GET RID OF THE PROBLEM - NOT THE DOG !!!!!
Living
with a dog who doesn't share your ideas about good behavior can be very
stressful!! Whether you are having difficulty in housebreaking, crate
training,
chewing, jumping, barking, nipping, aggression or excessive submission,
a private lesson or telephone consultation can help.
Private lessons and in-home training are always available at South Mountain Dog Training Center. The price for a one-hour private lesson is $75.00 done here at my dog training building OR $150.00 at your home within a 15 minute radius of Emmaus. I will also give telephone consultations or email consultations at $35 per half hour plus $5 for each email handout.I will give you immediate answers on resolving unwanted or unacceptable behavior. But it is my experience that the dog does not normally exhibit the behavior problem in my presence, either here or in your home, so it is best for me to simply explain HOW to correct the problem instead of waiting until the dog will do it in my presence. I can work on any behavior problem (or problems) with you and can usually teach you how to correct all of them in a one-hour session. From your telephone conversation, I can assess the situation.If I feel that I can't help you (which is usually only in the case of true, vicious aggression), I will recommend a "doggie behaviorist" to help you.
The majority of the people that come here for a one hour lesson on behavior problems learn how to fix all of their behavior problems (ie: playbiting, jumping up, pulling on the leash, digging, counter-surfing, housebreaking, crate training, etc.) and are thrilled with the results. But they also realize how much they would benefit from teaching the dog all of the obedience commands, too, and then sign up and complete one of the group classes offered. Many people call for a class after a semester is already in progress and will take one private lesson for behavior problems so they can keep their sanity until the next semester of classes begin and then they can start the TOTAL training of their dog.
I have to say that, after doing this for 30+ years, the GROUP classes are definitely what is BEST for the DOG. I could make ALOT of money doing private lessons but I want you to do what is BEST for your DOG. You can teach your dog either here or at your home via private lessons and your dog will only listen to you when NOTHING else is going on around him. Then company comes or you take the dog out in public - then EVERYTHING is a DISTRACTION to the dog and he WILL NOT LISTEN to a word you are saying. In the group classes, the dogs learn to listen to you with 14 other people and 14 other dogs in the class and the extensive distraction training that we offer. We also encourage you to get out to practice in very distracting environments such as parks, strip malls, school yards, pet stores, etc.
If
your work schedule does not allow group lessons or you have an
infirmity
that would not lend itself to being in a group class, I will do private
lessons for the whole program of Puppy Preschool, Beginner, or Advanced
Beginner but it is accelerated (we can do 2 weeks of lessons in a one
hour
session) and then meet again 2 weeks later, after you have had the time
and opportunity to practice one week's lesson at a time.
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Does
your dog sometimes act like "Cujo"?? 1) He could be exhibiting Dominant
or Bratty
Aggression (does not see you as "pack leader") and gets aggressive
toward you when he doesn't WANT to do something or take
something
from him. 2) He could be exhibiting Territorial/Protective
Aggression
(excessively protective of you, your family or your home). 3) He could be exhibiting Dog Aggression (aggression toward other dogs). 4) Or he could be exhibiting true Vicious Aggression and gets aggressive consistently toward everything and everyone. In my experience, 99.9% of dogs with aggressive tendencies fall into categories one through three above and are easily correctable. Remember, you could be sued for everything you own if your dog ever bites someone in this "sue happy" world we live in!! |
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Is
your dog extremely hyper or excitable?? Does it seem as if he never
settles down (even when time to go to bed) and is constantly "busy"? This dog needs a number of things: 1) He needs lots and lots of exercise with your help.Throwing a ball or frisbee for him to retrieve, hitting a ball for him with a tennis racquet (easier on you!), jogging with him, taking him for LONG walks, allowing him to run free in a completely fenced in area (the VERY BEST), etc. A TIRED DOG IS A GOOD DOG!! 2) This dog needs exciting and challenging toys to play with (not the run-of-the-mill bones, squeaky toys, etc). There are plenty of toys on the market that fit that criteria. I will share the list at a lesson or during the classes. |
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Is your dog extremely shy and afraid of every new thing or experience that you expose him to?? Shy and fearful dogs are more likely to become fear biters as they grow older. This dog needs a tremendous amount of socialization with people and other dogs and exposure to everything he will no doubt come in contact with during his lifetime. If he is shy or fearful, don't coddle him or verbally reassure him (it sounds like praise). Just let him experience it for himself while you quietly watch and praise him when you are sure he is comfortable with the situation. If he doesn't get comfortable, matter-of-factly walk away from the situation. If he's afraid of people, go to as many places that you can find with alot of people and carry treats in your pockets to give to passing people and ask them to feed him. He will soon associate people as GOOD and full of goodies and will soon be over his fear of people. |
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Housebreaking - if done properly, should take no more than 1-1/2 to 2 weeks. Dogs develop elimination habits during their first few months of life. A dog's natural instinct is not to eliminate where they rest (their crate or den). Being creatures of habit, a dog will return to his usual spot to eliminate when convenient. Dogs can be conditioned to eliminate when you give a command or phrase such as "go out". The desired behavior is likely to be repeated if it is positively reinforced. You should verbally praise the dog for elimination in the proper place every time. Some important things to remember when first beginning to housebreak your puppy: 1) Treat him as if he is a human toddler - never let him out of your sight. If you have to take a shower, for instance, put him in his crate (like a playpen for a child). 2) Confine him to the room you are in and watch for signs of having to go out (sniffing at the floor, circling, etc). A dog will normally have to go out immediately after waking in the morning, after a nap or play session, and soon after eating. 3) Feed at regularly scheduled times (3 times per day at first until he doesn't want the middle meal, then twice per day for life). Do not put food out all day - this will make him have to go all day. 4) Take him out on leash to the area you want him to go and go out the same door everytime. You will be establishing a routine for him that he will follow when trained. Dogs will not necessarily bark or go to the door when they want to go out. Everytime I am going to take a new puppy out, I will say "do you want to go out?" in an excited tone. Eventually they will exhibit a certain behavior (circling, barking, jumping up, etc.). I believe this teaches them to come to ME to let me know when they have to go out. |
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Pulling on the leash is probably the biggest problem people have with their dogs. Many owners have been injured when their dog has pulled them under a car because he spotted a squirrel, or have shoulder injuries caused by their dog's constant pulling. Your dog does not have to pull you and can be taught to walk in the general vicinity of your left side and not react by pulling you when he sees something that interests him. This is a very simple exercise to teach any dog. |
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Barking
is a normal, natural behavior for dogs. It relieves
tension. It drives strangers away (they always leave eventually). It is
the way
dogs communicate. You want your dog to bark, when necessary, to protect
your home from uninvited intruders. Dogs will normally bark when they
see
someone approaching your door or property and that is normal and
acceptable.
But excessive barking is very annoying to most people (you, your family members, and neighbors) and very easily correctable. Barking should stop when the dog is commanded to do so. Dogs learn to stop barking on command very easily if taught correctly. We will give you the tools to correct your dog and teach him when it is ok to bark and when it's not. |
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Dogs
dig. This is a very natural thing for them to do. They dig to find a
cool spot, escape, bury a bone, or simply because they are bored. If
the
dog has nothing better to do (no entertaining toys to play with) and/or
no human companionship while outside, he may dig. Dogs naturally want
to
be with their pack (you and your family) and more often than not, the dog is left alone in the yard without his pack, and without anything to amuse him, which will force him to find something to do to "amuse" himself. Digging fills that bill for him and makes him happy.There are very simple cures for digging, especially if they are digging in one particular spot. |
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Dogs should NEVER be protective of their food and/or toys. You should ALWAYS be able to take ANY item from your dog with NO growling or aggressiveness whatsoever. We bought that food - we bought those toys. They belong to US. We (as their leaders) choose to give these items to them and they are not THEIRS to protect!! When you want to take something from your dogs mouth, you should be able to do this anytime you want to. Training should be started when they are young puppies but it is never too late to start this training. When your dog is really into chewing and/or playing with a toy, put your hand across the top of their muzzle, push their upper lip in between the upper and lower teeth, and take the item with the other hand while giving the command "Out", "Give", or "Drop". Using this technique, your dog doesn't have a choice than to release the toy because, if he chomps down, he is chomping down on his own lip. Once you have the item, immediately give the dog verbal praise and then hand the toy back to the dog. If your dog shows any aggression, you must be firm in your discipline, as this is totally unacceptable behavior!!! |
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1. Playbiting - very easy to correct. 2. Jumping on you or on company - also very easy to correct. 3. Coming when called - coming to you should be the most pleasant thing that happen to your dog. NEVER call your dog to you to discipline him or do something he feels is unpleasant. 4. Running away or running out of yard - GET A FENCE!! 5. Chewing - crate the dog when you can't watch the dog 100% of the time. Dog-proof your house - keep all items out of the dogs reach that he shouldn't have (shoes,slippers, dirty wash, etc.). 6. Stealing food off of counters or tables - very easy to correct. There are many other behavior problems too numerous to mention but there are fixes (usually simple fixes) to stop all behavior problems that you deem to be unacceptable to you!! We will give you the tools to fix them. |
Lack
of structure is the foremost cause of anxiety, which can lead to a
variety
of
destructive behaviors (house-soiling, chewing, digging, aggression,
etc.). In the mildest
of cases, your dog can cause several hundred to several thousand
dollars
worth of damage
to a person or property. In the worst cases (involving bites),
litigation
could cost not only
your dog's life, but your house and property...
As
humans and adults, we need to accept responsibility for our dog's
behaviors
and realize
that we DO have the
ability to make real change. We need to adopt an
attitude
that it is
not our dog who has the problem. It is a management problem. It is our
inability to handle
certain situations AND
that our actions may contribute to these
behaviors.
To make the
change, WE need to
behave more like leaders.
Be
the leader of your dog's pack. It is such a fine line but an important
one to find. It
could mean the difference between sending clear and meaningful signals
to our animals or
confusing them to the point of frustration, anxiety, or aggression.
Remember,
they are
living in OUR world
and it is our responsibility to maintain the rules
and structure. At the
same time, we MUST
respect their minds and souls and treat them with
kindness
and
structure. By practicing basic obedience exercises, you can strengthen
the desire of your
canine companion to take direction from you.
As
with most bad habits, the ideal solution is to never let them become
habits
in the first
place. It is much easier to shape desired behaviors than to repair or
change
learned ones.
Your dog has no idea that he is "misbehaving" for only one reason - he
has learned that
cruising the counters and getting into "interesting" stuff often gets
GREAT
results (food
or neat stuff to play with). The behavior is "self-rewarding" to the
dog
- the dog gets
what he wants when he does these things. To have him make the
connection
between his
behavior and the resulting punishment, the "bad thing" (a booby trap,
for
instance) must
happen THE INSTANT he
is DOING or STARTING TO DO the
undesired behavior.
Therefore, you must create a negative association to deter future bad
behavior.
That
way,
the behavior ITSELF is associated with
the punishment. You need to "set
up" multiple
situations where you know he will "misbehave" in order to correct him.
It's no use correcting
or punishing him later for something you didn't catch him doing, as he
doesn't remember
what he did that you are now correcting him for.
To
minimize or eliminate most behavior problems, a dog needs plenty of
exercise
and quality
time with you. A TIRED DOG IS A
GOOD DOG!!! Dogs need to have
free
run inside a
fenced-in area while you throw a frisbee, ball, or hit tennis balls
with
a racquet. Or they
need to jog or walk long distances with you. They need one-on-one
interaction
and
exercise with you. Otherwise, they get frustrated both physically and
emotionally
and then
express their frustration in socially unacceptable behaviors.
Hyperactivity,
chewing, and
jumping are just a few misbehaviors typical of the underexercised,
understimulated
dog.
FUN
with your dog means keeping the dog's mind in balance with leadership
and
structure.
FUN with your dog means the dog enjoys a stress-free life with training
at the core.
FUN with your dog means your dog never has to know the perils of
behavioral
problems
that
lead
to abandonment, placement in shelters, or even euthanasia.
A
healthy relationship, through structure and training, gives a dog what
he needs to live
a
long, happy life
right by your side-where he LONGS TO BE-AND where
he BELONGS!
All of the above
behavior
problems are also addressed in every Puppy Preschool and Beginner
Class.
Attend one of these classes for fun-filled and educational classes.
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