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Shy
Dogs | Problem Dogs | Positive
Training | Resources
Training, Socializing & Behavior
Training and socialization are important factors in
growing a well-behaved dog. For danes, especially, it's important
for them to know basic commands such as sit, down, stay (or at least
wait!), no, off. I'm no expert in training but I've learned enough
in the past several years to know that positive training is the
best way to go. No leash jerks, no choker chains, no bops on the
head or shake cans or anything like that. There's a much more enjoyable
and fun way to train. All it takes is a clicker and a few minutes
of your time regularly. Or you can forgo the clicker and just use
lots of treats and praise. It works! I promise.
Check out books by Karen Pryor or Jean Donaldson for more info.
Another really cool thing I've learned about is calming
signals. All dogs throw calming signals in stressful or potentially
challenging situations. Some typical calming signals are licking
the lips, yawning, avoiding eye contact, etc. If you're interested
in learning more about this fascinating subject, get either the
little booklet by Turid Rugaas or the tapes by the same.
Dealing with shyness
When she was younger, Panda was a very shy puppy.
Although well socialized, she never grew comfortable meeting strangers.
At one time, she absolutely adored dogs of any kind. Now that she's
all grown up, she's fear aggressive toward both people and dogs.
All the socialization in the world didn't help and, at times, may
actually have caused damage. During a major fear imprint stage,
Panda was traumatized by contractors working in the house for several
months. While this doesn't seem like a big deal for most dogs, for
Panda, who is also noise phobic, it was devastating. Of course,
I didn't know enough until it was too late. And, a case of vaccinosis
probably didn't help at all.
If you've got a shy dog or a dog who exhibits aggressive
behavior toward dogs and/or people, seek help from trained professionals
who don't advocate any kind of aggressive behavior themselves (such
as shake cans, shock collars, etc.). Also I've found that the e-mail
groups (listed in the right column) contain a wealth of advice,
support and information. In fact, I've often found them to be more
useful and informative than the professionals!
Is your dog stubborn and out
of control? Read on...
Can we talk about this for a few minutes? More like,
can I go on about this? Because it's a hot button.
Do you love your dog? Do you? Or are you in some kind
of control game with your dog at all times? Do you always have to
win? Do you always have to be right? Is everything always your way?
Get a stuffed animal, then, and not a real dog.
Why does a perfectly good dog have to be in a constant
state of confusion because somewhere, somehow you heard that the
dog should never win and that you should always be right? If your
dog isn't listening to you, perhaps you're not communicating very
clearly. Or maybe it's hot and the dog doesn't want to move. So
what's the big deal? Why is the fact that the dog is hot and doesn't
want to go in the 110 degree sunshine automatically about the dog
wanting to be in control and dominate you? For God's sake, get a
grip and think about it. Maybe the dog is just hot. Maybe he's sick
and doesn't feel well. Maybe you usually don't make him go out at
11 am and he thinks he's got a choice. Why throw a hissy? Why get
all bent out of shape and make the dog go out because you heard
it's a sign that he think he's boss?
If it's a pattern of not listening and your frustration
and anger increases each and every time your dog doesn't listen
to you, please seek professional help. Either you need to learn
to communicate better so that your dog understands what you want
and understands that doing what you want is a good thing, or you
need help setting boundaries and creating expectations in yourself,
your family and your dog.
Ever see the show "The Nanny?" Go watch
it. You're the parent with the whiny out of control kid. And guess
what, it's not that kid's fault. It's YOURS. All yours. So learn
how to tell the dog what you want from him, reward him for doing
what you want done, and ignore the crap he pulls that isn't what
you want.
It's not instant gratification. It's still frustrating.
If you're frustrated and you can feel yourself beginning to shout
and get mad, walk away. Do something else. No one benefits when
you are irrational. Seriously, get professional help. AND LISTEN
to the TRAINER. Don't go, expect them to fix your problem and then
complain when the dog listens to them but not to you.
I was out at a public fair the other day. I was hot
and I was pissy--I'm horrible in the heat. Tonka was with me and
guess what? He was hot and he was not happy either. At one point,
I had asked him to lay down. And he wouldn't do it, and I was really
getting annoyed. And he would lay down and I would sit in my seat,
and he would immediately pop up like it was a game. Ooooh, I was
really getting pissed off. I could feel my teeth start to grind
together. And I sent him that stare. And then....And then, you know
what? I got a grip. I thought, what the hell am I doing? Where is
this going to get me, other than even more annoyed (my Tonka can
be stubborn as the day is long)? So...I gave the leash to someone
else and walked off to have a cool iced tea. When I got back, I
was in a much better frame of mind to deal with Tonka, who was hot
and cranky too. And he was happy to see me and more inclined to
listen after a short absence.
I could very well go on for pages about this. I'm
going to contain myself and just say: get a grip. Figure out what
you really want your dog to do, make sure that the dog actually
understands what you want, and get help if you can't seem to get
that across to him in a positive fun way.
Use lots and lots of treats (what, are you afraid
they'll run out? is there something wrong with giving your dog something
nice while teaching him something? Or do you just like being stingy
and controlling?) and lighten up! this isn't a war zone, and it
doesn't have to be the stage for a battle every night.
Positive Training
is so very important. Why not make training
fun? Don't stress yourself and your dog by always expecting perfect
performance. If it takes a while for a dog to learn to reliably
do a down, don't force her into a submissive position because she
doesn't do it fast enough. She'll get there, be patient.
I'm a pretty intense person and obedience training
the first time around was difficult--there was so much to concentrate
on, so much that could go wrong. It took me a long while before
I loosened up enough to make the training a little more fun for
both of us. And what a difference that made in both danes' attitudes
toward training!
It took me a long time, too, to go to class and continue
to do things at my own pace, which is sometimes super slow if I've
got other things on my mind or am flustered. For the longest time,
I was so intent on doing everything when the trainer told me to
do things, so worried that I wouldn't get the next step that I couldn't
concentrate on the current one. Now I concentrate on the current
one and, if I miss the next one, I just skip it and move on. Sounds
simple but it was a big breakthrough for me. And Tonka appreciates
the new me.
Lighten up! ENJOY your dog and your relationship
with her.
Resources
Finding a positive trainer and the right trainer also
takes work. Not all trainers are good trainers. And not all are
gentle. Try the trainers on this list first:
there's even an article about interviewing the trainer.
And several bout positive training techniques:
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