Dog Basics

You will be able to train your dog and solve most problems if you understand some basic truths about dogs.

Dogs learn by association.

If you feed and play with your fearful dog when a stranger approaches, he will start to associate seeing a stranger with good things happening.  If you put treats between your dog’s paws when he goes “DOWN,” your dog will learn to like the “down” position.  If you let your dog nibble treats from your hand when he walks next to you, he will learn to like staying with you on walks.  You will be able to phase out the treats, but the associations will remain. 

Dogs have to figure out what you want them to do.

Imagine you’re in a foreign country and you don’t know the culture or language.  That’s your dog’s world!  Remember that your dog, like any foreigner, has to constantly interpret what’s going on around him. So, your family has to decide, from the beginning, which rooms your dog will be allowed in, whether he can get on the sofa, and what words to use for training cues. If you’re consistent, it will be much easier for your dog to understand what you want.  And when you teach a new skill or behavior, use rewards as a way to tell your dog that he has just done the right thing. Sometimes, when your dog “misbehaves” or “doesn’t listen”, all it means is that he doesn’t yet understand what you want.

Your dog learns by watching you.

Your dog is a master of details.  He knows whether you're going to work, to the gym, or staying home by which shoes you put on. So, when you teach a training cue, recognize that your dog learns first from your physical cues.  Don’t use words until your dog is doing the act that you’re asking for. If you introduce the verbal cue too soon, your dog will just look at you.  He doesn’t know the difference between the words “sit” and “banana”.  So, don’t confuse him with words until he’s ready.  Keep in mind, too, that your dog learns in context.  So, if he can sit in the living room, he may not understand that he should also sit in the kitchen, or upstairs, or outside.  Practice in various locations to help him make the connection.

Management allows your dog to be right.

Management includes things like crating your dog to avoid accidents or destructive behavior; using a baby gate to separate your dog from visiting children; putting your shoes away, so they can’t be chewed; or attaching your puppy to yourself, so you can closely supervise his behavior.  Too often, management is ignored. The dog is then blamed for misbehaving, and sometimes even given up to the shelter, when the dog owner could have prevented the problem in the first place.  Please don’t ignore this important tool!

Dogs repeat behaviors that get them what they want.

We like to think that dogs want to please us, but it’s more likely they learn to get what they want by doing what we want. Your dog wants food, toys, playtime, access to the outside, walks and attention.  He knows that you control these things, but he isn’t sure how to get them.  Finally, he figures out that if he does a certain thing in response to a training cue, he gets a treat.  Or if he pees outside, he gets attention. Dogs are good at watching our every move to see what it means for them.  That’s why positive reinforcement training works: Dogs will work for rewards, whether it’s food, a favorite toy, playtime with you, or an opened door.

We try to change behavior that is normal to dogs. 

Your dog naturally chews, jumps, barks, urinates, and defends himself when he feels threatened.  These are the exact habits that we don’t like.  Imagine that we weren’t allowed to do something natural to us, like using our hands.  That wouldn’t make any sense to us, and we would need help learning another way. That is your job with your dog.  First, you should try to prevent your dog’s unwanted behavior by managing his environment. Use a crate, a baby gate, or tie your puppy to yourself.  If, however, your dog does something natural to him but inappropriate to you, interrupt that behavior verbally (not by yanking him), and teach him an alternative that will be rewarded.  He can urinate outside, not inside, and he can chew on the chew toy, not the furniture.

Dogs and humans communicate differently.

Despite our best intentions, many of our actions stress our dogs. You should avoid approaching your dog head-on, leaning over him, reaching over to pet his head, or staring directly at him.  All of these actions may be seen as threats, especially by a rescued dog new to your home.  You can help your dog relax by being consistent, so he knows what to expect. Also pay attention to your dog’s body postures. If you can determine whether your dog is feeling relaxed, aroused or fearful, you can manage the situation accordingly. Much of our dog’s behavior around other dogs or people is ritualistic posturing, not intended to cause harm and not worth the anxiety we bring to the situation. Other behaviors are stress or arousal signals that we often ignore. You can learn more about dog body language, posturing, and stress signals on this website. 

Dogs were bred for a purpose. 

Herding dogs herd.  Guarding dogs guard.  Terriers dig.  So, when your herding dog nips at your children’s heels, he isn’t being aggressive. Your herding dog needs training and lots of exercis. When your gentle dog, bred to guard his people and possessions, barks aggressively at the neighborhood children running around your house, he isn’t acting out of character.  Separate him from the children and appreciate that he is a good protector of your family.  And that terrier that you thought was so cute may not seem so cute now that he’s digging holes in your yard. But his job was to dig for gophers or other vermin. Instead of getting frustrated with him for doing what he was bred to do, teach him to dig in a particular area by hiding toys and treats in soft soil or sand. 

Dogs need a leader to stabilize their world.

Otherwise, they will fill the void.You need to let your dog know that you are in charge, not by punishing or bullying your dog, but by using signals that your dog will understand.  Tell your dog to “SIT” before you feed him, put on his leash, walk him, or throw a ball. Teach him a release word that lets him know that it’s OK to go. Learn to ignore your dog’s pushy behavior. Don’t pet him when he nudges your hand.  Don’t feed him when he barks for food.  Turn away from him when he  jumps on you. If your dog knows that you are the leader, he will feel more secure and behave better.  If he has confidence in your ability to protect him, your dog won’t feel the need to protect himself with an aggressive display.

Dogs are social animals that want attention.

Your dog doesn’t know that you came home tired; all he knows is that he has been alone all day and wants to play. He will chew, bark, jump, or grab something and run if that’s the only way to get your attention.  If your dog takes something, don’t chase him, or it will be a rewarding game.  Instead, trade him for something he’ll like better. If your dog jumps on you, turn away.  When he stops, turn back and ask him to sit. Then, praise and reward him.  Your dog will quickly understand that jumping doesn’t get your attention; sitting does. You should also get in the habit of petting and praising your dog when he is lying quietly next to you.  Reward good behavior not just in training, but all the time.  And if you’re gone all day, consider doggie day care or a dog walker, so your dog isn’t alone and isolated.

Puppies need socialization and training.

I can’t stress this enough!  Socializing your puppy can help prevent his becoming a fearful, and possibly aggressive, dog.  Puppies should be touched from birth.  They need to play with their littermates until seven or eight weeks of age to learn social skills and bite inhibition.  Before four months of age, your puppy needs positive exposure to as many situations as possible.  Teach children how to approach your puppy, and ask strangers to give him a treat.  Let your puppy play with your friends’ healthy, vaccinated dogs, and take him to puppy kindergarten.  Take away his dog bowl while he’s eating, put a special treat in the bowl, and return it. This is the time to teach your dog to tolerate touch, control his impulses, develop a soft mouth, and share, rather than guard, resources.

Dogs need exercise and mental stimulation. 

Dogs have energy that needs to be spent somewhere, and you don’t want your dog to decide where.  So, get your dog out for two to three good walks a day; don’t just let him out in the yard. Blow bubbles, throw a ball or frisbee, run an oscillating sprinkler, or use Chase ‘N Pull, a toy that you hold and your dog will chase, particularly if he has a high prey drive.  Take a training class, and make obedience cues part of your daily routine. Teach your dog to “find it”, and use interactive toys, that drop food when rolled or hide treats in removable layers.  If you have time, try one of the activities promoted for dogs, like agility (similar to an obstacle course) or rally 0 (like agility with obedience cues).

Positive, rewards-based training has a number of advantages that are particularly important for shelter and rescue dogs.

• Owners develop a trusting relationship with their dogs.
• Dogs enjoy training, instead of complying out of fear.
• Positive methods, unlike harsher ones, don’t create anxiety and fear issues in dogs.
• Positive trainers look for the root of the problem, rather than just suppressing behavior, which is then likely to re-emerge or express itself in a different way.
• Positive training methods don’t cause our dogs pain by using choke, prong, electric collars or other aversives In the last part, I changed We to positive training method.

Force is not a good idea.

Don’t use training (sometimes called choke or slip) collars or prong collars (that pinch the dog’s skin), even for training.  They are never appropriate for young or timid dogs, and they can make an aggressive or fearful dog’s behavior worse. Think about it: Would you learn better being rewarded for the right answer or being yanked with a chain for the wrong one? Punishing your dog is also a bad idea because:

• Your dog may learn to be afraid of you.
  Punishment is no way to build a trusting relationship.
• Your dog may not know why he is being punished or what you want.
  For example, you punish your dog for peeing on your carpet, and he decides you must be angry at him for peeing where you can see it.  So, he still pees inside, but behind the chair.
• You haven’t taught your dog an alternative behavior that is acceptable.
  When you punish your dog for chewing on the table, how does he know that it would be okay for him to chew on the Kong?
• You may have unintended consequences when your dog forms a negative association with a desired behavior.
  For example, if your dog doesn’t come when you call and is yelled at when he finally does come, how quickly do you think he’ll come next time?  Or if your dog is shocked by an electric fence as a child walks by, he may stay in the yard, but develop a fear of children.

If you are willing to see the world through your dog’s eyes, you can teach your dog a great deal.  Try to understand how he develops, how he learns, and what he needs.   In return, your dog will give you undying love and companionship.