To Add or Not to Add
Everyone is different. We all have stories to tell about the dogs that we have acquired in our lives. Some of us go to shelters or rescue groups when we get the urge to fill a void. Some of us go to breeders. Some of us do both at different times in our lives. Some of us simply end up keeping a dog that we found or the one who found us. Some of us fail as foster mom’s (or dad’s!) and keep a dog who was supposed to be temporarily in our lives but should that really be considered as failing? Some of us simply can’t resist an email with a sad face in need. The stories are endless.
The criteria that each of us use to decide that another crew member is an option differ as much as the ways that we add the new pup. So many things can make a difference in whether the decision is an easy one or a hard one. Possessing a desire to fill a void left in one’s heart after having lost a crew member is usually one of the easy decisions. So is feeling so comfortable with the number you currently have in your life that an addition would not create unrest. Having dogs who are super dog friendly makes thoughts of the more the merrier easier as well.
There are many things that should factor into the decision to add if none of the above situations apply to you. One of the most important considerations is whether you can financially afford to add another crew member. Food, toys, beds, supplies, and vet visits all add up. It is important to be realistic as to whether an addition would create a hardship on you or not.
Time is another consideration. Do you have time to add more duties to your life? This is an especially important consideration if the new addition you are considering is a puppy. Puppies take a lot of time and energy to raise properly and rightly so! The breed that you are considering adding is important as well as some breeds are naturally more active than others.
Aside from the previously mentioned considerations, how your current crew approaches having a new dog around is important to note! If they are not at all welcoming, then that is something you should be working on modifying before you contemplate an addition to your crew.
If they are welcoming in most scenarios, then that is one less con that you have to consider. Simply taking into consideration the best personality type to add to your crew is the best route to success in this case. If you have a mix of males and females, you should consider the current dynamic and whether one sex might be a better choice than another. If you are unsure of the answer to that question, enlist a dog behavior savvy friend or hire a professional to give an opinion.
Having senior dogs in your home creates a special situation to consider, especially if you are contemplating adding a very young dog to your crew. You must be very cognizant of keeping your senior dogs physically safe and secure while still allowing a young dog enough exercise and stimulation. Making sure that you are up to such a task will ensure your best success.
Make sure that you take all facets of adding a new crew member into consideration. I recently had to do just this. A close friend has an oops litter (not something I condone but it truly was an accident) and the breed mix is not a pairing that is likely to ever be repeated and includes one of my favorite breeds. The mother dog is a favorite of mine and of a delightful temperament. Three of my dogs adore puppies and would be very good with an addition that young. The fourth would be accepting enough to deal with. But among my considerations is the fact that in my house, I do everything! I am the sole human present so I have a lot on my plate. I also have a difficult foster dog living with me at present with no concrete leads on her placement prospects at present. Add to that, being self employed is not a secure income at times and you have what I call not the best timing to add a crew member.
Should perfect timing always matter? No, because life doesn’t always happen according to our self-imposed schedules and many of our best memories are created when we let life just happen. But I am nothing if not practical. And my biggest blockade is the presence of the foster dog. So at this writing, the puppies are just our weeks old and the decision is leaning towards no. But could that change? I honestly don’t know.
I do know that I am comfortable with my crew as it stands. I am also not especially eager to take on the work of a puppy, especially a puppy of such lineage that will need much socialization and expertise. As previously mentioned, we all have our criteria that will differ. We each must make our own decisions on changing our household dynamics. But taking all facets of the consequences of a decision into consideration will give each of us the best chance of living happily with such a decision. The results of my particular dilemma remain to be seen. Stay tuned.
Chaos or Chorus? Barking Blog Part 2
This tip is from Pawsitive Reactions. Enjoy!
How your crew greets visitors can cause you stress or make you proud. Do you avoid having family over for fear of the barking that can ensue? Do you make workman call first so you can block your crew away from the doorway? And forget about parties, it’s just too much to deal with, right? Well, it can be better with some work on your part if your primary issue is barking and not aggression.
Alert barking, which is what this is, is a normal behavior in most dogs, especially guarding breeds, which is what most of my own crew is. I am not going to lie to my readers: as mentioned in my book, I have not really trained out barking at visitors with my crew. But reasons for that is a simple one. It’s not laziness. It’s just that I don’t really have many visitors that are not “dog people” and my crew is pretty comfortable with “dog people” right away.
For service persons, I simple baby gate them in rooms that said service persons will not be in. Occasionally, if the service person professes to be a “dog person” and I believe him, I will let Merlin in with us because he has been voted “most likely to bark at length if not permitted to greet visitors”. Merlin has a lot of opinions and he loves people so he is fine after greeting them with his opinion.
I actually have very successful parties despite mostly ignoring visitor training with my own crew. The reason for that may also be helpful for some of you. Once past the 3-4 visitor mark, my crew ceases to use barking as a greeting. Instead, they anticipate attention and potential food dispensing from any newcomer so they are on their best “we are too cute to ignore” behavior.
I always ask friends who my crew is familiar with to be among the first few to arrive at the melee and that helps my crew to feel more comfortable and helps to sets the stage for success. I have even had a successful Pampered Chef party with a PC rep who was afraid of dogs with this formula. Congrats to Dee for handling Siri (90# of Rottie mix!) being nosy while enthusiastically showcasing her wares!
So how is it possible to minimize the visitor barking? Easy. Will work for food is the motto of most dogs I know, especially those with this issue. You goal is to give your dog something else equally rewarding to do other than bark.
One of my very favorite food rewards to use for this issue is peanut butter. If you are allergic to peanuts, other nut butters work just as well as does soy butter. The sticking quality is what you need for a lengthier positive connection between said visitor and the yummy food reward. Any nut butter cannot be immediately swallowed so basically, you get more bang for your buck.
I have training tubes that can be filled with peanut butter and dispensed directly from the tube in order to minimize any mess that using peanut butter on a spoon can cause. They can be purchased directly at any R.E.I. store or you can buy them online. They are made for camping. What a great idea!
It’s difficult to do step by step training in this venue for this particular issue so I won’t attempt it. Steps are very much based on the individual dog. But if you keep certain things in mind, perhaps these tips can help.
-You must practice this with one dog at a time until each is pretty predictable. Then start with the two that are best at it together and progress from there. As long as your crew gets along well together, once at the all together point of training, you can use some competition to get the slower on the take pups to be faster at being quiet.
-You should practice associating the doorbell with peanut butter (or other food) before you need it. It takes time. Be patient and very consistent.
-You will need a helper or two. You cannot ring the bell and feed the dog at the same time!
-The peanut butter starts before the doorbell rings and until the door opens. There should be no ringing (or knocking) without food happening.
-It is important to talk to your dog while practicing this in order to keep the connection going. Use your best happy voice to verbally acknowledge staying with you/the peanut butter as well as choosing not to bark. Eye contact with you is a very rewardable behavior as well.
-If your dog heads towards the door at any time before the visitor enters, use your best happy voice to get his attention back on you. If he ignores you, get closer.
-Do not bribe him by placing the treat in front of his face but instead, prompt a head turn towards you and reward that, then head back away from the door
-Once your guest is in, you can allow your dog to greet your guest if he is not barking.
-You can give your guest treats other than peanut butter to offer your dog. Think high value such as boiled chicken, hot dogs, liver, etc.
-You can also implement a time out (just the removal of attention, nothing scary) if barking is excessive.
-Never use a negative word or tone to try and “correct” barking. Attention is still attention and negative (no, bad, etc.) attention still maintains or increase the behavior (barking).
One thing that I have found that helps with group greetings to visitors is allowing one dog at a time in to greet until every dog that can be there is present. This tends to take the excitement level down to a manageable level. You can use baby gates or simply another room to separate dogs until it’s their turn to come in.
You can also simply train your dogs, again one at a time, to go to a special place such as a mat, crate or dog bed when they hear the door. Then you have the option of inviting them from said place to come and greet guests on your pre-trained terms. Again, this will not happen over night and you must be patient.
Courtenay in British Columbia is a Manners Minder aficionado. I admit I have not yet tried this wonderful machine but it’s not for lack of wanting to. It is not cheap but it’s helpful for this sort of thing if you do choose to train the “go to place” for door manners. Courtenay did this and it worked well for her.
Crystal in Indiana, PA has also trained her dogs to go to a place when visitors arrive, though her method differs. She has the crew first go to her couch and when they are calm, they are permitted to come and greet the visitors. Once they do this, they are sent to go lay in their individual places. When she has visitors that are staying a bit longer, the dogs are given Kongs or other high value distractions while they are in their spots.
Training dogs, especially a multiple dog household, to be calmer around visitors is not the easiest behavior to train but it can be done with patience and vigilance. Having multiple dogs at all requires both so give yourself credit for this feat and believe that you can persevere!
Beyond Obedience Part 3: Seiki’s Story-Creating New Beliefs and Stories
Last week I wrote about my Dog Skills on Manifestation. This week I will share about my last Dog Skills class on “Creating New Beliefs and Stories.” This tip will give you a great feel of what “Beyond Obedience” is all about. My new 8 week Course. You not only learn basic obedience but also learn how your energy affects your dog’s response to you. You will learn how to be accountable for your reality. As a result, you will not only see shifts in the relationship with your dog but also in your entire life 
There are only 4 dogs in a course
Seiki was left at my friend’s house and accidentally got locked into the garage for 36 hours. I found out that he was missing in a text while I was riding home from Kanab. My heart dropped. I was soo scared. My friend looked for him a bit and was not that motivated to find him. As a result, I texted a ton of my friends to ask them for support in finding Seiki. Support poured in. Angie Kieffer (AngiesPetWorld.com), one of the best pet sitters that I know, was the first to show up at my friend’s house to help find Seiki. The second person I got to talk to you was Christiane Turner, my NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Coach. She called me and immediately wanted me to get clear what I was meant to learn from this. It was difficult in that moment to focus on that and yet I realized quickly it was about trust. It was about trusting myself.
I have had quite a few core stories in my life: People are against me. I am all alone. I also have had difficulty in trusting the decisions that I make. I was made fun for years when I was kid and support especially at school wasn’t there for me. I didn’t feel much love or acceptance. These stories created a subconscious manifestation of my missing dog. The incident was there for me to learn more how I can allow more trust and support in my life.
It was amazing how many times I got to dive deep into love and create a new story. I began trusting my intuition and other’s intuition that Seiki was okay and was not in any danger. As far as the support aspect, there were at least a hundred people looking for this dog and probably more. My story that people are against me can now be thrown down the drain. I got a HUGE chance to breath and allow support into my life. I had to because I knew I couldn’t look for my dog all alone. I knew he could be hours and hours away from my friend’s that I dropped him off. I chose into the support. I chose to embrace it and welcome it. What a beautiful experience for me to know that there is a huge community out there.
The interesting thing is that some of our stories may never go away. Even though I had dived deep into these stories before and shifted them to a degree, it was time to shift them at an even deeper level. It is nice to have something to compare to. I can think about this time in my life and remember that support is all around me always.
I welcome you to become more aware of your stories and to choose different. You have the power to recommit and change them to mold more of what you want in your life
Is this confusing to you? Maybe or maybe not. Definitely if it is confusing to you, “Beyond Obedience” could be a great course for you. You will become more aware of your stories and you will learn important shifts that you will practice from week to week to help create a new reality in your life. You have the power to create exactly what you want!
Blessings to All of You and Have a Magnificent Day!
Johanna Teresi, Owner and Professional Trainer of Four Legged Scholars LLC
Beyond Obedience Part 2: Seiki’s Story-Manifestation
My last Dog Skills class focused on this topic. I thought I would write about manifestation for those of you that were unable to come. This will also give more of a taste of my Beyond Obedience Course. This course explores inner work as well as basic training with your dog.
I left Seiki at a friend’s house while I was away on a trip in Kanab. My friend contacted me and told me that Seiki had run off. I felt scared. He was missing for 36 hours. It was important for me to focus on what I wanted and to have good mind set.
How many times in our lives do we focus on what we do NOT want? We focus on not wanting our dog to pull on the leash, that we have relationship problems, that work is stressful, etc. It is so easy for people to do and it is time to realize that you have the power to create your reality and you can focus on what you want instead.
You can focus on wanting your dog to walk on a loose leash. You can also focus on how to create work to be more fun and easy. You can focus on how to create your relationship to be more loving. It is a matter of choice. When we focus on what we want our behavior changes. Our mind actually thinks differently and solutions come to us more easily. The universe feels this as well. Somethings what we want show up without any effort. This is called manifestation.
Manifestation involves the following:
- Getting clear on what you want. Creating a clear picture.
- Dropping the attachment of the want. You are focused on being in the moment and on love instead of desperation.
- Carrying a vibration as if you have what you want now. Feeling how you would feel if you have what you want NOW.
Think about what you can create with your dog and your entire life if you do this!
Here are somethings that I did during the search of my dog:
I posted a signs that said “Please give support in finding my dog, Seiki.” This focused on what I wanted which was to find him instead of focusing on what I did not want. Saying that he was “lost ” on signs is focusing on what I do not want.
I meditated and pictured us being reunited. I felt his presence. I felt connected with him now.
I asked others for positive support in finding Seiki. Once again I focused on finding him instead of him being lost.
I shifted from focusing that he was dead, sick or injured to finding him. I chose to carry positive thoughts and connect with my intuition that stated that he was alive and well.
I constantly recommitted to love. I felt so much fear and sadness. I was constantly reconnecting to love and being as grounded as I could. Love is the answer.
I hope this helps see how you can create what you want. My “Beyond Obedience” Course teaches you this and much much more!! Come and learn how to connect with your dog on a soul level! Contact me if you are interested in this Course.
Have Wonderful Week!
Johanna Teresi, Professional Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC
Beyond Obedience: Part 1 “Being in the Moment”
“We only see what we believe is possible.” -Christopher Franke
Many of you know that I am now doing a course called “Beyond Obedience.” This course lasts for 8 weeks and teaches basic dog obedience commands and teaches you how your thoughts, emotions, and energy affect your dog on a deep level.
What will you learn from this course and why would anyone want to spend money on a course like this?
1.) You will learn how to create a DEEP SOUL connection with your dog. So deep that you will become ONE with your dog.
2.) You will learn how to easily shift from any emotion back to love quickly and effectively.
3.) You will identify clear stories that are affecting your dog’s response and you will create new stories. As a result, your dog will listen to you better.
4.) You will create a HIGH LEVEL of teamwork between you and your dog.
5.) The techniques you learn in this class WILL generalize to other areas of you life. If you are committed your relationships, career, and whole life will improve. Learn how to create a vibrant and radiant life for you and for you dog now!
For the next few weeks Angie Kieffer will be sharing you many personal stories that she has shared with my dog, Seiki. These stories are her experience of “Beyond Obedience.” Angie is highly conscious and is learning to live “Beyond Obedience” on a day to day basis.
Read the next few weeks to learn how this course can affect your life now! See if this course is a fit for you and if it is register now by contacting me at Info@FourLeggedScholars.com.
Below a true story of Angie and Seiki. Read at a quiet time and fully feel Angie’s experience with Seik.
It was a sunny day, ice and slush were on the ground. Seiki, my little dog buddy walked me down the hill at Tanner Park. As we both walked through the mud and slush, the wind blew through our hair. I know I’m not a dog, but I sure saw my self as one on this day. I started to tune into everything. I couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of the hill so I could let Seiki loose to run. I wanted to watch him dash through the trees and frolic through the grass.
At the moment I reached the bottom of the hill, I let him off leash. He started to run and play, and he was continually checking-in with me. He wanted to make sure what he was doing was OK with me. As the wind was blowing, my senses opened to my surroundings. Passing the other dogs and owners, I noticed that both people and dogs were friendly and kind.
When we got to the body of water at Tanner, Seiki made motion that he wanted to get in the water. He looked at me and I said, “OK! Go ahead!” But he wasn’t going in. I noticed that the water was deep. I thought to myself, “maybe he wants to find a shallower area…” At that exact moment, he darted off to another part of the water where it was shallower. It was as if he read my mind, or was talking to me. We were connected mentally. Maybe that is how we are supposed to be as dog owners and friends.
I’m not a dog psychic, but I knew what he wanted. He looked at me and was inviting me in. Not with a bark, not with a growl, but with his eyes and smile. He want me to play with him. I threw a stick, but he wasn’t appeased with that. He wanted me in the water! I let him know that it was too cold for me, but promised him that I would come and play with him when it was warmer.
When it was time to go and we got to the point where I had to put him back on his leash, Seiki ran off and and said “Just five more minutes!”. Just like a kid would say to his / her parents! I didn’t want to leave either because it felt so good to be in nature.
When I took him home, I wanted to go back to this place of oneness with Seiki. It felt so good to be in nature with a well-trained dog.
We as people and pet owners need to tune in more to what is around us. We sometimes get caught up in the hustle and bustle. We can get lost in all the electronics and drama. As a result, we don’t pay attention to the amazing enjoyable earth! I invite you to slow down and pay attention to the wind and the trees. Feel and enjoy the nature around you. Listen and pay attention to your dog, it will amaze you what he is telling you and how well he communicates with you.
Thank you Angie! You are the best Pet Sitter I know!
Wow what a story! Remember you can create this connection with your dog and taking the “Beyond Obedience Course” is one way to do this!
Angie Kieffer, a Professional Pet Sitter for Angie’s Pet World and Johanna Teresi is a Professional trainer of Four Legged Scholars
Canine Karma on Walks
This weekly tip is again written by Angie Kieffer, a wonderful pet sitter with Angie’s Pet World.
I was with my canine friend Seiki. We were walking down his favorite route. As we came around the corner, we both saw a stray dog. I wasn’t sure how Seiki was going to react to this wanderer, so I stopped in the road about 50 feet away and asked Seiki to sit and wait. The stray dog barked at us, and I’m sure he was saying, “Hey! Why are you sitting? Come over here and meet me. I wont hurt you. I want to be your friend!” I didn’t buy it, but Seiki had his attention on the dog and wanted to go meet him. Seiki, is well trained. He stayed in a sit waiting for the “OK” to go. I was very pleased with his continual effort to listen and stay. I’m not sure if Seiki knew that I was doing this for his safety.
As I watched the dog, who was twice the size of Seiki, move to the left side of the road I gave the “OK lets go” command to Seiki. We walked down the right side of the road. I kept my eye on the dog and watched Seiki’s behavior, which was great. He did not stir and he stayed by my side with his leash loose. He matched my energy. He knew what I was feeling and what I wanted him to do. The other dog had his hair up on his back and did a predator-like prowl as we passed it. I was amazed that the other dog knew to stay away. I felt very proud to be walking with Seiki who listened and was open for praise.
As a professional pet service provider, I’m always hoping that I have this kind of opportunity. Johanna Teresi is the owner of Seiki and has trained her dog so well! She has dedicated many hours of loving time into her dog, and he knows the boundaries when he is on a leash. From learning about dog behavior and training techniques through Johanna and Seiki, I have grown not only in my business but also in my personal relationship with my dogs.
I am grateful for the new knowledge of dog energy. If I remain calm and grounded, the dog I am with will pick up on that. Because I remained calm and watched before I continued on towards the stray dog I knew that Seiki would follow my lead.
I encourage you, to learn more about your dog and his / her behavior. Avoid confrontations with an off leash dogs when your dog is on leash. Even if the off leash dog looks happy, you never know what might happen. An off leash dog and an on leash dog can be trouble and fights can easily be created.
Some of my favorite tips for walking dogs are:
- Take time to train your dog.
- Walk your dog on a leash. This creates a stronger bond between you and your dog
- Go to dog friendly places.
- Bring treats with you especially for training.
- Take bags with you. Its always kind to pick up after your dog.
- Stay hydrated. Bring water for you and your dog, and maybe a collapsible bowl for him to drink from.
- Take time to rest. It is very important for both you and your canine pal.
- Give your dog a job to do. If have a dog back pack, you can put bottles of water in it. Some dogs really enjoy a job to do.
- Identification is a must for your dog. If he gets loose you want to have a way for people to know his name and contact information for you.
- Allow off leash romps too. It’s always a great reward for your dog to be able to run faster than you!
I hope you and your dogs have fun on your walks!
Angie Kieffer of Angie’s Pet World
Different Day, Different Dog Activity
Enjoy!
Playing fair with with the dogs left home alone.
If you are like most multiple dog owners, you are a dog geek, participating in a variety of dog related activities. In the case of a multiple dog home, activities done with one dog probably are not the same as activities done with the others.
This requires that you sometimes or even frequently take one dog and leave the others at home. If you are a dedicated multiple dog owner (and I know you are or you would not be reading this), then you probably spend more time than you should feeling guilty and wondering if your dogs understand why they don’t all get to go sometimes.
There are rules about playing fair, but there are also rules about life not necessarily being fair at every moment. That is to say, just like with people, all dogs can not always have the same privileges or get the same treatment at the same time. It is inevitable that one dog needs a med and another doesn’t, or one dog needs extra training (which results in extra one-on-one time) and another doesn’t. This could easily be a cause for jealousy among the rest of your crew.
Preventing these situations from being an issue is easier than imagined. First, the crew needs to learn that they don’t decide who gets what and when. You do. There should not be a pecking order other than you as the leader. Of course, there are always leader dogs and follower dogs. But if you regularly reinforce positions that you imagine to be set in stone, you can cause chaos in the crew. Status among dogs is fluid and dependent on the situation at hand.
On a daily basis, vary who gets what first. Take care to make it the status quo that no one knows in advance who goes first. This levels the playing field and sets the tone for everything else, including when one gets to go and the others don’t.
Three dogs who know it’s not their turn this time.So it’s more like this: life is fair today but may not be tomorrow. One day one dog goes to a dog show and the next day another dog goes to agility class. Maybe you have a dog or two that is not involved in any dog sports or the like. That dog should get a solo walk or something else one-on-one with you. This is another way of leveling the playing field.
Practicing this makes it easier when you take one dog somewhere and leave the rest behind. Not doing everything as one big crew also helps your dogs to have time away from each other. It’s very important that your dogs learn to function as individuals and not just as part of a crew. There will come a day when you will lose one before the others. It’s inevitable unfortunately. Having a history of being able to function without a particular crew member present, even if for a short time, is helpful to emotional survival.
It may be even harder when you have just two dogs since there is only one left when you take the other somewhere. And if you’re a single person, this makes things harder on the one who is home alone. So make sure it’s not a sad or scary situation. Making the home alone situation as safe and special as possible is more important with a crew of two. A special Kong along with some soothing music can make all the difference in the world to the one left alone.
If you have done your homework and set the stage for success with your crew, then you should feel comfortable with the dynamics of any combo of dogs left alone. And it’s a lot easier when your dogs have learned that life is not always fair. If you have taught that, then all should be well. If you have any worries at all about leaving certain dogs alone together, then always pay attention to your gut and make the proper provisions. Safety first.
Now back to guilt. Work on letting it go. Your dogs will easily pick up on any unease that you feel about leaving any of them behind. The more you make sure that each dog gets special one-on-one time on a regular basis, the better off you will be. Every time you take one dog on an outing act as though it’s a natural activity and your dogs will think of it as perfectly appropriate. Just be on your way and your remaining crew will treat it as any other outing without them and simply eagerly await your return.
By Debby McMullen with Pawsitive Reactions
Can You Hear Me Now? When group barking is out of control!
This week the tip is by an awesome dog trainer, Debby McMullen, from PA with Pawsitive Reactions. She is an expert in household with multiple dogs. Enjoy!
by Debby McMullen Author of How Many Dogs?!• January 17th • 2 comments
Even if you don’t have guarding breeds like I do (mostly), barking can be a problem. When one dog decides there is something to bark about, others typically will follow along, even if simply out of habit. It is up to you to know how to reinvent the habit!
How do you do that? It takes consistency and patience, just like with any other training. Good timing helps too!
It is really important that you do not dismiss all barking done by your dogs because just like human talking, barking is a form of communication. Keeping that line of communication open between you and your dogs is vital. Your dogs need to trust that they can count on you to hear what they are saying, How can you do this while maintaining your hearing ability? Easy, at least most of the time.
Barking happens for a variety of reasons. I will start by addressing alert barking.
You can begin by acknowledging the first bark as an alert to you, the human in charge of taking care of scary things! An alert bark means that your dog is trying to tell you that he saw or heard something that he was not aware of a moment ago. It may or may not be appropriate to bark then, depending on what the situation entails. In any case, you certainly will not typically want the barking to continue once the alert is sounded. But in order to keep your dog’s trust and to ensure that he continues to bark when it is really important to alert, you should learn to properly acknowledge an alert bark.
To do this you can develop a cue word or phrase that you use for just this purpose. It need not make sense to anyone else or even be in English! I learned a great trick from the wonderful trainer, Pam Dennison, several years ago at a seminar she conducted here in my city. Her advice was to go and look in the direction of the bark and while looking back at your dogs, say in a calm and assured voice, “It’s just Uncle Fred”. The first time I did this with my dogs, my dog Kera looked at me like, “We don’t have an Uncle Fred.” But she ceased barking! I have since modified that phrase to another cue phrase. I now use, “It’s just the neighbor, we’re fine,” with much success. That is, when I am consistent enough to remember to do this instead of yelling, which is most of the time, thankfully!
Why not simply yell instead? Well, aside from the fact that yelling usually doesn’t work, yelling is to your dogs the human equivalent of barking. Which pretty much explains why yelling doesn’t work well: your dogs think you are helping them to alert everyone! So choosing the proper response to your dog’s excessive barking can have much better results than choosing to yell.
What other scenarios can result in group barking? The possibilities are endless so I will do my best to summarize some scenarios. Any time you have a group of dogs together, when one barks, the other will likely follow. It’s just a natural response. Your job as the owner and crew leader is to establish an alternate behavior that is a much more rewardable action that barking. What that means is that you will be very consistent about rewarding what you do want your dogs to do instead of barking.
For example, when on a group walk, I have taught my dogs to look at me when they see an animal that they want to bark at (and then chase!). For doing what I want, the dog in question gets handsomely rewarded with a yummy treat. I have done this in steps with a clicker. In some part, I have used Leslie McDevitt’s “Control Unleashed” exercises. www.controlunleashed.net I click when they see the object of attention and because my dogs equate a click with a high value treat, I typically get a quick head turn which results in a treat for the turned head!
This did not happen overnight. In fact, with Kera and Trent, it still isn’t completely second nature. But with Merlin, who is extremely food motivated, he has been doing the head turn at the sight of a squirrel or a deer for years. Siri has recently joined him in deer head turns and for her, this is a graduation of sorts. She is highly excited at the sight of a deer but because she is also very food motivated as well as competitive, she has (in my mind) decided that it is preferable to get fed when Merlin gets fed rather than afterwards. Kera has some northern breed in her so nature takes over a bit more with her and working on impulse control with Trent is ongoing but they respond to competition as well so we persist in their training.
Competition is an important training tool with a multiple dog crew if your crew gets along well. If not, you do not want to incite any wars over resources, which is what anything one dog focuses on becomes. If fights over resources are an issue, work on that before worrying about group barking. So be very careful about using competition but do use it with your crew if it is appropriate to do so.
I use competition in many situations. Rewarding a dog who looks at me when wildlife is spotted is just one situation where I use this tactic. How do I use it? By simply being more verbally enthusiastic than I need to be in noticing what dogs looked at me for rewards instead of a squirrel bark alert. I also use this method in my vehicle when we see other dogs. My dogs typically ignore other dogs that we see being walked UNLESS we are in the park where we walk. In that case, a couple of them may bark, most notably Trent, Kera and Siri in order of likeliness.
Trent’s barking is a work in progress and in his case, I do not use competition if he is with us. What works best for him is a whole other blog subject and best addressed by researching the wonderful Grisha Stewart’s work with BAT. ahimsadogtraining.com But with Kera and Siri, I use a NRM (No Reward Marker). My NRM is “Too Bad!” said in a very happy sing song voice. I immediately tell Merlin that he is the best dog ever after telling Siri and Kera individually “Too Bad”. Merlin gets a treat with his verbal reward. This virtually guarantees that the next dog that we see, Siri and Kera are quiet for and everyone gets rewarded. This is a win/win situation for all of us!
Another scenario in which competition can be employed, is when in your crew’s outdoor territory, their yard. If your dogs are prone to excessive barking in this situation as many dogs are, the number one thing that you need to do is supervise, supervise, and supervise more. There is nothing that you can do to remedy this situation if you are remiss in this area. Weather permitting, the easy way to train an alternate behavior to barking is by simply sitting outside with your dogs and using your clicker to mark any time a dog chooses to come to you. Of course, following this with a super yummy treat will be the real reason for choosing the alternate behavior.
Note that I did not mention calling your dogs to you when they bark. If you do this and then click and treat for coming to you, you run the risk of creating what is called a behavior chain. What that means is that your dog barks, you call him, he comes, you click and treat. He associates the bark with the beginning of the behavior chain and necessary to the end result. This is not what you want!
This method is best used at low distraction time frames at first in order to minimize the annoyance to your neighbors. And as always, I would recommend teaching a good recall so that if barking is a typical result of your dogs being outside, you can quickly get them inside in order to avoid citations! In this case, you would reward your dogs once inside, for coming to you, not for barking. Varying the sequence of the rewards can help prevent a behavior chain in this circumstance as well. And again, you can use competition in both of these circumstances if it is appropriate with your crew.
A visitor arriving at your home is a scenario that can cause a lot of barking, especially if you have guarding breeds. I am not going to address that scenario in this blog because it is a subject in of itself, so look for a future blog on that subject.
Vigilance and consistency can go a long way towards eliminating nuisance barking with your crew. Patience helps! Do not get frustrated, but remember, even dog pros yell sometimes! It’s just human nature but so is barking canine nature. If both humans and canines practice impulse control, your life with multiple dogs can be much calmer!
By Debby McMullen with Pawsitive Reactions
Begging at the Table
As my business is expanding, I am allowing Angie Kieffer with Angie’s Pet World write the weekly tip again!
Growing up, my parents taught me to “not feed the dog from the table.” And that “it was bad to give human food to the dog.” But I did it anyway! If I didn’t like my vegetables or the fat on my meat; the dog would get it. Now as an adult I really don’t care as much about it. I do know what not to feed dogs, but mine are Chihuahuas! They don’t eat very much, so whatever the baby has left on the floor is what they get. And they love it! I know some of you out there may not agree with this, so I am going to share with you what I have used in the past with my bigger dogs. Please understand that these techniques can be used for any breed, any size.
If Fido already knows to go to his own place and lie down and stay; then dinner time is when you can start slowly reinforcing him not to beg while you eat. A great way to do this is to introduce a Kong and put his favorite food in it. A high stimulating treat, such as peanut butter or cheese will do the trick! You can also use a water bottle with some kibble in it and let him push the bottle to get the kibble out while you enjoy your meal. Only use this type of food in the Kong or water bottle whenever you sit down and eat with your family. It’s also vital that everyone in the family is in on this goal; so everyone understands that table scraps are not always the best food for your dog.
A good way to get him to go to his place is as follows:
Make sure your dog is in a place without much distraction and also reward him with touch and a kind voice. I always make sure my dogs are looking at me as I feel eye contact is also an important way to communicate praise with my voice.
Reward your dog for putting one paw on his bed . If your dog is clicker trained then use a click and treat. Next click and treat for two feet on the bed. Then C/T for three feet on the bed. Lastly reward for four feet on the bed. Add the command once your dog can readily put four feet on the bed. In teaching my dogs these steps I have found that patience is key and that it does not have to happen over night. It may take time, but it will bond you and your dog.
Now that Fido knows “place” the next thing you will do is ask him to lie down and click and treat. Then offer him the Kong or water bottle, let him smell it and click, and then set it down or let him take it from you. Once he takes a liking to it go to your table like you are going to eat; and see a great response
I hope that you find this tip to be useful in your family dinner time and make it fun for you and your family. Much of my experience and training has come from Johanna Teresi of Four Legged Scholars; and also from many years learning how to speak dog.
Woofs!
Angie Kieffer
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