Does Your Dog Give You The Respect You Deserve

I am writing this to help people have an enjoyable and relaxing relationship with their dog. It seems to me that there are too many people who have big problems with their dog, or with some aspect of their dogs’ behaviour, and it impacts greatly on their whole life. This is a real shame as it is completely unnecessary. For example, many dogs become aggressive when you open your front door or when they are eating or playing with their toys. It just sours the whole experience of owning a dog, but with just a little understanding of how a dog thinks, you can change all that. Most of the time all behavioural problems can be easily stopped through intelligent dog training, understanding how a dog thinks, and communicating with him in a way that he understands.

I have a really nice park near my house and I take my dog Toby there twice a day. As we walk around we meet many other dogs, most of which come charging up to him to greet him. Now most are really nice dogs and most of the owners are really nice people, but they must be suffering all sorts of problems at home with their dogs because it is very obvious that the dogs have no respect for their owners in the park. So it follows therefore that they will have no respect for their owners at home. Now I am sure that you realise that this situation is not unique - it happens everywhere. Just have a look in your local park and see how many dogs are in front of their owners, or how many dogs run off and won’t come back to the owner without the owner running after them? How many dogs do you see whose owners can’t let them off the lead because they just know that they will never see them again? I have to admit that sometimes I get worried when some dogs approach us, because it is blatantly obvious that the owners have absolutely no control over their dogs.

I have to say that it doesn’t have to be like this. This article will give you some hope that it is possible and that the experience that you have with your dog can be rewarding and uplifting.

Suitability

First a quick word about breed suitability. Do not buy a dog if you don’t have the time or inclination to look after them. This may seem to be stating the obvious, but I see many instances every day of people who buy a dog for one reason and then find that they have just bitten off more than they can chew – literally! For example, if you live in a city, a Border Collie (and just about all of the herding dogs) will almost never be appropriate. They have a genetic herding instinct and they need to be able to satisfy this to be happy. They are intelligent and are bred to work and if they don’t they will get bored, be unhappy and basically become neurotic. If you have a neurotic Collie you will very likely have a big problem on your hands. They can be destructive, get aggressive and attempt to control the movements of family members. You can’t really blame them for doing that - it is who they are.

Another example is the Basset Hound, which is a dog which likes to follow a scent. Therefore, Basset Hounds need to be in a field using their tracking abilities. They appear to be slow moving, quiet dogs but believe me, they can follow a scent for miles. Now I know that all dogs are pack animals, but the Basset and pretty much all the hound breeds are particularly so. Bassets hate to be left on their own and the point is this - if you live in a town and you buy a Bassett you had better be prepared for the consequences, because you can be sure that it will make your life extremely difficult.

So here is the bottom line. Do your research first. It could be said that if you get a dog that is unsuitable for your life style then you are being cruel to it and are guilty of abuse. I know it sounds harsh, but just about whatever your situation, there will be a breed which will be compatible and so there is absolutely no reason why anyone should force a dog to lead a life against its true nature and thereby cause it unnecessary suffering.

The breed is one thing, but the energy is equally important. Within the breeds will be a vast array of dogs some of which will be more active than others. It is vital to try and match a dog to your energy. If you like long distance running, look for a more energetic dog. My dog for example is a Westie who is very slow moving and a bit grumpy. He loves to go for a walk, but he doesn’t like to walk far and he walks very slowly. He has a crumbling spine, which restricts him. I on the other hand like to walk long distances but I took him on knowing his situation and I treat him accordingly. I don’t blame him as he does what he can. It is also true the other way round. If you are a slow type of person and you take on a high-energy dog, you will end up with behavioural problems and you can’t blame your dog. The point is, you must understand your dog, and cater for it’s basic needs.

So in conclusion, before you get a dog, research which sort of breed would suit you and then look for an appropriate dog to match you within that breed. With that method in mind, the best place to get your new friend from is your local dog rescue centre. The staff there will be able to match you with a suitable dog for your lifestyle.

Exercise

Give your dog plenty of exercise. This means at least 20 minutes twice a day. Exercise is crucial for a dog as without it they are just prisoners in their own homes. Without exercise they will try to release their energy in any way they can and this usually means anti-social behaviour. Exercise is also an excellent bonding experience for you and your dog. Now 20 minutes twice a day is the minimum, but some breeds need more than others and many need to run as well, so make sure that you choose the breed carefully to make sure that you are physically able to give your dog the exercise that it needs.

Walking with your dog on a lead next to you is a bonding exercise and strengthens your relationship with them. Time off the lead in a park is also important for a dog. They need to have time to use their nose and be a dog and they need to be able to interact with other dogs freely.

There are also a number of activities which you can do with your dog, which will provide exercise and add an extra dimension. You may find local groups, which meet and provide activities for you and your dog such as agility, flyball, herding or swimming.

If you really don’t have the time or ability to exercise your dog you can always resort to a running machine. Dogs adapt to it quickly and it’s obviously better than nothing.

Just to conclude, you will find that a dog that gets no exercise will be frustrated and that frustration will invariably express itself in bad behaviour as the dog seeks an outlet for that frustration. And to be honest, you can’t blame the dog.

Feeding

If you walk through any large pet store you will be overwhelmed by the number of brands of dog food and by the different types available. So how do you choose the best for your dog?

Well this may help you. We have always fed our dog Eukanuba dry kibble because it seems to have the highest percentage of protein from meat sources. Occasionally we may give him a few scraps of our food if there is any is left over, but we have found through experience that although our dog prefers to eat human food or tinned or sachet food, it causes more grief than it’s worth because these foods seem to give our dog an upset stomach on a frequent basis. The kibble never seems to cause a problem. We have tried many foods and that is what we have concluded through experience. It is also the cheapest food style and the most convenient. Our dogs have always eaten it and they never seem to get problems from it. Also, if you read the ingredients, it has a far higher mineral content than even human food! I said before that I hate to admit that we feed our dog kibble, because it is obviously an unnatural diet for a dog to eat, but there are many people who advocate giving your dog raw meat and vegetables and I think that they are probably right. We however have submitted to the convenience of kibble - it is cheap, stores well and is highly nutritious.

Supplementation

In addition to the kibble we give our dog a cod liver oil capsule. He loves it. He chews it until it bursts as he obviously enjoys the flavour of the oil. It is very good for his joints (although not so good for his breath!!) and has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the heart and the skin. Our dog is a Westie and as such is prone to skin conditions, (as are many other breeds) so cod liver oil is a great supplement for him.

Over the years we have also given our dogs human vitamin and mineral supplements and anti-oxidants. Recently our vet advised us that our dog would benefit from being given a glucosamine supplement as he is getting older and it has been shown to be very beneficial in the treatment of and prevention of arthritis. This comes in the form of a massive tablet, but it is chewable and Toby enjoys it as a treat.

Treats

We learned the hard way that you have to be careful with treats. Firstly, most are high in calories so you have to bear in mind your dog’s weight. Secondly, they are full of additives and colourings and there are obviously many problems associated with that. Westies are prone to skin conditions and we believe that the additives in the treats we gave our first dog Millie were causing her to itch, in fact she started to pull the fur out of her tail causing it to bleed. So we stopped giving all manufactured treats and instead she got a pig’s ear once a day which she loved. They are 100% natural and much lower in calories than all the manufactured dog treats. They also have the advantage of taking a little while to eat. Treats like Markies can be gulped down in one bite so I really like the fact that a pig’s ear keeps a dog occupied for a good 15 minutes. Our dog loves them - he gets one at about 3pm every day and so he sits in front of the cupboard from about 2:30 waiting for it!

As one last observation, I want to tie dog nutrition to successful dog training. If your dog is well nourished, it will have a knock on effect with respect to dog training. Optimum nutrition means that your dog will be more alert and lively. He will also be able to concentrate longer and that will benefit the training process.

Happiness

Dogs who are aggressive or display obsessive or anti-social behaviours, can be a nightmare to be around. Dogs who are happy and contented display none of those characteristics. Everyone who comes into contact with them gets a positive experience. So the questions are, “how do we stop the problem traits?” and “how do we make sure that our dogs are happy?” Well there are two trains of thought, and I will now discuss them both.

Firstly what is known as conventional training. If you use conventional dog training techniques such as using treats to bribe a behaviour or clicker training you can, for example, teach a dog to sit on a voice or hand command, shake hands and basically to perform tricks. Now I think that there is definitely a place for this type of training and I know that some of you will be thinking that I am going to say that the correct place for teaching your dog to roll over is the bin, but I am not. I think that spending time every day teaching “tricks” to your dog is time well spent. It gives a great bonding experience and gives the dog something to do rather than just sleep or cause trouble. However I don’t think that this type of training makes any dog happy. It can be seen that even obedience champions have behavioural issues. It doesn’t make a dog calm and well balanced because these are not natural dog behaviours and really the training methods do not use, if you like, the dogs own language. However this does have its place and will certainly result in benefits both for you and your dog.

Secondly, become the pack leader. I am convinced that all we have to do is become the pack leader and that will automatically cause our dogs to relax as dogs are pack animals. Almost every dog wants, by nature, to be a follower. In any pack there can only be one leader therefore almost all dogs are born with a natural tendency to be a follower. Even the few dominant dogs that would like to be pack leader, if they are faced with a stronger more powerful dog, will quite happily follow them. For example, when I take my dog to the park, he follows me around the park. I don’t need to keep him on a lead he just follows. Now sometimes he finds a scent that is interesting to him and he can sniff it for ages and sometimes he meets another dog that he gets on with and so because he is distracted, I have walked a long way from him. However, when I call him he stops what he is doing and runs after me to catch up - this is natural and normal dog behaviour.

I have never hit him or even raised an arm towards him. I have never used a rolled up newspaper. I have never given him a treat to bribe him to come. He comes because he is a pack animal and when the pack leader calls the pack reforms. It is so obvious when you watch him that this is true. I have to say that Toby is a delight to be with in the park, and I look forward to going there nearly as much as he does. If you would like to see a photo of him, and I can tell you that he is worth looking at, there is a photo on my blog http://dogtrainingtheeasyway.com.

At home when someone comes to the door he barks, but when I go to the door he will lay down behind me. When a stranger comes into the house he greets them in a calm and relaxed way, he never jumps up at people. When we leave the house he is absolutely brilliant. He never pulls because he is happy to be behind me. I don’t tell you that because I am bragging, I tell you that because I want you to know that if you are the pack leader you will see many benefits, including a happy dog. Most dogs that you see in the street are taking their owners for a walk. How can anybody enjoy that experience? Here is a tip, make sure that your dog is calm before you put the lead on him and again before you leave the house. Never allow your dog to go through a doorway before you. The first person through the door leads the rest. I am convinced that to have a happy and peaceful relationship with your dog is easy - all you have to do is be the pack leader and I think that the reason for that happiness is that to become pack leader you have to speak to your dog in the language that he understands and when you speak to someone in his or her own language you get respect.

In summary, if you want to have a pleasant and positive experience with your dog, just make sure that your dog has plenty of exercise and that you are the pack leader and of course lots of love. Be consistent and your dog will reward you for it. Certainly spend time on training your dog, but remember that dog training is for bonding but becoming pack leader is for happiness.

Dog aggression

When we rescued our first dog, a beautiful Westie bitch called Millie (see her picture at http://dogtrainingtheeasyway.com), she was very dog aggressive and so we employed a dog psychologist to help us sort out the problem. She told us that this is the most difficult problem to sort out and that the only way to solve the problem is to find someone who has a very good, calm dog and walk Millie on the other side of the road to them until she had got it out of her system and then to slowly bring them together until they could walk next to each other and then repeat with another dog. This is conventional dog training thinking and I now know from experience, that it does not work. I really wasted loads of money on a psychologist and I know that it is easy to say things with hindsight, but Millie was never happy when we went out. She was always tense and I, at the time, didn’t know enough to make a difference. It just goes to prove the pack leader theory, because if I had known then what I know now, I would have made myself pack leader, and it would have been my responsibility to say who is allowed into the pack as a pack member and Millie would have accepted and been calm around other dogs. I have proved this with our current dog Toby (see his picture at http://dogtrainingtheeasyway.com and then click rescue). So to stop dog aggression, all you have to do is become pack leader and then explain to your dog in a language that he or she understands that that behaviour is unacceptable.

Just to conclude, I would like to mention dog training. Training your dog can be a rewarding experience for both you and your dog. Not only does it give you some control over your dog, but it also serves to create a bonding experience and should bring you and your dog closer together.

Julian Barterer