My Pet News

(SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL ARTICLES)

Training articles:

Helpful training tips for

coming when called

By Frances Goodman

Most dog owners would love for their pet to come quickly and happily when called.

In addition to obedience class, there are many things we humans can do and NOT DO around the house that will give puppies and dogs a head start toward this important response.

Here are some of them.

-- First and foremost! Never call your dog to you for anything negative, like discipline, or a pill. Instead, go and get the dog. (If you call a dog, and then something unpleasant happens, they will remember. Next time, they will think about it, and may not come near you!)

-- When you call your dog, first say their NAME in a happy voice! Give positive eye contact and tell them, “Come,” with enthusiasm! Remain standing, but lean toward the dog and wave her in toward you.

-- Here is a secret that many owners and even trainers overlook: Begin giving praise as soon as the dog starts moving toward you and keep it up. Cheer them in!

-- Upon arrival, give a treat or just lots of affection. Make it a happy occasion, so the dog is always glad it came when you called. (Only use treats randomly. Your praise and affection should be the major reward.)

-- Here’s one more exercise that can work wonders: Sometimes, call your dog to you for no reason at all, then take hold of the collar and hold him quietly in front of you for about five seconds of petting and sweet talk. Then tell him “okay” and let him go back to the previous activity. That not only makes coming to you a happy event, it also shows that coming when called does not mean confinement or the end of the fun.

These little tips are reinforcements that can help your dog always be glad to respond to you.

The Art of

Walking your Dog

By Frances Goodman

WOULD YOU LIKE to make going for walks a more positive experience for both you and your dog?

If so, there is a wrong way and a right way to go about it.

We all have seen the wrong way--the dog is walking the human! That's no fun for the human. Sometimes the human is pulling the dog along, with no time to sniff and explore. That's no fun for the dog!

The right way teaches the dog that you are the leader, and results in a closer bond. It includes lots of togetherness and fun for both dog and human.

The right way is referred to as "leadership leash-walking." It is NOT the same as the heel command. "Heel" is a formal obedience command. What we are talking about here is your basic daily fun walk. The dog gets to sniff, trail mark and generally have fun—but UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.

Techniques For

Leadership Leash-Walking:

--DO NOT WAIT to see where the dog wants to go. Instead, step out briskly with a destination in mind. Encourage him to come along with you. Pat your leg. Be animated. Walk as if you really are the leader!

--TALK TO YOUR DOG. Talking helps the dog keep its attention on you, which is how it should be. Carry on a conversation. Say the dog’s name and then something friendly or affectionate. Sing or recite poetry. But keep the verbal communication going. Help him remember "We’re out here together."

--ALLOW FIVE-SECOND trail stops. Let your dog sniff, mark and explore. These are major pleasure in a dog’s life. But only allow five seconds for each stop. Then give a happy "Okay, let’s go!" and BRISKLY move on. If he stalls, use animation and a series of light tugs to get him moving with you.

--CHANGE DIRECTIONS at unexpected times or places. This does not mean jerk the dog with a surprise turn, as some trainers taught in the past. Instead, pat your leg and get the dog’s attention with "Let’s go this way!" and make your turn. Use light tugs if necessary. Help the dog learn to pay attention to you, and follow along.

--ALWAYS TAKE A FEW TREATS. Carry them in an upper pocket or fanny pack. At SURPRISE TIMES, call your dog to you: "Rover, Come!" Give a treat, and then continue walking. This not only helps the dog keep his attention on you, it can improve a dog’s willingness to come when called.

It is important for dogs to know who is in charge. In the "pack," there is always a leader. Dogs are very comfortable with that arrangement.

Ultimately, doing obedience training and teaching the dog to walk at "heel" is the best leadership lesson, and can prove to be valuable in many situations. But even the best-trained dog still needs to have old-fashioned fun walks, in which they get to sniff and explore.

Follow these leadership techniques during fun walks to make leash walking a more positive experience for both of you.

Previous article:

Dealing with a

Shy or Fearful Dog
By Frances Goodman

DO YOU HAVE a shy or fearful dog?

Without meaning to, many humans actually encourage the fearful behavior they would like to prevent.

Picture this: “Jack,” a lab-mix adopted from the shelter, strolls down the sidewalk with his guardian, Kimberly. Everything is fine until...ANOTHER HUMAN APPROACHES!

With a fearful expression, Jack winds the leash behind Kimberly, and cowers or tries to run away.

Feeling terribly sorry for her pet, Kimberly repeatedly strokes his shoulder, “It’s okay, Jack, you’re okay, you’re okay.” Finally the person passes by and both Jack and Kimberly are relieved.

Two things were wrong in that scenario: First, by reacting in a worried way, Kimberly was broadcasting concern and Jack was picking up her emotions, which seemed to validate his own. Secondly, by stroking and comforting him, she was actually rewarding him for the behavior. When he showed fear, he literally received “good strokes” from her.

The better approach would be to give no acknowledgment of the behavior, and simply stand there calmly with Jack as the perceived threat approaches and then passes. For an obedience-trained dog, the STAY command can be given.

With repetition, this scenario should help him realize the perceived threat did not hurt him. A matter-of-fact attitude on the human’s part and the absence of petting or soothing can help a dog work though the fear of normal, everyday events.

Pet Questions

Q How can I stop my cat from scratching on the furniture? She won’t use her scratching post. Thanks,

M. M.

Dear M. M.

Scratching is hard to stop or even reduce, because it is an inborn feline behavior, just like self-grooming, or burying waste.

Perhaps you do not have the right kind of scratching post. What kind is the right kind? You can find out by observation:

Does your cat prefer to scratch on carpets, drapes, wood, or some other surface? If she likes to scratch on carpets, a carpet-covered post would be a good choice. But if she prefers couches and other nubby surfaces, a post covered in sisal or some other rope-like material might be best.

Is the scratching done vertically, with paws stretched out above her head, or does she prefer horizontal surfaces?

A cat that climbs and scratches on drapes would probably prefer a post tall enough for a long stretch.

However, one that likes the horizontal motion of scratching might be more likely to use a cat gym with horizontal scratching areas. Or even something as simple as a rough cedar 4 x 4 strung through concrete blocks.

Some owners get creative and build their own scratching posts and kitty activity centers. Whether you buy or build one, it must be stable enough not to topple when your cat uses it. And should be made with untreated wood, not the treated kind which contains arsenic.

Place the post next to an area your cat likes to scratch. It can gradually be moved to a location of your choice as your cat gets in the habit of using it. If your cat scratches in several locations, provide a post near each of these.

Best wishes!

Q. Why does my cat come and sit right on the pages of the book I am trying to read or the papers I am working on? Is there anything I can do to stop her? Signed I. M.

Dear I. M:

Many cats will get in the line of vision of anything they see their human staring at. (They don’t understand reading, so they think you’re staring.)

In cat body language, staring means there’s something really interesting there. (Cats stare at their prey before pouncing, and at something they want badly.)

Here is what Jeanette Craighead George, author of How to Talk to Your Animals, says about it:

“Unbeknownst to many, people are talking to their cat when they read or write. By staring at a book or letter for a long time, we are announcing to the cat that we have something very interesting lined up. To a cat’s way of thinking, we are inviting it to come and sit upon this fascinating ‘place’ within its rightful environment. The cat obliges and sits down, only to be confused when it is picked up and dropped to the floor.”

Ms. George suggests distracting the cat from “your” fascinating place by putting a number of empty paper bags on the floor. Since most cats love to explore the paper “caves,” you may get some time to focus.

If that doesn’t work, you may have to remove her to another room. Then be sure to make it up to her with some extra time and attention when you are finished.