My father, who owns a plumbing company, despises garbage disposals because he says they are nothing but trouble waiting to happen (stopped up drain). A professional firefighter friend doesn’t have any power strips in her house (fire hazard). Professional dog trainers, too, do a lot of things very differently than pet owners.
Why do professionals do things differently than non-professionals?
I think it’s because professionals see so much more in their field than the non-professional. The plumber knows just how many house calls are due to garbage disposals. The firefighter has arrived on-scene to a fully engulfed house where the cause of the fire can be traced back to a power strip. And dog trainers, well, we see so many easily preventable problems – problems that can wind up causing big headaches or costing lots of money (or in the worst cases, loss of the dog’s life).
This month, we’re talking about the professional dog trainer’s “Don’t Do This” list.
Flexi Leashes
Flexible, retractable, extendable leashes are one of the inventions that dog owners love and dog trainers hate. We hate them for lots of reasons:
- They teach bad habits. Flexible leashes teach your dog to pull on the leash to go anywhere. They encourage pulling. If you’re trying to teach your dog to walk nicely on a leash, the best way to wreck that is by putting your dog on an extendable leash. The leash is always tight. If the dog wants to move anywhere, there is tension on the collar and the dog has to pull into the collar to move. It’s a recipe for disaster if polite leash manners is your goal.
- They are dangerous. The thin cord can amputate (yes, chop off) your finger! Or your dog’s tail or toe. If you’re not squeamish, Google “flexi leash injuries” and click on “Images” to see all the damage that a Flexi leash can do to flesh.
- They’re way too long. Some of the leashes extend to 26’! If your dog is more than 6’ away from you, there is greater likelihood that your dog could get into trouble: he could run into the street (still on the leash), could rush up to another dog who isn’t friendly, or get himself into something dangerous (mouse poison, antifreeze, wild animal, etc.).
The reasons are plentiful, those three are the most common and most dangerous of the reasons to not use a Flexi. Just say NO to Flexis.
Dog Parks
The only dog parks most dog trainers will use are empty ones. We know that dog parks are havens for inappropriate behavior (canine and human) and disease. Ew, need I go on – those two things right there are enough to convince this human that my dogs do not need to visit a dog park. But here’s more detail, in case you’re on the fence about dog parks.
- Dog fights. Not every dog that goes to a dog park should be there. Some owners take their dog to the dog park so they’ll “get used to” other dogs. Or to “socialize” their dog. No way! If you take your dog to the dog park, you could unknowingly be setting your dog up to be one of the dogs that the unsocialized dog learns from! I’m pretty sure you don’t want your dog to be the guinea pig that a grumpy or inexperienced dog learns on! .
- Dismissal of real dog problems. Owners will frequently say “Let the dogs work it out,” if there’s a skirmish or scuffle. Sadly, that’s the wrong advice. We are guardians of our dogs. We take responsibility for their welfare. Letting dogs “work it out” can lead to veterinary emergency room visits or sadly, death. Google “dog park deaths” and you’ll find that there’s a real risk in taking your dog to a dog park.
- Health hazards. Parvo, bordatella, internal parasites, fleas, ticks, these are just some of the health risks your dog is exposed to at the dog park. Some of that risk is minimized if your dog is healthy and current on vaccinations, as well as if the dog park participants pick up the poop regularly and thoroughly. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has a thorough list of communicable canine diseases here.
- Bad habits. Your dog can pick up the bad habits of other dogs in the dog park. Just like on the kids’ playground, bullying can also exist in the dog park. If your dog joins in on the melee, he could be learning inappropriate behavior that he’ll repeat outside the dog park. On the flipside, if your dog has a bad experience from the dog park bully, he may learn that going on the defensive early (growling, snarling, lunging, biting) is a good idea, even if a friendly dog approaches.
In the end, most dog trainers realize that the risks of a dog park often far outweigh the benefits and we generally steer clear of dog parks.
Littermates
If one puppy is good, two puppies are great, right? Oh, so wrong. While it seems intuitive that getting two puppies at once might be a great timesaving idea, in reality that can be one of the worst things dog owners do. Raising littermates is harder than raising one puppy because everything you do with one puppy has to be done separately with the other puppy if you’re going to have two well-adjusted adult dogs. Instead of doing these with the two pups together, you have to do each of these things with each puppy, separately. Why separately? Because doing these things together leads the puppies to become dependent on one another. The more the pups depend on one another, the less they depend on and pay attention to you. They can develop an unhealthy dependence on one another that can make living with them unpleasant.
- House training. If you’re raising two puppies, you’ll need to teach them housetraining separately. Yep, that means taking each puppy out independently. Without the other pup. That’s two trips outside each time, in the rain, in the cold, in the snow, in the blazing heat…you get the picture. It’s double the work.
- Sleeping quarters. The pups need to learn to sleep apart (in another room) from one another. That means two crates, two beds, etc.
- Training classes. You’ll need to take each pup to his own class, without the other puppy. Creating independence is a critical task and it can’t be done if the pups are together all the time.
- Veterinary visits. When it’s time for their booster shots or wellness checks, make two separate appointments. Each puppy needs to develop his independence and confidence, especially with the veterinarian. Unless you want to bring both dogs to the veterinarian anytime one of them has an issue for the rest of their life, scheduling separate veterinary visits is a necessity.
- Training time. In addition to individual, independent puppy classes, you’ll need to spend time with each puppy separately to work with him on good manners. While it may seem more efficient to train them both at the same time, it’s actually setting the puppies back (the pups distract each other and also aren’t learning to focus and listen to your cues).
Leaving Food Down
Not only do most dog trainers not leave food down all day for our dogs (also called “free feeding”), but also we rarely feed our dogs from a bowl. We schedule regular feeding times for our dogs for a few reasons:
- It helps with house training. What goes in must come out. We use the scheduled feedings so we have scheduled and predictable bathroom breaks.
- We can immediately tell if one of our dogs is “off his food.” A dog refusing to eat at mealtime can be an early indicator that the dog might not be feeling well. If food is always available, it may be days before you notice your dog’s decreased appetite.
- Helps with training. Because our dogs work for food, we can use feeding time as a predictor of when our dogs will likely be interested in food. I can use all or part of my dog’s meal as training rewards. Every dog has to eat – you might as well use that food to accomplish some training. If your dog has continual access to food, it’s hard to gauge when he might be interested in training.
There you have it – four things dog trainers almost never do (and why). You may have never thought about these things before, but now hopefully you’ve got some things to think about and perhaps consider implementing with your own dog. Next month, we’ll take a look at some of the things almost all dog trainers do (that you might not).
Great list! And on a personal level, I’m glad to see littermate syndrome mentioned. I made that mistake as a first-time dog owner because I had never heard of littermate syndrome at the time, and I have spent the past six years trying to untangle the issues that started with my decision to adopt littermates.
It’s also worth emphasizing that it can happen with dogs who are not biologically related.
If you don’t feed them from a bowl, do you feed them by hand? That would be a lot of feeding for my great dane 🙂
A lot of my clients feed meals through training sessions (using the food as the treats), or give the dog a stuffed Kong (or other puzzle toy) with their meal inside a couple times a day. Works their brain more, keeps them busy while they work for their food.
I have two big dogs and take some of their food with me (in a treat pouch) on the morning walk to reinforce good behaviour/train. And then whatever else they need to eat for breakfast goes in their treat balls or scattered around the yard, preventing bloat and providing entertainment for a little while.
Hi Sheri, fellow Dane lover! I, too, have a Dane and no, I couldn’t feed all his meals by hand during training. I can feed him is 3 cups of lunch during training, though! 🙂 And the rest can be fed via food stuffed toys. There’s actually an article here on the website that details a few different options. You can read it (and see the video) here. http://smartdoguniversity.com/food-toys-dog-video/
Thanks for stopping by and WOOFS to your Dane! Tell your Dane Schooner says hello.n 😉
Thanks for this article. I saw you at Clicker Expo Dearborn and was very impressed with your workshop.
Curious about working with dogs who don’t like to eat. One of our rescues goes through periods of time when he won’t eat some or even all of his food. We switched him from a metal bowl to plastic and switched foods. That seems to help. I like the idea of not using a bowl at all, but I’m not sure he would even attempt a stuffed toy. He has never been a dog to play with toys. Any suggestions on working with a dog like that?
Jessica, suggest you Google ‘frozen KONG recipes.” You can add kibble to a KONG and add all kinds of other things… my dogs like canned pumpkin or cooked squash or carrots, chopped apple or pear, banana slices, a dab of PNB or bratwurst. I stand 6 KONGs up in a muffin pan, layer the kibble in with the other goodies, pour in some diluted beef or chicken stock, and freeze. You can run the KONGs through the dishwasher to clean them.
If your dog is on a restricted diet or is not used to fruits and veggies, don’t use those. You could also add in bits of meat or cheese if your dog likes those.,
Hi Sue, thanks for those suggestions. I’ve got videos on that very process. Here’s one that helps teach dogs HOW to figure out those stuffed Kongs. http://smartdoguniversity.com/?p=3770
How to stuff a Kong: http://smartdoguniversity.com/?p=3798
How to stuff and freeze MANY Kongs: http://smartdoguniversity.com/?p=3798
Thanks again for stopping in and adding your great suggestions.
Hi Jessica, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. A fellow ClickerExpo attendee – yay! For a dog who is having trouble eating (appetite comes and goes), I would stick with feeding from a bowl until we can develop a good, healthy appetite and are sure there aren’t any medical problems and/or that the eating issues aren’t stress related. Once we have a dog who eats regularly, then I might introduce a super easy food stuffed toy (with peanut butter or something else squishy and delicious).
Here’s an article (with video) to show how I do it with brand new puppies here at SDU. This will work for any age dog, of course.
Thanks again for dropping in. Hopefully I’ll see you at ClickerExpo 2016!
And a lot of slobber! 😉
I feed through training sessions and with treat dispensing toys. Dogs eat slower and they have more brain exercise. Snuffle rugs are a good alternative as well.
North County Dog Training, yes! Training sessions are great ways to deliver dog’s meals. Thanks for adding your thoughts.
Yes. When dogs come in for training who have learned disregard for humans, we will give them their food in exchange for their attention and work. If the full meal isn’t used in training, they get to finish it afterward as a “jackpot”.
Agree except for the flexi. I use it at trial for warmup and for airing dogs on the road, but ONLY with highly off leash /voice controlled trained dogs
I agree with you.
I would never use an extension leash in a very public area, sidewalk, or store, but I love them for hiking in the woods because I do not allow my dogs to go off-leash (except for in their fenced-in yard). I use the flat ribbon leashes, not the cords, and have never had an issue with them, other than getting tangled around an occasional tree. Any leash is as good or as bad as the person using it. If used properly and responsibly, they are wonderful for keeping dogs close by while still allowing them freedom to explore, but they can be dangerous if the owner is lazy and not paying attention to their dogs or their environment.
Good advice. When I lived in Chicago, the city had outlawed retractable leashes because of all the serious injuries.
Why would you tell us you don’t feed from a bowl, if you don’t tell us what you do to feed them? DUH!
Never heard of treat balls? Stuffed Kongs? Other puzzle toys? Giving food for appropriate behaviours or training? Or simply scattering it around the yard so they have to search for it?
Yep, Hayley, those are perfect alternate ideas for feeding from a bowl. Thanks!
Both of my dogs can empty a kong in no time at all. I usually stuff one for each with peanut butter and then stick it in the freezer for a couple of days. They have both learned how to get all of the peanut butter out of the kong in about 5 minutes. My youngest (a 1.5 year old blue brindle pit) destroys any kong I’ve given him in very short order, I’m going to try the GoughNuts chew toys and hopefully he won’t be able to destroy those.
The only time I use leash longer than 6′ is when working with my dogs in the back yard or when I take them to a local pond for a swim. My oldest dog (6 year old AmStaff) sinks so he wears a life jacket, he also likes to hold his breath while trying to catch a fish with his head completely submerged, funniest thing ever.
The main reasons I keep them leashed when swimming is so that they don’t get too far away and so I can quickly retrieve them if an alligator decides to go for a swim at the same time. Both of my dogs are way too inquisitive, they chase lizards, spiders, bumble bees, dragon flies, snakes and especially squirrels.
Hi lightning546, thanks for leaving a comment. Yep, we freeze our food stuffed toys, too. It slows the dogs down a bit and presents a bit more of a challenge. Thanks again!
If you are scattering it, how do you know that the dog actually ate it? How does that work when you have more than one dog?
Hi Leigh. It would depend on the dog of course. I know mine eat it because they’re guzzle-guts. They would never leave a piece of food lol. In fact, we started doing this because we were so worried about the speed they ate at and developing bloat, so this slows them down.
In terms of doing it with two dogs, they each just scout the ground finding each piece. I scatter the food in about a 3×3 metre area, so they have plenty of space to wander and search without bumping into each other. I have done it in much smaller areas too. My two are very good at sharing though, so if you had two dogs which weren’t then you might need to consider another method or scattering in separate areas somehow. Generally I’ve found dogs are less likely to fight over scattered food compared to bowls, but this always depends on the individual dogs and context. Also, I always test something new (any new toy, feeding method, whatever) when I can observe how it goes. So the first few times I’d scatter their breakfast and then sit down outside with them and drink my coffee to see how they reacted. After seeing it go well a couple of times, and knowing my dogs, I can be confident it’s good for them. I keep an eye on their weight/condition too to make sure they’re doing well.
I have three dogs. None are food aggressive, but one is too alkaline and we have to watch the weight for all of them, so they are all on a special diet. At over $80 per bag of food, I don’t want to waste any of it (plus, they get canned food in the morning). And, they are different sizes, one is a 60 pound Border Collie mix, one is a 50 pound 3-legged Lab mix, and my little one is a 15 pound Poodle/terrier mix. Obviously, they cannot eat the same amounts of food and shouldn’t be given the opportunity to eat someone else’s share. I cannot use toys for food because the BC will eat the whole darn toy if given the opportunity. I’ve given some of their food to them during training, but considering that I time is an issue, I don’t think that hand-feeding three dogs two meals a day is a viable option for me.
Sounds like scattering is not suitable for you then. The only way that extending feeding time would work for you is to have separate feeding areas. For some people this is easy, but that depends on your housing really. Also your daytime schedules. It doesn’t work for everyone unfortunately. If I were you I’d be taking their dry food breakfast with you on the morning walk (in separate bags put in separate pockets for each dog) and feeding as much as possible via training and appropriate walking/street interactions. Then putting whatever is left in their bowls for them when you get home before heading out for the day. Or just do it for their dinner if you walk them each afternoon. It would still make them have to earn their food and build your training with each. Just as an idea. You always have to find what works best for you and your dogs.
Hmmm, sorry, but I don’t like the idea of making my dogs earn their food. We don’t make human children earn their meals. Why would we make our dogs do that? Of course, I realize that dogs aren’t people, but that goes against my way of thinking and what works for me.
That’s fair enough. Maybe I should have worded it differently and said given them work to do. Dogs like to have functions and work to do, especially working breeds like your Border Collie mix. So giving them rewards for doing tasks is rewarding for them in two ways. Of course, when I say work I don’t mean difficult things, it could be as simple as sitting at a street corner or waiting on their mat when visitors arrive. Just like children where we give them age-appropriate tasks to teach them how to live as a good citizen and function well. Unlinke children though, dogs don’t care about pocket money, and being allowed to go out with friends later is too late-a-reward to have meaning for a dog. So food is a great reward, and by using their usual food you are able to manage their weight and nutrition well.
Great analogy, Hayley! Thanks!
Hi Leigh, if you don’t feel comfortable with that you don’t have to do it. I would encourage you to try food puzzles and toys, though — dogs need the enrichment (brain activity and exercise). You could certainly feed half their food from their bowl, the other half from a food stuffed toy. I like to make sure my dogs have things to do with their minds and their bodies — using their food as reinforcement for training and feeding them with food toys fits the bill. Thanks for adding your perspective.
All three are rescues and both mid-sized dogs were already adults when I adopted them and they never learned how to play with toys. They just try to eat them, unless closely supervised. The BC is also not particularly food motivated. It took me months to get her to take a treat from my hand and she will won’t take them from strangers (after 6 years). And, both mid-sized dogs only get a cup of food at meal time and the little dog gets 1/3 of a cup. Giving them half of that would hardly be a meal.
Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that there cannot be any one-rule fits all. I recently read an article that said something about how trainers often disagree with each other. Tradition versus modern techniques, aggressive versus passive, food as rewards versus other positive reinforcement. The article continued to say that if three trainers were put in a room together the only thing that two of the trainers would agree upon was that the third trainer was wrong.
Hi Leigh, my Labradors need very little food to stay healthy. Both of them get 1/4 cup of food in the a.m. and 1/2 cup in the evening. Not much, but it’s enough to keep them fit and healthy! And we sometimes put that in their Kongs and they love to fish all the food out of there, one kibble at a time. Again, many thanks for commenting.
Hi Leigh, great questions! I think it would depend on the dog. I have dogs who think food is akin to air — they need it to live and the more the better! There could be one tiny piece of food in my lawn and they’d “hoover” until they found it.
My guys also do very well together about food and toys. Meaning, they will eat whatever is in front of them and aren’t guardy about things. If I wanted to be sure that one wasn’t eating more than another, though, I think I’d scatter the food in four different areas of the yard — far enough that each dog could stay in his area and eat his own food. Hope this helps, thanks for the excellent questions.
Hey Timbo, thanks for stopping by! This article is all about what dog trainers DON’T do! At the end of the article, I mentioned that next month’s article would contain some of the things that most dog trainers almost always do. Subscribe to the newsletter, if you haven’t yet, so you’re sure to see it! [The subscription link is on the website, usually located in the right upper hand corner.]
In short, a lot of trainers use food from meals to reinforce good behavior. I might dole out every piece of kibble for a nice loose leash walk, for example. Or I might stuff a Kong. There’s actually an article here on the website that details a few different options. You can read it (and see the video) here. http://smartdoguniversity.com/food-toys-dog-video/
Thanks again, Timbo, for stopping by and asking questions!
Dog parks are GREAT! I’ve been taking my group (eight to ten dogs) to dog parks for twenty years and have never had a problem (have seen some, but my dogs stick with me) and have never picked up a case of parvo, fleas etc. The risk of your dog catching a disease at a dog park is no greater than at any other place dogs frequent, including pet stores. If you vaccinate and keep your dogs healthy the risk is minimal. Also, raising littermates…. I have to wonder if the authors of articles warning against it have actually ever done it? I’ve raised many a littermate (through rescue) and again, have never had any problems. Two pairs of littermates are still living with me and are ten and eleven years of age and have never exhibited any of the problems or issues these articles warn of. I guess when you know what you’re doing it makes all the difference.
HI Karen, glad to hear you’ve had good experiences with dog parks. Dog trainers will sometimes use them, as I said in the article, but we go at off hours when there isn’t much doggie traffic and only to those parks that have a good, clean reputation.
When I talk to emergency room personnel, I hear lots of ways they live their lives differently than the way most of the rest of us live our lives. Why? Because they see SO MUCH trauma. They’d never dream of letting their kids ride a bike without a helmet. Why? Because they’ve seen so much death and tragedy that *might* have been prevented if someone was wearing a helmet. Same thing with dog trainers and dog parks and littermates and all the other stuff I mentioned in the article. Obviously, death doesn’t usually result from having littermates, but I do know people who’ve ended up euthanizing a surviving littermate after their sibling died at an advanced age because the other dog was so sorrowful and depressed without his sibling.
Your time and comments are appreciated, stop in again!
I think there’s a gap, here, though. Like you said, many trainers use dog parks during low traffic times. EMT’s don’t let their children ride bikes without helmets. Huge difference between that and saying “all dog parks are bad news” which is akin to an EMT saying “children should never ride bikes”.
I do agree that littermates are often a greater challenge, one that people should be aware of and prepared for if they are thinking of doing it. The advanced age example is not a great one, imo, though, because I have also seen this between unrelated animals who simply were raised together for a good portion of their lives.
Nicole, so glad to see another comment from you, it’s much appreciated. I don’t think I said that all dog parks are bad news, I simply listed the differences that I’d noticed between dog training professionals and non-professionals. If you’re at a meeting of dog trainers, there may be a small percentage who encourage dog park use, but the majority can regale you with stories of how they got their clients thanks to inappropriate dog park manners. Again, thank you for taking the time to comment. Please come back again soon.
That’s great you had a good experience. I have had nothing but bad experiences at dog parks and refuse to set foot in them. My dogs stick with me and follow my commands; but others do not. And the times I’ve intervened with another dog’s bad behavior….oh now the owner is paying attention. I believe that 80% of the dog owning public has no clue how to recognize or address properly dog behavior. I wish that wasn’t the case but as a rescuer for almost 10 years, it’s what I’ve found to be the norm.
Vaccines do not stop your animals from developing the disease. They make it more difficult to get the disease, or make the disease more mild if they do happen to contract it. Please do not think that vaccinating your dog is a guarantee they won’t get sick. Working as a vet tech, I’ve seen MANY vaccinated animals come down with the disease for which they were vaccinated.
That being said, having worked as a vet tech, I also know that many owners AND veterinarians over vaccinate animals. Banfield is a big offender of pushing vaccines and vaccine schedules that are completely unnecessary and excessive because their employees get commission on how many sales they make!
Really Karen.
Your argument is like saying to a Police Officer who has just pulled you over for drink driving and explained the dangers to you ‘Well Officer I have been drink driving for the past 10 years and have yet to have an accident’. Great! But there are thousands of other people every day who aren’t so lucky. How about you find a decent local dog trainer or behavioural consultant and spend a few weeks trailing them to appointments. I personally get phone calls for littermates/young dogs raised together from puppyhood fighting almost once a week, in some cases more often than that and I live in a SMALL town of maybe 15000 people. This is why we recommend against it and do not do it ourselves.
The same goes for dog parks – have seen too many fights, have seen too many clients with dogs suffering long term behavioural damage from issues in dogs parks and know too much about dogs to walk in to one and think it was worth risking my dogs health or safety.
Hi Karen, thanks for stopping in and sharing your experience. There are a lot of motorcyclists who ride without helmets because nothing bad has happened to them, but I’m betting there are very few emergency room workers who would. Simply because those trauma workers have seen so many examples of injuries that could have been prevented if only a helmet was worn…
That was really the point of my article. That because we, professional dog trainers, see a large number of dogs — and work with dogs who have behavioral issues caused at dog parks, and/or being raised as littermates — we do things a lot differently than dog owners. Simply because of all that we’ve seen. Thanks again for stopping in.
I agree with you about the dog park. My 3 stick with me. Our dog park is about 8-9 acres, divided into the 18″ & under 1/2 & the over 18″ 1/2. One of our dogs is a huge mixed breed who is clueless as to his size, & oblivious to any other dogs but our other 2, so if anyone else happens to be at the park, after seeing Kevin interact with our weenie dogs, they are OK with the one big fella in the park. If not, Kevin stays on leash. We never have a flea or tick problem. Our park supplies bags & is mighty clean. We are fortunate in that. Even though we live on 1/2 an acre, our 3 dogs thoroughly love a trip to the dog park.
I would *love it* if all dog parks were so large and well taken care of! Here in the metro DC area, we aren’t so lucky. Most of our dog parks are too small, too dirty, and too social (people talking to people, not watching their dogs). Your park sounds fabulous!
“Dog parks are GREAT”- In your opinion
“I’ve been taking my group (eight to ten dogs) to dog parks for twenty
years and have never had a problem (have seen some, but my dogs stick
with me)” – Since you’ve seen some problems, then you can understand that the author might be referring to those exact same problems that you’ve “seen”.
“I’ve raised many a littermate (through rescue) and again, have never had any problems”. – I’ve seen a lot of parents who say that their kids are perfect but in reality their kids are loud, undisciplined bullies.
Maybe you’re just perfect……. I know that’s not the case. You sound like your delusions of grandeur blind you from reality. Your views are completely subjective. A little research on the author’s work will tell you that she is stating facts about incidents that can AND do happen while you merely state your singular based opinion.
AGAIN, just because you may not perceive certain things as happening to you, doesn’t mean they don’t happen at all.
Great article, but I the littermate one is absolutely wrong for poodles. I have two, brother and sister, who are well behaved, well socialized little moppets that depend on me, not one another. I wish they would depend on one another a little more! I would absolutely get two again – it makes life easier for them and me. They did everything together, and do it all well.
Not wanting to step on toes or anything but regarding the feeding, I would be too scared to scatter food around the yard. Too worried about dogs being baited. I have seen it happen to 2 of my friends dogs. It was horrible.
Hi Aleisha, you’re not stepping on toes! Poisoning dogs is just awful. The thought of it makes me sick. I don’t know that feeding dogs in the yard would either prevent it or lead to more cases. Dogs are pretty good scavengers — if they find something good on the ground, they’re very likely to eat it (whether or not you scatter food for them or not). We live in a rural, off the road area where foot traffic in a yard would DEFINITELY be noticed and police would be notified.
I feel for those whose dogs have been poisoned. What a horrible experience — there are some really mean, bad people out there. It’s a shame our dogs have to suffer at their hands. I’m sorry for your friend’s dogs. 🙁
Thanks for stopping in and for leaving a comment.
My dog will not eat in my car, when we are out or in his backyard. Only in the house. That was his choice not mine, although I like it.
Ya know he went 2 days without food or drink while we were on a road trip. It was offered many times but he wouldn’t touch it. We had to cut the trip short so he could get home to eat and he did but not excessively. We are planning a one week trip so things have to change. It will be interesting as he won’t even eat a hamburger patty in the car. But we will find a way. Maybe he will eat from his dinner dish???
Refusal to eat can sometimes be associate with increased stress level. Hope the upcoming road trip goes smoothly! Happy travels!
Thank you for #1! Worst leashes ever!
Good article!
Flexi-leashes… I was hoping that they were a ‘fad’ but it now seems that every small dog I see being walked is on a flexi-leash. Is it just me, or have you noticed these types of leashes seem particularly popular with ‘senior’ dog owners? Perhaps it’s just the area where I live.
Dog parks… assuming they are clean, they’re only as good (or bad) as the people/dogs in them at any given moment in time.
Having said that, there is only one off-leash park I will take my rescue-girl to, as she is getting older and is quite particular about doggy-manners. It’s a rural off-leash park, so 4 dogs in there at one time is ‘busy’. It’s big, with so many trees and bushes that sometimes you never know anyone else is in the park. Regardless, I always scope things out before entering, and I always chaperone my dog when inside. 🙂
A Better Dog, thanks for your comments. I would LOVE to have a dog park like the one you mention — rural, busy at 4 dogs — that sounds fabulous! That’s one dog park I’d think about using! Thanks for stopping by!
I try to never take my dog to a doggie park or a designate dog exercise area – disease runs rampant in those places
I’m curious as to whether your advice against free feeding (with which I personally agree) extends to puppies. The rescue group I work with encourages new adopters to let the puppy free-feed for a few weeks before transition to 3 and eventually 2 meals/day. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Hi Becky, when we bring home a new service dog puppy in training at 8 weeks of age, he/she is put on a nice 3 feedings a day schedule. Bowl goes down for 20 minutes, then is back up until the next feeding time.
Scheduled feedings are part of an efficient housetraining schedule. What goes in must come out — if you can predict when food goes in (at those scheduled feedings), you’ll have a really good idea of when it will come out! 🙂 Makes house training a breeze.
Pups who are at least 8 weeks old can go a few hours between each meal — we generally feed at 6a, noon, and 6p, then transition to two meals a day as the pup grows older.
Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for that helpful perspective. The thing I love about the group with which I work is that we’re always open to sharing ideas and perspectives….nobody has all the answers 🙂
Happy to share what has worked for us. We’re always learning and it’s great to get different perspectives.
No litter mates? couldn’t imagine.. I suppose for the average “pet” owner that makes sense, Team work in litter mates can be a positive. photo of 4 brothers as pups and as adults.
Sled dogs probably ok. With herding dogs, It’s never worked out with us.
I’ve raised litter mates and similar aged puppies together several times now… herding breed … and while it worked out ok for us, I do not recommend it. As the article points out, it is a LOT of work, and needs to be done right, otherwise you can end up with puppies joined at the hip, generally one that is more dominant, and one who becomes submissive rather than developing their own confidence and independence.
I don’t suggest that others do this unless they have substantial experience with training and behavior, lots of time and energy, and have a specific reason that requires them to raise multiples together.
Hi Sue, thanks for your thoughts. I agree with you, of course. It’s really tough to raise two well adjusted dogs that started out as littermates. Unfortunately, too many shelters and rescues have “bonded pairs” who most likely started out as littermates (or at least similarly aged puppies when acquired).
Like you, I do think it’s possible to raise littermates together and have them develop into well adjusted adult dogs, but man, is it hard work! 🙂
Sue, thanks so much for adding your perspective. You pegged the main point of my article perfectly — it can be done, but MAN is it a lot of work! 🙂 Thanks for your comment.
I hate flexi-leashes. On cramped city sidewalks, they are the epitome of rude, especially since the people who use them seem to be the people with ill-behaved dogs they neither know how to control nor discipline. I realize this isn’t true of all flexi-leash users, as I know a few of the exceptions, but I find it to be true in the majority of cases. If your dog jumps, lunges, barks, or (especially) bites at humans or other dogs, then keep it on a fixed leash.
GAH. That is a huge pet peeve of mine. Huge. Could you tell?
AllieBoBallie — I’m right there with you! 🙂
My dog does own a flex leash, but he only uses it when we are in the back country away from everyone. It allows me a bit more control than standard long leash and keeps us connected. I will not let him run loose unless in a confined area
I guess I’m a total failure. My dog probably will not live to eight years old, one more year. Oh woe is me! Oh, woe to to my pet, the mistreated dog!
Of course, if you are as right about these four things for dogs, as you is wrong about garbage disposals and power strips, maybe I don’t have so much to worry about.
No one said if you do any of the above your dog is mistreated. And unless you’re a plumber or a firefighter – you wouldn’t understand the examples. P.S. I HAVE seen both humans and dogs be injured from retractable leashes. And guess what? I’m helping at a fundraiser tomorrow for a family that just lost there home to …. wait for it …. too many electrical components plugged into power strips. And garbage disposals??? Well…having a family owned septic company for just shy of 40 years….guess what my next comment will be? This was in informative article James Stagg….not one for you to bash……
I am a plumber. My brother is an electrician, My Dad was both. If you have a septic tank, you have no business having a garbage disposal; the tank will not process the effluent. I f you use a power strip…..and your house is properly wired….either a fuse or breaker in the main panel will blow before the power strip fuse is tripped. Do people screw up? Sure, they are human.
That being said, “one size fits all” does not work with dogs any more than it does with plumbing or wiring. Each dog has individual needs and resides at various premises where your preferences for leashes and dog parks don’t work at all. You also may choose to take your dog to a restaurant to eat at a particular time, but some of us follow the advice for our particular mutt that comes from the vet who cares for it.
I have no knowledge or experience with litter mates, so you are welcome to pontificate there. Sorry I upset your structured world.
James, thanks for stopping in and for commenting. We are way out in the country and most people out this way have septic tanks, hence my dad’s bias against garbage disposals. And my firefighter friend has seen too many homes destroyed by faulty wiring to want to take a chance… I completely agree with you that dogs have individual needs just like people. Thankfully, the laws of behavior apply to every dog — across the board regardless of breed, age, or experience. Kinda like gravity applies to every person on earth no matter where they come from, who they are, and even if they don’t believe in gravity! Same goes with behavior, thankfully. Thanks again for taking the time to comment. Come back again!
Hi Linda, thanks for the comment. Sorry to hear about the family who lost their house to a house fire. It’s one of my nightmares. Good luck raising the money — hope people are generous and the family can benefit. Keep up the good work!
nice.
If you don’t take your dog to dog parks you’ll end up with an unsocialised and ball obsessed animal. Not interested in that. Put in the work and learn to control your dog in an uncontrolled environment.
Hi disqus_zlucDgSWr0, thanks for your thoughts. There are lots of socialization experiences that contribute to a well socialized and well adjusted dog. (Not sure how dog parks help to decrease ball obsession?) We’ve raised 16 service dogs into hard working, playful, well socialized partners and haven’t ever visited a dog park. Most are Labradors and aren’t ball obsessed — in fact we have a couple Labradors who aren’t interested in tennis balls at all. It’s not the dog park that leads to well socialized dog, it’s positive and varied experiences. Thanks again for stopping by!
I’ve been training and utilizing service dogs for many years as well. I have spent time watching the dynamics that go on in local dog parks, spent time in dog parks (without a dog) talking with the owners and observing behavior, and decided that my dogs would be socialized without dog park exposure. None of the dogs I have raised and trained would be described as unsocialized by anyone who has met them, and the service dogs I take out with me typically meet a dozen or more people each trip, in addition to all the others they are exposed to. Young dogs are socialized by their housemates, and with other dogs I know to be temperamentally sound. Like Laurie, I want my dogs to have many positive experiences in their lives and avoid negative ones, especially when they are young. No ball nuts here either, though it would be nice to have that motivation to take advantage of now and then. ;>
Hahaha, Sue — I totally agree about the upside of having a dog who is really ball motivated! 🙂
These are creatures with their own personalities and interests… Not furry automatons. Denying them a chance to play with other dogs in a park setting is just short of cruel.
Hi tristan, they do indeed have their own personalities, thank goodness! That’s one of the many things I love about dogs. We don’t deny our dogs a chance to play. We have lots of better opportunities to play with dogs that aren’t in dog parks. Hey, I appreciate your taking the time to leave a comment, come back again!
I have NEVER taken my dogs to dog parks and none of them even like balls. But, they are well socialized. In fact, I used to foster for a rescue before my schedule changed because they were such good mentors. My dogs are well controlled, it’s other people’s dogs that I worry about. I can handle my three, but not someone else’s untrained or ill behaved dog(s).
I equate it to parents who homeschool their children… In the end there’s only so much you can do to protect them. 2 days ago my friends dog was mauled by a pitbull whilst walking downtown on leash. If a dog gets too aggressive with my dog I throw it off and make sure that the owner never returns to my park. If you don’t remedy problem dogs and their owners then you’re allowing them to dictate where well behaved animals can go.
It’s not that I avoid dog parks because I am being protective, there aren’t any dog parks near me. But, even if there were, I don’t let my dogs off-leash, except for in my fenced back yard because my BC is protective of my other two dogs, is also a flight risk (certain objects and sounds scare her–she’s much better than she used to be, but I’m still not taking chances), and is a HW survivor (from before being rescued), my lab mix only has three legs (hit by a car before I adopted him), and my little dog is only 15 pounds. They are all at higher risk of being injured by out-of-control dogs. I have had numerous problems with other off-leash dogs in the town forest rushing us because their owners refused to control them (they won’t even call them back, despite being asked repeatedly). If an 80-100 pound dog jumps on the back of my tri-pawed or my little dog, they could do irreparable harm. And, if we’re miles from home, how would we even get back to safety? Once, when we were about three miles out, we were surrounded by two off-leash Irish Wolfhounds and two huge black dogs that were all growling at us and had their eyes focused on my little dog in my arms before the owners finally took it seriously enough to come get their dogs. It was the most terrifying incident in my life. But, I have no idea who they were for me to even report it, let alone tell them to never come back. Or, what if I get bitten while pulling that other dog off mine? That happened at one of our local reserves last year (not a dog park, but a park where families go to hike and bike). The one owner had to get hundreds of stitches to his face and neck after two off-leash dogs attacked his off-leash dog and he tried to intervene. So, yes, there is only so much we can do to protect our dogs, but I’m going to continue doing whatever I can to keep them safe.
Hi Leigh, I’ve had similar experiences as you. I carry mace with me to help fend off loose dogs when we’re on our walks. It’s the uncontrolled, loose dogs that give us the most problem….
I break ALL of these. Or used to until we switched to wet food.
I free fed kibbles and used wet food and treats for enrichment and training.
I love the OUTSIDE of dog parks, out of the way of dogs and people, for DS/CC.
I use high quality tape flexis on dogs who are under voice control and not dependent on leashes. Dogs who do off leash. I even worked my public access service dog on a 6 ft flexi. Although, I will freely admit that the vast majority of people don’t use flexis safely and shouldn’t have them.
And if someone puts in the time to work with two littermates separately, I haven’t seen problems arise.
Hi Me, thanks for the comments. I didn’t write the article to point out things that people do wrong, in fact it was to point out the curiosity that dog trainers do a lot of things differently than dog owners. Which makes me always wonder: what do I do differently as a car owner that a mechanic never does? Or as a home owner that an insurance agent never does? Or…I could go on and on. Thanks for dropping in!
As an animal behaviorist/trainer, I agree with most everything except the dog parks. I find that most people, trainers or not, who don’t like dog parks are under the mistaken idea that dogs shouldn’t be allowed to be dogs. Just like children learn how to properly interact with each other, and
can learn good social behavior from others, by playing at school, summer camp, or even their local park (where there is significant risk of communicable diseases), so do dogs. I started bringing my dog to dog parks when she was about five months old, and it helped her so much socially. Other, particularly older, dogs were excellent at letting her know when she was doing something “rude” (like trying to climb on another dog), and she also picked up on some good habits they had, such as how to play politely and coming back when she was called.
Yes, dog fights are a risk – I stopped going to one of my local dog parks on certain days because someone continuously brought their poorly behaved dog there – but I’ve also gone many, many times without having a problem. I also disagree about not allowing dogs to work out minor issues on their own, depending on the severity of a situation. Dogs can communicate effectively between themselves, and so long as there is no actual fighting they will probably tolerate each other quicker if we don’t interfere. Oftentimes by intervening, our dogs think that they must now protect us and the situation can escalate much quicker than if we keep our distance. That being said, if my dog portrays rude behavior (humping, for instance), I will correct it – but I also don’t blame another dog for reacting to that rude behavior. All the better if they let him know that’s unacceptable.
As for diseases, well, keep your dog vaccinated and know their immunity. If you have an immunocompromised dog, don’t take them to a dog park. However, if you have a healthy, fully vaccinated dog, then the dog park and other public places can actually boost their immune system. You can’t keep them locked up inside and prevent them from ever socializing with anything in the hopes that it will keep them safer – it will likely have the opposite effect in multiple aspects.
Also, while I do generally agree with not free feeding, for some dogs it is the best option. My parent’s dog is not at all food motivated and doesn’t care about his own food at all, whether it be for treats (especially not for treats, actually), on a schedule, or hidden in a puzzle feeder. I think his motis operandi is that he eats when he feels he has expended enough energy to eat, which varies from day to day. My dog, also, had to be free fed while I was working full time because she was losing weight (no underlying health issue, as confirmed by a vet) from skipping meals when I tried scheduled feeding, puzzle feeders, and using it for training.
Nicole, I would generally let two dogs work out minor differences, however the problem that occurs at dog parkd when a kurfuffle begins is that there are usually MORE dogs who want to see what’s going on, pack mentality kicks in, and then it can become a free for all where dogs can be hurt or worse. Too many dog owners are not adept at intervening wihtout becoming a victim themrselves, and as you mentioned, anyone with a dog can walk in, whether the dog is tempermentally stable, properly socialized, or not.
I find many owners are too timid to intervene with other owners dogs. I’ve thrown a black lab 5ft to stop him from attacking my dog when he was a puppy. Told the owner to never come back and I haven’t seen her since.
Hi Nicole, thanks for your perspective. I think there are lots of opportunities to socialize dogs that don’t include dog parks. I have raised service dogs, who need lots of frequent socialization, since 2001 and we’ve been successful with socialization without ever stepping a paw into a dog park. Thankfully, there are lots of non-dog park options for socialization and exercise. Please stop in again!
Please specify what those options are.
Some of the many options include:
Get togethers with friends who have appropriate dogs — we use fenced backyards.
Patio dining in our local dog-friendly town of Frederick is a *lovely* way to spend an evening with friends and socialize a dog who can lie quietly on the patio while we’re dining.
Neighborhood walks with appropriate dogs.
Local dog-friendly dog training classes.
Hiking, camping, walking.
All sound wonderful – you dog is lucky!
Thank you for your response. I’ve been told by the trainer and other dog professionals that taking my skiddish adoptee to a dog park (carefully) is the best way to get him to open up and it really seemed to help. I haven’t had a chance to take him back yet but he was actually starting to open up to the people who held out their hand and even let some of the dogs sniff him, once he saw they weren’t going to hurt him and it was perfectly normal.
Most of the people I have talked to who’s dogs caught diseases, gotten in fights were at or shortly before at a dog park. You cannot protect them from every bad experience; but you can guard them against dog parks – just don’t go there!
I almost lost a dog to a wolf because he was on s flex leash. The wolf was noticed by a park employee who notified me – the dog never eve3n saw it.
My dog free feeds, it works for him and me. I know how much my dog eats daily. Because Kalib gets quality food he eats less and defecates less. The most important thing that has never been thought by any of the training sessions I have attended is voice control (and I don’t mean yelling or not yelling) – a technique I have taught to people who are interested in learning it. Did they teach you that at CCPDT?
The CCPDT is a certifying organization, not an educational organization.
PLEASE HELP! We got a dog, and she is having a really hard time adjusting. We paid $400 nonrefundable to keep her in our apartment rental. Not thinking that was such a great investment after getting to know this dog for more than the 3 days I visited at the shelter.
Our 2 year old 14 lb female manchester terrier (got her 2 weeks ago from the shelter) will whine at the door incessantly, and most of the time it is just to sniff around outside at every blade of grass/the cows next door instead of going potty. We take her on a jog for at least 20 minutes every day. Therefore, we have tried to ignore the relentless whining, but it is really hard to tell when she DOES need to go. Sometimes she’s peed on the floor during the whining at the door even if we just took her out. Before she did that. she scratched at the door, so I guess that’s a different signal. She whines at the door about 20+ times a day when we are home. She is crated for about 4 hours a day. I always use firm commands for everything, and follow up with praise when the dog does the right thing, like coming when she’s called. She still does not sit on command, even when we press on her hindquarters and give her a treat in the sitting position. The funny thing is, she will stop whining and SIT QUIETLY AT THE DOOR AND STARE AT US. Then when we get up, she will go crazy, jumping, spinning in circles, darting back and forth. That is the ONLY TIME she will sit, and there’s no way to catch her in the act and give a treat without getting up. There is no way to get any work done with her whining and cleaning up accident messes. Not to mention, any time we open the door she will run to it full force, and slip through the crack. We have to knock before coming home from work so the person who is home can grab the dog. We try to show her that when she goes out to pee, human goes first, then dog, trying to teach patience. The dog jumps on the furniture even when we tell her not to, and has broken things off the coffee table. (all breakables have since been hidden away) BTW, the dog will sit or stand quietly ON people but not on the floor. She mostly wants to lay on our laps or whine at the door when we are home and gets very upset if we don’t constantly lavish attention on her. If my husband and I are being affectionate to each other and not paying attention to her, she growls and whines until we do.
Also, I have made it clear that the dog is not allowed in the bedroom because she dug a hole in my featherbed and she eats the carpet. Yes, she rips up the yarn and eats it, and makes me pull it out of her throat. yuck. When we redirect her from destructive habits by saying NO or trying to distract her with a toy, she will automatically start licking and biting her paws for about an hour, which has resulted in hot spots. Bitter spray doesn’t work. She still licks it off. Tastes awful to me. I try to say NO! and put my hand under her chin to keep her from licking, but then she licks and bites my hand.
Also, there’s the problem about any time my husband and I are in the bedroom, either together or solo. If anyone is in the bedroom or bathroom and closes the door, she will freak out. Folding laundry, napping, trying to sleep, whatever. She will whine at the door, bite and scratch it until we come out. Even a kong filled with pb and treats will not sate her.
At night, she was allowed to sleep on the couch after going out to pee until we realized she whined all night regardless of where she was. My husband broke down and let her sleep on a cushion in our bedroom a couple times, and she tried to jump on the bed. When we wouldn’t let her, she whined all night again. I ended up sleeping with the dog on the couch.
At bedtime, we put her in her crate, which is big enough to fit a great dane. It has all the fancy accommodations a dog could need. Water bowl, soft blanket, dog bed, toys, etc. We have always lured her in with treats and don’t use the crate as time out or punishment. Yet, when the dog is placed there for the night, she whines ALL NIGHT. We get NO SLEEP! I usually have to get up at 5AM and have an hour to commute, so I can’t function during clinical hours when she does this. The whining is killing our sleep, not to mention our intimacy. And NO, I am NOT allowing her in our bedroom. It is our place, not the dog’s. The dog has her own bed. She is literally a foot away from our bedroom in the crate. I don’t want to sleep with a dog in our bed. I feel that the dog believes she is dominant over us and that humans exist solely to serve her highness, waiting on her hand and foot. Any advice for handling this anxious diva dog? Is there any hope? Any huge things that we are doing wrong?
Hi Gene, thanks for the comment, sounds like there’s a lot going on with your new dog. I’ve picked out several things in my quick readthrough: house training, learning to understand your dog’s signs, keeping her off the furniture, dashing out the door, basic good manners (sit, wait, etc.), and probably (most importantly) anxiety. This is a big ball of wax and can’t be addressed over the internet. A trainer who can work in-person with you will give you the most bang for your buck, as she can see the dynamics, break each issue down into it’s basic component, and develop a training plan that addresses each of your concerns. I would encourage you to do two things: (1) look at http://www.findagreatdogtrainer.com to find a qualified dog trainer and (2) find a good veterinarian who is comfortable working with behavior and anxiety. It sounds as if there’s a good deal of anxiety bubbling around and training can make only so much progress without addressing that anxiety first.
It’s a tough — but do-able — road. Having a good veterinarian and trainer on your team will give you the best chance of success for both you and your dog.
Nice work