When to Say Goodbye

#AlphaDogTraining #Dogtrainingsaltlakecity How Do You Decide that Today is the Day to Put Your Best Friend to Sleep? Published by Alpha Dog Training www.https://alpha-dog-training-slc.com The recent death of a friend's 13-year-old German Shepherd again reminded me of January 5th, 1998 (the worst day of my life to date). I was forced to make the hardest decision I have ever been faced with and that was to put my best friend (Nickie) to sleep. This was something I had put off for months. Going through the process to make this decision for an old or sick dog is a long and painful experience. Mine went something like this: • Boy he's not looking too good today. • The steroids really made him act like he did 3 or 4 months ago; this is great! • He is not able to hold his bladder (because of the steroids). This is hard for him. He knows he shouldn't be having accidents in the house. It embarrasses him. He is so proud. • The heck with the steroids. They are fixing one problem but causing him too many other problems. It's not worth it (for him.) • Now he can't walk up stairs again. • God he's getting worse again. I know I am going to have to make the decision. I can't even think about it! • I don't mind picking him up and carrying him down the steps to the front yard so he can relieve himself. I have to steady him. His old legs are a little wobbly. • "How do I know what day is going to be THE DAY"? Look at the way he looks at me. Do I wake up one morning and decide, "today is the day I am going to be a cold hearted S.O.B. and call the vet"? No. I don't mind carrying him outside. It's not so hard and I really don't mind cleaning up after him in the house, it's not like he meant to do it. • God, he fell down the steps again. That really hurt him. He still has the heart but the body is gone. • Am I keeping him alive for myself or for him? • Shit, he can't even get up this morning. He was forced to lie in a pool of urine all night because he couldn't move. Today is the day. Thank God my vet will come to the house. • The vet is here and I don't have the guts to watch this. I give him one last hug. I have to leave the house crying like a baby. Thank God for my ex-wife. She held him until the end. Every now and then when things slow down I find myself thinking of our times together. It almost always brings a lump to my throat and quite often a tear to my eye. We sure had some good times. I t's been 11 months and 6 days. As I wrote this, I started to cry again. I can't help it. Who cares? Not me! I still miss him and think about him every day when I look at his pictures in my bedroom.

The answer to the question of "When is the right day?" should always be when you ask "Am I keeping him alive for me and not for him?"

How to Break Up a Dog Fight Without Getting Hurt

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity How to Break Up a Dog Fight Without Getting Hurt Published by Alpha Dog Training https://www.alpha-dog-training-slc.com Breaking up a dog fight can go bad in a heartbeat. This is serious business. So, know your limitations and don't get into the middle of something you can't physically deal with. This past week I had an incident at my kennel that reminds me how important it is for everyone who works with dogs or owns dogs to know how to break up a dogfight without getting hurt. I will start with a warning. Unless you have a lot of experience do not try and break up a dog fight by yourself. Never step in the middle of two loving pets and try and grab them by the collar to stop a dog fight. If you try this, the chances of you being badly bitten are extremely high. People don't understand that 2 animals in the middle of a fight are in survival drive. If they see you at all, they don't look at you as their loving owner. When you charge in and grab them, they either react out of a fight reflex and bite, or they see you as another aggressor. When they are in fight or flight mode, they will bite you. You can take that to the bank. The Safest Option Requires Two People The safest way to break up a dogfight requires two people. Each person grabs the back feet of one of the dogs. The dog's back feet are then picked up like a wheelbarrow. With the legs up, both dogs are then pulled apart. What To Do If You Are Alone The worst case scenario is that you are alone when a serious fight breaks out. There are a couple things that you must keep in mind: 1. Keep your cool you have a job to do. 2. Do not waste time screaming at the dogs. It hardly ever works. 3. Your goal is still the same; you must break up the fight without getting hurt. 4. Go get a leash (allow the fight to continue while you do this). 5. Dogs are almost always locked onto one another. Walk up and loop the leash around the back loin of the dog by either threading the leash through the handle or use the clip. I prefer the thread method. 6. Now slowly back away and drag the dog to a fence or to an object that you can tie the leash to. By doing this, you effectively create an anchor for one of the dogs. 7. Then walk around and grab the back legs of the second dog and drag it away from the dog that is tied up. 8. Remember to turn and circle as they release. 9. Drag the dog into a dog pen or another room before you release the back legs. 10. Go back and take the dog off the fence and put him or her into a dog kennel. 11. Sit down and have a stiff drink (or two). Living with Two or More Dogs If you have 2 or more dogs that you are trying to get to live together, it's best to make them wear muzzles all the time. They are not expensive but very effective for this work. With muzzles on, you can test your training and if the dogs become aggressive, you can safely step in and correct the dogs. It's important to make sure the muzzles are properly fit and on securely. It's also a good idea to have the dogs wear 18-inch draglines.

Some Things to Keep in Mind Remember that females usually fight with females and males usually fight with males. It's seldom that a male and female will fight. When a male fights with a female, it is usually a very dominant male who is displaying his dominance over the female and she wants nothing to do with it. This usually is going to happen with a dominant male who is very self-confident and thinks that he is the pack leader. The bottom line on dog fights is that unless you are trained, it is best to never step into the middle of them. In the worst case, let them fight. It may result in death or severe injury to one of the dogs, but it's not worth the damage it could cause to you if you make a mistake trying to end the fight.

Dealing With the Dominant Dog

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity Dealing With the Dominant Dog Published by Alpha Dog Training https://alpha-dog-training-slc.com One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is failing to recognize signs, signals, or warnings that dogs offer before they bite. Pet owners don't understand how strong pack instinct is in their family dog. This lack of understanding is what gets them into trouble. Dogs, by nature, are social animals. Their instinct makes them want to be part of a social group. This is the same for horses, chickens, and many other species. Each social group is a hierarchy of members. There is a saying in the dog world that there are no equals within a group of dogs. Every social group will have its own pecking order. Lower-ranking members always defer to higher-ranking members. If the group doesn't have a clear leader, one member will always step forward to become the leader even if it's not genetically predisposed to leadership. What's interesting is that many times, a dog that finds itself at the top of the social group doesn't feel comfortable in that position. Rank is almost always communicated through subtle behaviors that each member of the pack understands and respects. Over time leaders will always establish their own set of rules that all members of the pack are expected to live by. There are well-understood consequences for breaking rules. Dog owners can and must learn to become leaders even if they are not predisposed to leadership. They need to think about establishing their own set of rules that their dog is expected to live by. These rules can be no biting the leader, no inappropriate aggression to visitors, no jumping up on people, stay away from small children, etc. Owners must also learn to be 100% consistent in enforcing those rules. When a dog believes that every single time it breaks a rule there will be some form of consequence, that dog is less likely to break a rule. Once that threshold is reached (where the dog accepts and lives within the framework of the leader's rules), that dog becomes an easy dog to live with.

For that to happen, dog owners and their dogs must come to an understanding that every single time the dog breaks a rule, there will be some form of consequence. This doesn't necessarily mean the dog gets a strong physical correction every time. Some dogs, with soft temperaments, may only need a verbal warning while other dogs need a leash correction for the same infraction. Learning to evaluate temperaments falls under the category of "the art of dog training". Just as important, owners must be consistent. They can't pick and choose when to apply a consequence. If they do this, they end up with a dog that will pick and choose when to obey a rule. Inconsistency always leads to some level of behavioral issues.

Dog Growls and Your Baby

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity Dog Growls and Babies Published by Alpha Dog Training https://alpha-dog-training-slc.com One of the scariest moments a new parent can experience is their beloved family dog growling at their baby. It can trigger feelings of anxiety, stress, and thoughts of having to rehome the dog. You may already be having these thoughts and feel guilty about it. First thing's first, your dog needs your help. Growling is a form of communication for dogs. Different types can tell you what your dog is feeling and how to help. The fact that your dog is trying to communicate its needs before taking action should be reassuring. 3 Different Types of Growls Let's talk about a few different types of growls and how to differentiate them. 1. Play Growl If you've ever watched your dog play with other dogs, you've probably already heard a play growl. This type of growl takes place in a playful state of mind, usually during the roughhousing and mock-fighting that makes up a dogs typical play behavior.

However, even though this means your dog is not being aggressive toward your baby, we still don't want your dog to see them as a littermate or playmate. The type of play dogs engage in with each other can contain behaviors such as nipping, mouthing, and physical contact that isn't safe or appropriate for human play, particularly children. If your dog is play-growling while playing with your child, the best course of action is to monitor and rein in the play before it gets too rowdy. Keep interactions calm and positive, and choose interactive activities such as playing fetch instead of physical play. 2. Warning Growl This is where we get into more serious growls. Generally, the two states of mind associated with threatening growls are defensiveness and aggression. Importantly, a warning growl when a dog feels threatened can easily escalate into a nip if ignored. Personal space and resources are common boundaries that dogs can feel threatened over. Don't let your child harass or annoy your dog, even if it seems tolerant at first. Like people, dogs have thresholds, and an accumulation of stressors can cause them to resort to defensive behavior to enforce their boundaries. We don't want our dogs to feel they can correct our children; however, this means we have to step up and take that responsibility ourselves. 3. Controlling Growl The issue arises when we have a dog growling in a controlling manner. This is not a dog that feels defensive or helpless or has had thresholds pushed. It is a dog who genuinely wishes to control the child within the environment and is confident in its ability to win an ensuing battle if necessary. Make no mistake; this is a serious situation that requires immediate intervention. Creating a Safe Training Plan Separating your child and dog until a training plan is implemented is the first step toward success. Your dog needs help understanding new coping behaviors and household management.

Dog Aggressive Dogs

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity Dog Aggressive Dogs Published by Alpha Dog Training https://alpha-dog-training-slc.com One of the most common problems that dog owners email us about is unwanted dog aggression. There are many reasons for dogs being aggressive to other dogs, cats, or other animals. To begin to understand the solution to dog aggression one must first understand what triggers the aggression. There are 20 to 30 categories of dog aggression. One of the more common reasons a dog becomes dog aggressive is because that dog has been attacked by another dog. Pet owners need to understand that once their dog has been attacked or even scared by another dog that pet dog will be dog aggressive its entire life. This only needs to happen one time to become a lifelong problem. I compare this to anyone who has ever been robbed or mugged. This has a lifelong effect on how that person perceives the world. Pet owners always need to be aware of their dog's personal safety. They should never allow their puppies to be around strange dogs. To do so is the same as playing Russian roulette with their dog's mental stability. If their puppy is attacked, they will then own a dog aggressive dog. The same goes for pet owners who take their dogs to dog parks. There is no way of knowing if one of the dogs in that park has dominance or aggression issues. If there is a dog aggressive dog at the park and it attacks your dog - you now have a dog aggressive dog because one dog attack is all it takes to change a happy-go-lucky dog to a dog aggressive dog.

Being a Pack Leader to Your New Puppy

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity Being a Pack Leader to Your New Puppy Published by Alpha Dog Training https://www.alpha-dog-training-slc.com When people bring an 8-week old puppy home their first concerns are "what should I feed my puppy?" and "how do I stop it from peeing on the floor?" These are important and credible concerns, but equally important and often ignored, is the concept of how to establish yourself as your new pup's pack leader. Pack Structure Dogs are pack animals, just like wolves are pack animals. They are predators. Horses and cows on the other hand, are herd animals. Being herd animals also makes them prey (food) for predators. The Beginning of Pack Structure When a puppy is raised with litter-mates they begin to establish their family pack at about 4 ½ weeks of age. They start by playing with one another. They bite and push each other around. Those pups that bite the hardest and push the most become the higher ranking pack members of the litter. What is a pack leader? When people get puppies they need to establish themselves as the new pack leader. To do this correctly they should first understand exactly what a pack leader is. Pack leaders are aloof, they are calm, and they are self confident. A pack leader is fair in how he lives with pack members. While the pack leader is a dictator, he is a fair dictator who enforces a well defined set of rules that members know, understand and are expected to live by. Where does it start? When a puppy comes to your home its only experience in life has been with its mother and littermates. It sees that things have changed, but it has no reason to believe that how it interacts with a family pack has changed. It has played with littermates by biting and chasing, so that's how it thinks it should continue to interact within a family pack. Establishing the Tether When we bring a pup home we always use a dog crate. Those who don't use a crate are making a mistake. Those who won't use a crate should just quit reading because they are wasting their time to read further. Our first goal is to reduce the possibility of house training mistakes and to teach the pup that being wild in the house is not going to happen. Controlling the Wild Puppy When people get puppies with a lot of prey drive they are often at a loss as to what to do to control the little alligator they now live with. The simple answer is to redirect the puppy into a toy. As I explained earlier, puppies play by using their mouth. They see littermates as prey objects. When they come into your home and start chewing on you, they see you as a prey item. Your job is to teach them that toys are now prey items and not your hands, arms and legs. Doors and Gates Going through doors, going through gates, and coming down stairs first are a huge things in terms of rank for a dog. All dogs, puppies or adults, get excited when it's time to be let out or time to come back in the house. Without training they will all bolt out the door. This is not only annoying, it can be dangerous. Toys There is no question that people quickly fall in love with their puppies. Many buy their pets toys. I recently saw a reality TV show in which a women spent over $100 a week buying her dog new toys. Boy, do I wish I could send her a catalog... With this said, we don't leave toys lying around our home. We take the approach that the dog does not own any toys. The toys are our toys and we allow the pup to play with "OUR TOYS." But we always take the toys away when the play time is finished. T aking the Toy Away from the Puppy After play, when it comes time to take the toy away, we say "OUT" (any word will do as long as we are consistent and stick with the same word) and offer to trade the pup a really good treat for the toy. We simply let them smell the treat and when they spit out the toy they get the food. If we want the game to end, we do a slight of hand to get the toy out of the picture and make it disappear. We don't tease them with the toy once we take it away. That's poor leadership and is counter productive to a good bond. Other Dogs and Puppies I have written extensively about the fact that we never allow our puppies to be around other dogs or puppies. If we are raising two pups at the same time we never allow them to play together. We want our pups to look at us as their source of fun and excitement and not another dog. I get emails all the time from people who have serious behavioral problems because they mistakenly bought two pups which are now 12 to 24 months old. These dogs are now anti-social and are more difficult to train. Many have aggression problems. If we are out for a walk and are approached by another person walking their dog, we NEVER allow the other dog to come up and smell or greet our puppy. I cannot stress this enough.

Is it OK for Your Dog to Be in Your Bed?

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity Is it OK for Your Dog to Be in Your Bed? Published by Alpha Dog Training https://alpha-dog-training-slc.com Is it OK for Your Dog to Be in Your Bed? Having your dog on your bed is not in and of itself a mistake. The whole "it makes them equal to us in their eyes" is old thinking and not part of our current understanding of dog training. Anyone who is still passing you information like this has not updated their thinking in a while! We no longer need to worry about ranking or "alpha" or "omega" when living with and training our dogs. All we need to do is train for the behaviors we want. Not only can't we control what is in the dogs mind, we can never know it. How do you even know what alpha is, anyway? Does getting off say, "I defer to you and I am omega here, giving you the bed," or does it say "I am alpha here and choose to let you have the bed to yourself, for I am magnanimous." You never, I repeat, never know what is in a dog's mind and we shouldn't include our suppositions about it in our training program. Train for the behaviors you want, help your dog overcome her fears, bond with her and help her understand you are benevolent and will give her structure, and stop worrying about status, rank, dominance, submission (in fact, I will go so far as to say you can banish them from your vocabulary) and read as much of the *current* and *positive* literature on dog training as you can!