Dog Behavior And Training

How do I interpret my dog's body language?

Contrary to popular belief, a wagging tail is not always a sign of a dog who's happy – they can be wagging their tail and biting somebody – so you have to read the whole dog. Basically you look at the dog and you say, "OK, is the dog leaning forward or is the dog leaning backward?" If he's leaning forward, he's more aggressive, more aroused, and more confident. If the dog is leaning backward, meaning the ears are back, then the whole demeanour is backward, and that's a more fearful dog. That's a really good tip on how to read a dog in general: forward or backward.

What is the best age to teach my dog tricks and commands?

The day you get your dog is the day you start training you dog, whether that's at 7 or 8 weeks old, 8 or 9 years old; it doesn't matter. The day you get your dog is the day you start working with your dog.

How do I housebreak my dog?

The most important thing to think about when housebreaking a dog is prevention. You shouldn't give the dog the chance to make an accident in the house. Yet the reverse side is you take them outside, and you praise them like gold is coming out of their body. So you're teaching potty on the command, “good potty, good potty” as they are actually going potty. Therefore you prevent and you praise.

How do I get my dog to stop barking at the front door?

Dogs are naturally territorial and it's in their nature to bark at the front door if somebody's coming to greet you. What I do when they bark at the front door, is I say, "Thank you for letting me know an intruder's coming in," and then I teach "quiet", so a quiet command is imperative. I might also use different techniques such as maybe having the dog on a leash, using a spritz of breath spray, which is a deterrent, and saying "quiet". But I also acknowledge the dog for letting me know that there's an intruder by barking at the front door. But once they've become accepted, they need to be come quiet. "Quiet" is the command.

How do I teach my dog that I am the "boss"?

A dog needs to know that you are the mum, the authority figure, the person, and they like it. It's something that people have to come to terms with - the fact that dogs like it. It makes the dogs feel comfortable. The ways you can do that are by making the dog earn its food. No food for free, no free lunch. We make the dog earn praise. Before petting it, make the dog sit, lie down, or do something simple. It's very easy to get the dog to understand that you are its leader, and they want to be lead.

What is the difference between "negative" and "positive" training?

The difference between “negative” and “positive” training, is that in the old days, dog training came out of the military and so it's very punitive. If the dog didn't sit they would choke them in a choke chain. We learned since then that dogs are able to learn as early as six, seven, or eight weeks old. So, we use positive reinforcement to train dogs, meaning we use their food to train them; we make them work for their food. Dogs are much happier to do that than be choked by a choke chain.

What is the best way to discipline my dog?

Disciplining your dog has to do with who your dog is and its sensitivity level. Sometimes just a sharp command of "off" or "quiet" can do the trick. Sometimes, depending on the age of the dog, you might do an old-fashioned leash correction. You might do a muzzle grab. You might use breath spray. There are many, many ways to discipline your dog, but we need to make sure that the dog understands and takes the discipline seriously.

When should I begin to socialize my dog?

Socialisation begins at birth. The dog is socialised to the world - it's handled. So, socialisation is an ongoing process that never ends. It never ends.