 TIP #1: IT'S NOT HELPFUL
The term dominance is a label, not a solution. What’s more, it sets up a conflict. If I believe my dog to be dominant it follows that I must make him submit to me. This often results in an ongoing battle of will that is unpleasant for both of us. TIP #2: VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE Dogs have distinct preferences when it comes to toys, so it's worth doing a bit of sleuthing to figure out what hooks a particular dog. Some are never happier than when they get to dissect a stuffed toy; others can spend hours entertaining themselves with a rope toy. Get an assortment and switch them out each day so the dog doesn't have time to get bored. Of course, you want to make sure you use safe toys so your dog does not ingest parts and pieces of his toys.  Marigold's owners initially called us because of her aggressive behavior towards other dogs while on leash. We took Marigold for a walk and what we saw was a super-excited dog that was frustrated she couldn't go meet the people and dogs that she saw. We will be working on calming Marigold with the Relaxation Protocol.
 Khloe's basic manners training concluded with teaching her Heel and Loose Leash Walking. Considering she is a Siberian Husky she did very well. In fact, the only time she really pulled was when she wanted to meet people and another dog on our walk. For that she just needs more practice with her impulse control.
 We started Tilly off with the basics - Sit and Down. She is such a high-energy dog that we
had some trouble getting her to sit for any length of time, but we were much more successful with the more relaxed down position. We may have to introduce her to the Relaxation Protocol to teach her how to settle.  TIP #1: IT’S NOT BASED ON SCIENCE. REALLY.
The notion of dominance in dogs stems from a misunderstanding of wolf pack research that was then applied to pet dogs. Unfortunately, the notion stuck. It was always likely to stick, because we humans organize ourselves in hierarchies so the idea seems utterly plausible to us. But even if the dominance principle applied to wolves - research now definitively shows it doesn’t - pet dogs are no more wolves than we are chimpanzees. TIP #2: PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STIMULATION If a dog gets hours of exercise every day and still tears through the trash or disembowels the bedroom pillows, it's safe to assume he lacks mental stimulation. Much as people turn to crossword puzzles, books, chess games, and other brain-vitalizing activities for the fun of mental gymnastics, dogs need to solve doggie problems. For one thing, dogs are meant to work for their food. When they were in the wild, nobody just handed them a bowl of kibble. Dogs are natural hunters and problem solvers so the more closely we can mimic this process, in many cases the less troublesome the dog will be to live with. Serving all the dog's meals in a stuffed Kong or treat ball, in food dispensing devices, or through a game such as hide-and-seek or in food puzzle toys can relieve many nuisance behaviors. - excerpted from Decoding Your Dog  Teaching a Siberian Husky how to Come When Called presents specific challenges because these and similar breeds are hardwired to run. But Khloe just loves to play hide and seek so we used that particular game to much success teaching her the recall.
 Meet Bam Bam, a 5-year old Boston Terrier. Bam Bam reacts to strangers with fierce barking, and to strange dogs with barking and pulling on the leash. Over the next few weeks we will be desensitizing and counterconditioning him so he no longer sees these things as something to be scared of.
 Miley did a great job learning Leave It tonight. We practiced in different rooms and in different situations, like food falling off the kitchen counter. We also changed her hand signal for Down because she was confusing it for the Give Paw trick she was taught. Now she does Down much better.
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AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
May 2025
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