(Part 2) Best dog care books according to redditors
We found 2,373 Reddit comments discussing the best dog care books. We ranked the 490 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Growling is actually good. Growling is not your worst fear. Growling is a warning sign. You don't want a dog who doesn't give you a warning. Don't punish the growl, you're removing your early warning system.
Crawling is hard for pups! These babies are all unpredictable. It's scary for the dog.
No. 1 Recommendation: https://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Bite-Baby-Chase/dp/158005577X Book by a dog trainer about bringing her adoptive son home. Really, REALLY good advice. I can't recommend it enough.
Recommendations:
Victoria Stillwell is a good, positive methods trainer. Check out her website and Facebook page.
The book "The other end of the leash" is good and a really interesting read.
Watch for known issues - e.g. my dog is possessive of balls, and one specific toy. The baby is NOT ALLOWED THAT TOY. It's the dog's. It's our job to police that.
Oh also - very important, learn about dog body language. This is a good video from a trainer at a nearby place to us. https://www.facebook.com/ZoomRoom.Campbell/videos/858572274272659/ People soooo misread dogs. "Oh look, he's smiling!" OMG no, he's so uncomfortable and desperately needs his humans to remove him from that situation before he snaps. Learn what to look for: Rigid boy, whale eye, showing teeth. Those all come before the growl. Learn what to look for even before you get to the growl - which is still an early warning, more than a bite.
Good luck! It doesn't mean he/she is a bad dog. At all. Just needs a little more help managing fear of the baby.
At this point you're still building a trusting relationship, not really training. Follow a daily routine. The better he's able to predict what comes next, the faster he'll settle in.
Assuming he's comfortable being physically close to people (which I hope is the case, if he's on your lap) then keep him on leash indoors to totally prevent the doggy parkour. He goes outside to a quiet spot (and hopefully pees...) then he comes back inside still on leash. He's either crated or leashed any time he's inside until he's more used to living indoors.
Add a second crate in the living room area so he has a safe resting/hiding spot without needing to walk down the scary hallway. Look for free/cheap secondhand crates on craigslist if price is an issue.
Practice feeding him by hand every day. If he only eats in the crate, that's fine--don't force anything. It's important that he feels safe. Just toss the food into the crate for him one piece at a time. After a few days of practicing that, he might be more comfortable with eating food from the ground near the crate, and then maybe eating from your hand. Let him set the pace. If you're nearby while he eats in his crate, take care not to use your body language to make him feel trapped. Sit off to the side, don't face him directly, and give him space.
Provide him a steady stream of sturdy chew toys. Chewing relieves stress. If you don't have a kong (hollow rubber beehive shape chew toy) yet, get one of those and stuff it with a portion of his daily food every day.
Pay attention to his body language, especially calming signals. Pay attention to your own body language (don't stare at him, bend over him, corner him. Do turn to the side, sit or stand calmly, ignore him, and let him come to you).
Play white noise indoors and limit (avoid if possible) loud startling noises or booming bass.
Try playing with non-squeaking plush furry animal toys. Ignore him (pretend he's not even there so he can watch you without pressure) and play with the toy yourself. Make it pause and move erratically on the floor like wounded prey. Pounce on it softly with your hands. Avoid big body movements, but use your hands to make the toy move, jump, scurry before you "catch" it. After a couple of minutes, walk away and ignore the toy. That gives your pup the opportunity to watch it and sniff it without pressure from you. After he has the chance to sniff it if he wants to (he doesn't have to) put the toy away. Repeat that process at the same time of day every day (build it into your daily schedule!) and he'll start to show gradually more interest in the toy.
With the hand feeding and toy play, the goal is to build up rewards that you can use as reinforcement during training later. First step is for him to be more comfortable just living with you, and then later the food/play will actually be useful in training. Right now you're still at that trust building level, don't have the typical arsenal of training rewards at your disposal yet.
Useful resources:
Books:
Related past threads (I bet you can find more; this is just a start):
Stop picking him up unnecessarily, stop taking him to places where he cant be on the floor because he hasn't had his shots, stop introducing him to random people. Bring him home, let him chill in his house.
Stop yelling at him and spraying him and messing with him when he eats.
I honestly don't know where to begin because so much of what you are doing appears to be stressing your dog out that it's impossible to tell what to be concerned about and what is simply him reacting to you and all of the stress in his environment. The good news is that there is so much going on that is not very good for the puppy that I expect that if you change those things it will go a long way towards improving his behavior.
I would find a trainer who has some educational background in training. There is no real certification process so anyone can call themselves a trainer, and that's the type of trainer it seems you have been going to.
Positive reinforcement is realistic, and is not going to create the kind of aggressive responses you are getting currently. I would also recommend picking up the book Puppy Start Right. It's an easy read with lots of good training exercies in it. If you find a trainer that isn't using the same basic techniques, find another trainer.
You've done a fecal, right? Not just what the vet sees in office but sending it out to the lab to check for things like giardia which can be impossible to see in the vet's office. You've also done a blood panel, yes?
 
How long have you had her? It can take a while for a depressed dog to cheer up in a new home. The best thing is to not push yourself on the dog, don't force hugs or snuggles. Let the dog come up to you. When she's under your bed, just sit down on the floor next to the bed with a book and read. Have some dog treats and give her one every so often, and definitely reward her if she moves closer. Does she move away from you when you sit down or does she just stay in the same place? If she doesn't move, reading out loud can help. If she moves away, you need to work on her trust. PM me for advice on that, I'm not going to write it all here if there's no need.
 
It can take 6 months for a dog from a shelter to get used to new circumstances. This book might help https://www.amazon.com/dp/1891767143?tag=vs-pets-convert-amazon-20
 
Cheaper at amazon but the book description is better here http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/store/Love-Has-No-Age-Limit.html You can email her at that site, she's an amazing behaviorist. She's got a doctorate in behavior (or psychology or whatever the degree is that she learned behavior in) and she's not like Cesar Milan who uses outdated theories on dog behavior. She is usually good about writing back. Starting with "I've bought your book but my newly adopted dog is depressed and I need help" in the subject line can't hurt ;-)
 
Does she accept walks? Does she shy away or struggle? If she accepts walks, take her on one daily, and include time for her to just sniff and explore. It can't hurt to make sure she gets some exercise but again, don't force her to be lovey dovey with you, dont force her out from that safe spot she's found under the bed.
The hair length is easy! It’s two things: (1) long hair is recessive to short hair, and (2) if a dog is feral and has long hair, there’s a real possibility of matting and resulting health conditions leading to an early demise (therefore less reproductive success)
Size-wise, “medium” is the best evolutionary card to be dealt – being too small means you’re fragile, being too large means it can be hard to secure the resources you need to survive.
Dog color genetics get pretty complicated pretty quickly, but since the brown/red/tan color seems to take hold everywhere, my guess on that is that ultimately those genes shake out as dominant over the others.
Dogs are descended from wolves, but the thousands of years of divergent evolution between them has created a genetic gulf between that domestic dogs would be incredibly unlikely to leap back across. Dogs are scavengers, wolves are predators. A dog, even if it’s feral, is going to have a much stronger inclination to affiliate with humans than any wolf would. Interestingly, even the rare feral dogs colonies that don’t have any human interaction don’t return to any wolf-like state. They don’t pair bond for a mating season, males don’t help with care of offspring, they don’t live in family units, and their social structure is held together through the dogs showing affiliative behavior toward one another (not any of that dominance nonsense pop culture won’t let go of).
…and now I’ve rambled for way too long about dog behavior and genetics. If anyone is reading this who is actually interested in the topic, this book is a great read (or this, if you’re looking for a less weighty read.
Some people don’t seem to do this but I definitely did. We don’t allow our dog on the couch/bed anymore because we live in NYC and her paws are gross from walking around outside. I don’t want to have to worry about germs even more than I already do. I want the furniture to be safe places for my LO. Also he seems to get covered in dog hair so much even without being on the same level as the dog so I can’t imagine if they shared furniture.
Introducing the dog and the baby was more challenging than I expected. For the first two weeks every time the baby cried the dog cried and I was ready to pull out my hair. The dog is big and friendly and the baby is just too small. There’s a good book called Please Don't Bite the Baby (and Please Don't Chase the Dogs): Keeping Our Kids and Our Dogs Safe and Happy Together https://www.amazon.com/dp/158005577X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_ijFGcV9mUXn3I
I wish I had read BEFORE the baby came. By the time I got to it it was too late to enforce any of the rules.
Good luck!
Welcome to having a leash reactive dog. We have a support group for that on Wednesdays in /r/Dogtraining. You'll need the CARE Protocol. You may also want this book, or this one on BAT 2.0. You'll also need to understand thresholds, and most importantly, you really need to work with a trainer who understands reactivity and can train you so you can help your dog.
If you can't find a trainer who does things like "reactive rover" classes or similar, hit up a veterinary behaviorist.
You sound well-prepared! Going with a rescue group you know and trust is a great idea.
Good luck!
Honestly, doesn't sound like you'll have time for this dog. I read your other post. There was zero planning here. But you can still fix this if you decide to keep the dog:
The book Puppy Start Right will help answer a lot of your questions and more. You won't have to search through other sub reddits or wikis.
Check for puppy socials\playgroups in your area. You want to make sure it is socialized properly
Make sure he has toys to chew on. Find something he loves. Redirect him onto that when he goes for something he shouldn't.
Bring treats outside with you. Wait out there until he pees\poops whatever. When he does make it a big celebration and give him a handful of treats. Repeat the process.
If you haven't taken him to the vet yet please do that too
Seriously if you can't do any of these things you should seriously consider finding that dog a new home
Yep. Check out this book on the subject. The shelter is such a weird and stressful environment. Some dogs get wound up and hyper, some get scared and withdrawn. It can take months for your shelter dog's real personality to emerge.
One source for that is this book which is written by Veterinary Behaviorists.
Basically they say the dog can tell when you are mad. For example, they pee on the floor, and they learn that when you enter a room and pee is on the floor you get angry. They act submissive because when they relate to other dogs, they are showing that they are no threat to the other dog, they are just trying to get them to stop being angry or aggressive so peace can happen.
But this causes issues when communicating with people because the dog is trying to say "ok I won't hurt you I'm not a threat please don't me mad at me" and the person sees "I know I did something wrong and I'm guilty" and if the dog is still getting punished it is suddenly in a very confusing and precarious position. Then maybe eventually it thinks well submission isn't working, do I need to defend myself? Or some other unwanted behavior.
It should be noted that the dog is not quite able to make the connection that he peed on the floor so it's his fault at that point. Unfortunately they don't think that abstractly about cause and effect unless you catch them right in the act. Once you find pee on the floor it's too late really, and the dog is only making the connection about people being upset and pee is on the floor at the same time.
But they definitely pick up on the body language and tense voice, even if they aren't being punished in any way, they can detect enough about your mood and are doing the thing they think will make it better between you two.
Just a minor point here, but just because your rescue dog is fearful of men doesn't mean she was abused by a man. From Patricia McConnell's book on bringing home your rescue dog (Love has no Age Limit: Welcoming an Adopted Dog into Your Home)
"Many people believe that their dogs have been abused by men in the past becasue the dogs are now afraid of men. But as we noted above, the fear of strangers can be inherited. No matter what their history, shy dogs, with very few exceptions, are more afraid of men than women. We don't know why that is true, but speculate that deeper voices, bigger jaws, bigger chests, larger size, and a different way of moving through space might have something to do with it. [...] Thus, don't assume that in the past some nasty man beat your dog; it's far more likely that your dog was born a bit shy, and was not well socialized when he was younger." (emphasis added)
Ours love love loves being outside at any time. She does a perimeter patrol multiple times a day, she’s been out there in snow, rain, thunder, none of it phases her. Very few potty accidents with her, she also has a service bell she rings when she wants to go out, and abuses that power when it suits her.
She is also a hunter and has saved us from multiple bunnies, birds, garden snakes and a rat. She’s still hoping for an elusive squirrel one day. She’s a very good girl and wants to be a good listener but all bets are off if she’s hunting, she can never be off leash outside except in the securely fenced yard and at the dog park.
She howls when her feelings are hurt. It’s the cutest thing ever. Someone left and didn’t take her in the car? Other dog doesn’t feel like playing? Baby howls.
She is crate trained and sleeps in a cat cave in the crate so she can be cozy, it was a great alternative to a pile of blankets for her.
The book Good Owners, Great Dogs was a helpful training guide for me when I got my first dog.
Contact a veterinary behaviorist. There's simply too much going on here for you to tackle without professional help.
If you would like a better understanding of what's going on with the dog aggression, I would recommend Jean Donaldson's book Fight!
You cannot safely have them out together until they are assessed by a trained behaviorist. Ideally a vet behaviorist (a person who has basically double credentials - not some tool who calls themselves a 'dog whisperer' after a year of 'working with dogs'. Someone who went to school to be a vet and also study animal behavior.), but a professional force free trainer who is experienced in aggression would work.
Remind you girlfriend of the vet bill you've already paid and ask her how many more just like that she wants to experience. Also, the blood and stress of more fights. If you try to just put them back together that will happen again. Guaranteed. Even if they seem fine when separated, if you won't know how to see the warning signs (and the bark/snap your lab did was probably the 10th or so signal...) and how to deescalate the situation (6 minute fight, water hose, human bitten, huge gashes...) then you should absolutely 100% not try to put them together at all.
Ok, done with scolding. Here's some constructive help.
Taking them to the vet was the right thing to do. Your catahoula x limping is likely because of bruising, and the vet couldn't have done anything about that. Treat her like you would if you got a bad leg bruise - rest, ice (if she'll let you), light exercise the next few days, and if the vet gave you any pain meds for her go ahead and use those as recommended. (NEVER use aspirin or tylenol, or any other OTC human medication on a dog unless your vet has specifically cleared it for the dog you are considering dosing right then.)
Ok, why this happened. Some people have mentioned possible dog aggression, IMO that's not likely. When I have seen cases like this (which I unfortunately have, and not uncommonly) it's often same sex dogs, although not always, and the younger dog is at or nearly a year old.
This happens because your older girl has been playing queen of the house and being a bit bossy. The pup has been a bit rude, but has gotten a 'puppy license' (aka - toddlers don't have to follow the same rules as adults). Now, her puppy license has run out and the older dog is saying "No. Stop that. You're an adult, you know the rules and this is MINE."
That doesn't make either girl right. In fact, they're both a bit wrong, IMO. Your younger girl was probably being a real PITA for a while before she got a serious warning, but your lab escalated things too far.
To have any chance of fixing things a few concrete steps need to be taken.
If you can get some of those things started then you can buy yourselves some time to save up for a behaviorist or experienced trainer to work with. The biggest thing is not allowing a repeat event to happen. Behavior is like a big rock on top of a hill, the more it rolls the more it will roll, so if you are very careful and don't allow another fight it'll be easier to fix in the long term. The more fights they have the harder it will be to eventually have them together and loose.
I know this will be a lot of work and stress for both you and your SO, but if you really focus on this and work through it you could be in a much better place in as short a time as a year. Both dogs with you, happier, healthier, and with you having a much stronger understanding of their behavior.
If you don't put that time and effort in then you could easily end up rehoming your catahoula.
Here's some reading and videos to get you started on working with your girls:
https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Terms-Dogs-Calming-Signals/dp/1929242360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496795912&sr=8-1&keywords=calming+signals+on+talking+terms+with+dogs
https://www.amazon.com/Other-End-Leash-What-Around/dp/034544678X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=034544678X&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=SAA8r&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-How-Conquer-Their-Fears/dp/1891767003/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1891767003&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Canine-Body-Language-Photographic-Interpreting/dp/1929242352/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1929242352&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Feisty-Fido-Help-Leash-Reactive-Dog/dp/1891767070/ref=pd_sim_14_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1891767070&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Fired-Up-Frantic-Freaked-Out/dp/0985934921/ref=pd_sim_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0985934921&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1890948209&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1617811742&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
https://www.amazon.com/Control-Unleashed-Creating-Focused-Confident/dp/B000UCF53A/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000UCF53A&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
https://saveabull.com/crate-and-rotate/
https://imperfectdog.com/2016/01/12/imperfect-dog-introductions-crate-rotate/
http://www.thedoggeek.com/2014/08/crate-and-rotate.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDeAKj2etMs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJgod6CO8jU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nyt2WLdQGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-WolM6cgg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnBPlub1Jgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=255hotAlI5o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6De7kEmOV1Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cGDYI-s-cQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_7dl4c-IrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bg_gGguwzg
Looks like you may have used a training acronym. For those unfamiliar, here's some of the common ones:
BAT is Behavior Adjustment Training - a method from Grisha Stewart that involves allowing the dog to investigate the trigger on their own terms. There's a book on it.
CC is Counter Conditioning - creating a positive association with something by rewarding when your dog sees something. Think Pavlov.
DS is Desensitization - similar to counter conditioning in that you expose your dog to the trigger (while your dog is under threshold) so they can get used to it.
LAD is Look and Dismiss - Marking and rewarding when your dog sees a trigger and dismisses it.
LAT is Look at That - Marking and rewarding when your dog sees a trigger and does not react.
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I’d like to recommend the book The Other End of the Leash. It’s a well-written insightful look into dog behavior, communication- particularly between humans and dogs, as well as advice for dealing with the fearful and anxious ones.
I think it would give you a better understanding of your dog and give you some ideas on how to help him feel more comfortable around you.
Why is the automatic assumption here that if scientists all agree that the evidence contradicts your cherished belief then it must be because they're biased leftists who are hiding it away as "forbidden knowledge"? This is the exact same argument that the creationists made, like in Ben Stein's "Expelled" documentary but we laughed at them when they tried to say science was biased against them, why would we suddenly take your anti-scientific arguments seriously?
The problem with the pitbull myth is that it's based on incredibly weak evidence, which is summarised quite well by this study here:
>Despite human directed aggression being a serious public health issue, there has been limited systematic research into potential risk factors. Existing studies provide useful insights but many have utilised populations with inherent biases, do not have controls for comparison, or have used multiple univariable analyses with associated risk of Type 1 errors. Previous studies have investigated four population types: hospital recorded bite victims (e.g. De Keuster et al., 2006; Morgan and Palmer, 2007); clinical populations from specialist behaviour clinics (e.g. Bamberger and Houpt, 2006; Fatjo et al., 2007) or general veterinary practices (e.g. Guy et al., 2001a,b,c); temperament screening for particular populations or breeds of dogs (e.g. Ott et al., 2008; Borg et al., 2010), and surveys of dog owners (e.g. O'Sullivan et al., 2008; Hsu and Sun, 2010). Inherent biases are associated with the first three populations, and the latter may be biased depending on recruitment. For example, large breed dogs are more likely to cause injuries to children requiring hospital treatment (Overall and Love, 2001), and incidences with owned dogs have been reported to be less likely to be associated with injuries requiring medical attention than those occurring in public places (Cornelissen and Hopster, 2010). Clinical populations are likely to involve a sub-set of owners willing to invest in treatment, may be biased towards larger breed dogs where aggression is less easy to tolerate, and towards family rather than stranger directed aggression (Bamberger and Houpt, 2006). Temperament testing studies generally utilise specific populations with putatively increased risk, such as rescue centres (Bollen and Horowitz, 2008), military dogs (Haverbeke et al., 2009) or associated with legislation (Schalke et al., 2008), and hence may also not necessarily be representative of the general population. Although owner surveys may overall seem a less biased population, biases can also occur due to different methods of recruitment (Asher et al., 2011)
Basically, a lot of the data comes from dog bite statistics, which is obviously not a good source of data if our interest is in whether pitbulls are innately more aggressive or not - because, of course, such data will be swayed by things like the severity of the bite, the overall number of that breed vs other breeds, the accuracy of the victim to identify the breed, etc.
The last part there is particularly important given that the category of 'pit bull' used in clinical data on dog bites can include up to 7-10 different breeds (sometimes including breeds like the American Bulldog, which has a completely different genetic ancestral line from the American pitbull terrier, making genetic claims a little difficult!) so not only are we grouping together a number of dogs so that their overall bite rate will necessarily be higher (i.e. if we combined 6 other random breeds together then their total will drastically increase too) but people are understandably terrible at identifying what breeds are including in this diverse category called "pit bull".
So what does the evidence suggest is a predictor of aggressive behavior? [Well, factors like whether they are rescue dogs and their training experience are the main predictors (with breed explaining very little of the variance).
But let's assume that all of the evidence above is liberal claptrap. Here's an article which might be viewed as more 'balanced' as they go into detail on some of the genetic effects on aggression, and note some of the aggressive features of the pitbull. However, even these authors note that pitbull aggression appears only to be significant when looking at attacks on other animals, whereas attacks on people was within the average for all breeds.
The fact of the matter is that the higher the standard of evidence we use to judge whether pitbulls are innately aggressive, the less we find to support that claim. When we look at controlled assessments of aggression we find that pitbulls are within the normal range, when objective and neutral organisations like the AVMA review the literature they find no evidence that pitbulls are uniquely aggressive. A lot of what fuels the misconception is that pitbulls, when they bite, can do a lot of damage - as any big dog can. But if we were to successfully manage to ban pitbulls, and destroy every last one that existed, we wouldn't see a decrease in dog bites - we'd just see last decade's 'dangerous dog' come back. Which raises another question - since pitbull bites have only become noticeable in the last 20 years, what kind of genetic effect are we expecting to have occurred worldwide in that time?
And just to cut off a possible objection here, none of the above denies that genetic differences can exist between breeds. Saying "But we know X was bred for Y, how can you deny that?!" doesn't support the claim that pitbulls are: a) innately aggressive, or b) more aggressive than other breeds. Even ignoring the discussion above about "pitbull" consisting of at least 5+ breeds with different genetic histories, the fact that people wanted them to be aggressive doesn't mean that they succeeded in doing so. And looking at the current evidence, that seems to be the case. So pointing out artificial selection attempts is definitely a good reason for hypothesizing that an effect might exist - but the lack of empirical evidence for an effect means that there's no good reason for continuing to argue it on this point.
Finally, I just want to highlight this book: "Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon" which is an excellent historical analysis into the moral panic and pearl clutching over pitbulls, explaining that a lot of the myth was started because of the close association pitbulls had to minority racial groups. In other words, it seems like the rise in hysterics over pitbulls and the rejection of empirical evidence on the matter goes hand in hand with racism against the common owner of pitbulls... Effectively, just like moronic white nationalists reject evidence on crime to try to push pseudoscientific beliefs like "black people are innately more likely to commit violent crime!", there is essentially 'racism' against pitbulls by proxy.
Actually, it would be a really interesting discussion if Harris could get a scientist on to discuss the moral panic over pitbulls. It's an excellent example of how emotion has ruled policy and scientific evidence is often ignored!
they probably read the cheap book "how to housebreak your dog in 7 days" which works, though small puppies will have more "accidents"
not barking can be taught, but everyone needs to be consistent it training him/her. watch "it's me or the dog" victoria is pretty cool.
A question for you to consider before I go into some recs for you: Have you considered the size of the dog relative to your flat? Small/medium dogs can be easier to manage in a smaller living space, and it’s important to consider personality as well (calm v. high-energy will help if you have to leave).
The solution my partner and I have come up with:
Another option that we did not care for, but many people recommended: hire a professional, trustworthy dog-walker to come by once or twice a day to give the dog emotional and physical stimulation, and let the dog relieve itself.
I highly recommend a training guide (books or videos) if you do decide to adopt a new friend—partner, myself, and dog really benefited from Zak George’s “Dog Training Revolution” and he has many supplementary videos on YouTube as well.
Tl;dr: I am a talkative dog person with lots of advice for managing a furry friend that you will either love or hate.
> I say possibly good news because Ive read ALOT that companion animals definitley help with Separation Anxiety dogs.
This is only true for a very small percent of SA dogs. It might mask some of the outward signs, but it is by no means a cure for SA. Further, if your dog is uncomfortable with the other dogs, I highly doubt that it would help. And even if it does seem to mask some of this dog's symptoms, what if your roommates decide to take their dogs on a walk/vacation/to the vet, and your dog needs to be left alone? He still has SA.
As far as "success stories," we've been working on desensitizing my dog to being home alone for 6 months. We're currently at 35 min max time home alone. This doesn't sound like success story unless you've lived it, but it's a pretty typical trajectory for separation anxiety treatment. I think our success story is really that I haven't gone completely insane yet...Our dog goes to daycare daily while we work, and it's not cheap. His SA has put a huge damper on my social life, we take the dog with us everywhere, and he spends a lot of time in the car.
I'm not saying that you should or shouldn't get this dog, but I would definitely think about whether or not you have the time, patience, sanity, and finances needed to help a dog with SA. If you do adopt, or even prior to adoption, I would immediately pick up a copy of Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs, I'll Be Home Soon, and Don't leave me!
Reactivity is its own beast, and u/ASleepandAForgetting tackled that issue well in their (edited to remove gender, I apologize!) comment.
So, why is reducing the prozac necessary?
Seriously?
If his anxiety is lowered to the point that hes not ruining fences, jumping out windows, jumping down from the second story...all I'm seeing is a very strong argument for not weaning him off. At least not yet.
When did you adopt him? I'm getting the impression hes pretty new to you still?
If hes still within his first year then hes still very much settling in. If hes within the first few weeks or months then...he doesn't know hes staying yet. Honestly.
Waiting until hes settled would be a much better plan. Not least of which because you could be stacking stress on stress: new home, new rules, being alone (this is serious separation anxiety), AND weaning meds is a LOT to manage all at once.
In a year, when hes calmer overall and feels safe, knows the rules, knows the house, etc, you are more likely to have good luck with weaning drugs.
If THIS is him a year in and weaning drugs then you need to talk to a vet behaviorist who specializes in separation anxiety.
Also, no matter what, call your vet and tell them what weaning off the drugs is causing. This isnt normal or ok and you're extremely lucky he wasnt seriously injured or killed during this panic. If they recommend still reducing the meds you need a different vet.
I'd start with the one the rescue was using who originally prescribed the prozac, as theyll have his history and be familiar with his case.
Also, I'd seriously recommend this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Treating-Separation-Anxiety-Malena-Demartini-Price/dp/1617811432/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=separation+anxiety+dog&qid=1570335464&sprefix=separation+anxiety+&sr=8-3
Hahaha, thanks for the support. I get it though. Wanna make a dog owner mad? Tell them their dog doesn't feel guilt. Its been tested and proven but some owners absolutely refuse to believe it. My own SO and I almost got into a big argument over it!
Its a difficult concept for people. Emotional attachment and all that. It comes for a place of love and I try not to fault people for it unless the belief becomes harmful to the dog.
For anyone interested, I would highly recommend reading either of these books, especially the first. It really changed my view of my dogs and has made me and them so much happier! I'm reading the second right now and so far it's great too.
The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
Hey there!
First of all I'd recommend to schedule a session with a dog trainer who deals with reactive dogs on a regular basis. I went for an exercise walk with mine to analyze behavior, and she really was a huge help.
Also the /r/dogtraining wiki has a page about reactivity which I found quite helpful.
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I'll try to provide some input on your particular situation from my own personal experience with a reactive dog (taking care of a 4y old reactive Border Collie myself now since about a month):
>Then I tried distracting him with treats. But hes so focused on the other dogs that it doesn't matter.
When Opie is in his reactive state it's probably best to remove him from the situation (emergency u-turn, etc.). If he calms down after increasing distance, you can turn it into a learning opportunity by following the CARE protocol.
>So I guess I'm just asking for advice on how to handle him correctly in those situations where I cant avoid running into other dogs. And should I even be trying to avoid them? Or is exposure good with the right training from me? What training is the right training?
Try to avoid situations that trigger Opie, IMHO it's only stressful for the dog and he won't learn anything when he's spaced out barking. Exposure is good as long as he is not reactive and you're in control. For training sessions, you'll probably need an assistant and another dog that triggers Opie's behavior. Then follow the steps outlined in the CARE protocol, also explained in this video. You should (hopefully) slowly be able to gradually reduce the distance where Opie gets triggered by other dogs.
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Things that helped me get started:
Hope it helps! I'm just getting started with my own reactive dog journey so it would be great to hear what others have to say =)
I'm by no means an expert - and I think that the behaviorist you are seeing is a great start. We did that with my pup, and while expensive, was worth every cent!
My Catahoula sounds similar to your dogs. She reacts to every dog we see on walks, sometimes people too. And there has been a few times she has been in fights with other dogs that were in her territory.
First, I would recommend getting a break stick to keep near by if you do get to the point of introducing to a new dog. Pit Bulls and other dogs tend to clamp down and not open their jaws for anything. The break stick helps you to "twist" their jaw open from the back. The ear injury is pretty common in these types of fights, especially if people are trying to pull dogs apart. I unfortunately have experience in that just like you.
Second look into Behavior Adjustment Training. It has really helped our dog. Positive reinforcement and redirection have worked wonders too. Learn how to best get your dog to redirect their attention to you- or know how to do a quick "u-turn" on a walk to avoid a potentially bad situation. Are your dogs treat motivated? Find the most delicious treat you can and always be sure to have it with you on walks! I use string cheese, personally.
We have semi-successfully introduced our dog to new dogs. We always start at a neutral place, like an empty dog park or empty tennis courts and keep the dogs on leash. Then we walk around our neighborhood together and finally into our back yard if all has gone well. But I usually always keep my dog's harness on and won't leave them unsupervised. There's always lots of treats, praise and monitoring my dog for her "warning signs" such as acting extra protective of me or stealing the toy from the other dog.
Finally, you're not alone in your anxiety. It's taken me a long time to feel comfortable and confident walking our dog and sometimes we'll have an encounter that brings all the anxiety back. Don't just train your dog but work on training yourself too. The more confident you feel the more success you will have.
Good luck and keep coming here for support!
I’d recommend Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution It’s a book but I got the audiobook and it only takes a couple hours to get through but it tells you everything you need to know
The Genius of Dogs by Brian Hare is an excellent book that will explain this in detail.
The tl:dr version is dogs have been with man as a domesticated animal used for hunting far longer than any other animal. This refinement of hunting instinct has over time lead to a more intelligent dog. So intelligent in fact that Hare argues dogs are far smarter than any other animal.
My first suggestion would be to read some literature on the history of the breed. You’ll be her advocate, and while hopefully you won’t have to defend her breed often, you may need to at some point. Knowing their history and how they got the (absolutely unfair) reputation they have now is a great tool to have in these circumstances. I’ve very rarely had anyone blatantly disregard the breed, but even friends and family have mentioned things like the lock jaw myth to me, in which I was able to kindly educate them. Pit Bull by Bronwen Dickey is a great one. I also loved The Pit Bull Life by Deidre Franklin.
As other have said, socialize her often! The sooner they learn how to make friends with strangers and new dogs, the better.
Be prepared for allergies! We have ours on a grain-free diet after a handful of breakouts after food or treats. He used to take allergy meds, but after we switched to grain free and started wiping him down with hypoallergenic wipes after hikes and such, we have it under control without medicine.
They’re working dogs, so they need both mental and physical stimulation. Long walks help with the physical, but it’s his backpack that helps with the mental exercise too. I usually fill it with a collapsible bowl, a water bottle for him, some treats, and usually my water bottle too. Carrying things turns our walk into his job. Activity boards help with the mental exercise too!
Doggie day care is a great help in making sure they got their socialization, mental, and physical exercises. Find a good one in your area if she’s going to be alone for a while during the day (this will have to wait until she’s had all of her shots and vaccinations though!).
A trainer was also so helpful in the beginning, as others have mentioned.
Also, since they can be temperamental to weather changes/being cold, a rain coat has made going potty during a storm or the winter way more possible.
Strong toys! We like Kong, Playology, and firehose toys for ours.
Be prepared for lots of love and snuggles!! I’ve owned jack russels, Yorkies, and a corgi-mix, and none of them have been anywhere near as clingy and cuddly as my pit. As much as he loves day care, and hikes, and running around, he loves to be held or lay in my lap just as much. He’s by far the sweetest pet I’ve ever had.
She’s beautiful, by the way! I’m always so excited for new pit owners. Even though puppyhood can be hard, (r/puppy101 has guidance on that too!), pits are just so wonderful, so I’m excited for the bond you’ll share with her! 😊
malena demartini's treating separation anxiety in dogs is written for dog professionals but has a couple treatment plans in the back that i've (sort of) implemented with my dogs (their issues aren't nearly as great as yours--my heart goes out to you & your pup). ideally someone is with the dog at all times (daycare, dog sitter or walker, family or neighbors, etc) while you work through the plan--that takes some finagling. she also recommends a treat & train or pet tutor (i can't remember which). there's also MIA the robot -- it doesn't solve your problem right now because it's currently gathering funding via kickstarter, but part of its function is to detect when your dog is vocalizing & then begin moving around the room while dropping treats.
if you're not seeing any positive changes (or not to a great enough degree) using the adaptil, i would also encourage you to talk with your vet about meds. when this was something i wanted to discuss with my vet, i had no idea where to begin. the overview on debbie jacobs's fearful dogs website was really helpful to me.
edit: it occurred to me after i posted my reply that you were looking for something that might lessen the severity of the separation anxiety immediately, so i don't think my reply is that helpful--sorry. :\
Sophia Yin has some good books:
Perfect Puppy
How to behave so your dog behaves
Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas
Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor
Subscribe to Kikopup (and her website dogmantics), and Tab289 on YouTube to cover a lot of clicker training basics and basic behavior modification exercises.
Sue Ailsby's training levels website for a puppy training to-do list.
I know the dogs are both older but it wouldn’t hurt to take them to a basic training class that uses positive reinforcement. I would maybe suggest that you take your wife’s dog and she take yours. The idea isn’t to train the dogs so much as it is to condition them to listen better, which it sounds like your wife’s dog needs, but it will help both of you learn how to handle the dogs better and improve their bonds with the person doing the training.
It’ll also give them something to do together that’s positive & that’s really the goal. Right now they have negative interactions with negative consequences. This needs to shift to positive interactions with positive consequences.
Punishment when something bad happens is hard for dogs to understand. They don’t know that the bite was wrong or the growl was wrong or the way they looked at something was wrong and so it becomes hard to remove a bad behaviour because instead of stopping an aggression they just hide or adjust how it’s displayed. This is dangerous, because you may think they’re ok when in truth they’re just showing the aggression differently.
Positive reinforcement doesn’t teach dogs to hide their reactions. Instead you reward the actions you want to see and build positive connections between action / your reaction. It takes time, especially after an attack, but with the right training and tools I think you’ll get there.
I’d also recommend seeking a registered behaviourist if it’s within your budget, and recommend the following books:
Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0
Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs
In that particular case, I think you would need to figure out which action (pooping or bringing the leash) is a higher priority, and address that one. I think pooping is more important, so I would immediately put the dog in time out. Time is, of course, very important with operant conditioning, so you need to act right away in order for the dog to make the connection between pooping and time out.
You will have plenty of opportunities in the future to rehearse the action you want (bringing the leash) with practice and drills, but you have very few opportunities (hopefully!) to punish pooping on the rug.
In the interest of being thorough, hypothetically, I don't think an indoor time-out is really the best course of action to discourage pooping. That means giving the dog an opportunity to do it again! Instead, I would whisk the dog outside and give a potty cue, and reward profusely for success. This is redirection rather than punishment, which I think is a better approach in this case.
If you're interested in dog cognition, Brian Hare's book is really good primer.
You might be thinking of Bronwen Dickey's Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon. It's an interesting read but gets very mixed reviews from well-informed dog folks. The author definitely has an agenda.
I took my classes outside Toronto about 9 years ago (last time I had a puppy). Can't remember the name of the program sadly but there were 2 levels and I recall the second level was fantastic. What I definitely can recommend is the book Good Owners Great Dogs.
http://www.amazon.ca/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446675385
Replying to my own message to help you get started researching.
Good Owners, Great Dogs is a great first-time-dog-owner/looking-for-a-dog book. Costs a little more than ten bucks at amazon.
www.dogstardaily.com. Read ALL THE THINGS. They have great articles about introducing a dog into your life, playing games, training, tons of stuff. Absorb it all before going out to choose your companion.
www.dogfoodadvisor.com for help in choosing a good food for your new best friend.
Tip of the iceberg; there's plenty to take in. But I realized my original comment just said "hey, man, go do some research" and didn't point in a good direction. Those places will get you started.
And I am really hoping the comments thus far are helping re-shape your notions of adopting a canine and realizing what that really means.
Crate train the puggle. I used this book from Amazon: How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days
Basically: Crate train your dog. Put it on a feeding and watering schedule. Learn when it needs to go potty based on the feeding schedule. If the dog does not go potty within 15 minutes of being out of the crate and put in the "potty spot", put back into crate.
When dog goes potty in the right spot shower with praise and treats. Repeat.
Took our dog a couple of weeks to learn that (as a puppy, however). The book has some great examples of how to work their "method" in to different types of work schedules.
You must be disciplined. Good luck!
There are some great suggestions already. I bought this bookto help with my lab mix's issues with nail care and baths and it has been a huge help, he is going from tolerating to liking these things. The author, deb jones, also has a blog with some great information if you can't get the book and she runs a Facebook page as well.
I also highly recommend muzzle training so while you work on building positive associations to grooming. I am in the process of muzzle training my dog, there are so many useful applications and I like knowing that if he ever needs to be muzzled, it won't stress him out further, because he'll be used to it.
I highly recommend the book Cooperative Care by Deb Jones for any body handling needs.
Warning: very little good news ahead (sorry, going through some stuff right now which has me pretty fucking jaded on the subject, and while I do think my information is helpful, it is a bit more doomsdayish than really necessary--apolgies for that.)
Honestly a lot of shelter dogs will not show their problem behaviors right away. This is most likely not sudden, and probably the reason he was at the shelter. This behavior is not something that you caused, it is a behavior that he has learned a long time before you and is now displaying because of his level of comfort around you. It takes a LONG time to rehab a dog like that, considering his age, and sometimes it's not really successful, depending on the underlying causes of the aggression...so you must ask yourself are you really in this for the long haul or do you want to get a different dog that will be easier?
I would definitely recommend seeing a behaviorist not just a trainer for at least one or two sessions to get some practice under your belt for how to manage and treat this situation. The main techniques will be counter-conditioning to the presence of other dogs and redirection. Timing is KEY when doing this kind of training and if you do it yourself without being really shown how, you risk fucking the dog up more.
I rescued a dog from the shelter who seemed perfectly fine (although a bit unruly) at first. He started showing aggression to other dogs AND people after about 3 weeks. I took the DIY approach for about a year, decided I needed help, now 2 and a half years and roughly $15,000 in books, dvds, seminars, workshops, behaviorists, trainers, vet bills, training camp, training classes, etc I have decided to have him humanely euthanized for his own benefit, that of society at large, and also my own mental health. He is a super smart and amazing dog who I love dearly (hence why I have tried so hard), but to be honest he is dangerous.
I don't mean to scare you, and honestly, I ended up with a REALLY bad dog, way worse than most people would from a shelter. Dog aggression is quite manageable if you are willing to accept that you may not ever "cure" your dog, and make sure that he is kept away from other dogs at all times so as not to practice this behavior further. The fact that he has redirected at you is quite concerning, however, and should definitely be discussed with a professional if you do decide to keep this dog.
While you are looking for your behaviorist I would recommend the following books:
http://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-Frustration-Aggression/dp/1617810509
http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Practical-Treatment-Dog-dog-Aggression/dp/0970562969
http://www.amazon.com/Control-Unleashed-Creating-Focused-Confident/dp/B000UCF53A
These are the books that helped me the most dealing with my problem dog.
Your best option is to train the dog to stay inside and do everything you can to encourage the dog to sleep while you are out. Dogs rarely entertain themselves by playing with toys when they are alone. Destructive behaviours, barking and whining are more common forms of entertainment...
Is there a bathroom / laundry area or room of the house that you can dog proof? Use baby gates to close it off. Before you leave the dog, spend at least an hour on the dog's mental and physical exercise. Walk is not sufficient. Active games such as fetch AND training or brain work is essential. Leave the dog with breakfast in kongs or similar - ideally the dog will work through the kongs and then be tired out and sleep for a few hours. Build up the time left alone gradually.
Get a video camera so you can consistently record his behaviour. This will help you work out whether he's bored or suffering separation anxiety. If the latter, the 'gold standard' for addressing this problem is Malena DeMartini's approach. There's an online course, and a book: https://www.amazon.com/Treating-Separation-Anxiety-Malena-Demartini-Price/dp/1617811432
>Last week was the first week we left our dog alone again
I'm hoping the dog is used to being without you both (& the other dog) for a few hours at least? If not you will need to build it up gradually.
Since you have trazadone I'm going to assume you have already talked to your veterinarian about your dog's anxiety. If that is not the case, please discuss it with your vet.
The behaviorists are pricy, but they're an excellent resource and worth the money. I'd definitely stick with either a Veterinary Behaviorist or an Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist over a regular trainer, anybody can call themselves a trainer while CAABs and VBs have tons of education and experience. They can tailor advice to your specific dog and your specific household in a way a book or video cannot.
I am by no means an expert (I'm a vet tech at a general-practice clinic) but my go-to recommendations for behavior books are Decoding Your Dog by the American College of Veterinary behaviorists, (it has a chapter on house training and a chapter on separation anxiety) and The Other End of the Leash (it's about understanding dogs and how they think rather than specific issues) by Patricia McConnell. Patricia McConnell also has books (booklets? they're short) about anxiety and separation anxiety. I've never read the booklets, but she's a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist with a Ph.D, so they're probably a better resource than random internet sites even if they're not as helpful as an in-person consultation with a behaviorist.
Hi there! I foster scared and reactive dogs for my local rescue. I've found four resources that I love so much, they have become my foundation for every dog, whether they have behavioral issues or not:
1.) (Free) CARE for Reactive Dogs - careforreactivedogs.com
2.) Grisha Stewart's Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) - https://www.amazon.com/Behavior\-Adjustment\-Training\-2\-0\-Frustration\-ebook/dp/B01BG05UAW/ref=tmm\_kin\_swatch\_0?\_encoding=UTF8&qid=1525694710&sr=8\-1
3.) (free) Relaxation Protocol - http://championofmyheart.com/relaxation\-protocol\-mp3\-files/
4.) Karen Pryor's Click to Calm - https://www.amazon.com/Click\-Calm\-Healing\-Aggressive\-Dog\-ebook/dp/B008510I5S/ref=pd\_sim\_351\_1?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TYTV68ZND5W25S0ZH1XH
A lot of the stuff is, but if I were choosing a book for adult dogs, I'd go with Family Friendly Dog Training by McConnell and Moore or How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves By Yin
Most shelters have an open play area for introducing other dogs to each other.
You can get an idea of their interaction.
If you are doing introductions, and your dog is on a leash, leave lots of slack. Just relax and let them greet each other i.e. "butt sniffing" but always keep the leash slack.
Love Has No Age Limit-Welcoming an Adopted Dog into Your Home by Patricia McConnell is a great book.
Dog aggressive... Right off the top of my head I would suggest taking a look at BAT 2.0. Jean Donaldson has Fight!
/u/mysled is right that a good behaviorist will be able to help you. Check the wiki and sidebars of /r/dogs and /r/dogtraining for links like this one, and feel free to ask. Lots of folks deal with reactive dogs, and I think there's a support thread that floats around on /r/dogs.
I wish you luck with this; I know loving and dealing with a reactive dog is a difficult path.
Yeah, that should be fine. I use this crap and it works great (and smells good too!). You can probably find a less insanely sized bottle at a pet store, or maybe elsewhere on the site.
If you're serious about getting your dog into shape, let me recommend this book. Everyone I've ever spoken to about it has nothing but good things to say and it was quite revolutionary 25 years ago, but it's not a bit dated and really ought to help you train your dog and give you some more insight into how they thing. The Monks have a puppy book too, which might be useful for you to skim the housebreaking and crate training chapters (at a book store!).
Also: no problem for the advice; it's meant for sharing :)
Cheesy looking, but it works...get this book and follow it exactly.
Similarly, I'm planning to use baby gates to divide my house into 2 zones so that we have the option to separate baby and dog while still giving each of them access to a large area. I got a lot of good ideas from the book "Please don't bite the baby".
I actually don't think your concerns are outlandish. Many dog/baby injury stories start with "he was always so gentle!" A little bit of management with play pens and baby gates can provide a lot of protection against accidents.
I have read and highly recommend BAT 2.0 by Grisha Stewart. If you'd like more information about this training ideology, I can find some free sources online!
Separation anxiety can be brutal -- I'm sorry that you have to deal with it.
This book is the answer. Malena DeMartini is the industry expert in treating separation anxiety in dogs. It's not easy, and for dogs who are severely impacted, the process of helping them cope with being alone can literally take months of dedicated time. Nevertheless, DeMartini's methods are said to work wonders if you stick to the technique. She also has classes available.
The Genius of Dogs by Brian Hare.
https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Dogs-Smarter-Than-Think/dp/0142180467
On a related note, consider Dognition - simple games you play with your dog that help you learn how your dog thinks:
https://www.dognition.com/
These two books written by Monks of New Skete, The Art of Raising a Puppy and Be Your Dogs Best Friend are worth their weight in gold. They cover what to buy as well as training methods for your dog.
Kong toys are brilliant. We use ours for training and have another that we fill with peanut butter and freeze. I consider this a frugal tip because it's the only toy our dog can't destroy.
Socializing your dog at the dog park costs only time.
In most major cities there are "clubs" for each breed and likely another club for rescue dogs. We took our mastiff to hang out with other mastiffs each Saturday. It was free.
You also need a good short walking/traffic lead and a longer park/hiking leash.
Good luck and thanks for rescuing a pup. It's a noble thing.
For training, my favorite:
How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete. They have another book about puppies and some DVDs too. Can't recommend them highly enough.
For an enjoyable, basic intro to dog perception/cognition:
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
Virtually any dog in the universe can fit the criteria of what you described, but all breeds have their little variations.
For example, my favorite breed is the German Shepherd. And there are German Shepherds that do really well in apartment life, and others that don't. If you go to a breeder for your dog, you're going to want to find a breeder that emphasizes pet quality, safe, sane dogs. The difference between a Labrador from hunting lines and lines bred for therapy and service dog work is night and day. If you go to a shelter to adopt a dog, I would recommend taking a qualified trainer with you that's well-read on selection testing dogs, and most of all, use the resources at your disposal. Talk to the people who run the shelter and/or the rescue. They have the most experience with the dog. They will be able to help you the best.
With the two breeds you mentioned (Golden Retrievers, specifically) keep in mind the shedding issue. Labs shed too, but Golden's are just about as bad as Shepherd's (which are both, very bad.) If you have carpet, be prepared to vacuum everyday. If you intend to let your dog sleep with you on the bed, or chill on the sofa, be ready to clean your furniture daily. Your clothes will be covered in hair if you do not. Your boss will not like you showing up to work wearing your dog.
Also, please, if you haven't already, look into your apartments restrictions for pets and dog breeds, and keep in mind that if you intend on moving, you will be taking your dog with you. I love all breeds of dogs, but apartments do not. Rottweilers, German Shepherd's, Doberman's, Pitbulls (and mixes) come under notorious scrutiny when moving. For your future dogs sake, pick a breed or mixed breed that your landlords are cool with.
Some of my favorite books include:
Dog Training for Dummies which is a very basic introduction to how dogs learn, and explains the different methods available to you in an unbiased manner.
Some of my personal favorite books include:
How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete.
The Art of Raising A Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
The Divine Canine by the Monks of New Skete
If you haven't already guessed, I'm a huge fan of the Monks of New Skete. The put huge emphasis on calm, structured leadership and positive method obedience that works in real life situations. Plus, they're German Shepherd people. Double points.
Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin.
Dr. Temple Grandin is a high-functioning autistic that teaches at Colorado State University's veterinary science department. I've taken several classes with her, and her understanding of animals is absolutely impossible to challenge. This book is more about genetic theory and science-backed training methods. It's good reading material if you want to know more about animals (she discusses dogs and livestock in detail) but is not a training guide. She also has a lot of technical articles available on her website here.
Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Harowitz. This is a cursory introduction to canine ethology. It is not a guide, but if you want to know about how dogs think (how dogs can "smell time" for example) this is where you start.
How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren emphasizes communication with dogs, backed in animal biology and evolution.
Canine Body Language: A photographic guide by Brenda Aloff describes in vivid detail what dogs are "saying." It's not a training guide, but will help you understand your dog much better.
Katz on Dogs by Jon Katz, a great common sense training guide to working with dogs in the home, and outdoors.
Soul of a Dog also by Jon Katz, which goes into greater detail on the personal side of working with dogs, with very helpful examples.
Imagine Life With a Well Behaved Dog by Julie Bjelland. Great book on structure and positive method dog training.
Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Dr. Pitcairn was one of my college textbooks and it's a great start for dog nutrition and chemical-free health care for dogs. This is not a training guide, but nutrition and health are just as important (if not more) than training, so I figured I'd share.
With the exception of the first book on the list, all of these books are fairly detailed. I would highly recommend the Monks of New Skete books before any of the others. But they're all very good.
Additionally, you can read many of the articles on the AKC.org website regarding dog training, and Leerburg has some great comprehensive advice on training the working dog, which can also be applied to training family pets. He also sells a variety of videos and ebooks on the same subject matter.
TL;DR How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend & The Art of Raising A Puppy explain everything you ever need to know about training a dog, ever.
Have you read How to be your dog's best friend?
It was the combination and some advice from my sister who trains w/ Cesar Milan that I got my 'dog game' on point. You're correct with the training though, my dog could have trained himself.
Smart as fuck, sometimes too smart...
> I was under the impression that these dogs were, in general, of a meaner disposition due to selective breeding. Is that inaccurate?
This is wildly overstated imo. I highly recommend
https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116
TLDR: A dogs breed is not nearly the dominant factor on it's temperament that many people take it to be.
Wherever you go, I suggest you buy this book.
It completely changed my approach to owning and training a dog. My wife and I followed it to the letter and our Golden was the most obedient dog any of my family or friends had ever seen.
If I go with puppy pads, do you think that I can tape them together on the bottom so that they don't shift/expose the floor? I've already looked into that book, as well as Good Owners, Great Dogs, and I'm probably going to purchase both.
It sounds like this dog has separation anxiety. That can lead to destructive behaviors, sometimes leading to dogs being re-homed. A personal trainer would be the best solution for the dog, but reading this book is a good place to start: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446675385
This book is super helpful.
A referral to a veterinary dermatologist would be the next step to take.
Deb Jones has a book on Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry and also teaches an online class at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy on cooperative care.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooperative-Care-Seven-Stress-Free-Husbandry/dp/0578423138
This book by Deb Jones is a good resource. If you have Facebook check out the Nail Maintenance for Dogs group.
Licki mats work great for one-person treat dispensing/distracting while you work.
An unrelated option is to train your dog to use a scratch board (usually a piece of wood with sand paper attached) which will address their front nails but not back or dew claws. I am in the process of going through the Cooperative Care Book to desensitize my dog to dremeling but the scratch board is great for keeping her front nails short (which are the ones that grow the most) while she gets comfortable with the dremel.
Most of the dogs come up from the US to groups locally, although possibly not directly in Ottawa. I used to have a retired racer, but that was in Vancouver and we drove down to Washington to pick him up. You could try flagging down an owner as someone suggested, or contact some of the local rescue groups http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.com/info.html or http://www.gracanada.com/. You can expect a bit of a process in adopting, as the groups will likely want to do a house visit and you would go through a meet-and-greet to get to know potential dogs before adopting. I totally recommend adopting a retired racer, but as with any breed, you have to look at your lifestyle and see if that type of dog fits. This book is a good primer, but the basis of it is that greyhounds are super calm, very sweet, and very sensitive, which is great, but the flip side of that is that they can have separation anxiety (so if you are out of the house 10+ hours at a time, it won't work well) and aren't as "dog" like as people are expecting, a lot of people are surprised that they have to always be on a leash unless it is a completely fenced in area. They pretty much want to sleep most of the day (preferably near you) and despite what people think, they are very low energy, but bringing them to an enclosed area to run briefly and some walks is all it takes. Good luck :)
Are you looking for an adult Greyhound, a very young Greyhound, or a puppy to raise how you want?
Retired racers are prone to separation anxiety and come with a longer adjustment time than some dogs due to the major upheaval of rehoming to a strange new world, but some adjust faster than others.
You should look at reputable adoption groups in your area/state if you're interested and do your research. I know several people who keep Whippets and Greyhounds, notably vet Jennifer Ng, and she does a lot of amateur sporting with both. You can look through her numerous sporting photos and albums through her Facebook page.
Freshly published by Dennis McKeon
Retired Racers for Dummies If you want to borrow this from me, I can loan it.
Another essay for the new adopter
You can find other info on groups' websites, and that info will vary in quality and accuracy, so do your own research.
Try checking out Lee Livingood's "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" if you haven't already. There is a lot of good information in there covering a wide range of breed-specific topics.
Fight! by Jean Donaldson is also a helpful book in a case like this.
Try a BAT training program! BAT, in combination with a clicker training class, should help you get your dog to be more friendly with other dogs. I recommend the class because you should always have a trainer to guide you! You can find classes in your area through the Association of Pet Dog Trainer's website:http://www.apdt.com/
BAT's website is here:http://functionalrewards.com/
Also, a great book on dog aggression here:http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Practical-Treatment-Dog-dog-Aggression/dp/0970562969
Keeping them separated is the right start. Be sure there is nothing to resource-guard while they are together. You want to make sure each dog feels secure, that his food/toy/spot on the bed isn't threatened. You also want to prevent incidents because aggression may cause fear which can cause aggression which is harder to treat.
I'd try to chance the emotional associations they have with each other. So only good things happen when they are in each other's presence (you may want a gate or at least space between them.) When they are reliably calm you can supervise the younger dog on leash while you give the other dog a treat. Reward the younger dog for any behavior other than barking/lunging/growling. So looking at the dog with the treat earns a treat. Ignoring the other dog with the treat earns a treat. You may not want to start with the highest value treat you can think of if that's too stressful. You may have to reverse this precedure, I'm not exactly sure who you are saying is the instigator.
I recommend the book, Fight! by Jean Donaldson.
I found this blog post and this book incredibly helpful!
First, check out /r/puppy101
Otherwise great resources on youtube include: Zak George and Kikopup
Books/Resources that haven't been mentioned yet: Zak George's Dog Training ReVolution and Victoria Stillwell's Books, Blogs, and videos.
Is it possible to scale it back and just focus on your guys relationship with her first? It sounds like you are working really hard to socialize her in all aspects, but it may be overwhelming.
Kudos on the work you've done. Going from food possessive to being able to handle her food is huge! It sounds like you were very patient and respectful to get that sort of a result with her. That's what she needs right now.
Can you scale your socialization back for a bit? Maybe eliminate etra stress from other dogs and men until she feels bonded to you guys? She needs to be comfortable with you first before she can trust you enough to work on those issues.
An eample would be, if you are walking and see a man or another dog, turn away from them before she becomes nervous (starts staring). Don't wait for her to raise her hackles, cower, growl, whine, etc.
By moving her away from what she is fearing, she gains trust in your ability to protect her. It also teaches her to move away rather than feel the need to defend herself.
I highly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-Frustration-Aggression/dp/1617810509
Also, talk to a trainer. Just like u/edgepatrol said. These are difficult issues, especially for new dog owners. Yikes.
What exactly did you do when you "reacted wrongly and aggressively"? If you beat him or otherwise punished him physically, it might be that his conclusion was that if provoked he needed to disable you so you couldn't do that again.
Seeing a behaviourist is really your best bet. On top of that, so not as an alternative, try to read as much as you can on dog literature, for instance this extremely helpful book : "Behavior Adjustment Training: BAT for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in DogsBehavior Adjustment Training: BAT for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in Dogs" by Grisha Stewart, see here.
Euthanizing your dog is absolutely not the greatest solution at the moment, though it does seem to me like you've so far allowed your dog to sort of do anything he pleases. Of course he's upset now that he doesn't get his way, so the way to teach him is with kindness. See a behaviourist and read that book. Also show it to your mum if you can, she will be glad to know there IS a way to handle any kind of aggression. That said, don't think you can do it by yourselves. Biting is a really slippery slope for a dog, and it takes expert advice to know how to handle it.
I'm new to this thread. Smelly is a 50lb mixed breed whom I adopted as a young adult one year ago. His main reason for reactivity is fear and he will bark, growl and lunge at unfamiliar dogs and people.
His trainer introduced us to behavior adjustment training. This book was a great resource for me. His reactivity is much improved. I can walk him 90% of the time without an episode.
Currently he still will lunge and growl if an unfamiliar dog gets within his comfort zone(~12 feet radius). His other triggers are people in narrow hallways and people who are not in motion. His hallway/elevator lunging has improved with clicker-training with ultra high-value treats.
My dream would be for him to have good dog manners and be comfortable in unfamiliar settings. It would be so wonderful to watch him romp in the dog park like I used to with my previous dogs. I would love to do some sort of dog sport with him.. but I can't imagine if he ever would be comfortable with all that!
Keep educating yourself. You're doing a good thing already by not giving up on this dog. Tell yourself that every day, especially when it gets frustrating. Focus on the successes and progress you are making, however small. Don't feel obligated to put yourself or your dog in situations that make him feel uncomfortable. If you don't feel like he (or you!) is ready to be introduced to new people yet, don't. Keep practicing the stuff you are comfortable with instead.
I don't know a lot about muzzles but in my opinion, if you are in a situation where you feel you need to muzzle your dog (and it's not a necessary situation like vet treatment, etc), then your dog isn't ready to be there yet. Adding a muzzle to the mix could just confuse your dog even further and make him more uncomfortable and fearful. If you do decide to go that route, though, make sure to desensitize him to it and have him associate it with good things (treats, etc) before you put it on him in new, scary situations.
Medication, in my opinion, is a last resort. Unless your dog is constantly irrationally fearful and anxious of a wide variety of things, you probably don't need to medicate him. If he is just wary of strangers and people in new situations, that can be worked on with behavior modification. Again, educate yourself! If you feel confused by or uncomfortable with a suggestion that your behaviorist makes, get a second opinion. Google is your friend. (Just please don't use corrections or punishment on a dog with fear aggression issues.)
This article has been very useful and informative to me in the past.
Dr. Sophia Yin's website is a great place to find information on behavior.
This book is an excellent resource, and so is this one if you're into clicker training.
You are your dog's advocate and guardian. The most important thing you can do is give yourself the information and tools to help guide your dog through the world and help him learn that he doesn't have to be scared of things. Good luck <3
You need to find a good behaviourist to work with you, this is a common, but very challenging condition to treat.
This is by far the best book on the subject, and explains how complex these cases are to manage.
What country are you in? You are probably best to find a veterinary behaviourist, and if I know where you're from I can help point you in the right direction to find one.
While I agree with the others here that you should treat around children, I disagree regarding criteria: I don't think you should expect any particular reaction from her in order to treat.
Treating based on a behavioural criteria is operant conditioning. The purpose of operant conditioning is to teach your dog to undertake a certain behaviour based on a certain cue or context. For example, teaching your dog to sit nicely whenever she sees a kid would be great if she tended to be overly excitable and happy around kids and had a tendency to knock them over accidentally.
Treating in the context of a trigger, without expecting any particular behaviour from your dog, is counterconditioning. The purpose of counterconditioning is to change your dog's automatic emotional reaction to the trigger. You treat every time your dog sees a child, regardless of whether your dog is growling or ignoring, because you want your dog to associate "child=something good!". Over time, your dog should start to feel good about children because they predict good things.
Depending on what your goals with your dog are, you may be happy to stop at counterconditioning -- say, you don't particularly care whether your dog sits next to you, sniffs the floor, politely says hello to the child, as long as the dog isn't being aggressive to the child. Just improving the dog's emotional reaction to children would be sufficient for that. On the other hand, if you want to see a specific behaviour from your dog around children, then after you have successfully counterconditioned your dog, you can work on operant conditioning.
You will not have much success with operant conditioning your dog when she is experiencing fear around children. Fear inhibits learning, and your dog is unlikely to even bother listening to you if it feels threatened. "Pleasing mum" takes a backseat to "defending my life!" any day for a dog, so it will ignore cues from you until it feels like the trigger has retreated.
Another tool for working with fearful reactive dogs is Behavioural Adjustment Training (BAT). It is similar to operant conditioning in that you reward your dog for appropriate "de-escalation" behaviour (e.g., turning away from the trigger, sniffing the ground, etc.) but instead of giving a treat or a toy, you reward the dog by allowing it to put more space between it and the trigger. Grisha Stewart developed the technique, and has written a couple books on how to do it, the most recent being [Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0] (https://www.amazon.ca/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474135094&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=grisha+stewart). It requires that you have willing children to volunteer to stand around in a field or something while you do the training set-ups -- maybe find a helpful parent and offer to buy the kid an ice cream cone?
I'm sorry that this happened. It's very scary, and while it seemed unexpected, dogs will behave inappropriately if they are not trained to behave appropriately.
Do not "put him down".
If you've noticed him being protective over objects (even at all) you should recognize that while you've thought it was a small problem, he thinks it's very serious. This is absolutely your family not taking manners training seriously. Every single puppy needs to be trained as to how to live appropriately with humans. Not every dog needs tons of training on every single possible thing, but every dog needs training on lots of things.
Your family should absolutely read books like Sophia Yin's How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves and call a local trainer to begin to learn how to teach your dog proper manners.
Also, unless you are professional dog breeders, have your puppy neutered.
So, the answer is both training and neutering.
If your family can't commit to training him properly, again...don't put him to sleep. At least take him to a proper no-kill shelter to be rehomed to a family who is more interested in training.
Puppy school (eg, at Petsmart) to teach him to "come" on command, etc. No puppy pads. cuz they encourage peeing indoors. Ours will potty outside, in any weather. NEVER punish for potty mistakes, but quickly whisk them outside to SHOW him where he should go, and then offer High-Value-Treat (meat, cheese, etc) the MILLI-SECOND they do it correctly. Praise at the right instant teaches them what behaviors you want them to repeat. Crate training is very important. It's a den, make it a happy place, not a prison. Read Dachshunds for Dummies, and other training books such as this excellent book. Watch Kikopup on youtube for training tips. Learn how to read dog body language, also known as calming signals. Learn the many benefits of raw feeding. Above all, give him love, and he will give you joy.
Edit: if you can, adopt another. Dachsies do better in pairs.
This is great advice OP. I foster so have new dogs in the home all the time. Best to make the first week or two low key, get your schedule down so the dog has time to get used to it before you throw surprises in the mix. I also recommend starting off with whatever "rules of the house" you want from day one. ie if you don't want the dog in the kitchen or on the furniture, start that from the beginning so it's not confusing later.
Also, this is a great book if interested. https://www.amazon.com/Love-Limit-Welcoming-Adopted-into-Your/dp/1891767143
I haven't found any. Anything in print is basically guaranteed to be full of outdated information.
What work are you looking to do with your GSD?
Start there, talk to your breeder, and hopefully you'll find a lot of good info to work with.
EDIT: As for actual books, there are some really solid reads with applicability to all breeds. GSDs are "spicier" than your average dog, but they're still just dogs at the end of the day.
> One of the most frequent complaints of pet parents is that their dogs “just won’t listen.” But put yourself in your dog’s shoes for a moment. If someone was constantly chattering away in a foreign language that you’d never heard before, how long would you pay attention? Probably not for very long—because you simply wouldn’t be able to understand what the foreign speaker was trying to communicate.
> To communicate clearly and consistently with your dog, you need to understand how she learns. Dogs learn through the immediate consequences of their behavior. The nature of those consequences determines how they’ll behave in the future. Dogs, like other animals (people included), work to get good things and avoid bad things in life. If a behavior results in something rewarding—like food, a good belly rub, playtime with dog buddies or a game of fetch with her pet parent—your dog will do that behavior more often. On the other hand, if a behavior results in an unpleasant consequence—like being ignored or losing things she finds rewarding—she’ll do that behavior less often.
I highly recommend this book. It's a really fun and quick read, full of interesting stories to well presented science.
> An applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell looks at humans as just another interesting species, and muses about why we behave the way we do around our dogs, how dogs might interpret our behavior, and how to interact with our dogs in ways that bring out the best in our four-legged friends.
> After all, although humans and dogs share a remarkable relationship that is unique in the animal world, we are still two entirely different species, each shaped by our individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (like wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation.
I didn't find distracted dog, but reactive dog is similar and available at the two places I provided links to above. By the way, what you need for your dog is behavior modification or behavior adjustment as opposed to just standard training, which is a little tougher because he has been practicing this behavior for a while, and it is self rewarding like when we eat a quart of ice cream when we feel bad or chew our finger nails, etc. There's a book that might be helpful buy Grisha Stewert https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617811742/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=VYE75PHA6VYZ8QQVAEFW and you could also try a pheromone collar or diffuser to help calm your dog....
I also got a whippet puppy in Jan with -30C weather. It was a challenge at the beginning because she was used to using newspaper at the breeder's indoors. We got a piece of sod initially but she was more consistent when we took her into our backyard. A warm jacket is a must. They'll learn quickly to just do their business quickly to get back inside. You could also use a shower stall/tub if in the middle of the night and freezing.
I'd suggest finding a puppy socialization class initially. Puppy Start Right was recommended (https://www.amazon.ca/Puppy-Start-Right-Foundation-Companion/dp/1890948446/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1517626807&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=start+right+puppy) and I'd suggest you watch some youtube videos (I'd suggest Zak George).
Crate train is a good idea for your own sanity (and property), and you'll learn to discern the usual whining from "i need to go potty" whining. There are videos on crate training as well.
Good luck and enjoy the "good" moments! He will definitely try your patience!
I've been looking through Puppy Start Right sand I dig it so far. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1890948446/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pxvgzbH2X29EE
It has information on all sorts of puppiness, but mostly behavior related.
Set up as many positive experiences with strangers and other dogs as you possibly can. Puppy socialization classes are your best friend. Everything else can come later.
Puppy Start Right is my favorite puppy book.
Sure! Decoding Your Dog:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E78ICDS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1523300558&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=decoding+your+dog#nav-search-keywords
I would break it down and from a plan, maybe by priority or ease of training:
a. dogs
b. strangers (walking, biking, etc?)
I would check the books part in the wiki but I'll specifically mention this for the aggression/reactivity:
https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742
Check out these videos, they should give you some hope. He uses BAT:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHG3NYUNiEMiMlNy56VuAqjFK2I9uR3YU
For storms that sounds classical conditioning can help with where you want to change your dogs emotional response. Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2vx2q5RDRI
It sounds like she's over threshold if she's not taking treats- she too freaked out in the moment to learn or for you to implement effective counter conditioning. It's all fear.
I would suggest looking into Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT). Basically, you start by determining the dog's threshold level. Once you know it, you keep them under threshold and use a counter conditioning strategy to desensitize them to the thing that frightens them. If they're above threshold, they can't learn & won't be reassured. Here's the link to a great book on the method. I would also explore r/reactivedogs for more advice & resources!
Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!
Here are your smile-ified links:
There's a book on it.
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^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly&nbsp;bot
Sure - but a couple things. Nobody is worked up over this or has a real personal stake in the matter - it's just scientists debating different hypothesis. Right now, most researchers are leading towards the one presented in that opinion piece. It cites just one book, but the book is filled with solid primary literature and gives us a general overview of the field right now. The man you're referring to is not just some assistant research grad & journalist wife, here he is a Harvard Ph.D who - nevermind just read the first paragraph of his bio. Attack ad hominem if you like, but he's the top of the field.
I included sources that backed up my claims (and left out anything I couldn't quickly find a source for) since I'm not in the social sciences and am just regurgitating what I've read. A lot of the accepted knowledge ten+ years ago (as far as dog cognition) seemed so wrong, and some of the studies seemed so obviously flawed, that it just became a personal interest of mine.
If you want some good reading on the subject, I highly recommend
in The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think, written by an evolutionary anthropologist with a particular interest our relationship with dogs and how it came to be. The studies highlighted in the book are fascinating, and it really gives an expert's view of how they all fit together.
Anyway, the sources I posted include a few different small studies. The tests using a sniff test and a mirror for solving problems specified that the dogs were not trained for the tasks. The NYT article is an op-ed piece, but it's written by a neurologist who used MRI scans to show dogs' brain activity in response to various stimuli. His results indicate that dogs are sentient, emotional animals. In the NPR article, dogs were trained to perform a task but the test was whether they would continue to perform that task if they weren't being rewarded (and another dog was). The Scientific American article is pointing out flaws in the mirror test, especially as it relates to other cultures and animals.
The Genius of Dogs
congrats on deciding to kennel train, we will never have a dog that isn't. all dogs are naturally drawn to the kennel as it resembles their den in nature. the biggest thing to remember (IMHO) is that the kennel should NEVER be used as a disciplinary tool. you want the kennel to be a happy place for the dog (treats help with this). second, a dog should only be in the crate for about one hour of time for every six weeks of age, consequently, the dog really shouldn't be left in the crate for an 8 hour work day until about 1 year old. an appropriately sized crate is the difference between crate training success and failure when the dog is young. a dog has a natural desire to NOT want to soil it's den - to utilize this in the crate training, the crate needs to be big enough for the dog to comfortably move around and lay down in, but not so large as the dog could pee/poop in one end of the crate and lay in the other end away from it. a full sized dobe will need a pretty large crate - you can either buy different sized crates as the dog grows or buy the adult sized crate now and use a divider or various sized cardboard boxes to take up the extra space until the dog grows into it.
i would expect that peeing on the patio instead of the yard is a confidence issue with the young pup and the dog will grow out of it in a couple weeks/months. the dog's natural instinct is to go to the bathroom in the grass, this will come. if you want to encourage it faster, put the dog on a leash while still in the house, open the door and walk the dog directly to the grass - do not stop on the patio. then walk the dog around in the grass until she uses the restroom and praise her for doing so in the appropriate spot. she'll learn quickly where it's ok to and not to go to the restroom.
to keep her off the sofa, first, she must be corrected every time she attempts to get on it, even with a single paw. second, any time she walks up to the sofa but does NOT attempt to get up on it you need to praise her for doing the right thing. our dogs are allowed to put their chin on the sofa but nothing more - i have friends that the chin is not allowed either. dobes are very smart; consistency on your part is key.
if you're so inclined, this is awesome.
Read one of the Monks books on puppy/dog raising.
[read](How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners (Revised & Updated Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316610003/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FfLhzbGE7BR2S)
http://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Dogs-Best-Friend/dp/0316610003
Thanks for the info. I bought a couple Sophia Yin books on kindle. Do you have any experience with How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend? It seems to be a "classic" manual. Just wondering if the info or techniques are outdated at all.
Nah... Check out this book.
Someone on here reccomened this book awhile back and it's fantastic: https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502303525&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=pitbull very well written and informative. It's about, not only pit bulls, but the history of dog breeds and media narratives as well, I'm really enjoying it and learning lots about dogs (mine and all) along the way. Highly recommend.
If you've never trained a dog before, go ahead and get this book. It's our bible of dog training. Powerful methods you will use with every interaction.
We got our 7/almost 8 month Yorkie about 9ish days ago. Luckily, he came to us used to the crate at night—not so much during the day (he was on an apartment balcony for 8+ hours a day, with water and a grass pad/yoga mat for pottying. We just decided to start from scratch.)
What I would recommend is the book ‘How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days’. Honestly, the 7 days is a bit of a misnomer but this book has great, easy to follow adaptable steps. (No worries if it’s not done in 7 ACTUAL DAYS). It does involve having to crate for longer periods but I’ve seen it work really well so far with our dog, especially getting him to take enforced naps. We do crate him in a separate room when we’re at home just because he can’t relax/settle well if he sees us. We also purposefully watch him like a hawk when he’s out and about on his own as we’ve still had a few accidents.
Crating feels super confined but as long as you entertain them/exercise them well outside of the crate, we don’t are issues. Gradually, we’ll try an expen with him at home alone but we’re nowhere near that stage yet.
Edit: also, for the record, we’re still having accidents every few days. But, the book I recommended as been a god send, especially with the sample schedules that are included.
Read this book. It is very regimented but very effective. Though Jacks are always harder to train than others.
If you have a Kindle I should be able to loan it you...though I don't know how just yet :D
book
Check out 7 Day Dog Training. My border collie puppy was housebroken in less than a week doing this. It's a method that uses the crate.
Your poor dog for being crated 24/7 at the puppy mill. Crates should be their comfort zone and happy place. :(
I strongly recommend reading the book Cooperative Care by Deborah Jones and following along with it.
I think the vet is the right route to go. My girl hasn't bitten me, but she definitely gives a warning when she's had enough or the cotton ball touched something painful. She is prone to ear infections so it is always a give and take. I guess I'm not immediately thinking this is unbridled aggression off the bat, I'm thinking something medically is wrong. In any case a visit to the vet should let you know. If nothing underlying then maybe a behaviorist can help you out.
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Also, maybe give this a go? Cooperative Husbandry
I live on a different coast, so I can't talk about AZ, but we've all been through this. Everything will be fine.
Get yourself a copy of the greyhound bible, Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies. Stairs are a completely surmountable obstacle. Yeah, it might be rough for a week, but they'll get the hang of it. As long as you're willing to put in the walking time (most orgs recommend 2 walks, 30 minutes each), a condo is a totally fine situation. Everything will be fine.
I wouldn't say they require more work or special care than most other dogs. There are a few things to take into account:
There are some great books out there if you're serious about it. This one and this one.
Oh, and, if you do adopt 1 or more, be ready to become greyhound obsessed! Don't fight it! :)
I recommend this book!
Yeah, a lot of rescues have odd personalities due to being raised, basically, like livestock.
They're certainly not rough-and-tumble rasslin' dogs like a lab or retriever. They wanna run for about 5 minutes once or twice a week, and lounge/sleep the rest of the week. They have terrible recall. Most of them, if they see a squirrel or a cat or something off in the distance, they're going to zero in and take off (35 mph in 3 steps). And then get hit by a car or get lost. So anytime they're out of the house, they need to be in a fenced-in area (yard/dog park) or on-leash. Those are the down sides.
For me, I picked a greyhound because they are the absolute chillest dogs ever. They love to see you come home and they'll greet you for a couple minutes, then just hang out near you. They don't chew up furniture, they don't demand hours of play/exercise every day, they're not yappy. (It was about four months from when I adopted my 6-y/o until I heard her bark for the first time.) All the rescues are house-trained. They can be mostly command-trained if you put in some time. I taught mine "sit", "stay", and "down", but "come" never worked outside the house. Also, they're raised for health and good genetics, so there aren't chronic medical issues like bad hips and stuff that you'll find in other purebreeds.
If you do start seriously considering it, I highly recommend "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" and "Adopting the Racing Greyhound". After those you should be pretty set on what to expect. Also, the rescue agency should work with you to find a dog that fits with your situations and what you want. (Some are not cat-safe, some are more high-energy, some are more comfortable with new situations, etc)
I'm really glad I adopted (and fostered). But rescue greyhounds are really unlike any other pet dog out there.
...Wow I just typed a lot, haha. Let me know if you have any questions!
> I think I'm going to buy a book to familiarize myself with them so that I can be prepared.
There are two I recommend based on how you like to get your information:
We have two pitbull type dogs that will be around when our little one gets here. Our old guy (we think he's 8 or 9) has been around babies of all sizes and is very good about being gentle and patient with them. Our younger dog (4 1/2) is a ACD/pitbull cross and he's veryyyyyyy high energy and loves to chase small creatures like cats and squirrels and what not. We were worried about him thinking that a tiny human would be a fun squeaky toy so we got in touch with a trainer and worked on his basic commands so that we would be able to work with him for the next nine months. I didn't think he was poorly trained before but even just working with him for 10-20 minutes a day has really made a difference in him.
We also have been getting our dogs accustomed to being sequestered in the kitchen with baby gates so that if they do get too excited they have a safe place to settle down away from baby.
The biggest thing that we plan to do though is just make sure that the dogs and the baby are never left alone in the same room together even if it's just for a few moments. Way too many horror stories have happened from situations like this and we want to do everything we can to prevent anything tragic from happening.
I ordered this book to give me some ideas on how to manage all the changes coming and I found it to be incredibly helpful especially when it came to easing my own nerves about being a first time mom with a newborn and two big dogs. Baby girl gets here in a few short weeks and then we'll know for sure if any of our training has made a difference! Fingers crossed that our boys fall in love with her because I would be heartbroken if we had to give them up.
https://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Bite-Baby-Chase/dp/158005577X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1483987219&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=please+don%27t+bite+the+baby
I'm worried about my dogs' behavior when our baby comes, so I started reading Please Don't Bite the Baby (and Please Don't Chase the Dogs): Keeping Our Kids and Our Dogs Safe and Happy Together yesterday. It's easy to read and helps you understand your dog's body language with some tips help everyone get along. I highly recommend it!
Zak George's Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love
This is my absolute favorite dog book and it connects with his videos as well. The book is written in a more general sense that can be used with any dog of any age and it is really easy to follow.
If you decide to go this route, this is a great resource (I just finished reading it last night and it is an excellent book about positive training techniques that also delves into and uses research to discuss why negative (and abusive) training methods don't work. The author also has a ton of youtube videos showing how to positively teach different types of behavior in difference scenarios.
Yes. Treats are a reward. Rewards come in various forms. You can make what you want the dog to do a way to get what it really wants. Reinforce good behavior using rewards - treats, play, belly rubs, letting the dog off leash etc.
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I read Zac George's book and checked out some of his vids on Youtube for general behavior training. Grisha Stewart's video on BAT is what we mostly followed.
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Title | Teaching Your Dog to 'Go Pee' on Command
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Get this book now.
Zak George's Dog Training Revolution https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607748916/
And when old enough, socialize, socialize, and socialize with other dogs!
I really liked Zak George's Dog Training Revolution. Here's the Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com.br/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916
I trained my pup through Zak George with his youtube channel and book and it worked brilliantly. He's 11 months now and he heels, plays fetch, comes when called, house trained in a couple of months. Can't recommend enough.
Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzFRKsgVMhGTxffpzgTJlQ
Book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916
Have you looked into Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT)? I only started reading it but it seems like it might help. From what I gather, you figure out what the threshold is for your dog's reactivity and work from there. Like I said, I'm only about halfway through it but it seems like it would be helpful, plus it was a recommendation in the wiki.
I don't use corrections either. I would rather show the dog what to do rather than what not to do. My dog isn't perfect, but he is a great dog and I am very happy with the results I have gotten from using only positive reinforcement training. My dog and I do agility, rally, nose-work, parkour, and a ton of trick training. Positive reinforcement works it just takes effort and time from the trainer. The best example I can give for what positive reinforcement is to look up Sara Carson and her Super Collies. She only uses positive reinforcement and all of her dogs are amazing and she has a reactive/aggressive dog as well.
My dog has both fear and frustration based reactivity, although they start out looking different, they end in the same result of barking, lunging, etc.
I would refrain from using punishment/corrections to modify a dogs frustration based reactive dogs behavior because you don't want it to turn into fear. Your dog might not make the association that they are getting the punishment because of their behavior and may associate the punishment to seeing other dogs and this can turn into them thinking dogs=punishment so keep away from me!
Look into B.A.T and L.A.T training if you haven't already.
BAT training book by Grisha Stewart is a really good read for BAT training and she has some really good diagrams.
I found a book that I read last night by a dog trainer for dog trainers:
https://www.amazon.com/Treating-Separation-Anxiety-Malena-Demartini-Price/dp/1617811432
In addition to working on Place commands, it suggest use a remote treat dispenser, a game of find it, and a gradual desensitization to being out of sight. I am kind of cash poor, so I appreciated finding some sort of plan to tackle this and thought others might too :)
If this is actual anxiety, it isn't just about the right toys and exercise (those things help, however) it's about desensitization. I highly recommend this book.
You're doing okay!
My adult dog had some accidents, lots of separation anxiety and affection issues, and took a while to adjust (maybe is still adjusting)
Remind yourself that you care and have the time and patience to help this little guy. You're already doing so many things right.
And then start reading (though you sound like you have been). Read to inform yourself and read to stay motivated.
Try some Cesar Milan books for communication tips
Look up T-touch massage
This kindle book
Awesome, looking it up on Amazon now!
Edit: [Here is the link to the book.](How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves, Revised and Updated 2nd Editon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GUSDK4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rbOmDb803BQ8A). If anyone reads this and wants to check it out, here it is. It’s pretty good so far!
Does she have a bite history? If so, you may have a harder time getting her into Italy.
If all she's done so far is get up in other dogs' faces barking, you can probably make this work if you're diligent and patient. First thing I would do is stop taking her to the dog park. Forcing her to socialize with dogs isn't going to fix the issue, and it's really stressful for other dogs and owners when there's a bully in the dog park. Do you know where in Italy you'll be living? If you're in a rural area you may be able to find spots to exercise your dogs without having to deal with other dogs. I'd do most of my exercise in these spots while you work on training the reactive behavior.
Second thing I would do is step waaaay back to basics in your training. Does she work well for treats or toys in your house? Take her out and figure out how much can be going on in the environment before she stops taking treats. Can she still focus if a dog is 100ft away? 50ft away? Once you've got a handle on her reactive threshold, try and slowly (like over months, not over days) work that threshold closer.
There are many methods to go about reducing that threshold distance. Lots of people like BAT 2.0 and CARE for Reactive Dogs. They're all somewhat similar at a basic level (see dog outside threshold, reward for calm behavior, walk away), but there are nuances to each.
So, a couple of things I'm seeing here:
First of all, I think the "she's being stubborn" mentality is detrimental to your relationship. More likely, she's confused about the rules and/or doesn't feel comfortable going outside when you aren't home. IMO it's better to consider your dog's shortcomings as a gap in the way you're explaining something so that the onus is on you – otherwise you run the risk of anthropomorphizing the dog's actions and resenting them down the line, which isn't good for anybody.
Finding the pee / punishing after the fact is not effective. For
"punishments" to be effective, they must happen almost simultaneously with the action – in this case, you would need to interrupt the action of peeing to get them to associate "peeing inside" = "unpleasant thing" (which, in the case of potty accidents usually means a loud "Eh Eh Eh" and getting picked up/whisked outside mid-pee. Not traumatic, but not a very enjoyable pee, either.) There is a book called Decoding your Dog has an awesome explanation of this concept that is well worth a read!
If I were you I would probably try to orchestrate a way to watch her from another room (webcam?) Then I would pretend I was leaving and wait for her to pee inside, at which point I would interrupt the behavior, take her outside, and reward for finishing outside. This should help if she's confused about the rules, but if she is uncomfortable being outside when you guys aren't home, then that is a harder challenge. Maybe find ways that you can spoof being home, like leaving on a radio or tv in another room? Let us know how it goes!
Start working on clicker training. A good book to use is Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog (Karen Pryor Clicker Book) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1890948446/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_gc0UDb5Y1RQB5
Also here are some links to videos that can help:
https://journeydogtraining.com/13-dog-training-games/
KikoPup has a lot of videos, here's a starter: https://youtu.be/YF7boyICV7M
Be careful with muzzles. They can be very constricting and harmful to the dog.
Patricia McConnell's books are really pretty great (short, to the point, reward-based). Here's one that may be what you're looking for.
Based on reading your other comments in this thread ,you're not being consistent enough, and you're not being patient. Training is about consistency, especially with a puppy.
Training doesn't happen overnight. It takes months and months to reinforce these behaviors. You need to be patient and realize that your dog isn't doing ANY of these things 'on purpose' or to purposefully disobey you.
I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Family-Friendly-Dog-Training-Program/dp/1891767119/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1453856024&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=patricia+mcconnell
Patricia Mcconnell is an excellent, positive-reinforcement dog traininer and this will help your pup get started off on the right paw.
Also, if you want to read more about this technique, consider picking up this book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1891767119
Patricia McConnell really knows her stuff.
Dogs are not good surprise gifts. If you're going to adopt a dog for the whole family, bring the whole family to meet it and bring the whole family to train it. One thing they don't talk about much in books is finding a dog that genuinely likes people and other dogs and finding a dog for first timers. Make sure you spend a good half hour with the dog and ask tons of questions about the dog's temperament from someone more experienced - if you have friends that own well adjusted dogs (probably not the one you mention in the post), bring them with you. Touch him all over to see how he deals with being handled, run with him walk with him one at a time, move slowly and confidently and look for signs of stress: http://www.maplewooddog.com/MDT/Articles/Communication-Handling-Articles/DogBodyLanguagePoster.jpg
You do not need to adopt the first sad eyes you see.
As for preventing behavioral issues like nipping, licking being a pest. You may want to start with a younger dog (10-24 months) who is less set in his ways and beginning to mature; more of a blank slate and willing to learn what is expected of him. It goes both ways, you must constantly train him what is expected in your household and how to distract him from doing things you dislike.
Keywords like this can point to a balanced dog: turnkey, easy going, relaxed, outgoing, happy, confident, playful, loves car rides, friendly, biddable, keen, young, good with people, good with kids, good with other dogs and cats, smart, spayed, aims to please, settles nicely, crate trained, house broken, watches tv :).
Stay away from dogs with keywords like these until you have more experience to care for their needs: special needs, shy, medical issues or allergies, reactive, fearful, may become aggressive, no kids, no cats, separation anxiety, needs lots of room, active homes only, growls, was a chained outdoor dog, not for apartments, suffered from parvo when young, epilepsy, intact, not for dog parks, not for off leash, needs lots of love, came from another country, strong prey drive, thinks he's smarter than humans.
For the more concrete questions: what to buy, what to do before the big day, how to introduce the dog to your home. Start with this book. It helped me SO much as a first timer.
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1891767143
Invest in some good positive training courses a month later and make sure the whole household knows they need to provide activity/food/walks for the dog. You might want to do some breed research and find what agrees with your lifestyle. Many shelter dogs are mixes, but it's good to at least know the breeds so you don't end up with a Husky, feral dog, wolf hybrid or sighthound as your first dog. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but they can be a handful for people with no dog experience.
Read a basic dog training book if you haven't yet? I like 'The Power of Positive Dog Training' by Pat Miller or 'Dog Friendly Dog Training' by Andrea Arden. They are just very basic training books, there are a lot of more specific books for behavioral issues.
Patricia McConnell (my favorite dog behaviorists) has a short book on adopting a dog and a second one on getting a puppy.
So, yea, check out the library. More productive than just the random excitement.
Get Patricia McConnell's book Love Has No Age Limit. I promise it will help.
Patricia advocates POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT training. as /u/Splunken says, you should start REWARDING independence. Patricia McConnell's book will help you do this in all aspects of your puppy's life. Walks, leaving him alone, feeding time, chill at home time. For example, give your dog spontaneous treats anytime he is lying down being calm and not begging for attention. Say, "Good calm!" and throw a treat. When it's time to eat, have your dog sit politely, then put the bowl down. Say, "Good sit!" and give him his dinner. Use EVERY time your dog does the RIGHT thing to reward him. Generally ignore bad behavior, except for a stern "No!" when you want to interrupt his behavior (like when you witness him about to eat something he shouldn't).
Hi,
I have a leash reactive dog, some would recommend neutering and it can work, as long as you don't let the behaviour go on long enough that it becomes part of his personality. Personally, I'm not sure the evidence for behavioural alteration is rock solid, but if you're going to neuter anyway, it's worth a shot. Considering it started a few months ago, I'd say if you're going to get him snipped, do it soon.
Secondly, engage with a veterinary behaviourist. One that uses force free methods and is accredited. If you can't afford one, start with the book "BAT 2.0" or "When pigs fly!". In fact, while he's still entire start with those.
EDIT: added links and corrections.
https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116
If you have time to read this book, there is some excellent information to combat the flawed logic of breed specific bans.
Check out these two books and your done:
How to raise the perfect dog
How to housebreak you dog in 7 days
I can send you a pdf of Dr Sophia Yin's "how to behave so your dog behaves"
According to a litany of scientific studies that aren't based solely on bias, all of this is bullshit. It's already been proven and it's not a debate any more. You might as well be arguing that climate change is a hoax.
Edit: Here's a bunch of wonderful sources provided by people who actually have half a brain, unlike you. But I guess aggression isn't included under behavioral patterns, so you'll just ignore what isn't convenient for your predisposition towards pit bulls.
Svartberg, K. (2006). Breed-typical behaviour in dogs—Historical remnants or recent constructs? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 96 (293-313). Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/science/article/pii/S0168159105001607
Svartberg, K. (2016). Personal Communication.
Hare, B. & Woods, V. (2013) The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Dogs-Smarter-Than-Think/dp/0142180467/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1475530594&amp;sr=1-1
Helton, W. (2010). Does perceived trainability of dog (Canis lupus familiaris) breeds reflect differences in learning or differences in physical ability? Behavioural Processes 83 (315-323). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20117185
Pongracz, P., Miklosi, A., Vida, V., Csanyi, V. (2005) The pet dogs ability for learning from a human demonstrator in a detour task is independent from the breed and age. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 90 (309-323). Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/science/article/pii/S0168159104001777