So if you’ve spent any time with your dog attached to a 20 foot cotton lead, in a nice little park in Webster Groves, running away from other dogs, you’ve probably heard my “guy walks into a bar” analogy. Yes, it starts like a bad joke that should be followed up with a priest and a rabbi, except it doesn’t really have a punchline. Seriously though, for those lucky ones who haven’t heard, you might ask what’s the significance? Often times I’ll break out my “guy in a bar” routine to help dog owners identify with how their dog might be feeling when faced with challenging situations and doggy confrontation. We’ve all had one of those days, right?… Maybe it’s a Friday morning and you’re headed into work. It should be an easy breezy commute being at the end of the work week, but instead, you hit a major wreck on 270 … Read More
The “Four-Legged” Approach to Good Behavior
Image courtesy of http://jonathanturley.org One of my most cherished bosses in the world once used the analogy that there are 3 “legs of the bar stool” of that particular company that supported our department and its efforts. Without one of those “legs” the entire operation would come crashing down. I love the first day of group dog training classes, where I get to share my philosophy on training and get students on the same page before they even bring their dogs to class. This is where I, too, get to use my own “bar stool” analogy when it comes to obtaining good dog behavior. Except in my version, there’s four legs to the bar stool. Let’s face it, when there’s something as unpredictable as dog behavior at stake, you want to make sure you’re on the most stable foundation possible… Leg 1 – Nutrition What you put in Fido’s mouth … Read More
Containing Your Dog May Be the Key to Calmer Behavior
Do you have a dog won’t listen and won’t pay attention? Is your dog too hyper? Does your dog know exactly what to do but is just plain stubborn? I hear these complaints all too often from clients. After a little investigating and digging a little deeper into the dog’s daily routine, the issue becomes clear. Your dog’s lifestyle is more like a permanent trip to the doggie equivalent of Disney World. In other words, the dog has too many options on how to entertain themselves, so much so that they never are able to settle down and focus. Oftentimes, these dogs are given full roam of the house at a very early age. This is like turning a child loose in a gigantic, over-stimulating theme park. So many places to run, so many places to hide… so many ways to get into trouble, too! This “all access” approach often … Read More
Get That Dog a Job
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard in class and in private client lessons, “We had a dog previously and he was perfect, but this dog/puppy we have now is different!” Really? Is the new dog that different, or are they maybe just forgetting what life was like with an adolescent dog in the house because it was so long ago? Are they just reminiscing about the late years of their dog’s life where their dog laid around quietly and calmly most of the day and, finally after several months or years of chaos, there was peace and joy in the home? Truly, there may be lots of differences in dogs depending on breed characteristics, exercise requirements, differences in personality and energy levels. However, there is always the underlying biological fact that a dog is, indeed, still a dog. A little bit about dogs… Dogs are self-fulfilling. Dogs … Read More
Combatting the Counter Surfer
Are you tired of making dinner for yourself, only to discover that your dog helped himself to it first? Are you sick of jumping up and down from a relaxing evening on the couch to see what the dog has gotten into now? And are you completely done with having to clean the counters constantly due to evidence of dirty dog paws? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, it sounds like you have a counter surfer, or a dog that just cannot help himself from stealing, chewing or licking anything that you could possibly have out on the counters (kitchen, bathroom or otherwise). Why does a dog counter surf? There could be a couple reasons that your dog could be counter surfing. The most obvious reason is that there is something desirable, like food, out on the counters. If your dog is tall enough and they haven’t … Read More
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