In short: yes.
Absolutely.
It can happen by happy accident or it can be part of a careful breeding program. When looking for a new family dog, seek out a dog who adores your children. A-D-O-R-E-S! Goes all ears-back, tail-waggy, melt-in-your-hands squiggly for them.
Please take this survey. It is simple and it is quick.
Please share it with friends.
The more "yes" answers you have, the more worried I am about your dog.
Please seek help immediately from a qualified dog professional if your dog shows any of these behaviors.
If he is an intact male, please neuter him! Yesterday, if not sooner.
Dogs don't fear praising people.
Obvious, right? But why is it true? Because dogs aren't hurt or overwhelmed when people are praising. Praise is a consistent, clear signal of "no harm coming your way" from the praising person.
Understand this and you can help dogs who are frightened or defensive get passed their past. By linking happy praise with situations where their history has taught them to be doubtful, you can change their tension into willingness to trust/try.
Years ago, a doggy friend told me: Training for advanced obedience is like trying to hold 20 corks under water at the same time.
She meant that with complicated training tasks when you focus on one area some other area will weaken or revert or, for the purposes here, bob to the surface.
You want your dog to change? Want to see big results in a few days? Try these 6 things:
Keep It Simple
Here we are at the end of this series. Now, where was I? Right, I had a calmer dog who was seeking some contact and was able to stand still. At that point I started to work with “Sit.” For this sort of dog, “The Simple Sit” is my favorite tool.
I am sitting in a chair in the middle of the classroom, observing this dog. He keeps moving - not touching me, not looking at me. This looks like the physical manifestation of doubt and worry to me; like this is the best idea he has at the moment. I want to give him a better one and I begin that process with wanting him to be calm to touch.
This dog moves around me as I sit quietly in the chair. I do not fidget or shuffle. I am talking as I teach, but if I were alone with him I would be silent. I’m observing him closely. He doesn’t so much as glance at me, his attention is everywhere else. I considered three of my options:
The handsome black-and-white rescue dog looks around the room as he trots within the range of his leash. His handler, calm and experienced, catches every good moment this dog gives to him, rewarding it well. While this creates a pause, within seconds the dog is moving again, disconnected again.
My feet slap the ground jarring my legs with each step but I do not slow. The frozen mud of winter’s waiting must be passing beneath me but I do not notice. It may have been a nice day out, there may be birds calling through the otherwise winter barren trees, who knows?
Not me.
Pip can be a patient dog. She has to be with the amount of time I can spend in cyberspace.
The huge puppy stood still. He looked at me; his inner wheels obviously turning. Slowly he sat, watching me carefully. As his rear lowered I grinned, as his rear touched the floor a stream of warm praise surged out, then I reached for the treat I knew he loved. Stroking him as I delivered a goodie, we lingered in that happy moment, then I stepped away.
Yet another dog plummeted off a cliff in the UK this week. He lived. And that’s the news part of it since most of them don’t. And the UK isn’t the only place that happens. The sign here is from the US.
Here is a simple rule: Don't bet your dog’s life on your verbal control alone.
An easy, effective and fun game to play that can turn a dog's "oh no" into "Oh Good!". One of my favorite games for dogs who are fearful of sounds and objects.
by Sarah Wilson
Recently, I encountered four situations when I picked up the small dog I had with me. I thought sharing my reasons might be helpful, so here are the events and my thoughts:
1) Narrow Trail with Steep Drop Offs + Young Puppy + Family of Five on their Bikes
Human beings want to see our loved ones feeling loved; and, according to Relational Theory, this is especially true for women.
With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
HoHoHo can turn into
Seemingly ever popular, these tools are by far the most dangerous dog tool I know. After more than 25 years as a dog-care professional, I know multiple dogs who have died and multiple people who have ended up in the ER while using this sort of leash.
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