Archive for category: Training

The Story of Emmett the Lost Dog

In 2013, we met for the first time. He was a dog who had been found in the neighborhood and was being passed from house to house because no one could keep him, yet no one wanted to turn him into the shelter. He was described as sweet, playful, and full of energy. Since I worked with a local rescue at the time, I decided to take him in and get him placed with a loving family.

I arrived at the neighbor’s house around the corner where he was being kept. The son came out and told me how badly he wanted to keep him, but his Mom wouldn’t let him. I took the dog and soon realized that this was going to be tough. It was like removing daggers from the ground in order to get him in my car!

He came home with me that day and spent the night. The next day, I handed him over to the director of the rescue to have him vetted. After a few days she needed someone to keep him because she had an emergency out of town. I quickly volunteered. My husband went with me to pick him up. It was cold, dark and rainy. We made it about halfway to the car and he dug his daggers into the ground once again refusing to move – much less get in the car. We finally lifted him and carefully loaded him up to go home.

Just the year before, we had lost my Dad, then only a few months after, we adopted a stray Beagle only to find out that our oldest dog had lymphoma and didn’t have long to live. He passed in late 2012. We still had our Beagle and two other Senior dogs. I was just not ready for another dog.

Everyone kept saying that we needed to keep him and my husband, of all people, fell in love with him. How could I refuse my husband? He never asks for anything!

Emmett was a crazy puppy. He was about 8 months old and after a DNA test, we found that he was a mix of Greyhound, Labrador, and Newfoundland. He chewed anything and everything including sheets, curtains and furniture. He played with our Beagle until she couldn’t take any more. He chased anything that moved. He jumped on me constantly causing many scratches and bruises. I looked and felt like a wreck.

One day, I sent my husband a message and told him that something was going to have to change. He was either going to have to improve or we were going to have to re-home him. I was caring for my Mom and even though she had help, I was taking care of all of the financial, shopping, doctor appointments, questions and anything else you can think of. I just didn’t feel like I could handle another thing. I think I was a little resentful that I had yet another stressor in my life. That day I realized that I was a trainer and wasn’t acting like one. I was frustrated because I didn’t have that “feeling” you get when you adore your puppy no matter what. I had never really felt that way before. I always spent time with my pups and had a great relationship with them. He was different.

The next day I remember trying to work at my desk. He was his usual crazy pup self and I could not take it any more. I decided to begin managing his behavior in hopes of reducing my frustration so that I could be a better “mom” to him. I whipped out our xpen and put it between me and him. Before I knew it he was laying down sleeping. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I began taking him outside for one on one play and exercise and he began calming down. We worked on some basic skills like sit and down. He absolutely loved training time.

We loved our pups to sleep with us and still do. At this time, we had two senior dogs, our beagle, and our new dog. Our seniors would sleep on the floor and the other two on the bed. One evening after getting in bed, he came over to me, leaned on me and gave me a big kiss. Then he proceeded to cuddle the best cuddles you could even ask for. That was it. He was staying.

The next day, I decided that he was going to have structured training and be the best dog ever. He went through Canine Good Citizen training and earned his CGC Certification. Now he is calmer, loyal, obedient, and full of love. He now knows over 25 skills including many tricks. He’s also my training assistance. He is my Emmett.

I wanted to tell Emmett’s story because I see so many dog owners frustrated and at their wits end with their dog. I want you to know that there is hope. Your dog wants to be good and is good. Every dog is different and learns differently. They just need direction. When we were in school, we didn’t learn new skills in a day or even a week. It took lots of lectures, lots of studying and hard work. The same applies to your dog. It takes time and lots of effort, but it’s the most rewarding thing to see your dog change from unmanageable to a scholar.

If you need help training your dog, please get in touch with us! You can contact us from our website here.  You can also give us a call at 706-830-7372, or message us on Facebook.

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How to Correct Jumping – The Quick and Easy Way!

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One of the biggest concerns I hear from my clients is that their puppy or dog jumps on people. It can be scary and embarrassing when guests come over. Depending on the dog’s size, it can be quite painful and dangerous too.

This is a common problem in puppies and adolescent dogs. Dogs are social animals and seek your attention. Since we are taller than they are, jumping is only a natural way for them to get closer to us – similar to the way a toddler wants to be held. An adolescent dog is roughly between 6 months and 18 months of age. The breed and size of the dog also factor into this. Typically, the bigger the dog, the later the stage. It’s important that a dog starts learning manners early. Did you know that you can begin training with your puppy as soon as you bring him home?

If your dog is a “jumper”, you will want to give him an alternate behavior to perform. If you only tell your dog what NOT to do, he won’t know what you DO expect of him. If  he jumps on you, have him “Sit”. Pause to give him a chance to comply. If he doesn’t, tell him again to “Sit”. Continue pausing and giving “Sit” cue. The pause is very important. If you regurgitate, “Sit!Sit!Sit!Sit!” he’s probably not going to do as you ask. All he’ll hear is “Wahwahwahwah”. You may need to use a treat at first so make sure to keep plenty on hand! Try not to push him away since he’ll think you want to play! As soon as he sits, immediately give him a treat or a calm rub and tell him what a good boy he is. One thing to remember is to be calm. If you get excited, chances are your dog will jump up again. If he does, immediately remove your hands, stand up straight and tell him to sit again. Repeat as many times as needed.

The keys to success with this is CONSISTENCY AND PATIENCE. Every member of the family MUST do this EACH and EVERY time your dog jumps up. If you have guests over, ask them to do the same thing. This can take anywhere from a few day to a few weeks before you begin seeing results. The more consistent you are, the quicker it will happen. You’re dog will learn that in order to receive attention, he must sit. Before you know it, you’ll see a huge improvement! Extra tip! This also works for jumping on countertops!

If you need help training your dog, please get in touch with us! You can contact us from our website here.  You can also give us a call at 706-830-7372, or message us on Facebook.

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Help! My Dog is Destroying Everything!

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Lately I’ve heard so many frustrated dog parents complain about destructive chewing and digging. I will admit that it is extremely frustrating. I’ve been through it with one of my dogs. When he was younger, he would dig up sprinkler lines and proudly sling it all over the yard. It’s not funny or cute when a sprinkler or piece of furniture is chewed and damaged and holes are dug in your yard. All of this damage really adds up and can get very expensive!

What are the common factors that these destructive behaving dogs have in common?

  1. They are adolescents – the human equivalent of teenagers. Depending on the size of your dog, adolescence can begin as early as 6 months and end as late as 2 years. That’s a long time!
  2. They are working dog breeds or a mix of working dogs. Many dogs are not sufficiently stimulated physically and mentally. This causes a tremendous amount of frustration for the dog. If the dog continues to lack in sufficient stimulation, many undesirable behaviors may manifest. Some of these behaviors include but are not limited to: chewing, continuous barking, tail chasing, digging, excessive licking, and reactivity/aggression due to fear and/or anxiety. A dog simply cannot be left to entertain and teach themselves. Just like a child, we cannot expect dogs to miraculously understand right from wrong nor can we expect them to come to us trained. That is our responsibility.
  3. The dog hasn’t had any training.

 

How can I make the destruction stop?

  1. Keep an eye on your dog. Never leave him unattended. When you catch him chewing, don’t yell at him. Give him a safe chew toy to chew on. Make it one he really likes. By giving him an alternative, you are showing him what is acceptable to chew. You must do this every time and be consistent. ALL household members must cooperate and be consistent as well.
  2. Do a little research and get creative. Although you may not know the breed of your dog, they all have one thing in common – their strong sense of smell. A dog has 220 million or more olfactory receptors (for smell) while a human has only about 5 million. For this reason, nose games are a very good way to satisfy one of their instinctual urges and satisfy their boredom. Easy DIY nose games can be found by doing a Google search.
  3. Train your dog in basic obedience. I always say, “If you don’t train ‘em, don’t blame ‘em.”’ Like I said before, you can’t expect your dog to automatically know what you want just because you say it.  Dogs love to work for you and please you. That’s what they were bred for! By teaching them what you want them to do, you are building communication and a strong bond between the two of you and building your dog’s self-confidence.

Spend time with your dog(s) daily. They deserve your attention just like one of your family members. Respect their needs and try to understand what they are trying to tell you. No dog means to be naughty. They just need guidance and a little of your time.

If you have any questions about Destructive Behavior or would like to schedule a consultation, call or contact us today at 706-830-7372.

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When Can I Stop Rewarding My Dog?

I am frequently asked, “When will my dog mind me without having to give him treats?” That’s actually a really good question! This is how I explain it.

In order for your dog to do as you ask, you will not have to give a treat every single time, but let’s take a look at what we are expecting from a different perspective.

Say you are on vacation. You are in your favorite spot doing your favorite thing – whatever it may be. Your phone rings and it’s work. There is an emergency at the office. You are asked a question that can only be answered by stopping what you’re doing, whipping out your computer and finding the answer. That wouldn’t be that big of a deal if you were just lounging on the couch of the room you were staying but you are sitting on the beach with a cocktail and the ocean breeze blowing ever so perfectly. What you are being asked to do is something that is nowhere near as wonderful as laying on the beach relaxing. You go back to your room, turn on your computer and get the information that is needed to curb this emergency. Now let’s say that you give your office the information and they say “Ok! Bye!” How would that make you feel? If it were me, I would feel like they were very ungrateful! All they needed to do was give me a simple, “Thank you. I know you’re on vacation so I really appreciate your help.”

Chances are when you ask your dog to do something, you are interrupting something that is much more interesting than what you’re asking him to do. If he does as you ask, why wouldn’t you tell him “Thank you”? What’s the best way to tell your dog thank you? With a treat, of course! I always carry treats with me. Do I give them to my dogs every time they do something I ask. Of course not. But I do give them treats when they’ve cooperated with me or handled a particularly stressful situation like a champ. In other words, I don’t take my dogs for granted.

Remember that your relationship with your dog is what you make of it. The stronger your bond, the more obedient your dog will be. Let him know you appreciate him and you will reap the rewards in ways you could never imagine.

If you need help training your dog, please get in touch with us! You can contact us from our website here.  You can also give us a call at 706-830-7372, or message us on Facebook.

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Paws for Life, LLC

Evans, GA

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