May 2008 Archives

I'm pleased that more workplaces are allowing dogs. Dogs are pack animals, so they want to be where the action is. The problem is not every owner has a balanced dog. The first step to running a successful, dog-friendly workplace is evaluation. How many dogs are in the building and how do they behave? Number two, evaluate those dogs with their handlers, then make a list of the behaviors that might exist. Next, find the dog that is the most balanced and use that dog as an "ambassador" for the new dogs. In other words, make him a role model to show the other dogs the ideal energy and behavior. Remember, just because a place is "dog friendly" doesn't mean it is "dog knowledgeable."

Just because you can't make it to Los Angeles to visit my Dog Psychology Center doesn't mean you can't adapt our methods to help your dog become balanced. Your house and your neighborhood can become your own dog psychology center if you apply rules, boundaries, and limitations; employ helpful tools like a treadmill, backpack, or rollerblades, or call on the services of other balanced dogs to create a pack. From a dog's point of view, every day, every moment, and every place they are is an opportunity to return to a balanced state. It's our responsibility to keep our animals balanced and stable for the benefit of our society and for the benefit of the animal, so use what you have available and start today!

People often confuse insecure dogs with aggressive dogs. An insecure dog's actions can be similar to an aggressive dog -- growling, lunging, showing teeth -- but while insecurity is a behavioral issue, aggression is the result of an issue.

Dogs aren’t born aggressive; they become aggressive when insecurity, fear, anxiety, tension, or hyperactivity get out of control. With all dogs that I’ve worked with, aggression is the outcome, the explosion, the manifestation of something the dog doesn’t want anymore. I've found that almost every dog that trained to be calm-submissive has the potential to become aggressive. That’s why I try and educate people to prevent aggression rather than have them call me in when the dog is already a "red-zone" case.

When it comes to using corrections to rehabilitate a dog or to initiate certain proper behavior, I can’t stress enough how important precise timing is to the process.

First of all, corrections must come within a fraction of a second of the unwanted behavior. Dogs are excellent “associative learners,” meaning they quickly put together cause and effect when taking in new information, but they also live in the moment. If a dog pulls on the leash when you leave the house, you can’t wait to get to the street corner to correct him.

The other part of timing is to make sure your corrections are not coming too often and too quickly. If you’re doing too many corrections at once, you’re not giving the dog’s brain enough time to absorb the communication and come up with the answer. When he’s not allowed to complete the process, he can become numb to the correction and get frustrated or irritated.

Most importantly, you need to be balanced and calm-assertive at all times during the correction process. The dog needs to know that you are there to create trust and respect.