Tag: Dogs

Do you look like your dog?


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Do you look like your dog? It’s interesting to think how many people get animals that actually resemble their owners.

Blonde owners choosing blonde puppies, people with certain facial characteristics picking dogs with big eyes, smooched in noses, long noses, extra furry or no hair at all. It is fascinating how many people subconsciously want a dog that looks like themselves.

According to Dr, Workman from Bath Spa University “Psychologists asked 70 people to match 41 dog owners, found through the Kennel Club, to their breeds. They were correct between 50 and 60 per cent of the time, when chance suggested that they should have a success rate of around 33 per cent”.

Now the physical traits can be attributed to some circumstance. Large men might tend to large breed dogs and petit women might prefer small breeds due to the ease of dog. For example, a larger built man or women can handle a heavier build dog breed and might enjoy the power behind the dog.

However when studies were conducted pertaining to personality traits and dog choices there was not a significant difference in the results.

But if you are not sure if this dog lookalike phenomenon is true, head over to a best in show contest or just mossy on down to your local dog park and observe. You might be finding more similarity than you think!!!!

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How to give your dog attention


Do you know when to give attention to your dog or cat? Most people would say yes but you would be surprised how wrong they are!

Give attention to your dog or cat when they are quiet and laying down. So if you are watching tv and your dog is just sitting there reinforce that behavior with love, praise or treats! Don’t ignore this good behavior and then when your door bell rings and your dog barks give him attention. This happens all the time people don’t give attention to good behavior and then when an undesired behavior occurs that is what gets their attention . This tells the dog that being quiet and calm is less rewarding then being loud and barking . Thus increasing the possibility of undesired behaviors.

This works for ever animal scenario.

Lets say in the morning you know that your cat loves being fed. He is quiet and you haven’t got out of bed just to put food down in the bowl. You wait in bed and now your cat meows or scratches . So you get up, talk to your cat and feed him, and this is how a loud annoying cat behavior starts. Instead of feeding a quiet cat you wait till they make noises and then you feed them .

You always want to set yourself up for success so anticipate poor behavior and give attention to your animals when they are good and ignore the bad behaviors and then just watch your lives improve just from this simple change.

Happy Training

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Dogs are so funny


When I think of dogs I think of them as people . All with different personalities, sizes, shapes, colors and habits. During the week I have encountered several dogs all that amaze me in their own special way.

One situation that was interesting involved two dogs . One who is gregarious but is uncomfortable left alone and the other one is a little fatty but is great by himself. I arrived at the residence and started training immediately . After the session I wanted to treat the dogs to a fun play session in a dog park before I left . So I grab the leashes and like usual the outgoing dog sprints over ready for his walk the other dog is so happy in his bed with his bone that the dog park was not as reinforcing as the bone and bed combo. I called twice and to no avail.

It’s amazing how these dogs that live together and are good friends truly can exhibit separate personality traits.
Remember that dogs are more like us then you may think; just like children you have to respect and acknowledge that all dogs are different and thus they need different types of attention.

When I am involved in training I use different training techniques for different dogs. This is important!

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What can I do to help relieve my dog’s separation anxiety?


Separation anxiety is one of the most stressful experiences for dog owners, especially for people living in condos or apartments. Your dog barks (annoying neighbors) urinates (even if they just got walked) and they can eat or dig at everything. Today we will go over several ways to solve this problem .

De-sense training:

Dogs know when you are leaving and that is what triggers the fear. Putting on shoes, getting your keys, turning off the television are all daily reminders you are leaving. This technique teaches you to eliminate those signs. When you are in your home pick up your keys but don’t leave. Sit down watch TV shaking your keys or do your daily chores with the keys . Reinforce your dog anytime he is not concerned you are leaving . The same works with your shoes or purse. Reducing the stress of leaving will make your dog much more calm and comfortable . This takes time and patience but worth it.

Treats:

Make leaving time as positive as the time when you are home. Anytime you leave give your dog an amazing toy/ treat. Something they only get when you leave. A frozen kong toy with peanut butter is great, this is redirection . This allows your dog to focus on positive treats instead of the negative leaving.

Eliminate distractions

If your dog barks at noise, people walking in the halls, or cars driving by set your dog up for success. Crate training is great if your dog is crate trained. Leaving the television on can also be comfortable if you watch a lot of television when you are home, it also can drown out outside noise and if your dog barks it drowns out that as well. Put your curtains down so outside observations don’t trigger barking.

All these solutions are positive reinforcement training. Apply all or just one to your specific dog needs.

If behavioral issues can’t be resolved even with an experienced animal trainer there are medical solutions as well. Calming sprays, calming jackets and calming medications.

I treat everything behaviorally before medically. So have patience with this problem and be dedicated.

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