February 2007 Archives

As I’ve said many times before, our moods and emotions are huge factors in the energy we project toward our pets—and people—in our lives. Becoming self-aware and conscious of the energy we are projecting can help us live a better life.

If your dog sees you as pack leader, she can lend an emotional hand (or paw) when you’re feeling low. But if your dog is the dominant one and doesn’t see you as pack leader, she may react negatively to your bad moods.

Remember, our moods are language to our dogs and while we can fool another human with lip service, we can never fool our animals!

Sometimes “dog people” forget that not everyone embraces dogs like we do. And when you own a big powerful dog, especially if it’s breed with a “bad” reputation, even well-mannered pooches can be scary to guests. But it’s not good for a dog to have to be locked away in a room whenever people drop by. There are some easy techniques that can help break the ice and tear down the preconceived barriers between your pet and your guests.

Humans are visually-oriented and a lot of people react to the color of a dog. Lighter-coated dogs tend to get more positive reactions than darker-coated dogs, which can sometimes appear to be more intimidating. If you own a dark-colored dog, whether it is a black Lab, Poodle, or Rottweiler, try putting a colorful bandana on him, which to a nervous guest can make him appear less threatening and lighten the mood.

A second idea is to condition your dog to sit or lay down a certain distance from your guests. Again, the idea is visual and psychological. They understand the dog is in the room and under control, but not too close.

Now, if you have a friend over who is obviously fearful and not open to the idea of being in the same room as your dog, I would move him away from the situation and not expose him to that energy, which can make him anxious.

To help Promise overcome her fear of cars, I tried a different technique than the one I used for Kane the Great Dane's shiny floor-phobia from Season One.

She didn't seem to have a physical fear of vehicles. When I challeged her to jump into our Dog Whisperer production RV, she not only willingly complied, she relished the challenge!

I wanted to get her into that same excited, playful mood when it came to getting into her owners' car. And once I realized the problem was all psychological I took it from there, using the environment around us to work Promise through this problem. You'll see how on tonight's episode.

Remember, you only get what you want from a dog when she is willing to do something. If at first she's not getting it, don’t punish her; calmly redirect that energy. This is why I always say the only “training tool” you need is your calm-assertive energy. You just need to keep your eyes--and your mind--open.

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City dogs are faced with constant stimulation from a plethora of unique scents, dizzying sounds, and things whizzing by them—often at high speeds! Because this is far more stimulus than their natural environment could create, this sensory overload can cause a dog stress.

Now stress is not good for a dog, no matter where they live. But I try to emphasize to my city clients that they try and get their dog out of the urban environment at least a few days a week. This doesn’t mean you have to pack up and head to the country. Leash up and head to the nearest park or trail. If you think about it, almost every city has a quiet hideaway: New York City has Central Park, Los Angeles has Griffith Park—not to mention tons of canyon paths, Atlanta has beautiful Piedmont Park, etc. The idea is to get the dog closer to nature, release pent-up energy, and reduce stress.

Separation anxiety not only occurs when an insecure, high-energy, or anxious dog is left behind at home, but also, as in the case of Debbie and Joe’s “baseball dog,” at close range.

The truth is, it’s in dogs’ nature to be with its pack 24 hours a day. But in order for them to live with us, they have to learn to become somewhat independent and this can create anxiety.

Your dog must learn that you can be in the same room but you are doing something else and he is doing something else. If you give the dog attention all the time, he learns to become addicted to it. You open a door and he’s right there. You go to the restroom and he’s right there. He becomes your shadow.

Anxiety comes from a lack of being challenged and not being able to understand detachment. When you exercise your dog and he reaches his limitation, he’ll naturally go into resting mode. He’ll stop following you simply because he’s tired.

As you'll see in tonight's episode, Milo is fortunate to live on a farm where everything he needs to fulfill his genetic needs is right there for him. It would be different if Milo lived in a city without access to such activities, though no matter where you live, there are plenty of things you can do to help your dog burn energy and feel constructive. Activities such as fly ball, obstacle and agility courses, and Frisbee are great for building dogs' strength, endurance, and overall physical and mental health.

A recurring mistake people often make with dogs -- especially small ones -- when they find their pets have become obsessive or fixated with an object is that they tend to write it off as "cute," and don’t address it until it becomes a big problem.

Could you dog have obsessive issues? Though he might have a favorite toy, it's only when he doesn’t share or let you near it or acts territorial that you'll know there's a problem.

You need to address fixation issues when they are still minor and at a low level of intensity. The longer the dog is allowed to progress into a very intense state of mind, the more likely the problem will require professional help.

When introducing a potentially unstable dog (due to lack of exercise or inconsistent leadership) into an already balanced pack, it’s vital to remove as much negative energy as possible from the newcomer.

First, take the new dog for a long walk. This will not only help you bond, but also establish a position of trust and respect.

Then introduce the most stable member of the existing pack and walk with both of them. You are the leader; they are the followers. Voila – instant pack!

Once the ice has been broken, your dog will help “introduce” the new dog to the pack. The other dogs will be able to see how the newcomer reacted to the first introduction which will influence how they treat him.

Fearful aggression in dogs is often mistaken for dominant aggression, but the two are very different, as are the ways they need to be handled when it comes to rehabilitation and balance.

If you happen to be walking and spot an aggressive-looking dog in a gated yard, a fearful dog will first back away without focusing on you. He may bark, but will only become aggressive if and when he finds himself cornered. Stop all movement when you see the dog back up. Don’t make eye contact. If he doesn’t sense a threat, he won’t go into that aggressive state.

A “red zone” dog just moves forward without hesitation, almost like he’s got you in his sights. Again, if you’re walking by a gated house and a dominant-aggressive dog rushes towards you, don’t panic and don’t make eye contact. Stay calm, don’t move, stand firm, and own your space until the dog backs off.