Overcoming barking at the door bell.

I have had good results with engrained habits by changing the doorbell device and tone altogether and to set up a new training schedule that gets the dog going to its bed (or a set location such as a mat) and being rewarded for doing so until it becomes second nature, or until you at least have a good degree of control and the dog is no longer reactive. If you’re using a clicker this would complement this approach well. If not, just read on below.

The doorbell devices I suggest are wireless and this will allow you to practice throughout the day at random times whilst you have the buzzer in your pocket out of sight. By the way, I do this with new pups to the house, preventing the habit from forming in the first place!

Disable the existing doorbell, and for the next 2 weeks or so you’ll be without a bell so a sticker on the door letting people know may help.

Your method would be something like this:

Press the new doorbell buzzer in your pocket and say ‘On your bed!’ in a positive bright voice as it chimes. Ignore any barking and direct your dog to the bed area (allowing the dog to drag a lead may assist in directing the dog as you can stand on and then lift this to initially control your dog) and once your dog is sitting nicely on the chosen spot, immediately treat with high value food. This food could be chicken, ham or liver cake as examples. Once quiet and calm, reward your dog and stay calm in your voice so as not to excite. Use of the ‘Stay’ command here will be useful, and combine the command with a flat open hand to enforce the verbal command.

Steadily and constantly feed your dog whilst on the bed. Keep your dog on the bed for 30 seconds to start with and then with each practice aim to extend the bed stay periods gradually each day by a further 10 seconds or less if progress is slower.

Once the time is up on the bed for that session, use a clear ‘OK!’ release command and then walk away putting the food away ready for use next time round. A few of these each day assuming you’re there to practice, will be ideal. Aim for 3-4 short sessions per day.

Later on, once the above is looking good, you could walk your dog to a location near the front door and ask it to sit and stay on a mat (you could clip your dog onto a lead set up there in advance which is fixed to a banister for example) and then go to answer the door having activated the doorbell first. This can be done with your ‘invisible guest’ to begin with, and then to use family members as trials and then arrange to move on to real visitors with the excitement that brings. Really go for it with the ‘invisible guest’ and talk to them at the door as you would a real person whilst keeping a close eye on your dog. Immediately go back and reset the dogs should he move off the location mat.

Hopefully you can see how I very gradually increase the scenario in keeping with improvement in the dog’s behaviour. Always look upon it as baby steps along the chain until you achieve what it is you want.

At the final stage you can fix the buzzer to the front door as your training will be ready to cope with real callers. A second buzzer that you can use inside the home during this settling in or transition phase will allow controlled practice sessions and should further help your efforts.

A simple approach, but it works and has been developed by me over the years based on experience alongside trial and error.

Good luck and get buzzing!

Nick Jones MA. MCFBA

www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk

Alpha Dog Behaviour

01299 404356

0775 9093394

Agression and small dogs.

I seem to be going through a run of helping people that have small dogs with aggression. From a practitioners point of view there is less risk than dealing with a large dog such as a Labrador or German Shepherd say, but the behaviour remains as serious none the less.

Aggression to people invokes the Dangerous Dogs Act, and many people are either blissfully unaware or (often both) have not been reported for their dog's behaviour...yet.

Small dogs 'get away' with such behaviour for far longer as people may even see it as amusing at first until a child is involved, or the risk has become so great the owner is compelled to act.

People are often surprised at my fees for dealing with such behaviour as it can run into the hundreds. What needs to be considered however is the sheer amount of time that we will need to spend together to get to the bottom of the issue/s and to set up new practices to calmly guide the dog away from its previous unwanted behaviour. I also offer life time support via phone, email or face to face if the client chooses to pay for such ongoing support.

It's fair to say that changing aggressive behaviour is a long term commitment that needs management as much as behavioural modification. Management (or a lack of it) can often be the catalyst for such behaviours becoming installed and then practiced by a dog. My dogs are free from behavioural problems, but this is in the main due to my management, rather than many hours spent training them.

Small dogs share many more privileges with the owner than many big dogs simply as a result of their size. Smaller dogs can slip onto your lap no problem. Many are perfectly agile and can take up a small space on the owners bed or pillow. Nothing wrong with dogs on beds per se, but as with all things rules and expectations need to be set for a balanced life together. Some owners allow smaller dogs to get away with behaviour that would not be allowed in a bigger dog. This may be issue like jumping up, not recalling smartly or begging for food to offer a few examples.

These additional privileges can lead to a sense of over protection towards the owner (I saw this only last week and had a bitten shoe from a Dachshund as a result!). This element of over protection is in my view the most common. The owner may fail to understand how important it is to lead every dog regardless of size to allow the dog to relax and be at ease in its own skin. We should parent dogs, and make efforts to let the dog know it is the 'child' and we are the 'parent'. I am keen to point out that this can be done in a subtle, calm manner free from aggressive handling, shouting, eating before the dog (you may be pleased to stop that?) or relating to your dog as if it were a wolf.

There is no profound punch line to this article, other than to consider the way you relate to your own small (or not so small) dog and to think about the way you conduct your relationship.

I'm just leaving the office to see a small aggressive dog that hates visitors to the house. Wish me luck.

Nick Jones MCFBA
Dog behaviourist

Silent dog training

As many of you will know that follow my You Tube channel or Twitter I have a 5 month old puppy Max a wire haired Vizsla.

I want him to start to pay a little more attention to my hand signals and body language as well as my voice, so as of today I am going to work more with him using hand signals alone...WITHOUT Talking to him!

He's a bright boy, and I have just fed him his lunch along with a directing to a front door mat, the stay and wait and then the release to go eat his food. It was all done in silence which meant I had to reset him once, and the release looked a bit tentative, but his hungry tummy meant he kept going to his bowl. :)

I can see this will be a great way to get him watching me even more closely, and that I can control him in silence when needed. Much better and more subtle than using my voice at times don't you think?

Why not try it with your own dog? Do let me know how you get on!

Best wishes,

Nick

D for Dog answers

[Name] = Bree
[County] = NC
[Country] = United States

[Training Question] = I will be about 14 years old when I get my first dog next summer in the new house we are buying. I will be the primary caregiver for the dog and my mom and step-dad said that I will be 100% responsible for the dog because my parents already have enough stress as is. I am researching different types of dogs and came across the Border Terrier. Different websites say different things about them so I want to know your opinion. Would a Border Terrier dog be good for me based on these factors: I will be at school from 8:00 AM till about 3:30 PM and my mom and step-dad will be at work during that time also -My mom wants me to get a dog with minimal shedding and will not "destroy the house". My mom wants me to get a dog that is not aggressive or does not bark a lot.

Well hello there Bree. I could not resist answering this well written letter that demonstrates some refreshing forethought on the matter of bringing a dog into a home where people have busy lives just as most of us do. Some careful thought now can save you an awful lot of heart ache later on. Despite you being in the States, and me in the UK, the things that you ask apply perfectly well to any person in any country with any dog. So let’s look at these together.

As you may have seen on my main web site I own a Border terrier so I can speak with some knowledge on this lovely breed. A lovely breed yes, but like any breed they can go very wrong if you are not careful. I have seen my fair share of problem Border terriers I can tell you, then again I’ve seen many problem Labradors also, so it all depends on the way you socialise and rear a dog…it’s not always a breed specific issue.

Let’s get this straight, Borders are tough and thick skinned that have a will of their own and the working instinct is strong in them. On the other hand, they are sweet, affectionate, highly intelligent (trainable) and make superb companion dogs in an active and well-balanced household.

So in essence I see no problem with your choice of dog. Let’s address some of the issues you raise in your letter though:

New home. Try to wait until you are all settled in before you introduce a new dog. I would wait at least 4 weeks after moving in before you undertake the big step of introducing (presumably) a puppy.

Primary Care giver. Being a parent myself, I can understand your parents saying this type of thing, but then again all members of the family need to be committed to the care and welfare of a new dog for best results. Of course you can feed, walk, train and play with the dog in the main, but all chip in to help make the dog the best it can be.

Time alone during the day. Based on your timings, the dog will be left for 7 ½ hours each day. I’m sorry to say that this is simply way too long to leave almost any dog let alone a puppy. Only an adult house trained dog can cope with this, and even then it will need to be well settled before it’s left for that period of time in your new home. The only advantage I can see with a puppy is that they do sleep a lot in the early stages, but this ‘honeymoon’ period is soon over after a matter of three or four months as the dog becomes more alert by day and in need of stimulation, play, exercise and training. I’m sorry to dampen your enthusiasm, but this fact alone for me would rule it out. I can tell you I waited for years before I took on my first dog, and looking back I’m glad I waited until everything was just right. I see many behaviour problems in my daily work that are the result of a lack of time invested in the dog. Maybe an older one might be available for you? Do ensure it’s free from behavioural problems though prior to bringing it home.


I would urge you to think very carefully about your daily commitments, and whether you can give enough time to a dog at this time.

IF you are able to overcome these obstacles, we can address your other points:

Minimal shedding? Well unless maintained, Border terriers can be very hairy and I only have to look at mine to be covered in her hair. Admittedly I don’t mess with her coat a great deal, but with regular stripping of the coat and grooming in between she’s not a big problem. Your mother will always be able to tell if the dog has been on her best white bed linen so do be warned J

Destruction of the house? Any dog if left for long periods unsupervised can make it look as if there’s been a party and the skirting boards are left chewed up. A crate from the outset is the way to go until you are confident it can be left uncrated in your absence. In my experience about 9 months is about right to start to offer more responsibility to the dog out of the crate.
Crates can be easily abused, and a puppy most definitely should not be left in one for the period you are at school.

Aggression. The bulk of my work is treating aggressive dog behaviour, and in light of this I can say that IF you spend sufficient time socialising your dog things should go well. You then also need to ensure that you keep it out of harm’s way and prevent it from being attacked by other less friendly dogs. A long line on your puppy in public spaces can greatly increase control whilst you practice lots of recalls in the mean time.
Dog to dog aggression is one thing, but dog to people aggression is another, and in many respects more serious as it’s less well tolerated. If you set in place good boundaries and rules for your dog from the beginning he or she will understand that you are all (as a family) in control and directing its life. This is the best way to ensure there is no confrontation between you and that life goes smoothly. Consider a home visit by a local trainer that is well respected, and these areas can be covered from the outset saving you a great deal of trouble potentially.

Barking. Again, implementing the above can prevent this in the first place. My little Pip is generally very quiet, and will be quiet when I ask if she starts to bark. From the outset I did not allow her to rush to the door barking at the postman or visitors to the home. I have always been loving but strict with her, and she looks to me as the person in charge and is happy to relax and let me run things. It needs to be that way as what’s the alternative?




So, a quick summary for you. No dog should be left that long each day unless it is mature and well balanced.
Wait until you are all settled in the new home before getting a new dog.
The whole family needs to be involved in the care of a dog for best outcome.
A Border requires regular work on its coat to avoid shedding in the home.
Early training and socialisation is key to a well-balanced, aggression free dog.

I can offer you a few links that might amuse/inform you from my Youtube channel. These are all Border terrier based.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCVmtR2XUOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoLgTr6VxiE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCVmtR2XUOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG58qU7fHzQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VYhkLyI85w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkUQILSP3W0

Good luck in your decision and let me know how you get on!

Nick Jones MCFBA
www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk

Nervous aggressive dog behaviour.

Nervous aggressive behaviour.

This is usually the result of a dog that has had insufficient socialisation in its formative months and years, and/or a negative event with another dog. This can happen on a number of occasions, leading to an even more fearful dog as time progresses. Some dogs seem to have a demeanour that attract other dogs, and for some of those dogs to attack it. I suspect that dogs attack a fear-based output from some fearful dogs, and this then leads to a more ingrained behaviour on the attacked dog’s part. The dog can then adopt an ‘offence is the best form of defence’ approach. Once it learns that this results in other dogs moving away with an owner that naturally wouldn’t want to become involved, the dog again learns the value of such behaviour and perpetuates it more and more with great effect.

Fear based aggression is (as I see it) a relatively modern phenomenon, and reflects back upon our more insular lifestyles and lack of time available to pay proper attention to the socialisation process. With less and less time to address areas of training and socialisation the strain is showing in our dog population.
It is not unusual to see figures quoted that 80-90% of dog to dog aggression (indeed dog to people with strangers) is a fear based behaviour. I can well believe these figures, and they are borne out in my own experience.

I have for some time described fear based aggression as being virus-like in its manner of spreading from one dog to another, with each newly attacked dog going on to become sensitised (depending on the dog’s nature and owner’s level of control) and displaying similar behaviour towards other dogs.

Many owners with young pups fall into the trap of not giving full and correct control when in the park and are unable to recall the dog prior to allowing it to run freely in the local park. This is rather like allowing the dog into the snake pit, with a number of other dogs near by that are unknown as a quantity, and that may pass this ‘virus’ onto the young dog. Developing a sound leader based relationship; a strong recall combined with a long line is certainly far sounder than the practices of many unthinking (albeit well intended) new dog owners that simply allow the dog to run freely from day 1.

www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk

How to greet your dog

This month's question for D For Dog readers is here folks:


[Name] = Michal
[County] = Israel
[Country] = Israel

[Training Question] = my friend has a 4 years old dog that sees me as a 'step mom'. A few months ago I adopted a puppy. Both dogs are very friendly and playful with other dogs. However, whenever we met, when her dog came to greet me- my puppy initially tried to get between me and him which led to her dog getting upset and wanting nothing to do with us for the rest of the meeting- no matter how hard my puppy tried to play with him afterwards. How can I solve it? Obviously both dogs acting jealously because of me and we'd like to meet without causing anyone of them stress.

This is an interesting question, as I feel that what we’re dealing with here is the human expectation of how the dogs should be greeting you. There is no mention of aggressive behaviour, so see that as a plus at least.

The dog sees you as a ‘step mom’? The dog I’m sorry to say does not see you as a step mom at all. You see your self as a step mom, and you are I feel overly humanising the whole greeting ritual and process. Social etiquette varies widely throughout the world of course, but I believe I’m right in saying that we all have an immediate and polite way of acknowledging each other (as humans) with either a hand shake, a hug, a kiss, a nose rub and so on. If you’re lucky you might get all at once!

How do dogs greet when they first meet up? I see no kissing, hugs, maybe a nose rub if I’m lucky. Dogs are far more cautious when meeting, and will curve into each other and sniff the opposite ends quite often. One dog may sit down, or become submissive and lie down. It varies a good deal depending on the confidence/dominance levels of each dog.

The point is then that we both have different ways of meeting and greeting as two distinct species. We often encounter complications when we try (and expect) the dog to meet us in a human way, and not in keeping with its own kind. As we are (supposedly) the more intelligent of the two species, we shall need to adopt the way of the canine and not of the human when greeting, and to try and save ourselves getting the dog too worked up upon initial greetings.

I suspect you have developed an excitable routine in meeting your friend’s dog prior to ownership of the pup, when the pup saw the excitable exchange, it moved in between you both as a Calming Signal to help calm things down. I am guessing a bit here but I think I’m onto something.

The best advice I can give is to turn the heat right down on your greetings ritual, and to actually ignore them until both dogs are calm and ready for a greeting that is controllable and more relaxed.

Asking them to sit for the greeting is ideal as the dog will be less likely to jump and become over excitable. If they break that position and become too excited, then again go back to the ignore until they are ready to be sat again. Leads on both dogs to begin with can also help calm the situation. This allows you to remove one or both dogs into a quieter space for a minute until calm returns.

Be consistent and determined in your approach, and things should settle quite nicely. It’s a matter of self-control for us as humans, and guiding the dog’s behaviour into a better place through us managing our own impulses.

I sincerely hope that helps you in the right direction.

Nick


www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk

The use of food for training...

I am constantly surprised at how people are concerned when using food to reward a dog for desirable behaviour. I hear terms such as 'Bribery' and 'Corruption'. It's neither!
We all do things for a reward. You wouldn't go to work for free would you?

Not all dogs are food motivated of course, so we may need to find another motivator such as a toy or a simple praise-worthy voice and a chest rub (we all like one of those).

So many people struggle needlessly with trying to get a dog to walk to heel, or to recall when asked, and avoid food for whatever reason. If it works, use it!

It doesn't need to be rubbish food either. Many a dog would be motivated for a slice of carrot, or a slither of dried fruit (avoid grapes). Up the ante maybe and look to use small chicken cubes, ham, or sausages. Keep them as small as you can. Some treats are very well suited for pinching and holding by you between your thumb and forefinger. This can make a treat last anything up to 30 seconds as the dog works it out of your fingers as you squeeze and release it gradually. This may not be possible for a greedy dog!

I have a few clients at present going the whole hog with the use of food, and they are actually offering the dog's meal (dried kibble is most common, but a switch to Nature Diet will often turn a picky eater on) when out for the recall or even reforming a habitual and serious lead puller!
Satisfying the basic drive of hunger can transform how a dog sees you if you are having leadership issues in general, and coming back to you, or staying close with heel work can be made so much easier when the dog is getting some very serious rewarding.

So, use food by all means, but as the behaviour is looking sound then seek to reduce it by alternate rewards, then reward the very best position or fastest of recalls, then drop the food with an occasional reward to keep the interest there. I will use food throughout the whole life of a dog on a periodic basis to ensure adequate interest and reward....can't go making a dog redundant can we? ;)

Should you wish to talk to me regarding your dog's behaviour, you can contact me here: http://www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk/