Pit Bulls in the Dog Park - Part 3 of 4

Hi everyone!  Last week I left you with some questions to share with your family and friends, sorta like a little "pop quiz" and I am excited to hear how you did on the answers. 

Just as a refresh, here are the questions, along with the answers:

1.  TRUE OR FALSE -- "Smart Socializing" involves setting your dog up for only positive dog-dog interactions.

TRUE! - The more positive interaction ANY dog gets with other dogs, the more likely he will develop and maintain dog-tolerant behavior for life.
Right: This female puppy's all-positive exposure to this well-socialized adult dog was planned for her benefit. She grew up to be a 'Dog Selective' adult meaning, she's easily offended by rude behavior from strange dogs, but she enjoys many trusted dog friends for play and socializing fun.
- See more at: http://www.badrap.org/node/98#sthash.SVY1Z54l.dpuf

TRUE!  The more positive dog-dog interactions your dog has, the more his chances are increased that he will be dog tolerant.  Even a dog that starts out with selective tolerance for other dogs can be trained to be dog tolerant by intentionally setting him up with positive dog-dog play time.

TRUE! - The more positive interaction ANY dog gets with other dogs, the more likely he will develop and maintain dog-tolerant behavior for life.
Right: This female puppy's all-positive exposure to this well-socialized adult dog was planned for her benefit. She grew up to be a 'Dog Selective' adult meaning, she's easily offended by rude behavior from strange dogs, but she enjoys many trusted dog friends for play and socializing fun.
- See more at: http://www.badrap.org/node/98#sthash.SVY1Z54l.dpuf

TRUE! - The more positive interaction ANY dog gets with other dogs, the more likely he will develop and maintain dog-tolerant behavior for life.
Right: This female puppy's all-positive exposure to this well-socialized adult dog was planned for her benefit. She grew up to be a 'Dog Selective' adult meaning, she's easily offended by rude behavior from strange dogs, but she enjoys many trusted dog friends for play and socializing fun.
- See more at: http://www.badrap.org/node/98#sthash.SVY1Z54l.dpuf

2.  TRUE OR FALSE -- Dog parks are a dependable place to begin socializing your dog.


FALSE!  Dog parks are a great place for dogs to interact and run off their energy.  But, the dog park is not a good place for all dogs, and that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with your dog.  The dog park is definitely not the place to train your dog to be sociable.  The tricky part about a dog park for dogs that aren't yet well-socialized is that it forces the dog to come face-to-face with situations that make him feel uncomfortable, and this may trigger defensiveness and other reactions that break into a fight.  And as I said before, if you want your dog to be properly socialized for life, you really don't want him to ever be in a fight if you can avoid it. 









3.  TRUE OR FALSE -- My dog is really good with the other dogs in my home, and with my cousin's dog that lives close by.  Doesn't that mean he will be fine with all other dogs he meets?


FALSE, FALSE FALSE.  Your dog's reaction to canine family members can be very different from his reaction to dogs who are not part of his family.  There are many situations where 3 dogs can live together in perfect harmony, all with different levels of "social."  They can be "dog social," "dog tolerant" and "dog aggressive," but never show their differences to each other in the comfort of their own home.  It is important to know your dog's individual social limitations so that you don't set him up for failure.  Here is a great link from our friends at Bad Rap that talks more about this topic:

http://www.badrap.org/node/97






4.  TRUE OR FALSE -- It's OK to wait until your dog experiences his first fight to know it's time to begin managing and training him about good doggie citizenship.


FALSE. You want to avoid at all cost your dog ever getting into a fight with another dog.  Dogs learn from their bad experiences just like we do, and a bad fight will likely leave him with a lasting impression that will affect his future tolerance for other dogs.

A dog’s first fight is always the one you want to avoid. Why? A bad fight can make a huge impression on your dog and cause him to have a shorter fuse the next time a dog-dog conflict comes up. Dogs learn from their bad experiences just like we do, so it’s best to protect them from conflict. - See more at: http://www.badrap.org/node/98#sthash.SVY1Z54l.dpuf

5.  TRUE OR FALSE -- A good way to socialize a dog is to let her walk up to other dogs she doesn't know while on her daily walk.


FALSE.  The tension that builds at the end of a leash can lead to very intense "arguments" between two dogs that don't know each other.  Also, allowing your dog to participate in this type of greeting can set the stage for him pulling wildly on his leash the next time he passes a dog on a leash that he wants to meet.  It can also lead to a fight (and that's not something you ever want to happen).

I used to be very leash aggressive and still have my times when I need to be reminded how to behave.  My mom got this crazy idea from some book that she read and she started giving me treats every time we would see a dog approaching us on a leash.  Not just any treats, but my favorite, all time, best ever, good girl Annie treats.  Cheese, bacon, and chicken lead the list of things she carries around with us when we go for a walk.  Sometimes I think she is crazy, but it is working.  I am almost at the point where I think I will be able to pass another dog on the same side of the sidewalk and not pitch one of my little frantic fits.  (I have it down really well now that I don't pay any mind to other dogs if we are on the other side of the street.)  Also, it's important to share with you that my "leash behavior" has nothing to do with how I act toward other dogs (or any other animals) when I am off leash.  I am a very good girl at the dog park, and really hate it when other dogs get into brawls.  Makes me sad, and sometimes I run through their little group just to break them up (and it usually works!).

Here's a little tip for when someone tries to approach your dog with their dog on a leash.  Just smile and step in front of your dog and say politely, "sorry we are in training.  We are not ready for a meeting right now."   


How did you do?  I would really love to read your comments and ideas.

Also, I would really like to say that I am really glad that the dog park rules say that dogs can't be in the dog park with their leashes on.  Never, nada.  Dogs don't always show their true colors when they are at the end of a leash (me!!!) and if your dog doesn't do well off-leash around dogs, then either you need to work with your dog a little more in a smaller group, or he isn't cut out to be in the dog park at all.  He's still a great dog, but his social circle just needs to be a little smaller.  I would volunteer to be part of a small play group with any dog that is having trouble at the dog park.  Just comment here and we can make a play-date!



 

The Deadly Disease Called Trust

There is a deadly disease stalking all of our dogs ... right now as you read this, your dog is vulnerable to its deadly grip.  It is called TRUST.  

 The following piece was written by Sharon Mathers, and it is so perfect, so well written that if it were re-worded, it would lose some of its powerful message.  It is perfectly written, and we share it with you, hoping that you will share it with others.  

***

 There is a deadly disease stalking your dog, a hideous, stealthy thing just waiting its chance to steal your beloved friend. It is not a new disease, or one for which there are inoculations. The disease is called trust.
You knew before you ever took your puppy home that it could not be trusted. The breeder, who provided you with this precious animal warned you, drummed it into your head. Puppies steal off counters, destroy anything expensive, chase cats, take forever to house train, and must never be allowed off lead!
When the big day finally arrived, heeding the sage advice of the breeder you escorted your puppy to his new home, properly collared and tagged, the lead held tightly in your hand.
At home the house was "puppy-proofed". Everything of value was stored in the spare bedroom, garbage stowed on top of the refrigerator, cats separated, and a gate placed across the door to the living room to keep at least part of the house puddle free. All windows and doors had been properly secured, and signs placed in all strategic points reminding all to "CLOSE THE DOOR!"
Soon it becomes second nature to make sure the door closes .9 of a second after it was opened and that it really latched. "DON'T LET THE DOG OUT" is your second most verbalized expression. (The first is "NO!") You worry and fuss constantly, terrified that your darling will get out and a disaster will surely follow. Your fiends comment about whom you love most, your family or the dog. You know that to relax your vigil for a moment might lose him to you forever.
And so the weeks and months pass, with your puppy becoming more civilized every day, and the seeds of trust are planted. It seems that each new day brings less destruction, less breakage. Almost before you know it your gangly, slurpy puppy has turned into an elegant, dignified friend.
Now that he is a more reliable, sedate companion, you take him more places. No longer does he chew the steering wheel when left in the car. And darned if that cake wasn't still on the counter this morning. And, oh yes, wasn't that the cat he was sleeping with so cozily on your pillow last night?
At this point you are beginning to become infected, the disease is spreading its roots deep into your mind.
And then one of your friends suggests obedience. You shake your head and remind her that your dog might run away if allowed off lead, but you are reassured when she promises the events are held in a fenced area. And, wonder of wonders, he did not run away, but come every time you called him!
All winter long you go to weekly obedience classes. And, after a time you even let him run loose from the car to the house when you get home. Why not, he always runs straight to the door, dancing a frenzy of joy and waits to be let in. And remember he comes every time he is called. You know he is the exception that proves the rule. (And sometimes late at night, you even let him slip out the front door' to go potty and then right back in.)
At this point the disease has taken hold, waiting only for the right time and place to rear its ugly head.
Years pass - it is hard to remember why you ever worried so much when he was a puppy. He would never think of running out the door left open while you bring in the packages from the car. It would be beneath his dignity to jump out the window of the car while you run into the convenience store. And when you take him for those wonderful long walks at dawn, it only takes one whistle to send him racing back to you in a burst of speed when the walk comes too close to the highway. (He still gets into the garbage, but nobody is perfect!)
This is the time the disease has waited for so patiently. Sometimes it only has to wait a year or two, but often it takes much longer.
He spies the neighbor dog across the street, and suddenly forgets everything he ever knew about not slipping outdoors, jumping out windows or coming when called due to traffic. Perhaps it was only a paper fluttering in the breeze, or even just the sheer joy of running.
Stopped in an instant. Stilled forever - Your heart is as broken as his still beautiful body.
The disease is trust. The final outcome; hit by a car.
Every morning my dog Shah bounced around off lead exploring. Every morning for seven years he came back when he was called. He was perfectly obedient, perfectly trustworthy. He died fourteen hours after being hit by a car. Please do not risk your friend and heart. Save the trust for things that do not matter. © 1988 By Sharon Mathers
Courtesy of Canine Concepts and
Community Animal Control Magazine

Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue, Inc.
www.siberescue.com

Walk the Walk

Cookie's photo by Susan Sandstrom Wagoner

We hate to admit it, but there is a dark side of us, one that we hate to reveal to the world, that we simply don’t walk our dogs as much as we should because it’s too unpredictable.  Our angel, the light of our life, the center of our universe, the perfect pooch that so deserves everything her (or his) heart desires has the ability to embarrass and humiliate (or even injure) us at the site of a squirrel, another dog, or (heaven forbid) a jogger.  If we are honest with ourselves, we have routes that we avoid in our neighborhood because that “Other Dog” that lives behind the fence, the one that sends our little sweetie to the moon, is always in his backyard whenever we walk past. 

Many of us experience this difficulty with our own dogs, but how many shelter volunteers and Good Buddy humans experience similar issues when walking our Good Buddy dogs?  How many dogs would be more “adoptable” if they only knew how to better walk on their leash and not be so reactive to other dogs?  How many dogs just don't get walked because it's difficult or nearly impossible, based on how they react to other dogs?  The solution is as amazing as it is surprising …

Caliber would love a Good Buddy.  

The next time you are headed out with your Good Buddy dog, pack his or her very favorite, irresistible bag of treats.  If it’s bacon, make it little pieces of bacon.  Lots of them. If it’s hot dogs, make it little pieces of hot dogs.  If it’s steamed carrots (yes, steamed carrots), then steam ‘em and pack ‘em.  It’s called currency -- find the dog’s personal currency and use it to your advantage.

As you are approaching that dreaded, forbidden location of the “Other Dog,” transform yourself into a Treat-Giving Machine.  In the beginning, your Good Buddy is naturally going to exhibit the reactive behavior that you are trying to correct, but that’s OK.  Don’t correct or react, don’t praise, just keep cranking out the Very Yummy Treats.  You’re just trying to get the dog’s attention and teach your Good Buddy that walking past the Other Dog is going to be connected to the Very Yummy Treats.  Keep walking and as you clear the sight of the Other Dog, stop showering the Very Yummy Treats.  Do it again tomorrow, and do it again the next day. Sooner than later you are going to notice that your Good Buddy isn’t reacting to the Other Dog.  He is going to start anticipating the Very Yummy Treats, and his attention will begin to focus on You.  Hallelujah!  Give yourself a high-five … you did it!!!!  Don’t stop, though … keep doing it, over and over again and gradually withdraw the Very Yummy Treats as the behavior becomes more automatic. 

Visit Sasha at the Shelter.

Once a behavior is learned by a dog, he will begin to just do it, without the incentive of the Very Yummy Treats. Expect your Good Buddy to excel, let your body language show him that you know he can do it. He will have days that are better than others, but learning is a journey, and we are in it together. 

After you have had a chance to try this technique, please leave a comment and give let us know how it worked for you.  Happy Walking!

Loose Leash Walking ... Yes It's Possible!

It's a well-kept secret, but dogs HATE to be forced to walk in the opposite direction from where they are headed, and it turns out this is an important tool we can use to teach our stubborn walking companions to maintain a loose leash while we are on our daily walk, while simultaneously trying to maintain ourselves in an upright position.  Teaching our own dogs to walk on a loose leash is very important, but it's especially important for a homeless shelter dog to make a super-duper good impression on people who visit the shelter while he (or she) is hanging out waiting for a fur-ever home.  This is where a Good Buddy comes in really handy!  Here's how it goes:

At the very first sign of leash pulling, do not raise your voice or yank on the dog's leash, but just quickly, and in a very animated manner, say "Turn Around" and (of course) turn around and begin walking briskly in the other direction.  Your dog will be confused and somewhat thrown off-guard by the change of direction in his forward movement.  After about 15 seconds of walking in the other direction, turn back around and resume  your walk.  Repeat this process for as long as it takes to get that "loose leash."  You won't get instant results, but you will get amazing results.  Patience, repetition and consistency is the key.  Be the leader and keep your cool.

Happy walking!