Positive Petzine

Since this new website was launched I've been asking people who send me questions to post their question to a Blog on this website so that everyone may benefit from their question and any answers received. Not only do you get my response, if any of our other registered users (some of whom represent the best dog training brains in the business) have anything to add then they are free to do so via the "Add a Comment" button below the post.

So how do you submit a Blog to this site?

First, you need to Log In (click here to log in or log in below the main menu on the left hand side of this page).

If you haven't read my original blog entry about the Calm-O-Meter, click here. (Will open in a new window).

I've been using the Calm-O-Meter for a few weeks now so it's time for an update. When we started, Sabella was a consistent Grade 6 or 7 before we did anything exciting like go for a walk. She can still peak out in certain situations, but has learned to quickly regulate herself.

So I'm working towards a consistent Grade 4 now, she is demonstrating Grade 5 consistently right now (in the trained situations, new situations will always require a looser criteria/higher grade).

I would definitely say that she is learning to self-regulate. Sometimes she gets really excited, but when she remembers to pull her head in she quickly drops to a Grade 2 or 3. I think that's a great result, but I'm not getting ahead of myself. I just work towards one Grade at a time.

Would you believe that your dog is capable of following a track left by a person and finding them at the end, and that you can teach this in the time it takes to feed his normal daily meal without any extra training? Many dog owners are learning about the sport of Tracking. Find out if your dog has what it takes to be the next Tracking Champion or Search and Rescue hero!

The plan is really quite simple. You take a portion of your dog's normal meal in a plastic bag. Then you 'lay the track', just walk normally across your yard, placing a piece of food in each step.

Pretty easy right? Your dog shouldn't have any trouble at all finding all the food you left lying around the yard. When he gets to the end of the track, tell him what a good boy he is and give him the rest of his meal. He doesn't actually have to find anyone at the end, yet. He just needs to find the food.

I've long since thrown out our dog food bowls, I feed mostly raw anyway. But after reading BrainWork for Smart Dogs I've decided never to just give my dogs a free meal ever again.

Yesterday I poured two cups of premium dry food (not one of the recall list foods) into an empty 2 litre plastic milk bottle with the lid off (see safety tip in comments). Sabella had a great time flipping it, punching it, kicking it, shaking it - whatever she could to make the food spill out.

What qualities do dogs look for in their leaders? Adopt these 3 simple qualities to turn your dog's behavior around almost literally overnight!

It probably won't surprise you to learn that dogs look for the same leadership qualities that people look for - consistent leaders who lead by example and who reward good behavior.

1. Consistency: communication between different species is not an easy task, especially when one species can talk and the other can't! Inconsistency makes that task all the more difficult. By adopting consistent behaviors in yourself, setting consistent boundaries, and keeping some sort of consistent routine - your dog will have an easier job of figuring out what you expect.

2. Lead by example: dogs tend to mimic our actions. Don't rely on them interpreting our intentions correctly. If we yell at our dog for being aggressive, this can lead to more aggression from our dog. They don't necessarily understand that we are angry and upset with their actions, they just follow our lead. When we learn calm approaches to dealing with this sort of problem, our lead is followed with calmness in return.

Has your dog ever had an ear infection? Likely your vet will have prescribed ear medications for treatment or prevention of future ear infections.

The problem with ear medications is that they can be quite uncomfortable for your dog, the medication often needs to be administered in liquid form directly into the ear canal.

Your dog may find this uncomfortable and start avoiding you, or even becoming aggressive towards you.

If your dog becomes aggressive, consult with your vet and seek help from a competent behavioral trainer knowledgeable in desensitization and counter-conditioning. Avoid anyone who suggests punishing your dog for this behavior.

If the problem is only mild, then you can begin this simple and effective desensitization procedure yourself.

Have some small, yummy treats ready. Do this exercise before a meal, not after. The exercise involves forming a positive association with the ear medication and having the ear touched by pairing with yummy treats (for more information, Google "Pavlov").

You don't need to spend a fortune to keep your pet entertained. Your dog or puppy will love these dollar saving ideas.

Buy your Peanut Butter in plastic jars instead of glass jars. When you have finished, your dog will have hours of fun cleaning the last smears out of the old jar. Glass jars can potentially break and injure your dog or chip teeth, whereas plastic jars are less risky. Make sure your dog can't get his head or jaw stuck inside the jar, and always supervise. This is a good toy for when you're watching a DVD and can't occupy puppy.

Put food in old toilet rolls or cereal boxes and fold the ends shut. Your dog will have great fun figuring out how to get the food out! He can either destroy the box or tube, or make a hole and shake the food out.

When asked what is the biggest cause of dog behavior problems, most people would guess at lack of training, a 'dominance' problem, or inadequate socialisation. Some might even try to blame the dog's genetics or temperament. Whilst any of these might cause dog behavior problems, a great many dog behavior problems are caused in whole or in part by this one thing - not enough Exercise!

So what are your dog's exercise requirements?

That depends on age, breed and individual. Puppies shouldn't be exercised for more than 20 minutes at a time, but they can be exercised gently quite frequently. Most puppies like to play, which tires them out with or without your help. Be careful not to over-walk puppies, their bones need to mature before they can be walked for long periods. Speak to your vet, but 20 minutes of walking at a time is about right.

Different breeds have different exercise requirements. Working and herding breeds typically have very high exercise requirements. Take the German Shepherd as an example, German Shepherd Dogs are descended from herding dogs who were required to form a "living fence" for their master's flock. This was a 24 hour a day job, which included protection from predators and thieves at night.

Some breeds, whilst they may appear to have high exercise requirements, may not. A Greyhound actually has a fairly low exercise requirement, although they do love to exercise intensely for short bursts.

Have you ever wondered how really good dog trainers come up with the techniques they use to solve behaviour problems in dogs such as excessive barking, destructive chewing, toileting in the house and jumping up on visitors? Or how top dog trainers come up with ways to train dogs in top obedience and working competitions?