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Turner Publishing Company - Victoria Schade

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128 pages

English

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Fast and easy fixes for common dog problems

As the owner of a puppy, professional dog trainer Victoria Schade is well aware how easily things can go awry. Frustration, confusion, and a basic lack of knowledge can make even a simple behavior problem blossom into something huge and??unwieldy. Now, in Secrets of a Dog Trainer, she gives pet parents a trainer's point of view, explaining why dog owners' instinctual reactions to their dogs' bad behaviors may not be the most successful. In an engaging, approachable way, she helps you understand "trainer think" — which stems from "dog think."

Explains why a quick fix—or not doing things the dog trainer way—can lead to bigger problems in the future
Illustrates how a typical layperson's response can negatively impact the dog's behavior in the long term
Presents the dog trainer solution for coping with common dog problems, explaining how, when executed properly, these solutions provide predictable, positive outcomes

If you're a new puppy parent, or a veteran owner with a dog exhibiting behavior issues, Secrets of a Dog Trainer gives you the tricks of the trade for raising a happy, well-mannered dog.

Sujets

Pets

Victoria L. Schade

Training

Dogs

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	10 juin 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781118553596
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0950€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Secrets of a Dog Trainer
Secrets of a Dog Trainer
Victoria Schade
WILEY
Turner Publishing Company/Howell Book House 424 Church Street Suite 2240 Nashville, Tennessee 37219 445 Park Avenue 9th Floor New York, New York 10022
www.turnerpublishing.com
SECRETS OF A DOG TRAINER: POSITIVE PROBLEM SOLVING FOR A WELL-BEHAVED DOG
Copyright 2014 Victoria Schade
All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Schade, Victoria.
Secrets of a dog trainer : positive problem solving for a well-behaved dog / Victoria Schade. pages cm Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-118-50929-6 1. Dogs--Training. 2. Dogs--Behavior. I. Title. SF431.S333 2014 636.7 0835--dc23 2014016153
Printed in the United States of America 14 15 16 17 18 19 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Tom, my favorite person.
CONTENTS
Introduction: Life with Olive
Part One: Puppy Problems
1 Crate Training
2 Potty Training
3 Household Destruction
4 Nipping and Biting
5 Jumping Up.
6 Shyness and Socialization
Part Two: Life with Fido
7 Training Problem One: Leash Pulling
8 Training Problem Two: Running Away
9 Training Problem Three: Grooming and Handling
Part Three: Beyond the Basics
10 Leash Reactivity
11 Attention-Seeking Behavior
12 Picky Eaters
13 Barking
14 Digging
Conclusion: It Takes Time
Index
Secrets of a Dog Trainer
INTRODUCTION: LIFE WITH OLIVE
Don t you know who am? I asked our new puppy, Olive, as I attempted to wipe her paws, only half joking.
Olive had let out an unmistakable growl at me for toweling her feet after our millionth (and now rainy) potty-training trip to the yard. I was shocked. My shiny new ten-week-old puppy had handling issues? I was so caught off guard that I found myself saying, Hey! Knock it off, Olive!
Whoops.
I regretted saying it the second the words were out of my mouth, as I knew they would do nothing to solve the problem percolating at my feet. I was embarrassed by my reaction and how I had responded to the growl without thinking. I recovered from my surprise and snapped back into dog-trainer mode, ready to address her reactivity the right way.
Clearly my new puppy had no clue that she was living under the same roof as a dog trainer who had built her career working with puppies. (My initial reaction to her growl certainly didn t clue her in!) All she knew was that what I was doing to her paws didn t feel right, and she wanted to let me know that I needed to stop it. So I did.

Is this the face of a puppy with body-handling issues? This photo was taken right around the time when Olive growled at me when I tried to wipe her paws.

As I addressed Olive s handling issue the proper way-more on the specifics later-I pondered how her behavior could develop if I continued telling her to stop it when she growled at me. My initial response was visceral and without thought, which is a dicey approach to dog training. I was lucky in that I had the tools to deal with her reactivity, but I considered what could happen in the average non-dog-trainer household, where telling a growly puppy to quit it is probably a knee-jerk reaction. Unfortunately, knee-jerk reactions to dog problems are rarely the right reactions.
It s helpful to have mindful interactions with our dogs-to think about why we re doing what we re doing, and what impact it will have on our dogs behavior-particularly when they re young and impressionable. Forcing ourselves to be aware of how we work with our dogs, and to realize that every interaction is a potential lesson, can prevent missteps like the one I went through with Olive on that rainy evening. Even though I live and breathe the concept of mindful interactions with my clients, it was easy to fall prey to a quick response that could have damaged the bond with my growing puppy.
Scolding a puppy for growling is a common mistake that doesn t seem like a big deal, but how could my admonition have affected Olive s long-term behavior if I had kept it up? Let s explore three potential outcomes.
Scenario One: Frustrated by Olive s dominance growling, I escalate to yelling at her and wrestling with her each time I need to wipe off her paws. I don t let go or loosen my grip when she growls; I simply holler louder and grab on tighter. She responds by growling more ferociously and showing her teeth, and I often worry that she might bite me. It s an unpleasant task for both of us, but necessary, as her feathered paw fur collects a lot of mud. On rainy days I m forced to trap her before she comes in the house in order to clean her paws. It s a frustrating, messy dance. When she manages to slip by me, I wind up chasing her through the house, maddened by the muddy paw prints she leaves everywhere. I m really upset by the time I catch her, and she s stressed out.
Scenario Two: Olive and I struggle mightily at paw-wiping time, and her discomfort with my handling leaks into other areas, like tooth brushing and nail trimming. Because she already dislikes having her feet handled, cutting her nails is nearly impossible. She runs when she sees the clippers come out, and when I manage to corner her, she growls and bites at the clipper. I m nervous to continue clipping her nails on my own, so I ask my veterinarian to do it. Olive has never liked going to her vet, which is no surprise given her aversion to my handling, let alone a stranger with a thermometer. She s been mouthy during exams in the past-she has a yellow sticker on her file that suggests the need for careful handling-so the veterinarian gingerly attempts the first paw. Olive growls and bites him hard enough that her teeth leave indentations on his skin, so he calls for assistance and a muzzle. Putting on the muzzle requires an extra set of hands, as Olive bucks and gnashes so wildly that she nearly falls off the table. One vet tech holds her body and one stabilizes her head as the veterinarian slips the muzzle over her mouth. Olive is trembling with fear, but she still jerks her head toward the veterinarian s hand each time the clipper cuts through a nail. I stand by, sad for my dog and embarrassed at what I ve just witnessed.

On Dominance
In the old-school training world, it seems that anything a dog does that humans don t agree with can be chalked up to dominance. Jumping up, urine marking, pulling on the leash, growling-these behaviors are quite natural in the dog world, but somehow they morph into power struggles in our households according to trainers who believe in a pack theory behavioral hierarchy. Viewing these types of behaviors through the prism of dominance allows for indignation to creep in, as in, How dare you challenge me, dog? Decisions made with this attitude can cause long-term problems rather than provide solutions. When you consider that the dog that urine-marks in the house might not be fully housetrained, or the dog that growls when you try to trim his nails might have had a painful nail trim in the past, you can approach the problem from a more accepting dog-friendly perspective.
Scenario Three: Olive growls at me when I wipe her paws, and I yell loudly enough to frighten her and suppress the growling. Even though she no longer growls when I towel off her feet, she cowers when I do it and keeps her body very stiff. She tucks her tail between her legs, ducks her head as I reach for her, and leans away from me as I work. She still tries to escape as I wipe her down, but I can tell it s because she s afraid of me and what I m doing to her. Sometimes when I reach out to pet her, she moves away from me. My young niece visits on a rainy weekend, and I ask her to wipe Olive s paws before they come in from the yard. She attempts to do it, and Olive growls and quickly nips her hand before she even touches the rag to her paw.
Now, the three scenarios presented above are possible scenarios, not guaranteed outcomes. Olive could very well have continued her low-level growling at me without taking it to the next level, but that s not a chance I was willing to take. I wanted Olive to welcome, or, at the very least, graciously tolerate, typical health-and-wellness routines, and the only way to make that happen was to address her growly reaction head-on. Letting a problem fester instead of actively working on it allows the behavior to take root in a dog s behavioral repertoire. I was unwilling to live with an unhappy, growly dog during the rain and mud season, and I didn t relish the thought of potential spin-off behavioral problems that could sprout from her handling issues.
Often, major canine challenges stem from humble beginnings. The tiny puppy that pulls on his leash when he walks can become the uncontrollable sled dog when he matures. The dog who gets a laugh every time he barks at the doorbell can become the nonstop alarm barker that drives his family crazy. The adolescent rescue dog that still puts her teeth on skin when she plays tug might become the dog that nips a n