Return on Investment

John and I are spending some time cleaning the leaves from the outside plants that are now living in our living room for the winter. I take a cloth with some water and I wipe off some white residue that stubbornly returns to the leaves even after we have sprayed them with some benign mix they gave us at the nursery. I tell John that it is frustrating removing this stuff for it to come back again after the “full- treatment”.

He responds by saying that in reality our plants can’t look very good because we just starting spending some time taking care of them.
 

This conversation got me thinking about how it is so true that in order to achieve our goals, whatever these might be, we must spend time and effort in reaching them. Same with our dogs, or any goal really.
 

People want their dog to behave and for him to be a pleasure to live with in spite of the little time they spent either training the dog and/or taking care of the dog’s daily needs.

 

This is one area where return on investment truly does make a difference. Areas in which being proactive with our dogs would make a world of difference are:

1.  Daily exercise and mental stimulation. Give the dog an opportunity to release some pent up energy and have something to look forward to. At least my dogs begin to get restless after they have been fed, even though the need to wait 1 hr before we engage in rigorous exercise. But yes, they do anticipate their daily routine of training and exercise.
2. Establishing clear household rules while making sure your dog can understand them- don’t assume your dog understand them just because you keep repeating them over and over again! Real learning needs to take place.
3. For example: Decide if your dog is allowed on the furniture or some furniture or not all- your choice. If your dog gets on the furniture or the “wrong” furniture, re-direct, gently by asking your dog off it and then tell your dog exactly what you want him to do instead. This drill must be repeated many, many times. Yelling or even asking nicely does not guarantee that your dog has understood what you want him to do instead of getting on the furniture.
4. Also, as important, if you think your dog is getting on your furniture to warrant some warmth or comfort, make sure you provided that for your dog. Most dogs want up on the sofa for that reason and who can blame them? Perhaps they get on the sofa also because it smells like us, so if your pup is the clingy type, provide one of your non-laundered t-shirt so that your dog can have on his bed if you will be leaving him alone. This might provide a lot of comfort. I am a very strong supporter of the idea of researching the motivation (or need) behind a behavior. If, for instance, your dog enjoys looking out the window, allow him to do so when you are at home. I don’t advise allowing this when the dog is alone if your dog is the type that will bark at anything or anyone passing by. A great part of dog parenting is exactly that to provide what our dogs need/want when at all possible.

Just saying “no” without the allowance for something else that targets the specific need: companionship, comfort, safety, stimulation, etc. is not really partnering with our dogs.

The behavior of dogs jumping up to greet is a great example of how one-sided we can be with our dogs. Most people really dislike having their dog jump on them or someone else for that matter and what they want is for the behavior to stop pronto! But wait! Have we investigated why is it that the pup is jumping? I can tell you that dogs greet by licking each other’s muzzles - a vestige of their “wolfy” past. As our companions, they extend the same greeting to us. Since we are erect they have no other choice than to jump up in an effort to reach our mouth. Now that we are aware of the reason behind the behavior, how can we provide our pup with another outlet that is not jumping up while fulfilling their requirement of engaging doggy-style in social graces?
 

Nothing makes my job more satisfying than knowing that I helped my client with their dog’s behavior and that I also found a way to satisfy what the dog wants. I invite you to invest daily in making decisions and household rules that takes your dog into consideration. Your dog will thank you for this, I guarantee! ☺

 

My Toy

Deuce can be a picky eater. Sometimes he wakes up with not much of an appetite so eating is not high on his list. Rioja, on the other hand, would eat all day long if I let her. This morning I thought Deuce would be really hungry and sure enough he went to his bowl and ate a portion of his meal. The rest I was planning on dispensing via toys.

Rioja got her toy and was having a blast with this new rolling ball extracting pieces of kibble left and right. Deuce was watching at a distance with his own “favorite” kibble dispensing toy at his feet. Rioja ignored him, but continued to work with her toy.

At one point, Deuce dashed across the kitchen whining and “complaining” to Rioja. Once he got to where she was, he stared at the toy as if he had been with the toy all along and Rioja just got there. I approached and asked Deuce to come to me. He continued to complain to Rioja while I went to fetch his toy. I decided to switch toys (what a softy!) giving Rioja Deuce’s pin and Deuce the one Rioja was working on. I knew Rioja could not care less which toys she gets as long as she gets food and she gets to do something fun.

Now back in “his corner” Deuce is ignoring the second toy and went back to Rioja wanting her toy once again. Okay, no more I thought. I escorted Deuce to his mat also in the kitchen as Rioja continued to eat now undisturbed.

Deuce was now laying quietly on his bed when I spotted a small container with some leftover chicken skins from the night before. I went over to Deuce and I gave him the container for him to extract the chicken.

Great. Doggie heaven. Good move I thought! Classical conditioning at its best. What Deuce is learning is that whenever Rioja is playing with one of his food dispensing toys something even better happens to him… “Chicken rains from the sky” instead of eating boring kibble. Change the association with the event (Rioja playing/eating from toy) to a positive one and now you have a dog begging you to bring out that stinky toy so that chicken will again rain from heaven …or from Almudena or… who cares! Just bring out the chicken, please.

The thing with Deuce and his possession for the toys- not so much the kibble is legendary. He used to compete for them with Laika as well. He has become a bit more generous with his toys, but once in while he will still react like a spoiled child… nobody is perfect.

I hear reports from my own clients that their own dogs regularly take toys, bones etc. the minute the other sib abandons the item. Yes, indeed a perfect case of the grass is greener…

Call it a fluke or a greater message from the universe, but at present I am working with four different clients all having issues with their dogs fighting at home. Living with multiple dogs can most definitively be a challenge especially when their friendship deteriorates. Dogs that were once “friends” and who enjoyed each other’s company, used to play and hang out together for some reason(s) begin to fight. The causes
behind the animosity could be many with competition for resource such as food, a person, etc. or a medical condition that one of the dogs has developed are typical reasons for the sudden onset of aggression. When this happens it is possible that without intervention the dogs cannot cohabit without fighting and must live separated at all times- not an enjoyable or easy scenario for anyone involved.

The way to resolve such issues varies, but for the most part the process is lengthy and ultimate management and a tight protocol of behavior modification must be followed until the dogs learn to cohabit harmoniously once again. Myself and other trainers have had success getting our clients and their dogs back on track but on occasion re-homing one of the dogs is really the best option.

I have heard of some trainers and behavioral veterinarians that recommend supporting the “alpha” or dominant dog assuring that once the people are supporting (i.e.: catering) the alpha all things will fall into place. When I hear such advice I clinch… I feel really bad for the family because I had NEVER been able to say with complete certainty or seen any of my clients determine who is the alpha in the dog-dog relationship.

The reality is that while social stratification (of some sort - not always the same) is present in all animals with complex social lives this relationship is fluid and thus changing. It is always in the context of the environment that behavior takes place. For my part, I really value having my personal dogs (or my personal dogs with my board & train client’s dogs) be harmonious. Not only do I remain alert to “disagreements” between them, but also I have established very clear protocols to ensure that everyone feels relaxed, taken care of and abide by the established household rules.

This is the same that I strive to do for my clients with their fighting dogs: establish some clear household rules, and some behavior modification protocols so that hopefully all dogs can remain happily in the home.