Usenet 1994 October/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicoctober1994disk1.iso/answers/dogs-faq/behavior

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From: [e-mail] (Cindy Tittle Moore)
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Subject: rec.pets.dogs:  Behavior: Understanding and Modifying FAQ
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Summary: Discusses how to deal with problem behaviors in dogs.
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Archive-name: dogs-faq/behavior
Last-modified: 19 Oct 1993

This is one of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Lists for
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This article is Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Cindy Tittle Moore.  It may be
freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice
is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in
commercial documents without the author's written permission.  This
article is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Cindy Tittle Moore
Internet: [e-mail]           USmail: PO BOX 4188, Irvine CA 92716
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


BEHAVIOR: UNDERSTANDING AND MODIFYING

  Prologue.
  A.  Understanding Your Dog.
  B.  Principles Behind Dominance.
  C.  Dominance Problems.
  D.  Aggression with other Dogs.
  E.  Housetraining Problems.
  F.  Submissive Urination.
  G.  Other Common Problems.


Prologue.

First, you should understand that there are two components to
"training".  There is the kind of training that solves *behavioral*
problems.  There is also the kind of training that creates a
command-response pattern.  It is perfectly possible to have a dog that
heels, sits, and stays perfectly and digs out all your marigolds.
Conversely, you may have a dog that does not destroy things in your
house nor jump up on people, but does not sit or heel.

"Obedience training" does not necessarily cover both of these aspects
of training.  In fact, they usually just teach a command-response
pattern and that's it.  You need to be aware of whether your dog needs
behavior modification (where you will have to find out the underlying
reason why your dog digs and not just put chicken wire over
everything) or obedience training to understand commands.

Certainly, the two may be related: a dog that digs because it is bored
may become less bored with obedience training and stop digging.  It is
important, however, to understand that the dog stopped digging because
it was no longer bored than because it now knows how to heel.  You
will need to modify your approach, or select a trainer to help you,
with behavior vs. training in mind.

While this article tries to help you understand what the sources of
trouble between you and your dog may be, I want to stress that there
is absolutely no replacement for a trainer you know and trust to help
you and your dog.  Having someone to ask questions and show you what
works with your dog is like having the picture as opposed to the words
-- a thousand times better.  Nevertheless, this article will hopefully
help with some common problems.

That said, some good books that are aimed at helping solve problems
between dogs and owners are:

Benjamin, Carol Lea.  _Dog Problems_.  Doubleday and Co. 1981.  ISBN
0-385-15710-X.  $13.95 hardcover.

Evans, Job Michael.  (1991).  People, Pooches, & Problems.  NY:
Howell Book House.  ISBN 0-87605-783-0 (hardcover).  $19.95.
  Excellent suggestions for dealing with common problems between dogs
  and their owners.  Highly recommended. [Evans is a former New Skete
  monk.]

Milani, Myrna M., DVM. _The Weekend Dog_.  Signet (Penguin Books USA,
Inc.) (1985). ISBN: 0-451-15731-1 (paperback).
  This book outlines practical solutions for working people with dogs.
  It has excellent suggestions for understanding dog behavior,
  particularly destructive or unwanted behavior.  Gives all kinds of
  practical solutions to the problems of adequate exercise, adequate
  training, housebreaking, and so forth.

Monks of New Skete, The.  _How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend_.  Little,
Brown & Company.  1978.  ISBN: 0-316-60491-7 (hardback).
  A monastery in upstate New York breeds, raises, and trains German
  Shepherd Dogs.  On the basis of their considerable experience, they
  offer troubleshooting guides, discuss discipline, environmental
  restrictions, basic and puppy training, and much more.  Extensive
  bibliography.  The emphasis is on understanding the dog in order to
  communicate with it or to solve problem behavior.  An excellent,
  well written classic.

Tucker, Michael.  _Solving your Dog Problems_.  J.M. Dent Pty Ltd,
Australia.  ISBN: 0-8677-0053-X.
  It is really funny, and it really makes you think about the messages
  that you give your dog. Recommended for anyone who instructs in
  obedience or who is trying to train their dog to be obedient, or
  just easier to live with.

A.  Understanding Your Dog.

1. "Why would my dog be happier inside than outside when I am not home?"

Many dogs behave well when kept inside; bark, dig, and whine while
kept out in the yard.  Why is this?  Well, you must understand the
nature of dogs as social animals, living in social units called
"packs."  That means that your dog views you and your family and any
other pets as its pack.  Your home is the "den."  Dogs prefer to be
closer to the center of the den -- the place where the pack's smells
are most acute.  While some dogs are happy to stay outdoors during the
day while the rest of the pack is gone to work, a great many dogs
develop behavioral problems as a result of daily "expulsion" from the
den.

In addition, a dog with access to a large territory may feel compelled
to "defend" all of it, resulting in other types of problems: frantic
barking at "intruders," and so on.  Restricting the amount of
territory it has to protect may reduce this type of behavior.

A good compromise for many dogs is access both to a restricted part of
the house and a restricted part of the yard.  The inside-outside
access keeps him from feeling ejected from the "den" without having
too much territory to defend.

A dog that can't be trusted inside and is destructive outside will
probably benefit the most from being crated during the day.  With most
dogs, if you crate them through puppyhood (which also helps with
housebreaking), by the time they are mostly adult (from 8 months to 24
months of age depending on the breed) you can start weaning them off
the crate.  Because they are used to spending the time in the crate
quietly, they will form the habit of spending that same time quietly
whether in the crate or not as adults.

2.  "Shouldn't dogs run free in the countryside?"

It is an absolute myth that living in the country confers greater
latitude in the dictum "thou shall keep thy dog constrained to the
immediate environs of the pack."  Country dogs allowed to run free get
shot by hunters or farmers protecting their livestock.  They get into
fights with other dogs over territory.  They can kill livestock, fight
and tassle and get disease from wild animals, and be hit by cars on
the highway.  They become increasingly aggressive as they vye for
larger and larger perimeter boundaries to their territory, and they no
longer relate to YOU as the leader of their pack.  Also, don't forget
that intact animals will breed and add to the overpopulation problem.

3.  "Why do dogs engage in undesirable behavior?"

First remember that "undesireable behavior" is in the eye of the
beholder.  To the dog, it's perfectly alright to dig, to bark, to
chase after other dogs, etc.  This doesn't mean you can't control
these behaviors, of course, but it *does* mean that the dog isn't
doing them "to spite you."  The dog hasn't a clue that it's not to do
these things unless you train it not to.  And it has to understand
what you want from it!

When dogs start undesirable (to humans) behavior, its best to try to
understand the source of this behavior.  Often it stems from the
frustration of being left alone.  Dogs are very social animals.  One
positive solution is to make sure your dog is properly exercised.
Exercise is a wonderful cure to many behavioral problems and dogs just
love it.  Do check with your vet for the proper amount of exercise for
both the age and breed of any dog.  Another solution is obedience
training.  The point is, your dog needs your attention, whether it is
by taking it out on a walk, training it, or both.

When bad behaviors begin in your absence, they can just get worse and
worse every day if not addressed or prevented.  Puppies (up to 18
months or so) get very bored when they are left alone.  Even catching
it in the act may not help, at least at this point.  Often this is a
problem with separation anxiety.  Try to spend as much time with your
pup as you can and crating it while you are gone will reduce the
likelihood of the dog falling into the *habit* of doing these
destructive behaviors.

4.  "But it is SO FRUSTRATING when my dog does this!!"

Yes, it is.  But screaming and yelling at the dog, or punishing it
well after the fact does not tell your dog what is wrong.  You may in
fact wind up teaching it to fear you, or consider you unreliable.  You
must get your dog to understand you, and *you* have to work on the
communication gap, as you are more intelligent than your dog.

Preventing your dog from unwanted behaviors coupled with *properly
timed* corrections will go much further in eliminating the behavior
from your pet than yelling at it.

In fact, you should not yell at, scream at, or hit your dog, ever.
There are much more effective ways to get your point across.  Try
instead to understand the situation from your dog's point of view and
act accordingly.  The techniques in this chapter approach problems
with this in mind.

5.  "Why does crating work?"

First of all, it prevents the dog from doing many of the behaviors you
don't want it to.  What your dog does not do does not develop into a
habit and thus requires no correction.  Second, it means that when
your dog *does* have an opportunity to engage in the unwanted
behavior, *you* are around (because you're home to let it out) to give
a proper and timely correction.

As the behavioral aspects pointed out above, reducing the territory
to protect and keeping it in the den are positive things from the
dog's point of view.

6.  "How do I know if my dog understands me or is ignoring me?"

There are five reasons a dog might not do a command: it's untrained,
it's confused, it's fearful, it's distracted, or it thinks it has a
choice.  Only the last two requires correction.  The first two require
working with your dog do solve the problem and to get it to understand
what you want it to do.  The fearful reaction is probably an
indication that you're doing something wrong in your approach and you
need to try something else.  Confusion means you are being unclear.
You won't always be able to tell how your dog is reacting, especially
not at first.  You must learn to pay attention to your dog so that you
can accurately read it.  Think of obedience and training as a two-way
street: you're both learning to understand each other.

Dogs first learn to behave in a certain way without really
understanding what they are doing.  By putting the dog in a stressful
situation or tempting the dog to not perform the exercise, you can see
how well it understands the exercise.  When the dog initially fails
under these circumstances, it is only appropriate to help them through
the exercise.  Corrections are done if the dog appears to think it has
a choice; or if the dog continues to be afraid after helping for a
long time.  In this case, the dog needs to learn to work through his
fear.  Corrections are appropriate, because dogs often think their
owners approve of the fear -- in particular, soothing them can
communicate your approval of their fear.  Keep corrections for fear
mild, but definitely corrective.


B.  Principles Behind Dominance.

For obedience training to proceed smoothly, your dog must consider you
its alpha leader.  This means that it considers YOU the boss.  There
are a number of exercises you can to to establish and maintain
dominance over your dog.  Individual dogs vary in submissiveness.  If
your dog is very submissive, you don't need to worry about
establishing dominance (in fact, you may need to tone down your own
dominating behavior to help bolster its confidence).  Most dogs are
happy to be submissive: just be sure to show approval at the
occasional signs of submission, and assert dominance if it tries to
test you (most dogs will, in adolescence).  A few dogs may be very
dominant and continually challenge you for dominance, in which case
you will actively need to assert and establish your position, but this
last is rare.

More often, people will misinterpret adolescent high energy or bratty
behavior as ploys for dominance when they are not.  Think of a two
year human child testing her parents.  She's finding out what the
limits are rather than "challenging" her parents for leadership.
Puppies and young dogs do the exact same thing.  Correct them firmly,
but don't go into an all out "dominance battle" -- it's inappropriate
and your dog will begin to distrust you.  Returning to the toddler
analogy, the most you might do is a sharp word or a small swat on the
rear.  You would not pick her up, hold her against the wall and scream
at her.

Never mistake being alpha with punishment.  An alpha leader is fair.
An alpha leader *deserves* its position.  An alpha leader does not use
fear, punishment or brute force to achieve and maintain its position.
An alpha leader, instead, makes it crystal clear what behaviors it
approves of and which it does not.  An alpha leader *expects* its
subordinates to follow its lead, it does not *force* them to.

If you get mad at your dog, or angry or furious, you've lost the alpha
position.  Dogs do not understand fury.  You have to be calm and focused.

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.

Finally, always use the *minimum* correction necessary.  If a sharp
AHAH will do, use that rather than an alpha roll.  If a pop under the
chin will do, use that rather than an alpha roll.

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.  Again, always use the minimum correction necessary.

More important than knowing how to perform an alpha roll is learning
to play the alpha role. That means having the attitude of "I am always
right and I will _never_ let my dog willfully disobey me" without ever
becoming angry or giving up.

Using an alpha roll on a dog who is already submissive but disobeys
because it doesn't know what is expected of it can be destructive.
Likewise, using an alpha role on a dominant dog but not using any
other positive reinforcements can alienate it.  Many if not most dogs
never need to be alpha rolled in their lives.

Furthermore, alpha rolls are one of the strongest weapons in dominance
arsenal. It should not be used unless one has use chin cuffs and
scruff shakes first.

Being dominant is no substitute for learning to read and understand
your dog. Proper obedience (which should be a part of _any_ dog, even
when only used as a pet) is a two way street and requires you to be as
responsible to your dog as your dog is responsive to you.

Demonstrating dominance:

  * 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.

Feed your dog after your own dinner.  Don't let it crowd through a
doorway ahead of you.  Don't let it hop out of the car until you say
OK.  There are a variety of small things you can do that assert your
dominance in a non-traumatic way.  If you're clever about it, you can
use them to get a well-behaved dog (one that doens't shoot out of the
front door or scramble out of the car or beg at the table).  In
particular, putting a behavior that the dog wants to do on hold until
you say OK is a very good way to be the alpha and keep the dog well
behaved.

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.

First of all, don't be surprised if your female dog is a dominant dog.
Dominance and aggression, while more common in male dogs, appears in
female dogs quite often as well.

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.  Aggression with other Dogs.

Dogs can be aggressive with other dogs, especially if they have not
been properly socialized with other dogs in puppy-hood.  Sometimes a
dog that is naturally dominant has trouble with other dogs especially
in puberty.  Sometimes a dog has a specific experience (e.g. a
dogfight with another aggressive dog) that causes it to become
aggressive toward other dogs in general as well.  Whatever the reason,
it is well worth your time working on your dog's aggression toward
other dogs.  You will probably get the best results, especially with a
problem dog -- extreme aggression, for example -- if you contact a
local trainer (preferably one that specializes in problem dogs) for
individual help.  However, there are some common-sense things you can
do.

First a bit of basic dog pychology: friendly behaviors include moving
side by side, sniffing butts, tails wagging at body level (not up high
or over the back).  Not-friendly behaviors include meeting
face-to-face, esp. a face-to-face approach, ears forward and tail over
back.

Force them into friendly behaviors as follows: walk the dogs in
parallel on leash.  They should be close enough to see each other but
not close enough to snap at or touch each other.  Be careful when you
two turn that the dogs don't tangle.  Make sure one doesn't get ahead
of the other: keep them parallel.  Keep this up until they relax.
Slowly start walking closer together as behavior permits.

Hold one dog on leash in a sit.  Have food treats and a water bottle
handy.  Walk the other dog toward it, to about six feet, then turn
away (increase the distance if the sitting dog snarls).  The idea is
to turn away *before* the sitting dog shows any aggression.  If the
dog shows no agression, reward it with a food tidbit or verbal praise.
Do NOT touch the dog (stand on the leash or tie it down).  If it does
growl, spray it with water.  Switch the dogs so that each experiences
sitting or walking toward.  They are learning that good things happen
without defensive behavior.  As they improve, start walking a bit
closer before turning.  If the sitting dog snarls, do NOT turn the
other dog away: the person with the sitting dog should correct it and
when the dog subsides, THEN the moving dog should turn away.

Finally, holding the head of one dog, but allowing it to stand, have
the other dog investigate its rear briefly.  This is really the
extreme extension of the above.

These exercises have several purposes.  One is to force the dogs to
consider themselves friendly by engaging in the behavior of friendly
dogs.  The other is to teach both dogs that an approaching dog is not
necessarily grounds for aggression.

This will take a lot of work, probably over a couple of months, but
they will work, and what's more, should reduce tensions with *other*
dogs as well (i.e., not only between the two specific dogs in the
exercises).


E.  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.  Have your
    vet rule out possible medical causes.
  * It may be trying to defend its territory if you have a new animal
    in the household.  You will probably need to separate the pets
    for a while, and reintroduce them gradually.  Provide each with
    a retreat area.
  * It may be generally upset or anxious if you've just moved and
    trying to assert ownership of the new territory.  Mark your
    territory first: scatter dirty laundry around the house to tell
    your dog YOU'VE claimed the territory and your dog should subside.
    After a few days, you can pick up the laundry.

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.

This is a difficult problem and not always solved or stopped.  It
doesn't really hurt the animal, although you should take care to have
it checked often for internal parasites, which it's more likely to
pick up.

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.

It's rather common for older spayed bitches to start dribbling.  This
is easily fixed most of the time with doses of estrogen.  In many
cases, the doses can be tapered off after a few months.  Some dogs
require estrogen for the rest of their lives.  Only small doses are
needed, so it's not that expensive to treat.

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).


F.  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.  Mistreated dogs may also become
excessively submissive.

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

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

Tips:

  * Wait when you come home.  Say "hi" 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.

One technique that helps many dogs with this problem is called
"Flooding."  You need a group of people, preferably ones who will
stimulate the undesired response (in this case, peeing).

- Have your dog sit with you on leash (preferably not on carpeting!)
- Have the group of people walk past your dog without looking at her;
  when they can do this without her peeing, move on to next step (this
  is true of all steps)
- Next have the people look/smile at her when they walk past
- Next have the people say something to her ("Hi puppy") as they walk past
- Next have the people give her a treat as they walk past
- Next have the people touch her (ex. pat on the head) as they walk past
- Next, repeat the previous 5 steps but with the people stopping instead
  of walking past (ie, stop but don't look, stop and look, stop and say
  hi,...)

Ideally this can be done in 1 night with 5-10 people just circulating
past you and your dog, progressing through the steps. The idea is that
you start with the most innocuous action (just walking past) and build
up gradually to the most intense action (someone stopping and petting
her).  If the dog becomes too stressed out, then spread it out over
several days.

Actually, this technique can be used for all kinds of other responses:
a dog that jumps on people, barks at them, etc.


G.  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.

If the dog goes through a cycle where it seems to be infuriated by
your correction and returns ever more aggressively to chew on you,
call a timeout and put the dog where it can't get to you, preferably
its crate.  When it calms down, let it back and be prepared to
interrupt the cycle if it starts again.

Never put up with a puppy biting or mouthing you.  When they are
adult, the problem will be far more severe.

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.

If your neighbors complain about your dog barking while you are not at
home, first purchase a voice-activated tape recorder and set it up
where your dog will trigger the tape if it barks.  You may find that
your neighbor is incorrect about how much your dog actually does bark
(keep a log of the barking you record).  You may find out what exactly
causes it to bark (hearing a car drive by before each barking
sequence, for example), giving you some ideas for eliminating the
behavior.  But do determine that there is actually a problem before
you try to do something about it.

If you know that you have a problem, you might 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.

In any event, take a neighbor's complaint seriously, even if it is
unwarranted.  More neighbor disputes arise over barking dogs than
anything else, and dogs have been injured or killed by neighbors
desperate for a good nights sleep.

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.  Some are
electronic and others are sonic.  These can be quite effective if
introduced properly.  Ideally the dog should not understand that it is
the collar giving the correction so that you can ultimately wean the
dog off the collar.  Read the instructions on the devices; the good
ones will outline exactly how to train them.

(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.

Some approaches:

  * Filling in the holes: 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.

  * Surprises in the hole: 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).

  * A sandbox: 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 or bury toys or
    treats (sliced hotdogs, for example) in the box.  Encourage the
    dog to dig up the toy or treat.  Praise the dog.  Repeat until
    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.  You can also
    sprinkle animal essence (available at hunting supplies places).

    Remember that dogs like to dig in freshly turned earth.  So get
    out that shovel and turn the dirt over in the sand box every now
    and then. Toss in some fresh dirt.  Keep a close eye on freshly
    planted areas, as they will be very attractive (bury some extra
    hotdogs in the sandbox when you are putting down new plants).

  * Line the yard. for extreme cases you can line the yard with
    chicken wire and put a layer of sod over 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 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.

If you already have this problem, some approaches to try:

  * 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.

  * Get some jalapeno peppers, or something that your dog REALLY
    HATES. Slice them up and spend some time wrapping each one
    individually in tissues or kleenex.  Fill the trash can with the
    wrapped surprises and let your dog at it.  A few days of this
    should convince your dog that trash cans are not fun.

  * 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.  Only do this when you are around, do not trap
    all the trash cans and then go off to work for the day!

6.  Jumping.

Since most dogs are shorter than you, their 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.

You should note that some dogs do not respond to the above physical
corrections.  They may view it as a form of rough play, or be so happy
to get attention that they don't mind it being negative.  In these
cases, a much more effective approach is to ignore such a dog,
stepping back slightly or turning your back when it jumps.  Give
lavish praise and attention when all paws are on the ground again.

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.

10.  People Food.

Feeding your dog "people food," i.e., table scraps and such is a poor
idea.  First, you may encourage your dog to make a pest of itself when
you are eating.  Second, feeding a dog table scraps is likely to add
unneeded calories to its diet and your dog may become overweight.
Third, if your dog develops the habit of gulping down any food it can
get, it may seriously poison or distress itself someday.

Some guidelines.  Do not feed the dog anything but dog food and dog
treats.  You might add vegetable oil or linatone to the food to
improve its coat.  There are other foods that you may want to add to
improve its diet (check with your vet first for appropriate food to
meet the dietary need you want to address), but always feed them to
the dog in its dish, never from your plate or from your hand while you
are eating.  Discourage your dog from begging at the table by tying it
nearby (so that it does not feel isolated from the social activity)
but out of reach of the table.  After you finish eating, feed the dog.
Tell your dog "no" or "leave it" if it goes for anything edible on the
floor (or on the ground during walks!), praise it when it obeys you.
Teach it that the only food it should take should be from its dish or
someone's hand.

If you are concerned about the "boring and drab" diet for your dog,
don't think of food as a way to interest it!  Play with it, take it
out on walks -- there are many other and better ways to make life
exciting for your dog.

Both _Mother Knows Best_ and _The Weekend Dog_ have good sections on
feeding your dog and what food should mean to it.


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This article is Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Cindy Tittle Moore.  It may be
freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice
is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in
commercial documents without the author's written permission.  This
article is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Cindy Tittle Moore
Internet: [e-mail]           USmail: PO BOX 4188, Irvine CA 92716
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