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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.245



1.  Always show approval at signs of submission

Praise your dog when it drops its eyes first.  Praise it when it licks
you under the chin.  Give it an enthusiastic tummy rub when it rolls
over on its back.

2.  Be consistent and fair in your corrections

You must demonstrate to your dog that it can trust your orders.  Do
not ever correct the dog after the fact.  Such corrections appear to
be arbitrary and unfair to the dog, because it has no associative
memory the way people do.

If your dog is still a puppy, socializing it is a good way to gain its
trust.

If you decide that some action requires correction, *always* give a
correction when you see that action.  For example, if you decide that
your dog is not allowed on the sofa, then *always* correct it when you
see it on the sofa.

Consistency can be a big challenge with a family: every family member
must agree on the basic ground rules with the dog; when and for what
it should be corrected, what commands to use and so on.  Families must
cooperate extensively to avoid confusing the dog.  It is best if only
one person actively trains the dog; thereafter if the commands are
given the same way, everyone in the family can use them.

3.  Correct the dog's challenges

Especially during adolescence, you dog may test and/or challenge your
position.  Do not neglect to correct this behavior.  Examples of
challenges can be: disobeying you, growling, staring.

4.  Learn how to display alpha behavior

You may not need to use all of these, but you should be familiar with
them.  They are listed in "escalating" order.  Do not use any of these
if you are angry or upset.  The point is never to hurt the dog, but to
show it who is alpha.  They work best if you are calm, firm, and
matter of fact.

Eye contact: alphas "stare down" subordinates.  If your dog does not
back down in a stare contest, start a verbal correction.  As soon as
it backs down, praise it.

Taps under the chin: alpha dogs nip subordinates under the chin as
corrections.  You can use this by tapping (NEVER hitting) your dog
under the chin with one or two fingers.

Grabbing under the ears: alpha dogs will chomp under subordinate dogs'
ears and shake.  You can mimic this by holding the skin under your
dog's ears firmly and shaking.  Again, do not use excessive force.  Do
this just enough to get the point across.

Alpha roll: Pin the dog to ground on its side with feet away from you.
Hold scruff/collar with one hand to pin head down (gently but firmly).
Other hand on hip/groin area (groin area contact will tend to cause
the dog to submit to you.)  Hold dog firmly, look right into its eyes,
and wait until it quiets down and looks away from you for a time lying
limp.  If the dog struggles, attempts to bite, or whines, hold firmly,
shake scruff if necessary, and give a verbal correction until the dog
calms down.  If the dog is calm and submissive, give mild verbal (not
physical) praise.  Once the dog submits for, say, 15 seconds or so,
let it up with more mild verbal praise, but don't excite it.  If this
is to be a severe correction, ignore the dog as much as possible for
several minutes afterwards.  This alpha "roll" (in which you play the
"role" of the alpha dog in the pack) is intended to teach the dog that
you are the leader and that behavior contrary to your wishes will not
be tolerated.

5.  Keep the alpha position

Challenge your dog occasionally, even after puppyhood.  Take its food
or a toy away, push it off its sleeping place, etc.

Do mild alpha rolls periodically.  If the dog is truly submitting to
you as leader it is not at all traumatic, kind of like a scheduled,
low affection-quotient hug, and if the dog is testing you frequently
then you need to do it anyway, so either way it works.

6.  Learn to recognize challenges

Some behaviors are readily recognized as dominant, e.g., growling, but
there are other, more subtle challenges.  For example, nudging.
Discourage persistent nudging.  Don't let your dog be possessive of
its food or toys.  Make it give anything up to you when you ask it to.


C.  Dominance Problems.

1.  Ignoring your spouse or significant other

A common problem is that your dog pays attention to you, but none
whatsoever to your SO.  This problem can even be compounded by your
SO's fear of the dog, or reluctance to take control of it.  This
problem does need to be corrected, however, if your SO is ever left
alone with your dog.

Begin by having your SO give commands to your dog.  Correct it when it
does not obey.  Have several sessions where your SO issues the
commands and you provide the verbal corrections and praise.

Then have your SO challenge the dog.  Taking its food away, pushing it
off its sleeping place and the like are good ways.  Basically, you
need to back your SO up in every action.

If your SO is actually afraid of the dog, you will have to get past
this fear before you can have your SO established as dominant over
your dog.  Go out walking, playing in the park, playing fetch,
whatever fun things it takes and whatever time it takes to get your SO
comfortable with the dog.  Have your SO take the leash on occasion.
The key here will be going slow and easy.

If the person the dog does not obey is a young child, do not expect
the dog to consider the child an alpha.  As the child grows older,
then you can start making the point that the child is now an alpha in
much the same way.  When this is appropriate depends on the childs
emotional maturity and responsibility (because if the child is to be
alpha, she or he must responsibly lead, as described earlier).

2.  Growling

You have to distinguish between play growling and serious growling.
If you're in the middle of a tug-o-war game, your dog may growl, and
it's not a problem provided you can still win.  If your dog growls or
snaps at you at some other time, say when you get too close to its
food, you must correct it.


D.  Housetraining Problems.

1.  Sudden changes in established habits

If your dog has been fine with its housetraining up till now, there
may be several reasons for it to break with its training.

  * If there have been no major changes in its life, your dog may very
    well have a medical problem, such as kidney trouble.
  * It may be trying to defend its territory if you have a new animal
    in the household.
  * It may be generally upset or anxious if you've just moved and
    trying to assert ownership of the new territory.

2.  Eating feces

Some dogs will eat other animal's feces.

If it is cat feces in an indoor litter box, you can try the following:

  * If you have a utility closet or some other closet where you can
    keep the litter box, you can fix the door so that it only opens
    enough for a cat to get through (assuming big dogs) by using
    something like a string/ribbon/rope over the door handle to a
    small hook on the adjacent wall or door jamb.  If you can make a
    more permanent change, you could put a kitty door into the closet
    and be able to keep the door shut.
  * Get the kind of litter box with a big top and a "kitty door" or
    even just an opening on it.  Place the litter box with the opening
    about 4"-6" from a wall (backwards from the way you would normally
    think of placing it).  This leaves just enough room for the cat to
    get into the box but not (usually) enough room for the dog to get
    to the box.  The kind of box with the swinging kitty door helps
    make it a little harder for the dog to get into it.

A surprising number of dogs eat their own feces.  This is a fairly
disgusting habit, but difficult to cure.  One way to prevent this from
occurring is to clean up feces as soon as possible, but this can be
difficult for dogs left in yards or kennels all day.

The Monks suggest feeding your dog a dry food that is at least 23%
meat protein, and about 25% raw meat. In addition, either an egg, or a
tablespoon of vegetable oil every few days. They also think that
eating feces may involve a dietary deficiency.  Adding Accent
(monosodium glutamate) or kelp tablets (usually available at health
food stores) to your dogs food can give the feces a bad taste for the
dog. Also putting tabasco and vinegar on the feces themselves may
work.

3.  Urination

If it is a *change* in your dog's behavior, it might be a bladder
infection, so check that with your vet first.  If your dog is an older
spayed bitch, you might need to put her on periodic estrogen doses to
control the leaking.

If your dog is urinating in different places around the house, you can
try the "vinegar trick".  Pour some vinegar on the spot in front of
the dog.  What you're telling the dog with this is "I'm alpha.  YOU
may not pee here."  Then clean it all up first with an enzymatic odor
remover and then a good carpet shampoo (see the Assorted Topics FAQ).


E.  Submissive Urination

The genetically shy dog is a super submissive type and unlike many
dogs are quite sensitive to any forms of "dominant" behavior in
humans.  Even ordinarily submissive dogs can become extremely
submissive if its owner misunderstands and unintentionally forces it
to increase its submissiveness.

Tone down your aggressive behavior -- with a submissive dog there is
no real need to consciously dominate it.  Examples of dominating
behavior:

  * Direct eye contact
  * Standing over the dog
  * Walking towards the dog while looking at it

Tips:

  * Wait when you come home.  Say "hi" to it and be verbally friendly,
    but don't touch or pet it for about 5-15 minutes.  Try not to make
    the moment more exciting than it already is.
  * When you greet it, get down on its level.  Rather than standing
    and bending at the waist, bend at the knees (or sit) so that your
    face is about level with his and you are not looking down on him.
    This is a less dominant position, and less likely to trigger a
    submissive posture.
  * Don't pet it on the head.  Rather, tell it to sit, maybe "shake
    hands", then scratch it under the chin and on the chest.  This is
    less dominating than the pat on the head (because you avoid
    standing over it).
  * When you correct this type of dog, do so with your voice only
    (avoid direct eye contact.  If it starts to urinate, then say
    immediately, "OK, let's go out!" in a happy tone of voice -- and
    take it out.  Or, take a toy out (something it likes to do) and
    play with it.  What you are doing here is telling your dog, "OK, I
    see your submissiveness.  That's good."
  * When guests come over, ask them to ignore your dog and not look at
    it even if it comes up and sniffs them.  After a bit, when people
    are sitting down then have them gently put their hands out and
    talk to your dog, without looking at it. Usually after about 15
    minutes or so everything is fine.

In general, show signs of low-key approval *immediately* when the dog
becomes submissive.  Then distract it with something else.  When you
ignore submissiveness or get mad at it, you're in effect telling the
dog "You're not submissive enough!" so the poor thing intensifies its
efforts -- and submissive urination is about as submissive as it gets.

Be really positive with your dog, this type lacks self-confidence and
will look to you quite often to make sure everything is OK.


F.  Other Common Problems.

In general there are several items you can use in training your dog to
leave things alone, if it is persistent about some things.  While
these are no substitute for training, they can help the process of
training.

  * Bitter apple, bitter orange
  * cayenne pepper, especially cooked into oil, but the oil stains easily

Put a little on your hand or a towel, and let your dog sniff it.  If
your backs off and looks disgusted, then it should work.  Let your dog
see you put the substance on whatever its been chewing, and then sit
back and watch your dog.  If it goes up to where the substance is
applied, wait until you know it can smell the stuff, and correct it
right when the stuff hits its nose.  This timing is crucial, and is
what helps train your dog away from what it is doing.  Do be sensible
and make it physically impossible for your dog to do it when you are
not home to aid in the training process.

1.  Chewing

Dogs can cause an amazing amount of destruction by chewing.  Usually
the problem is with younger, bored puppies.  You need to train them
with a combination of crating and chew toys as described in New
Owners, New Dogs.  The substances mentioned above may help in training
the behavior away from specific items.

2.  Biting.

It is natural for young puppies to bite and chew on people; however
don't let them do this.

If your dog is a puppy, yelp pitifully when it chomps on you, and
replace your hand with a chew toy; praise heartily when the chew toy
is used instead.  If it persists, stand up and stop playing with it.
It is no fun for the puppy if you stop interacting with it, and it
will learn to stop chewing on you fairly quickly.

With older puppies and dogs, say "NO BITE" sternly and withdraw your
hand.

2.1.  Fear-biting

This is a separate problem, caused by a fearful and submissive dog
that feels cornered.  It indicates an extremely poor temperament and
possible abuse.  Such dogs should never be bred.

To deal with a fear-biter (evidenced by a dog that bites/threatens to
bite but has its ears laid *back* along its head rather than facing
forward), first you have to deal with the insecurity and temperament
of the dog.  This kind of dog has no self-confidence at all, hence its
ready alarm at normally innocuous situations.

Think of the submissive dog outlined above.  You need to build up its
confidence: pay close attention to understand exactly what sets it off
(some are afraid of men, men with beards, people holding something in
their hand, small children, etc) and for now, remove that from its
environment.  Do some training or other work with it to build up its
confidence (the training in this case becomes a vehicle for praising
the dog).  Then work slowly on its fear.  You should really enlist
professional help to deal with a fear biter unless you are experienced
with dogs.  This kind of dog takes lots of patience and careful
reading and may never become trustworthy.  If you cannot resolve its
problems, consider having it destroyed; don't pass it along to someone
else to become a problem for that person.

3.  Barking.

Each and every time your dog barks, go out and see why the dog is
barking.  If your dog is barking for a good reason (such as a stranger
in the yard), you should praise your dog and then tell it to be quiet.
If the dog is barking because there is a squirrel up the tree, or
something similar, tell the dog to be quiet and immediately go back
into the house.  You will have to repeat this every time the dog
barks.  Pretty soon, in a week or so depending on the dog, the dog
will only bark for a good reason.  The dog may still bark at the
squirrel, but not continually.  Instead, one or two good barks to
scare the squirrel, and then it considers its duty done.  At the same
time, you have not dampened your dogs ability to bark when there is
something wrong.

You might also enlist the help of your neighbors.  Neighbors are often
happy to help you with this problem!  Have them squirt water at
excessive barking, or rattle cans of pennies/rocks, etc.

There is some evidence that barking is an inherited trait: if the
parents bark a lot, chances are their puppies will, too.

Often, one method that helps alleviate barking is to give your dog
specific permission to bark.  Teach it to "speak" -- let it "speak"
when appropriate (say, when you're playing in the park).  Then "no
speak" follows from that.  However, there is often a problem when the
dog is alone.  The following methods outline some other possibilities
to address this problem.

(a)  Collars

There are collars available that are meant to help train your dog not
to bark.  Dogs will react differently, depending on how well they
learn, train, and handle.  The collars by themselves are not the
solution to your dog's barking: it must understand what the collar
does, and you will have to *train* it using the collar.

(b)  Debarking

Surgery on the dog's vocal cords can be done to reduce the barking to
a whispery sound.  This is a controversial practice, banned in Britain
and other places.  Some vets will refuse to do the surgery.

The dogs do not stop barking.  They do not seem to notice the
difference, or at any rate continue "barking" as if they still made
the noise.

There are different ways to perform the surgery, and it is possible
for the vocal cords to grow back and the dog to regain its bark.  If
the vocal cords are cut, chances are the cords will heal themselves.
If they are cauterized, the operation will last longer.  Whether it is
over a period of weeks or months, it seems that the dog eventually
regains use of its vocal cords.

(c)  Muzzles

There is a "No-Bark Muzzle" that is designed to prevent dogs from
barking.  Many dogs very rapidly learn not to bark when the muzzle is
put on them each time they start barking.  It is not binding or
confining and does not put the dog through surgery.

4.  Digging.

Dogs may dig out of boredom or to make a cooling/heating pit.

Try refilling the holes with junk.  With junk, dogs can quickly lose
interest and pretty much stop digging.  Fill the hole with whatever is
at hand - dead leaves, sticks, pine needles, rocks or even dog feces.
Fill the top 2 inches or so with dirt.  The dog finds the stuff, gets
discouraged and often quits digging.  They seem to get the idea
they'll never know where they'll find junk, and it's not worth the
effort to dig only to find junk so they quit.

The Koehler dog method advocates filling holes with water and sticking
dog's head under the water for a few seconds or so.  This may not work
with some breeds (e.g., Labradors), and may not appeal to you as a
method to try.  Alternatively, you can try burying a water balloon in
one of the holes which will pop in its face when it starts digging
(surprise).

Try to remember that digging is a natural tendency for dogs.  So, if
there is any place where your dog may be allowed to dig, you should
encourage it (and only in that place).  Designate an area where the
dog can dig.  Many people build a sand box for their dog.  Place the
box in an area that is cool in summer and warm in winter.  To teach
the dog to dig only in the box, place a toy or treat in the box.
Encourage the dog to dig up the toy or treat.  Praise the dog.  Repeat
untill the dog willingly jumps in and digs.  Watch the dog.  When it
starts to dig in any other place, quickly go out and take your dog to
its box.  Show it (by digging yourself), that it should dig in its
box.  To deter boredom, place several toys/treats in the box before
you leave for work.  The dog will spend its time digging in the
correct place rather than digging up your roses.

Extreme cases: line the yard with chicken wire and put a layer of sod
on that.  Use paving bricks or blocks around the edge to prevent the
dog from injuring itself on the edge of the chicken wire.

5.  Garbage.

You can get "Mr. Yuk" labels and put them in the trash to keep them
out of it or spray Bitter Apple into it.  But you have to remember to
do this regularly.  If you can, put the trash out of reach of the dog,
eg, under the sink.  You may need to get the kinds of trash cans that
have closing lids.  Don't start easy and work your way up as the dog
figures each one out: you are just training your dog how to open
garbage cans.  Get a good, well secured one at the start.

Put a mousetrap in the bottom of an empty can, cover it with
newspaper, then put something that the dog really likes in the can and
leave the room.

You should train your dog away from this habit.  Crate it, to keep it
out of the garbage when you are not home, and correct it when it gets
into it when you are at home.  This works best if you start in
puppyhood.

6.  Jumping.

Since most dogs are shorter than you, its natural tendency is to jump
up to see you.  It is also an expression of exuberance and happiness.
However, you may be wearing your Sunday Best.  The dog's paws may be
muddy.  The puppy may grow too large.  Some people are afraid of dogs.
Train your dog not to jump on people.  If you don't mind your dog
jumping on you, then train it to jump on you only when it's "OK".

In general, correct it immediately when it jumps on you, praise it
when all four paws land back on ground.  A helpful reinforcement is to
give them a command and praise lavishly when they do it, e.g., "No!
Brownie, sit!  Good girl, what a good girl!"

Try to anticipate the jumping: look for their hindquarters beginning
to crouch down, and correct them when you see them *about* to jump.
With medium-sized dogs, you can discourage jumping with a well-timed
knee in the chest (never kick).  This does not work as well on small
dogs and very large dogs.  With small dogs, step back so they miss
you; you can also splay your hand in front of you so their face bumps
into it (don't hit them, let them bump into you).  Correct, then
praise when on ground.  With larger dogs, the kind that don't really
*jump*, but *place* their paws on your shoulders, grab some skin below
their ears (be firm but not rough) and pull them down, saying "No!"
Again, praise it when it is back on ground.

Gradually expand this to include friends and visitors.  Start first
with people who understand what you want to do and will apply the
physical correction in conjunction with your "No!"  As the dog
improves, expand with other people.  In the interim, a reinforcing
exercise is to put your dog on a leash, and stand on one end of the
leash or otherwise secure it so your dog can stand but not jump.  When
it tries to greet someone by jumping up, praise it *when it lands* and
don't correct it for attempting to jump.

For those of you who don't mind being jumped, you can gain control
over it by teaching your dog that it can jump on you -- when you OK
it.  At random times (i.e., not *every* time you correct it), after
your correction and praise for getting back down, wait thirty seconds
or so, and then happily say "OK, jump" (or something similar, as long
as you're consistent) and praise your dog when it jumps up then.  At
other times, when it is *not* trying to jump on you, encourage it to
do so on your permission, using the same phrase.  You must make it
clear that it shouldn't jump on you unless you give it permission, so
you must still correct unpermitted jumping.

7.  Whining

In many cases, the dog is trying to manipulate you when it whines.
First be sure that the dog isn't telling you it has to eliminate.  If
you know it doesn't have to go, correct it.  If it persists, then you
can try squirting lemon juice in its mouth to discourage whining.

8.  Car chasing

This is symptomatic of a larger problem: why is your dog free to run
after cars in the first place?  If the dog is being allowed to roam
that should be stopped.

Have a few friends drive by (slowly) in a strange car.  When the dog
gets in range, open the window and dump a bucket of ice cold water on
the animal's head/back.  Repeat as needed (with a different car) for
reinforcement.

9.  Tug of War

The Monks (and former Monk, Job Michael Evans) seem to believe that
playing tug is a form of "teaching" the dog to use its teeth, and
therefore a precursor to the dog's learning to use its teeth as a
weapon.  In their view, you should never play tug with a dog.  There
are other authorities that recommend never playing tug of war with
your dog.

However, dealing with the aggression may be more constructive than
never teaching your dog to use its teeth.  Besides, studies on canine
aggression show that even extremely docile dogs can be provoked to
show aggression.  Houpt and Wolski in their book _Domestic Animal
Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists_ note: "Growling is
an aggressive call in dogs, and is commonly known.  It is interesting
evolutionarily that even the most placid dog can be induced to growl
if one threatens to take a bone away from it.  A scarcity of food in
general can increase aggression ..., but bones seem to have particular
value even for the satiated dog."

This can hinge on whether you (as the owner) can distinguish between
challenges and playing.  If the dog is playing when doing TOW, there's
no problem.  If it *is* challenging you doing this, you need to 1)
recognize the challenge (versus just playing) 2) win and 3) stop the
TOW and correct its challenge to your authority.  If you can't make
the distinction, then don't play tug-of-war with it.

Couple any tug-o-war games with the command "Give" or something
similar so that the dog learns to immediately let go ON COMMAND.  If
it doesn't, that's a challenge, and you need to deal with it.  Teach
your dog what "give" when you start playing this game with it.  When
you know that your dog understands the command, then periodically
reinforce it by having your dog "give" at random times.  This becomes
a form of keeping your alpha position as mentioned earlier in this
article.


G.  Comments on Obedience Training.

1.  Different training methods

There are a number of different training methods available.  None of
these methods are perfect and none are guaranteed to work on your dog
(regardless of what it says on the cover).  Each dog is different and
the interaction with its owner is unique.  Some methods work better
than others for *you* and *your dog*.  It will depend on your personal
preference (dogs are good at telling when you are hesitant or unhappy
with a particular technique) and your dog's temperament and ability.

People frequently disagree over which methods are "good" and even
which are "best."  This kind of argument is fairly pointless, as the
effectiveness of each training method is subjective.  Find one that
works for *you* and don't worry about criticisms.  On the other hand,
suggestions to help overcome specific training problems may be what
you need and you shouldn't reject it out of hand because it's not in
the method you chose.

A good expert shouldn't reject any other methods out of hand; the
Monks in their books point out that readers should consult other books
as well.  Being an expert doesn't mean being able to only use or do
one method.  The more methods you look at and try, the better data
base you have to draw from.

There are many methods for training dogs out there.

Baer, Ted.  _Communicating with Your Dog_.  Barron's, New York. 1989.
ISBN 0-8120-4203-4 (oversized paperback).
  Heavily illustrated with color photos.  A sensible approach to
  laying a good foundation for extensive obedience training (even if
  you don't take the dog any further than what's outlined in here).
  Simple instructions for teaching a 20-word language, with emphasis
  on understanding and building on previous work.

Bauman, Diane L.  _Beyond Basic Dog Training_.  New, updated edition.
Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York.  1991.
ISBN: 0-87605-410-6.
  Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a
  pattern-trained dog.  Extensive manual on obedience training.
  Communication and understanding are discussed.  A well known and
  often recommended book.

Benjamin, Carol Lea.  _Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train
Your Dog_.  Howell Book House, New York. 1985.  ISBN 0-87605-666-4.
$15.95 hardcover.
  She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she
  does not recommend food training a young puppy.  She does recommend
  crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room
  with the puppy.  She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad
  dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out,
  cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about
  canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with
  your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him
  copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy.
  Most training methods rely on the foundational relationship between
  an owner and his dog, and this book provides some ideas on
  establishing that relationship while the puppy is still young.

Brahms, Ann and Paul. _Puppy Ed._.  Ballantine Books.  1981.
ISBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback).
  Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands.  This is a
  thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and
  cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it.  They stress
  that by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later,
  more formal training goes much easier.