TOP 10 THINGS TO TEACH YOUR DOG. Linda Michaels, M.A., — Del Mar Dog Training


Linda Michaels Del Mar Dog Training san diego dog trainerBY LINDA MICHAELS — Ranch Coast News

After falling in love with a dog that melted your heart at the local  shelter or carefully selecting  a puppy from the breed-specific rescue, you’re now faced with some very real challenges at home. What’s the quickest path to making your new bundle of joy a member of the family with whom it’s a joy to live? Your pup will be developing habits each and every day, so begin on day one to train the behaviors listed below.

1. Housetraining – From day one, the key words are containment, both short-term and long-term, and reward opportunities. Confinement in a crate for night-time and in a small area during the day with an indoor sod tray or puppy pad is essential for errorless housetraining until your pup earns more space in your house. Ample opportunities for elimination with food rewards will have your dog looking forward to getting onto the leash to go to the chosen spot in your yard to eliminate and get a yummy treat.

Lab As vet2. Handling and Good Manners at the Veterinarian and Groomer – Your pup should be handled often, starting at 4 weeks of age if that is possible. Visit your puppy frequently and get a head start on the human-animal bonding process with all the members of your family. If your puppy comes home at 8 weeks or later, handle, massage every inch of your puppy, and hold your puppy often. In addition to regular snuggling, pretend you and your pup are at the groomer or vet and practice puppy calmness while you examine toes, ears and mouth with your puppy standing safely on a raised surface.

3. No Bite! – Start on day one to let your pup know in a dog-friendly way that puppy biting is not OK with you. Discontinue playing or handling your pup each and every time you feel teeth on your skin – draw away from your pup or put him on the floor immediately as you make a disappointed sound with your voice. Wait for five seconds, and then resume calm play and handling as if nothing had happened. Your dog will learn that everything, especially fun, stops if he bites!

4. Socialization – Expose your dog to anything and everything you think he may experience later in life – 100 New Things in the First 100 days! Learning to be a social butterfly is the most important thing your dog will ever learn.  Socialize early and frequently to all types of people, other dogs and moving objects. Ultra-socialize your puppy to children of all ages, men and strangers and with lots of other dogs of all shapes and sizes. Socialize to skateboards, bicycles and joggers and to all types of situations too.

5. Appropriate Chew Toy Training – Chew items are your friends. Provide a nice variety of safe chew and food toys to help stop puppy biting, to save your furniture, and to teach your puppy self-calming and how to be happy on his own. Up to five months of age and perhaps for a lifetime, your dog will be hunting about for things to chew. Chewing dulls the pain of teething, keeps a pup busy and very importantly, it relieves stress. If you don’t give your puppy something to do, you can be certain, he will find something to do!

6. Preventing Separation Anxiety – Dogs who develop too strong an attachment to their family, may quickly become insecure and possibly destructive when left alone. Leaving your puppy alone on a regular basis with a safe, yummy chew toy for short periods of time is necessary so that you will be able to leave your pup alone when you want to go out. The number one thing you can do to help your pup build confidence is to greet your dog in a very calm manner. It may be hard for you to save your effusive greetings until your pup calms herself down after an arrival home, but it will be well worth it in the long run.

7. Insurance Against Resource and Food Guarding for Puppies – Hand feeding and training with treats helps develop positive associations with people and their hands.  Showing your puppy that hands deliver good treats to eat, and that they don’t take away good things will help keep the hands/food association happy and strong. When you do need to take something from your puppy, it’s best to trade it for something better. If your adolescent or adult dog is already guarding objects, you may need the help of a professional.

8. A Healthy Diet for Your Dog – Independent dog nutritionists agree that feeding a super-premium quality dog food on a rotating schedule will best provide your dog with what he needs to grow up happy and strong. Unfortunately, a high grade dog food may not be available at the typical grocery store no matter how healthy the name of the food sounds. Look for a meat that is named as the first ingredient and avoid by-products, fillers, sugar, artificial preservatives and coloring. You may want to add Vitamin, Mineral, Omega and probiotic supplements to strengthen the immune system. Rotate within and between super-premium brands, transitioning from one type to another and feed at least a little wet food each day if you choose a kibble diet. Feed your puppy 3x day until 4 months of age, then twice a day. Bison, duck, fish, venison and lamb are some new favorites!

9. Wearing a Leash and Harness – The most puppy and dog-friendly leash-walking gear generally includes a flat collar and a harness. If your dog pulls, or barks and lunges at anything at all, a harness will distribute the force of the pull or lunge across the torso and protect delicate cervical vertebrae as well as tracheal, esophageal and other throat structures. Leash-walking training may then begin.

Picture 410. Obedience Training – Formal training for you and your dog is recommended if you want to make the most productive use of your time and you want to be sure to get your puppy or new dog off on the right paw. Group or private training is available. The most highly respected dog  professionals and veterinarians strongly advocate the use of the positive reinforcement method of training alone.

Linda Michaels, “Dog Psychologist,” MA, and Victoria Stilwell-licensed Del Mar dog trainer and speaker may be reached at 858.259.WOOF (9663) or by email: LindaMichaelsPositively@gmail.com for private obedience instruction and behavioral consultations near Del Mar and the San Diego Coast. Please visit us at DogPsychologistOnCall.com

Originally published Ranch Coast News, Lorine Wright, Executive Editor.  All rights reserved.


3 responses to “TOP 10 THINGS TO TEACH YOUR DOG. Linda Michaels, M.A., — Del Mar Dog Training”

  1. Hello! I have enjoyed reading your blog and visiting the site. Thank you for some terrific information! I might just be giving you a shout, but since I do all my work here based on my disability income, it is hard to squeeze out any extra. Give me time! LOL

    In the mean time…. I do have a slight issue. I have 130 lb St Bernard training in Mobility/Assistance work. He is doing extremely well, was very well-raised (I just got him in May at 3 yrs old from a rescue/rehab), minds beautifully 95% of the time. The other 5% is usually when he spots the Gopher Turtle by the fence (they are protected by law here in FL so we can’t “get rid” of it). It is then that ALL training seems to disappear in an instant! He goes “deaf” and is not aware of anything else but that turtle — not even raw meat in my hand. I have tried everything short of a prong collar (which I hate the idea of) and I absolutely refuse to use an electronic collar at all. There MUST be some way of redirecting him at these times! I am at my wit’s end, and running out of strength pulling him away. ANY ideas would be appreciated!

    The other time he “loses it” is when another dog tries to start something. He will completely ignore any other dog around, unless they make the first move – then he will engage. So far, I have been able to manage his behavior at these times, until last week. He engaged without issuing ANY type of warning or body language – which surprised me and caught me off-balance (literally). I was pulled to the ground and he managed to deliver a nice little puncture-bite to this dogs hip. Thankfully. the people understand that these things can happen, and are not causing any trouble for us. BUT I can not have my Service Dog doing that! Tips to modify his need to engage would be helpful as well. (Normally this is not an issue — only when the other dog starts trouble.)

    THank you so much… and keep up the terrific site info! Maybe my story can help you write another article based on these issues. Just a thought! Feel free 🙂

    • Hi Kim,

      Thank you so much for visiting my site and reading my work. I’m writing a book right now!

      Although I generally reserve specific advice for Phone Consultations, if not in-person lessons, I would say… block the Gopher Turtles visually. Put up some type of visual barrier. That’s the easiest answer. Hope that is doable. You mentioned you have a fence, so if you can set up your St. Bernard so that he can’t SEE the Gopher Turtles in close proximity or better yet, not see them at all, it will help tamp down his natural predatory drive to chase ’em. Redirecting him with another high value predatory type toy, such as a fuzzy squeeky toy you keep in your pocket for just such occasions could also help .Please do NOT use a shock or prong collar…you may well end up with a lot more, and more serious problems than you have now. Your dog may never want to go out into the yard at all, for example. Your dog may become aggressive. There are residual effects that will effect your relationship as well.

      Most assistance dogs are bred for and trained for low reactivity to other dogs. However, when challenged, it’s adaptive to survival to defend oneself. This is very normal behavior. The fact that he didn’t deliver any warning (very astute of you for recognizing how important that is) is especially problematic, however:
      1. Keeping dogs away, that is AVOIDING any close proximity to animals that are displaying aggressive body language toward a dog that will react
      2. Becoming better and better at reading your dog’s body language…it may be subtle and of course, you one can’t watch all the time, but you may start to notice some things you didn’t notice before when you look closely enough.

      These are just general suggestions and not meant to be confused with a program of treatment. I have no idea how dangerous this behavior may be but from what you said, it’s already created a serious problem and you could have been hurt. I recommend hiring a Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Trainer in your area and getting someone out there to help you. Aggression is not something to trifle with. Hope this may have helped. Would love to see a photo of your big puppy on my FB page!