The Naughty Dog

Retractable Leashes – Are They Dangerous?

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 22:04:09 +0000

I almost killed their dog…

It was a sunny almost spring day and I was on my way to a lesson. My clients live in a newer development with nice wide sidewalks and beautifully landscaped front yards. As I was driving down the main road of the development, I saw two well bundled ladies taking a morning stroll with their dogs. Picture perfect really…except…

I was driving the speed limit as I always do now in residential neighborhoods (have a few wild toddlers and suddenly you know why the limit is 25). But as I was driving closer to the pair, I saw the one dog looking intently at my car. I slowed a little bit more, but I continued to drive to my destination. And in that split second as I was almost about to pass, the little dog SHOT OFF of the sidewalk and into the road.

I knew it was going to happen. I could tell from the moment I saw the dog that it was one of “those” dogs. It was one of those dogs that LOVES to try to chase cars. He froze, he stared, he braced to explode into action in the second I went passed. What I didn’t know was what kind of owner he had. And it appears, he had one that has become all too common….A BLISSFULLY NAIVE owner with a love for retractable leashes. This wasn’t the dogs first time at this rodeo. He clearly had chased cars before. And yet, his owner continued to allow him to have lots of “freedom” with the beloved retractable leash.

I’m here to tell you…in most cases RETRACTABLE LEASHES SUCK!!!!!!

Had I have not been watching that day, I could have hit and killed her dog. Luckily, I was driving the speed limit and even slowed as I anticipated this event. I was paying attention, not distracted by anything at all in the car. And as I passed, I had moved my car to the other side of the street as I waited for the dog to come out. And…the critical part…I SAW SHE HAD A RETRACTABLE LEASH.

Retractable leashes aren’t really appropriate for most dogs. They shouldn’t be used for walks around the block. They shouldn’t be used for trips to the pet store. And they most definitely shouldn’t be used when going to the vet.

Why not?

Because they are dangerous for both the dog and the person.

They are dangerous for the dog because

You have almost no control over the dog with them
I’ve seen the latches break or not catch when you needed them to and in that heartbeat your dog is out and almost under my car
Your dog is 26 feet up into someone’s front yard before you realize their dog that is on an invisible fence…let’s hope their dog is friendly!

They are dangerous for humans because

It’s easy to see your leash failing and you try to pull them back by grabbing the cord. This can lead to finger amputations, rope burns or worse.
They can get wrapped around legs, arms and necks…not only yours, but other dogs and CHILDREN causing significant lacerations
Not every human wants a dog running up to them.

Do I use and own retractable leashes? Yes I do. I use them in a few different cases.

When visiting a friend without a fenced yard. I’ll use it to potty a dog.
Occasionally when hiking on remote trails.

If you do decide to use one, make sure your dog is well trained enough so that when it fails you are able to still keep your dog safe.

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Potty Training Your New Dog or Puppy-5 Common Mistakes

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 20:12:30 +0000

But we were JUST OUTSIDE and now he peed on the floor!

It’s January, and many of you are celebrating a new year with you new bundle of fur. And as things start to get back to normal and you get back to work and the kids get back to school you’ll soon be thinking, “WHAT HAVE I DONE!?!” That’s right. You’ll be questioning this new dog thing. Whether you chose to adopt a new puppy or adopt an adult dog, you’ll be asking the same questions–Will I ever sleep again? Will the stains come out? Will I need to replace my carpet? We were just outside!!!!!!! I’m here to tell you all of those questions are normal, but they don’t have to last. It’s not uncommon for people to call me after they’ve had the dog for 2, 3 or even 6 months and still they feel the dog isn’t as potty trained as they could be. Well I’m here to give you a few tips to get you rolling. And if you want help or better yet, a step by step plan to get potty training conquered asap, give me a call or shoot me an email now. We can have your dog letting you know they need to go out in no time at all! 5 Must Know Dog and Puppy Potty Training Tips 1. What goes in, must come out. Image with me for a minute that you and I are going on a car ride. At the start, I pull up to Chick Fil-A and order each of us a chicken sandwich, waffle fries and two large sweet teas (I mean they have the best tea and lemonade…Am I right??). We eat our meals and drink our drinks before I start driving and inform you we won’t be stopping for the next 4 to 8 hours. Basically if you don’t have a bladder of steel, I’m going to have wet seats, correct? Don’t set your puppy or dog up for failure by loading them up on food and water right before you leave and can’t let them out. They’ll thank you. 2. Supervise, Supervise, Supervise! If you can’t see them, they are peeing or getting in to trouble. 3. Who’s responsible anyway? I THOUGHT YOU WERE WATCHING HIM!?! Get clear on who IS and who IS NOT watching the dog. If it’s everyone’s responsibility…it’s no one’s responsibility. 4. Expecting too much. The general rule is a puppy can hold it for their age in months plus one. So a 3 month old puppy can hold it in their crate for 4 hours. But while out running around the house they might need to go out every 30 minutes or so. Be reasonable. They need to learn how to control their bladder, let you know they need to go out, wait for you to get them outside and not get distracted while doing their business. That’s a lot for a little puppy to learn or a dog that hasn’t been exposed to too much! 5. Consistent in equals consistent out. A lot of people like to try to free feed from the get go. This is tough as you never quite know then if they just ate or drank a ton and need to go out. Feeding puppies on a schedule 3 times a day in the beginning makes pottying much more predictable. Bonus Tip. If your dog or puppy is suffering from any sort of parasites or stress (new home anyone?) forgive them for a bit. Their bellies are all upset and need some time to get regular again. Finish up the medicine or give them some time to settle in and you’ll start to see a more regular potty schedule again.

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Kids and Dogs-I Wasn’t My Dog’s Advocate When She Needed Me

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 20:00:08 +0000

BUT WE’RE SUPPOSED TO SOCIALIZE OUR DOG WITH KIDS…RIGHT?

So yesterday, I shared some of the tips for being a DOG ADVOCATE. And on that list, was being cautious with the kids that interact with your dog or puppy.

But are all interactions created equally?

Years ago, I had a Great Dane puppy. She was by far, one of the best dogs ever. And she LOVED kids. She loved doing demonstrations at preschools, she loved reading with them, she loved visiting them…she was awesome with kids. And I look back and wonder why did she love them so much? Honestly, it was part of who was she was. She just loved all people and had always had great experiences with people. People regardless of the size meant attention, food, pets, and snuggles.

BUT…when I got my Bedlington Terrier, who is now over 12, I wasn’t the advocate she needed me to be. My now husband had young nieces and nephews that really wanted to see my new puppy. And me, not wanting to say no, said sure you can see and play with my new puppy.

The kids played with my puppy, walked my puppy, carried my puppy and I didn’t stop them when I should have. My puppy wasn’t screaming. She wasn’t crying or trying to get away, but she wasn’t happy. She didn’t enjoy their games. And despite seeing that she was less than thrilled, I allowed them to persist because she wasn’t trying to escape. I didn’t want to be rude and whisk my puppy away from the kids who clearly were having fun. She’d get over it right?

That decision, to let them continue to play with her, made her not trust fast moving children. This was a situation I could have completely avoided had I have been a better advocate for my dog.

What would I have done differently or rather, what would I do today?

1. Kept my puppy on a leash with me. I would have allowed them to pet her in a slow and welcome fashion for a minute and then had them move on.

2. Crated her. Having a dog that loves their crate gives them a safe space where ever you are. I could have removed her from that situation and put her in the crate to observe from a safe distance. This would have allowed her to take it all in without being bombarded by happy children.

3. Watched for signs she wasn’t having fun…especially the subtle ones. Wide mouthed panting, dilated pupils or even a stoic nature can all point to stress. If your dog doesn’t look happy, loose and like they are having a good time, then stop the play and get them out of there. And ideally, don’t let it happen to begin with.

4. Not take my puppy with me at all. Invite one or two calm children over to play fetch, ask for commands, or calmly pet my puppy. And then as my puppy grows more confident with children, allow more children to come and have controlled interactions.

Remember, simple exposure isn’t enough for socialization. Your dog needs to have small, positive, repeated exposures to something to make it a positive socialization experience for them.

BE THE ADVOCATE YOUR DOG NEEDS YOU TO BE.

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Are You a DOG ADVOCATE?

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 16:29:15 +0000

Dog advocates are rare in this world’s new PC culture. In this day and age all people think every dog should behave like a Golden Retriever when in fact, the dog world has so much diversity. But, I wish that there were more Dog Advocates out there that would stand up for their dog’s best interest and their dog’s uniqueness.

Dog advocates don’t put their dogs in compromising situations, dog advocates don’t allow things to happen to their dog because of someone else’s opinion and dog advocates are their dog’s champions.

WHAT DO I MEAN??

Dog advocates don’t repeatedly take their dog to the dog park where they are allowed to be bullied by other dogs. They instead look for small playgroups where their dogs can thrive.

Dog advocates don’t allow children to run up and pet their dog knowing it might scare their dog. Instead they choose to not put their dogs in that situation or are prepared to tell a child NO YOU MAY NOT PET MY DOG. The dog advocates goal is to allow the dog to have positive controlled experiences their dogs can handle such as inviting one neighborhood child over to toss a few treats.

Dog advocates don’t let every dog greet their dog on a walk. Instead they politely give space and say “have a great day” and keep moving.

Dog advocates know that experience is the best teacher. And a dog advocate looks for the best and most controlled experiences for their dogs to be exposed to again and again. Their dog builds relationships based on trust and understanding instead of learning how to respond to all of these unpredictable situations.

Because when any dog or person has to respond to a situation that is unpredictable over and over again, a situation they feel they can’t control, someone loses. And often it’s your dog that loses. They become fearful, they snap at children, they become reactive towards other dogs.

Often times I think…your dog didn’t have to be that way. The dog park ISN’T the positive socialization you were looking for. Letting all of the grandchildren wrestle with and chase the new puppy isn’t necessarily building a positive relationship and letting your dog greet a strange dog on the street might prove to be disasterous.

BE THE ADVOCATE YOUR DOG NEEDS YOU TO BE!

You’ll both be happy you did!

Let me know how you’re going to be your dog’s best advocate!

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Parades and Festivals for Socialization

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:22:22 +0000

Recently, I took my kids to a parade. What shocked me was the number of people that took their dogs to the parade. Dogs that clearly didn’t want to be there and due to the heat, shouldn’t have been there. I saw one person there with their dog in a thunder shirt. If your dog needs a thunder shirt to attend the parade, then your dog probably should be relaxing at home until you do a little more training. I also saw many dogs desperately looking for shade while their owners were oblivious to the fact that their dog’s feet were burning. And many dogs on flexi leashes that clothes lined people and one that jerked their leash free from their owner.

I know what the people thought. We’re going as a family to the parade and the dog would love to go and see friends and hang out. No one said, “I want to take my dog so they can lay on the extremely hot concrete, with the terrifyingly loud noises around us, with strange people coming and going and tripping on the dog.” I can guarantee, not one person said that. BUT…that’s exactly what happened.

For the most part, dogs and parades/festivals don’t mix. Dogs that do well in those situations have worked up to those situations over time. My husband asked if he should take his puppy for socialization…NO. I told him no because it’s too loud, too unpredictable and quite possibly the worst place you could take a dog for socialization. Socialization is about small, positive interactions repeatedly. This was a bombardment of the senses and most dogs aren’t prepared for that. We wanted to be close to the parade and for me, that was no place for my dogs…even the well trained ones due to heat and the unpredictable sounds.

Check out this little quiz to see if your dog is parade ready!

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Are YOU Making the Most of Your Vet Appointment?

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Tue, 30 May 2017 20:32:02 +0000

This morning Kindle and I visited the vet for her yearly exam and vaccines Well the day after the holiday was a hopping time at the vet clinic and there were lots of people, dogs and cats in the waiting room. What did that mean for us? TIME FOR TRAINING!

Every time you go to the vet, even if it’s just to pick up meds, use it as an opportunity to help your pet (cats can love the vet too!) enjoy the experience more. For us, I planned ahead and took a baggy full of Kindle’s treats. Since we had a morning appt we also skipped breakfast so she was extra eager for the delicious bag I took with her.

“Every time you go to the vet, even if it’s just to pick up meds, use it as an opportunity to help your pet enjoy the experience more.”

SOME THINGS TO DO AT THE VET:

1. Keep your dog on a leash and ideally LEAVE the RETRACTABLE LEASH AT HOME!

Retractable leashes aren’t for vet visits. Not all dogs appreciate having another dog zoom in and run right up to them. I use a 4 foot or 6 foot leash only at the vet.

2. Keep your dog out of other dog’s faces by using a short leash.

I typically stand on my dogs leash where the leash hits the floor (see picture of Kindle above). This makes it so that they have a limited area to explore and I can give all of the other patients (dogs and cats) the room they need to feel comfortable.

3. TAKE YUMMY TREATS.

Most vet offices have biscuits available, but take your dog’s favorite snacks. Freeze dried liver, Pupperoni, cheese sticks are a few that top the list for us.

4. Train in the office.

If your dog will take treats in the office this is a great place to feed for good behavior or have your dog do some of their favorite tricks. “Working” helps to keep their minds busy and keep them focused on having fun with you versus focusing on the other dogs. Kindle and I practiced her sits, downs and touches in the office. She also was rewarded for looking at other dogs and staying quiet.

5. Don’t let your dog stare down other dogs.

Staring is a challenging gesture between dogs. Keep your dog focused on you instead of allowing them to give every dog “the eye”.

6. Employ the staff to help make your dog’s experience a happy one.

If your dog loves people, ask if the staff wouldn’t mind tossing a treat or two and giving your dog a few pats.

7. Ask the vet to give your dog some treats and pats!

The vet doesn’t have to be a scary place. With a little time, preparation and thought on your part, your dog can learn to love and be relaxed at the vet in no time!

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How to Nip Nipping and Biting in the Bud!

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 03:25:02 +0000

My dog won’t stop biting! He bites my hands, my pants, my sleeves…HELP!!!

Biting is an extremely common puppy activity and can last until the puppy is 6 months old and beyond depending on when you choose to stop reinforcing it! Puppies usually nip to get attention and to try to get others to play with them. And I’ll tell you, nipping is an extremely effective attention getter! Nothing gets a human screaming quite like a nip with razor sharp puppy teeth! But with some proper responses on your part, paired with prevention and creativity, you can have this problem “nipped in the bud” in no time!

First let’s look at the problem from the dog’s perspective:

Puppy: I’m bored and I want my human to play with me…Oh look they are walking by RIGHT NOW! I’m going to grab their pants to get their attention.
Human: Shaking pant leg wildly squealing NO, NO, NO.
Puppy: I LOVE TUG GAMES let me see if I can get more of this pant leg in my mouth chomp chomp!!!! Oh look…here comes their hands to play tug!!!!!!
Human: NO, I said NOOOO!!!! LEAVE GO OF MY PANTS!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT MY SLEEVES!!!!
Puppy: Oh I love this game!! And clearly my human loves it!!! Look how much they’re playing!!!
Human: OWE!!!! NOW I’M BLEEDING!!! BAD DOG, BAD DOG!!!! To the crate!

Moral of the story…most puppies think they are playing with you and as you attempt to pry them from your clothes they just think you are playing even more. The key with this behavior is to teach your puppy what appropriate play looks like while preventing and discouraging inappropriate play.

Top 5 ways to stop biting and nipping NOW!

Exercise and Rest- Make sure your puppy has enough stimulation breaks (physical and mental) throughout the day and enough rest. Puppies like toddlers can benefit from regular activities as well as regular nap/quiet times. By having these stimulation breaks you’re teaching your puppy how to get attention in a positive fashion as well as giving them an outlet for their energy.
Physical Stimulation: Tug, brisk leashed walk around the yard, fetch, play with another dog, and the list can go on. Letting your dog out it the backyard alone is NOT necessarily enough physical stimulation. They want you to play with them.
Mental Stimulation: This can be more tiring than physical. Get 4 empty boxes and hide treats in it for them to find, give any sort of stuffed food toy like a Kong, buster cube, etc that the puppy can work for their food from, a quick clicker session teaching something fun (nose touch, give paw, ring a potty bell), quick session of puppy push ups (sit, down, sit, down, down, stand, etc).
Rest: If your puppy seems too wound up sometimes it’s because they’re tired. Place your puppy in their crate with something to chew on (frozen filled Kongs are a favorite) and let them relax for a bit.
Bitter Apple Deterant-If pant legs are your puppy’s favorite place to nip try a little Bitter Apple on the bottoms of your pants. I’ve found that most people aren’t always aware enough to stop this beforehand so this helps by giving the puppy a bad taste when they sample your pants. But don’t go over the time and coat your arms like one desperate owner did. Remember, you want your puppy to associate you with good things as much as possible!
Toy-Carry a toy in your pocket or clipped to your waistband. As your puppy approaches stick the toy in his mouth and only pet him when his mouth is occupied. A mouth that has a toy in it, is a mouth that can’t nip. If your puppy is running at you with “the look” in his eyes, you can also toss the toy to divert his attention and then start the petting when he picks it up.
Leash-If your puppy is doing “drive by nips” put your puppy on a leash. Allowing the puppy to rehearse the behavior, running up and nipping over and over again, is just reinforcing it. Put the puppy on a leash and assess if the puppy has had enough of #1 today (stimulation and rest). If no to either, time to get to work, if yes to both then start reinforcing # 3—you only get attention when your mouth is occupied.
Assess Situation-Assess if your puppy is doing this behavior at a particular time each day. Meaning does your puppy only nip during your favorite TV show? During dinner? When getting ready for bed? If so, prepare for this. Do short training sessions during commercial breaks and have appealing toys to give during the show. Or crate the puppy while you are occupied and periodically give treats while crated for quiet behavior. Remember a crated puppy is a safe puppy. They’re a puppy that isn’t chewing things they shouldn’t and you aren’t inadvertently reinforcing things you don’t want reinforced like nipping.

Reinforcing nipping is easy to do. If YOU THE OWNER are doing any of these things, stop NOW to stop reinforcing nipping.

Rough housing with the puppy to the point where they are nipping. Your play should be interspersed with relaxation. If not, and you’re winding your puppy up and they are going over the top again and again you are reinforcing that behavior.
Running from the puppy when they are nipping. Some puppies have a high chase response and it also provokes nipping. Running games with your puppy are fine unless it encourages the nipping. Make a plan to stop the nipping first then resume chase games.
Tugging your clothes, arms, legs, hair, etc from the puppy while giggling and laughing and then not planning on how you’ll stop it next time. This sequence just reinforces the nipping game with your puppy. So if your puppy is grabbing any of these things have a plan to stop it. That might mean your puppy has to drag a leash around the house and you step on it when they get close to you in the house or it might mean you carry a toy, but in any case you need a plan to no rehearse the bad behavior.

Personal story

Though I grew up with parents that raised Dalmatians, my very first dog, a Great Dane, was a HORRIBLE nipper. Now one might ask, “Can a Great Dane nip or would you just call that a bite?” Well let’s just say in either case, it’s not something you want going on for very long. She wasn’t into ankle biting (beneath her…literally!), but she was instead into hair, shirts and arms. She once grabbed the back of my shirt and ripped it off while we were in the yard…this left me standing there in my bra! She was doing one of her famous “drive by” nips. It was when she tried to nip my grandfather who was on blood thinners that enough was enough. I did a routine of putting the toy in her mouth and petting if she was being nippy, giving her Kongs to keep her busy if I wasn’t able to give her undivided attention and leash walking her outside to stop her from doing drive by nips. We were consistent and within a few weeks the nipping became nearly non-existent.

These methods will work. But it’s up to you to determine how you’re reinforcing nipping and interrupt that chain of behaviors and start implementing good behaviors.

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Chocolate Lab Puppies…DON’T TRUST THEM!

The Naughty Dog Trainer — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 16:33:59 +0000

Welcome! I’m so glad you decided to stop by to visit. I’ve been training dogs my entire life, but have been training dogs professionally since the late 90’s. In that time I’ve met many dogs both “Naughty” and “Nice”, but I thought I’d kick off my blog with a tale from a Naughty Dog. It was early in my training days and at that time I was holding group style classes. I wasn’t yet offering private lessons so I relied on owners telling me about how their dogs behaved at their homes. Charlie–Charlie was a young chocolate lab that was full of energy (imagine that, a lab full of energy!). He was on the large size for a lab, weighing in at over 60 lbs at just over 5 months old and his owners had never owned a dog before. This was their first class with him (FYI, when you are getting a dog that will be that big and rambunctious…START EARLIER). They were dedicated owners attending each class and slowly they began the process of “taming” Charlie. If I’d have met them now I’d recommend private lessons to get them on the fast track and then group classes afterwards. Charlie was smart and after their first class they asked if I felt Charlie was mature enough to be left loose in the house when they went to work. They were gushing at how much Charlie had changed since starting classes. My immediate answer was “NO!” I recommended he stay crated for his safety until he was at least a year old and then start trial periods of being left out. Them being new dog owners and me not having the insight to tell them a horrifying story of disaster (lesson LEARNED), they opted to give Charlie a try being loose. Instead of him being loose in the house though, they thought they’d start out with him being loose just in the bathroom. They set Charlie up with his bed, a toy and his water and left for their work day. And that’s when Charlie also got to work on his task that day…. When the owners got home that evening they found Charlie in the middle of their living room. Charlie had chewed through their EXPENSIVE rug and had started working on the wood floor. While they were gone Charlie took it upon himself to let himself out of the bathroom. Charlie wanted to be an overachiever though and was a bit unconventional. So instead of letting himself out through the door, Charlie chewed his way through the bathroom WALL! He ripped through drywall, through the insulation, thankfully through no wires and then popped out the other side!!!! He also decided to use the house as a restroom, but given the other destruction that occurred, this was a minor infraction! During our next class, the owners sheepishly told me about Charlie’s adventure. After his escapades, I’m not sure if Charlie ever did get to roam free while they were gone. I can’t blame them if he didn’t, because I certainly wouldn’t! And so the new owners learned, DON’T TRUST A RAMBUNCTIOUS LAB PUPPY loose in the house! And I learned, always back your “I wouldn’t do that’s” with a story of why not!

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