The reason is that dogs may not grasp why they receive rewards if they are given at odd times.

Be patient when teaching your dog, it will take some time. It may take 25-50 tries before your dog understands a command consistently and thoroughly. Being patient while trying the same task or command will allow your dog to understand it.

When using a crate to train your dog, you’ll want to make sure that you select the right size. Don’t forget, your puppy will grow. Pick a crate that will be of suitable size for the adult when the puppy matures. Your dog should be able to easily turn around and sleep without being overly crowded.

Have frequent or as necessary mini-training sessions to reinforce and keep the rules fresh in your dog’s mind. Do not assume that your dog will remember his training all his life. However, pets are ruled by habits, structure and routine in much that same way that humans are. For this reason, you need to reinforce what your dog has learned in training or better still, teach him a new trick every now and then.

Training a dog to roll over is a pretty simple task, just make sure to have a few treats handy! Initially, try to get your dog to lay on the floor. Hold a treat between your forefingers near the left side of your dog’s head, and then slowly pass the treat in front of his face and to the opposite side. They’ll follow your treat with their nose which will cause them to roll over. As he rolls over say out loud, “roll over.” Repeat this until he rolls over with the command alone. Put your frustration aside and he’ll be performing this trick all over the place in no time.

When training dogs, use a similar tone and volume when you give commands. This will let him know you are serious and he needs to listen. In time, your dog will understand what you want regardless of which words you use.

Remember to have patience when it comes to training your dog. This reduces frustration and annoyance when dog training. Understand that your dog actually wants to please you, however he/she can be confused with what it is you want them to do.

Use the same hand signal or voice command to get your dog’s attention. Start all commands with the dog’s name. This will get his attention, and then you can tell him what to do. This will get their attention quick and aid your training routine.

Dog training is built upon love, patience, and treats. The ideas above are sure to pave the way toward a lasting, rewarding friendship between you and your pet. Although it will take time, consistent training will result in more contentment for both you and the dog.

At Pawsitive Solutions, we specialise in helping you get the best possible relationship with your dog.

Why not enquire about our services using our enquiry page – https://pawsitivesolutions.com/enquiries/

The do’s and don’ts with dog training

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