How to approach or not approach a person their dog

In my profession I have been hyper vigilant in noticing how people greet other people & their dogs.  Sometimes it is down right scary the way a stranger will approach another stranger & their dog.  Honestly, I am surprised there are not more dog bites occurring during this uninformed greeting process.  Kudos to those dogs for having SO MUCH tolerance.

So, what is the best way to approach another human walking their dog?  This post will address how a person without a dog should approach or greet another person with a dog.  In the meantime, dont forget to read our post on how kids should greet dogs.  Some of this information will be the same, because we all need to have better manners when meeting & greeting dogs.

First I want to bring up The Yellow Dog Project, because I get a lot of people asking me about this.  This is a movement to try to educate people that if a dog is wearing a yellow ribbon, that dog needs more space & promotes appropriate contact with those dogs.  I think this is great!  BUT, I feel this should be the case with ALL dogs, as you will soon learn. I wish this project was promoting proper interactions with ALL dogs, because people should be learning how to interact properly with all dogs, not just ones with a yellow ribbon.  I think they missed the big picture on this one, but my hats off to them for trying to bring awareness in greeting dogs.

1. Not all dogs want to say hello to all people all the time.  This is something that dog loving people have a real hard time comprehending sometimes.  After all, they are dog lovers & all dogs love them.  Well, I hate to burst bubbles, but that is not always the case.  Please dont take it personally either.  Just because a few dogs do not appreciate your intentions does not mean you are not loved by lots of dogs.  :)

·         Even if you have a regular meeting with another dog, does not mean that you should not go through the proper greeting ritual each time you interact.  You should.  Even very social dogs have their off days, or sometimes they are even in pain that you might not be aware of.

2. Evaluate the dog from a distance.  This is very important to do before approaching a person and their dog.  Just stop & watch what is going on.  Does the dog seem comfortable & relaxed?  What about the person?  If either seems stressed, or in a hurry, this would not be an ideal time for approaching.  Try again another day.
3. Approach slowly, relaxed & not making eye contact with the dog.  Please, whatever you do, do not keep extended eye contact with a dog.  This makes a lot of dogs very nervous & unsure of your intentions.  Unlike us primates, canines consider this a threat.  So, as you approach, look at the person & casually gaze at the dog to read his body language.
4. Stop 5-10 away from the person & their dog.  Look at the person & ask if you can say hello to their dog.  Please dont ask if their dog "is friendly" because even a friendly dog doesnt always want to say hello.  Not to mention, some people may take a bit of offense by this question.

·         Wait for an answer.  You are doing a great job so far, asking to greet, just dont forget to actually wait for the person to either say "yes" or "no."  If the dogs person says it is ok, ask what the dogs name is.

5. Ask the dog.  Another step often overlooked is to actually ask the dog if he wants to say hello.  Calmly say the dogs name & quietly tap your outside leg & say "hi Dexter (insert the dogs name)."  You want the dog to come up to you, dont rush up to the dog.

·         If the dog comes up to you, gently pet under the dogs chin, chest, & side area.  If the dog moves away at anytime, do not follow him, ask him to come back for more petting.  If he doesnt come back, he no longer wishes to be pet. 

·         Dont get over exuberant in your petting.  For one, this can intimidate some dogs.  Secondly, a lot of people are trying really hard to teach their dogs not to jump up when petting.  Being overly excited can cause a lot of dogs to jump up.

6. Thank you.  Dont forget to thank the dog and their person for allowing you to greet.  Thank you goes a long way in our society.

Tips:

·         If the dog is barking, or jumping around do not approach. 

·         Dont put your face in a dogs face.

·         Dont approach a dog while he is eating, or chewing a toy.

·         If a dog feels stiff, stop petting & back off.

·         If a dog keeps leaving you during petting he probably does not want to be pet anymore.

Need some extra help?  I offer both in person & online, web, video instruction!
Please feel free to contact me for details.

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

Read More..

Teaching A Dog Not To Jump You First

Dogs are very social creatures, and a friendly dogs initial greeting reaction is to sniff and lick our faces.  Since we are taller than the average dog, this means they jump up to say hello. Not something us humans particularly appreciate, or at least not all the time.  And if you are the "not all the time" kind of person, I urge you to make that a never.  Dogs really have a hard time knowing when we think its ok, and when we would rather them not.  They dont know the difference between your Sunday best, or your grubby weekend attire.

Teaching your dog not to jump up during greeting isnt about teaching your dog what not to do, but rather teaching your dog what TO DO.  You can teach your dog to go find his toy, go to his crate, keep four on the floor, or butt on the ground.  I tend to teach butt on the ground behaviors first. 

I love teaching dogs and coaching dog parents how to teach their dogs to ask politely ie. butt on the ground when they want something.  If a dog wants petting, wants you to toss the dog toy, eat dinner, go outside....butt on the ground first.  And I dont want you to have to tell your dog to put his butt on the ground / SIT, I want him to do it automatically.  I think by teaching our dogs to think for themselves, they understand a concept much better, and it sticks.

First, you must teach your dog at least an idea of the SIT behavior before you can expect him to offer it on his own. Put a healthy dog treat right to your dog’s nose, and move your hand slowly in an arc above your dogs head and back. As soon as his rump hits the floor say "YES!" and follow quickly with a treat. Repeat this process until he is easily putting his butt on the ground.  Tip:  If your dog is leaping to get the treat, your treat lure is too high.  Place your hand with the treat right ON his nose, so there isnt any jumping to follow your lure, or to eat the treat.

Now that your dog has a basic understanding of putting his butt on the ground, its time to incorporate that to offering this behavior when he wants something.  Again, this will lead to an offered sit for your attention instead of jumping.

Grab a handful of high-value treats, or healthy dog food and do a quick round of SIT sessions. After, say, 3 sets, just smile at your dog, do not provide any luring or words. As soon as his butt hits the floor say "YES!" and give him a jackpot of treats. Quickly take a few playful steps away from your dog and stop and smile at him again. As soon as his butt hits the floor again, say "YES!" and treat. Repeat this game running around the house or yard.

You can vary the offered sit by doing the same process before other events that your dog wants to participate in. For example, if you are about ready to toss your dogs ball during a game of fetch, hold the ball close to your chest, smile at your dog and wait. As soon as his butt hits the floor, toss the ball. If your dog jumps up at you and the ball, do not say anything, just wait for the correct behavior. This is part of the learning process. He will be learning that the “jumping up” behavior does NOT get him access to things he wants, but the “butt on the ground” behavior does - a very good life lesson for your dog to learn. Tip: Do not tell your dog to sit during these lessons; the point of the offered sit is that your dog is thinking through the process and realizing on his own that sit makes good things happen and jumping up does not.

Now that you have incorporated various offered SIT behaviors with your dog for a variety of days and sessions, start to wait for your dog to SIT before you greet him.  He doesnt have to SIT/STAY, but if he jumps up, stop his attention and wait for the SIT again, and immediately pet and/or treat.  You will be amazed at how quickly your dog can learn to offer a SIT instead of jumping.  But, you must be consistent.  No, its ok one day and not the other. 

For more tips, visit my previous post- Polite Dog & Human Greeting Pt. 1.

Do you need extra dog training help?  I offer in-person,  phone consultations, weekend dog retreats and public seminars.  Contact me today for details.

   

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

Read More..

Teaching A Dog Not To Jump Your Guests

Jumping, body slamming, mouthing....oh boy!  Having a dog can be challenging at times and a lot of work, when you dont have the proper tools or training to teach them a more appropriate response.  First, its always important to remember that dogs are dogs.  Meaning, they are not humans, and they do not know what we consider right, or wrong, unless we teach them.  Yes, we actually have to spend time and teach them what we prefer, and these lessons take time and patience.

If  you havent read my previous posts Teaching A Dog Not To Jump-You First and Polite Dog & Human Greeting Pt. 1 I highly suggest reading those first, then coming back to this post. Now that you are caught up, lets continue our talk about teaching your dog to keep four on the floor while greeting one of your houseguests. 

 

YOUR GUESTS Some challenges with polite greeting with your guests are that they dont listen (or care), their timing is off, you feel insecure about following through with a plan. How you manage and work through this situation will determine your dogs success.  If you truly want a polite greeter at the end, you must remember that your dog is learning all the time, so make sure he his learning what YOU want him to learn.  You live with him, not your guests or in-laws.

MANAGEMENT Management, management, management is always the best way to start a successful dog training program.  Have you ever wondered why dog trainers can teach a dog a reliable behavior effortlessly?  Its because we start all our training programs with a high management protocol.  If you are able to prevent your dog from running and jumping on your guest, you will then be able to teach him a better greeting behavior.  If, on the other hand, he performs this act over and over again he will get quite good at jumping, and this will become his ritual.  Planning ahead when you know guests are going to arrive and having a plan of action for when they surprise you are the best tools.  A prepared frozen treat toy is always a good backup for surprises.

Chew toy, should be on leash too.

TETHER, HARNESS AND STUFFED TREAT TOYS When you are expecting guests, put your dogs harness on and prepare a filled hollow treat toy.  Decide which room you and your guests are going to reside in and place a tether (leash) around a heavy piece of furniture such as a sofa leg.  When the doorbell rings, collect your dog and attach him to the tether by his harness and provide him with his filled hollow toy.

Go to the door and greet your guests.  Take off their coats, say hello and ask them to ignore your dog.  When you walk into the main room where your dog is chewing on his very delicious stuffed treat toy, sit next to your dog.  Occasionally add a bonus dog treat while he continues with his chew toy.  Once he is finished with his chew toy, attach his leash to his harness, then unclip him from the sofa, but do not leave.  Work on some of his obedience behaviors (sit, hand target, down etc.). Reward him for paying attention to you.  When  your dog can easily focus on you, proceed to the next step.  This may NOT happen in one session.

When your dog is ready for the next step, ask one of your seated guests to reach down toward their shin and wiggle their fingers.  As they do, walk your dog up to the guest and tell him to say hello.  As soon as your dog sniffs your friend’s fingers say "YES!" and quickly move your dog a foot away and give him a treat.  Be careful not to jerk your dog, remember hes still on his leash and harness.  This process is teaching your dog to politely sniff your guests fingers (not jumping up), and then by quickly removing your dog, he does not have time to get too excited, and start jumping up.  Remember, you are teaching your dog what to do, so you dont want to give him the opportunity to be wrong. Repeat this process for 5  repetitions.  As your dog gets the hang of this, you can allow a little longer sniffing before calling him off.  By calling your dog away from your guests to collect his reward, he is also learning that you are more exciting.

When you are done practicing, keep your dog leashed to you.  Only when you start to have a reliable behavior, with no jumping, should your dog be allowed to run freely with guests.  Remember, prevention is the key.  It will not do you any good to practice these lessons, then to unleash your dog for him to start jumping around on your guests.  If you do not wish to have him leashed with you, you can use another management tool such as tethering him in sight, baby gated, or put him in his crate. When you start to consider allowing him more roaming freedom, he should respond well to The Name Game.

REMEMBER #1 Management  #2 Practice and certainly #3 Patience

Check out these great toy options!

Do you need extra dog training help?  I offer in-person,  phone consultations, weekend dog retreats and public seminars.  Contact me today for details.

  

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

Read More..

Why Im Not A Huge Fan Of Bait Bags

As you probably already know, Im a positive dog trainer, and I use a lot of rewards in dog training. Read this article on why.  These dog training rewards are anything (safe) that the dog finds valuable and willing to work for.  Healthy dog treats, his dog food, cooked meat, motivational dog toys, attention, petting, verbal praise, sniffing, access to something he wants.....you get the idea.  So why then, do I not love having a bait bag, or dog training treat pouch, fanny pack etc. on during dog training?

Because its "training."  Its a tip-off to your dog that you are "training."  It would be one more thing you would need to fade in order for your dog to be able to do a behavior "without seeing the treat" so to speak.  I prefer to teach my dog and to coach dog training students to incorporate dog training into their everyday life.  To make training a life lesson.  I do, however, believe a dog training reward needs to come immediately after a behavior, so rewards need to be easily, and quickly accessible. 

Life lesson caught on camera.  Dex as a pup.

I accomplish effective dog training by following a few guidelines.  First, a dog is always learning.  My job is to teach him what I want him to do, and prevent him from doing things I would rather he not.  I reward often for good behaviors and have a high management program to ensure he is more likely to be right than wrong.

Second, I love to teach dogs a reward marker.  This means, that I teach a dog a specific word, or noise is a promise that a reward will quickly follow.  In other words, it is like taking a picture of the behavior you want, and communicating to your dog that he did something that will earn him a paycheck.  Two common markers that are used in dog training is a dog training clicker or word such as YES!.  If  you use a word, remember, he will earn a reward every time you use it, so do NOT use good.  Too many people will tell your dog good, and it will unlikely be followed by a reward. I use both a YES and clicker, but not at the same time. 

To teach your dog a reward marker, think about Pavlov.  You remember him, from the 1900s.  Ring a bell, feed a dog.  Then pretty soon, the dog learned  the bell =food.  Which we call classical conditioning.  You are going to do the same thing with your reward marker.

First, say your word, such as Yes! then immediately treat your dog with a high-value reward like a piece of meat.  Repeat 10 times.  Do this at random times throughout the day.  Pretty soon your dog will anticipate the reward after you say your reward marker.  PAVLOV!  During training, your dog will start to learn that you say your reward marker because of something HE did, creating a learning opportunity.  Butt on the ground=YES=Food.  More butts on the ground.

Thirdly, I try to have rewards in my pocket at all times if Im actively trying to teach specific behaviors like not jumping, name game, come when called etc.  This allows training to be incorporated into every situation when needed, and again a life lesson, not a training lesson.  If I do not have pockets (not an option for me), you will want to make sure that rewards are very accessible, like within 5 seconds.  This is where your reward marker will really come in handy.

Putting it together will look a little something like this.  Your dog now understands that YES!=Food reward.  You have your dogs rewards in your pocket throughout the day.  As you are interacting with your dog, wait for a good behavior such as not jumping, butt on the ground, watching you, say "YES!" then immediately reward your dog.  Do this often throughout your dog on any and all life lessons you want to teach your dog.  The more often you reward these good behaviors, the more often your dog will offer them.

The beauty, no tip off like a bait bag.  Dont get me wrong, I dont hate dog treat bags, but they are just one more thing I need to get out of the training equation for my dog to "be good" just because.  And I do wear one when on occasion when Im teaching dog training classes, or on a private consultation.  Its a backup, in case my clients dont have valuable enough rewards, or run out.  But I take it out of our equation quickly.

IF you need a good dog training treat bag, here are a few I do like.  But remember, you do want to fade them as soon as possible.

Need extra help?  I offer in-person, phone consultations, weekend retreats and public seminars.  

Contact me for details.

 

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

Read More..