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Dog Training Fun: What is It With Great Danes and Naps?

I didn’t get much sleep last night. So a nap was in order for today. All the other dogs happily snoozed along with me, but that silly Siena. She was here and there, pouncing on dust bunnies, digging at dried slobber on the floor, and generally making as much noise as she could. I finally got up. And she went to sleep. Aargh! 

Here’s what happened a few years ago with Talos, our first Great Dane service puppy in training…

Ever tried napping with a Great Dane pup? A lively, energetic, not-even-close-to-tired Great Dane pup?

I’m here to tell you, it ain’t easy.

Heck, I don’t even think it’s possible.

I just found this video while I was organizing my files (yeah, because I have that kind of time). Since this video was taken (back in early August), I’ve actually managed to nap with him.

I crawled onto the couch after he was already fast asleep. Hey, don’t knock it – it worked!

Until he woke up and jumped on me. Enjoy the video:

 

 

 

Service Dog Training: What It Takes to Make a Good Service Dog


service dog, dog training, assistance dog, therapy dog, dog obedience, Frederick, Smart Dog, puppy training, dog classesLots of people say “I think my dog would be a good service dog, he’s so friendly!”

Truth is, it’s really hard to become a service dog. Friendliness is just one of the many things a dog needs to be good at to meet the high standards of service work.

As we evaluate our latest service pup in-training and her progress, here are some of the things we’re looking for.

  • ability to bounce back quickly from something scary
  • adaptability — can she transition easily between crowded public places like the supermarket, to quiet locations like the library
  • go with the flow attitude
  • physical health and structure — is she physically built to do the job of a support/brace dog? Does she have any allergies or other medical conditions that would prevent her from working a full career
  • can she learn all the basic good-manners behaviors quickly and incorporate those into her daily life easily without contsant reminders
  • can she learn to walk nicely on a leash all the time — no matter what distractions pop up in her environment
  • is she able to tolerate loud noises, sirens, flashing lights, bangs, and clattering? Many dogs are undone by the applause of an auditorium or the public address system — a service dog has to be rock-solid regardless of the noise or commotion going on in their environment.
  • is she able to walk on any type of surface, even if she’s never seen it before? Even if it’s wobbly?
  • can she adapt to new people quickly and easily? Being comfortable with strangers is very important for a service dog because in the event of an emergency, they may need to be separated from their partner.
  • does she enjoy seeing new places, getting attention from strangers, having a crowd around her, seeing many hands come toward her at one time? Service dogs sort of stick out in a crowd — especially a big, spotted Great Dane. She needs to be able to handle the crowds of people that will inevitably surround her at some point during her career.
  • can she sit to be petted? A service dog will rarely be asked to put her paws on people and in fact, jumping on people can lead to a quick dismissal from the program if that behavior can’t be modified. This is where most people who think their dogs would make a good service dog have trouble.
  • friendly with all other dogs. This one can be tough, as service dogs need to be able to tolerate other dogs, but not want to play with them or be distracted by them no matter what else is going on. This is a common reason that service dogs are released from service work.
  • a real desire to work with their partner. Lazy dogs don’t make very good service dogs! Service dogs need to be able to sleep quietly under a desk for a few hours, then at a moment’s notice be able to get up and thread through a crowd and help their partner navigate the subway system.

Most pet dogs have some of these qualities. Service dogs need to have them all!

Even though many service dog organizations select breeders specifically for dogs with good temperaments and excellent health, the release rate can be high. Our three dogs: Lily, Tango, and Nemo were all released from the program. Lily wasn’t comfortable in public, she was also reactive to other dogs. Nemo was a bit nervous in public and had a very bad fungal infection when he was just a year old. Tango would have been a fantastic service dog, but he has a bum leg (shoulder/elbow) that precluded him from having a full service dog career. He’s now a registered therapy dog which makes him very happy. He was born to do service work, and thankfully therapy work allows him the best of both worlds — he can still go into public places when he’s doing therapy work, but he’s able to get a lot more rest and preserve his health.

Some dogs have all the right skills to do service work, but just aren’t happy doing it.

Lily is an example of a whip-smart dog who could be a star service dog. But she doesn’t like being in public. That’s enough to keep her out of the program. An unhappy working dog doesn’t make a good partner for someone. And we want both ends of the leash to be happy together!

We will continue to watch Siena and evaluate her through the lens of a service dog partner for someone.

She’s already passed the “good pet” tests — if she doesn’t make it in the tough world of service work, she’s going to make someone very happy as she lounges on the couch or takes long walks with them.

Dog Training: Ask the Trainer – When Can I Get Rid of the Crate?

I love crate. I love dogs who love crates. It’s pretty easy to teach your dog to love his crate, and I can’t think of a good reason not to crate a healthy, happy dog.

Why Crate?

Crating is a skill that your dog may need for the rest of his life.

Injury

Dogs being treated for an illness or injury are very often on crate rest for long periods of time. If you’ve let your dog’s crating skills diminish over time, it’s going to be a tough recovery for them. Tough because of the physical issues, but even tougher because now they have to learn how to crate in addition to recuperate from the illness or injury. That’s a tough combination for a dog. I’d rather have the crate already be a familiar and welcome place for the dog to be — he’s likely to actually seek out the crate for rest and recuperation instead of fighting it.

Travel

Crating will be necessary if you travel and need to board your dog.The crating area may be larger, like a kennel run, but it’s still very similar to crating. If your dog is already used to being crated, this kennel run is more like a super-duper big crate instead of being like a jail to him. He’s going to be more relaxed while you’re away. Which, in the end, means YOU will be more relaxed!

Home

Keeping your dog in a crate means your dog is safe when you’re not there to watch him. He can’t be on the counter or in the trash. He won’t be on the counter or in the cleaning chemicals. He won’t be digging up the carpet or chewing on the cherry cabinets. Your iPhone, remotes, and shoes will be in the same place and in the same condition as when you left the house. In short, crating keeps your dog and your stuff safe!

Lily, our 12 old Labrador retriever is crated every time we leave the house. That’s her routine, she knows it, and actually runs to her crate when my keys jingle. When she was about 3 or 4 years old, we wanted to give her some house freedom. That house freedom almost killed her. She managed to get into the pantry and got into raisins. After 7 days in the emergency veterinary hospital, she could finally come home. For another week, though, we had to administer 3/4 liter of fluids twice a day. It was horrific for her (and for me, as I abhor needles and this needle was huge!).  Now, Lily is crated when we leave. She’s safe. And so is our checking account.

Introducing House Freedom

If you feel the need to get rid of the crate, re-read that last paragraph above! I get it, most people think their dog would be happier out of the crate. If you do think that, and if you’re positive that you’ve dog-proofed the room, then you can try (try!) house freedom to your dog.

This starts of with just one room of house freedom. Pick the room that is the easiest for you to dog-proof and has the least expensive stuff in it. For some this might be the bathroom or laundry room (think: carpet, moulding, appliances, furniture, etc.). Using a gate or the door, leave the dog alone while you run to do your grocery shopping or other short-ish errand. Give your dog a food-stuffed Kong or something else that will occupy your dog while you’re away.

Hopefully your dog will be sleeping on his dog bed when you come back home and won’t have touched a thing other than that food-stuffed Kong. Hurray! Use that room for a month to be sure your dog is truly happy there and won’t get himself into any trouble. And maybe that’s enough house freedom — he’s out of the crate, he’s got more room to maneuver (but not enough to get himself in trouble).

If you’re really hot on giving your dog the entire house while you’re away, continue to add a room at a time (one per month if all goes well). Opening the entire house up to a dog after just one month’s freedom in just one room isn’t a smart idea. Believe me. I’ve got pictures of a shredded couch as proof. Honest. It was our dear Lily. Another reason she’s crated…

If your dog doesn’t handle house-freedom very well, chalk it up to a good try, and go back to that handy-dandy, reliable crate. Just be sure to take off your dog’s collar, especially if you have tags on it, to be sure nothing can get caught on the crate. Our dogs are always naked in their crates, for safety.

I really like the crates and the safety they offer my dogs. Once I’ve taught my dogs Crate Love, it’s hard to get them out of their crate! They run to the crate automatically, when they know we’re leaving the house. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few dogs out there who are completely fine in the house by themselves. Our Nemo is one of them. The only one of our dogs, however, that we can trust completely. Tango can be left uncrated, but only be in a room that is devoid of food (or even the possibility of food).

Talk back!

Do you use a crate? At what age did you start giving your dog house-freedom?

 

Puppy Training: Lesson of the Day – Chewing



Our puppy chewing days have hit their peak. Siena’s puppy teeth have started to come out and the chewing has begun. I’m gearing up for a few tough weeks where the puppy chews on whatever she finds.

I’m fairly laid back about chewing. Nothing’s a real emergency to me — or at least I don’t let Siena know how important it is to me when she chooses one of my things to chew on. We’ll have more about how to get stuff away from your pup when she steals things, but let’s focus on just one problem at a time (the chewing problem) per post.

Chewing is Normal
Here’s the deal on chewing: puppies do it. A lot. Puppies need to chew. If you accept that going in, you’ll come out of this period with more sanity. Puppies explore their world with their mouth. Puppies also chew because they’re bored and can also chew when they’re stressed and/or scared. It’s going to happen, here’s what you need to know to keep your stuff safe.

Puppy-Proofing
Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around. Parents of two-legged kids do this all the time so they are sure their house is child-proofed. If you have a puppy, you’ve got to to the same thing. Go ahead, get down on the floor and take a look around. Put everything up that’s chewable, pullable, tuggable — basically, put anything that’s not nailed down up high.

Puppy Approved
Have five different toys for your pup. The toys should have different textures and densities. Your pup is going to seek out the toy that fits his needs best. Because puppies are teething, their needs change from day to day. The toy that feels so good on their gums today is going to hurt like the dickens tomorrow. If you see your pup chewing on your wrought iron lawn ornament, make sure you have a hard toy available to him indoors. If you see your pup chewing on the sofa, you need to get a soft, plush toy in your pup’s mouth.

Too Many Toys
Most people have too many toys available to their puppy. Your puppy can play with one (or two) toys at a time. If you have 10 toys laying on your living room floor, that’s too many. I have a stock pile of toys and I’ve divided them into two bins. One set of toys is on the floor and the other is in the washing machine. Too many toys can lead to boredom, but rotating the toys into your pup’s environment helps prevent “toy boredom” and keeps all the toys fresh and clean.

Chuck the “No!”
If you read my post on how and why I don’t use the word “No!” with my dogs, you probably guessed that — even for chewing — I don’t use that word. You’re not giving the pup any good information on what to do.

What To Do With A Chewing Puppy
Be sure your pup has those five chew toys available to him and then…

  • Praise your pup when he’s chewing. I know it might seem silly to tell your pup “good pup” when he’s quiet and minding his own business, but it really helps teach your pup to seek out his own stuff to chew.
  • Play with your pup when he has one of his chew toys. Make that toy come alive so your pup not only enjoys chewing it, but also likes it when you approach him when he’s got something. This will come in handy later, when we talk about pups who steal your stuff.
  • Call your pup to you when he’s looking interested in chewing the carpet or other undesirable object. Praise him when he comes to you and reward him by making one of his approved chew toys come alive!
  • Supervise your puppy. You can tether your puppy, put him in his crate, or gate him in the same room with you so you can keep your eyeballs on him all the time. If you’re not supervising your puppy, you can’t be mad at him when he chews a hole in the drywall.

With this information, hopefully your pup will chew less. Drop us a line and let us know what’s worked for you and your chewing puppy!

Service Dog Training: House Training (aka Potty Training)

Potty training your puppy doesn’t have to be hard.

House Training Schedule for Your Puppy

Start with a schedule and stick with a schedule. Repeat, repeat, repeat. There’s nothing more helpful when potty training a puppy than getting him on a schedule and keeping that schedule. Schedule your pup’s meals. Leave the food down for 20 – 25 minutes, then take it up until the next feeding. Allowing your pup to have free access (called “free feeding”) will slow down your house training efforts.

Schedule frequent trips outside — with your pup on a leash — to give him lots of opportunities to go to the bathroom on the grass. There are good reasons to take your pup on potty breaks on a leash.

  1. You can control your pup — this isn’t play time, it’s pee and poop time.
  2. You are there with your pup to make sure he goes to the bathroom. Too many suburban dog owners just let their pup out in the backyard and assume that business gets done. And then they’re surprised when their pup comes back inside and promptly goes to the bathroom in the house.
  3. You can create the bathroom area in a specific part of your yard. Take your pup to the pee and poop area, stand there, and wait for your pup to go to the bathroom.

You want to take your puppy outside every 30 minutes and after he wakes up from a nap, after an enthusiastic play session, and after he’s eaten.

Supervise Your Puppy

When your pup is inside the house with you, control his access to the rest of the house. Your pup should be in the same room with you at all times (for so many reasons, not just for house training). Wooden or plastic baby gates are easy to find and are relatively inexpensive — there’s no reason not to have at least one in your house. I also use a tether, as well as a crate to help control the pup’s access to the house. Between these three tools, it’s pretty easy to keep your confined so you can “eyeball” your puppy all the time.

It’s important to control your puppy’s access in the house.

Doing this ensures that you will:

  1. teach the puppy to go outside to go to the bathroom
  2. catch on to your pup’s subtle signals that he’s gotta go to the bathroom
  3. make sure he’s not learning to sneak off and pee or poop out of sight. 

More Potty Training Tips

  • Take your pup out the same door every time.
  • Whenever the pup is even remotely close to that door, praise him and take him outside to the potty area.
  • If your pup goes to the bathroom in the house, don’t scold him. You messed up, scold yourself if you feel you must scold someone. Scolding your pup will encourage him to hide when he has to go to the bathroom and it’ll be even harder to teach your pup to go outside.
  • Create a family schedule to share the house training responsibility and so there’s no breakdown in supervision or potty training coverage. It’s really hard to say “I didn’t know I was supposed to be watching the puppy!” if the schedule is posted on the refrigerator.
  • Use an enzymatic cleaner to clean up messes. These enzymatic cleansers actually breakdown the elements of waste and they’re the only thing that will remove the scent. You can’t cover the scent — at least not to a dog’s nose. Dogs can smell 1 tablespoon of sugar in the water it takes to fill two Olympic-sized pools!

It all comes down to YOU.

The more consistent YOU are, the quicker your puppy will learn to go to the bathroom outside. It takes a little bit of planning, but you can have the problem licked in just two short weeks if you get your plan in motion now!

Talk back!

What’s your biggest potty training headache? Have house training hints to share? Leave a comment!

Service Dog Training: Siena’s Status

After two weeks of making up our minds, then changing our minds again, it’s confirmed: Siena’s still in the program. For now.

I’m going to call it her probationary period for lack of a better word. She’s got a long way to go – there are so many things a service dog must excel at (no room for mediocrity in service work), so many things they must tolerate without extreme fear or excitement — it’s a long road for Siena, definitely, but we’re happy with the progress we’ve seen since this inexperienced little Dane came to live with us two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago she trembled when we carried her inside. She wouldn’t enter the house by herself — either too scared or had never had the experience of going up one step. When scared, she would run away from us instead of seeking us out for comfort. I couldn’t walk her through my quiet neighborhood — she trembled so badly I wondered if she could even walk. She was afraid of her food bowl for goodness sake! Even when it had food in it! I was worried not for her service career — that just wasn’t going to happen — but more for her general suitability for just being a pet.

However, over the past two weeks, I’ve worked with several times a day, every day, to help build her confidence, her trust in us, and her experience base. The main reason she’s staying is that we’ve seen her progress quickly and assimilate what she’s seen and experienced and used that when she encounters something else that’s new.

Over the weekend, she rocked the Home Depot and survived a trip to our local grocery store. Siena has the most trouble at grocery stores – I’m not sure why, but I’m guessing because it’s a very “busy” place: there’s so much visually to take in — the carts, displays, shiny floors, tall shelves, bright lighting, people everywhere. Grocery stores aren’t quiet either — there’s always music, announcements over the public address system, banging carts, beeping checkout stations, etc. Add to that mix the hum and air blowing from the refrigeration cases and you’ve got a recipe for disaster for a pup who thinks going inside a house is scary.


Great Dane service dog in training, dog training, puppy training, puppy socialization, Frederick,

Siena makes friends with Nemo

Check in with us here every Monday and I’ll detail Siena’s progress and how we’re working through those challenges she’s facing. If you’re getting a puppy, you’ll get a lot of information that will help you make sure he grows into a well-adjusted family dog. Also, if you’ve adopted a dog from a rescue or shelter, you’ll be able to use the information and apply it to your dog, too! And if you’ve got a normal, laid-back dog, you’re covered, too, because in most other ways, Siena’s a normal dog and we’ll have information for you about how to keep your dog entertained and out of trouble.

 

Do you have a dog who took awhile to warm up to life? Please leave a comment and share what worked for you and your dog. 

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