*~*Schnauzers Of Taylor*~ Everything we do can make a difference. Dedicated to impeccable breeding of the highest standards. We specialize in AKC mini companion pets. Puppies raised in our home nursery with constant love, attention, monitoring and kisses. Health guarantee, CERF/DNA, puppy pkt, blankie and toy. We even litter box trained.We are a very small home breeder so expect to wait for our wonderful litters**AKC Inspected May 2014*~No Shipping, we want to meet face to face*~*
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Learning Program at SOT
Schnauzers Of Taylor is proud to incorporate all of these for our puppies and moms.
Prenatal Care: We take care in providing a non-stressful and loving environment for our expecting moms. Stress can be passed on to puppies. We offer a good balanced diet, holistic supplementation, exercise and attention to help ensure puppies a better start in life.
Prenatal Massage: Studies show that expectant moms who receive massage during pregnancy are more docile. Pups who come from moms that are never petted are scared and receive human attention by being scared. We also offer aromatherapy and soothing music in the nursery.
Puppy Observation:By observing pups from birth we get a better feel of their personality. I have proven right over the years by watching how pups suckled will help determine their personality.
Early Neuro Stimulation Exercises: The “Super Dog” Program. Based on years of research, the military learned that early neurological stimulation exercises could have important and lasting effects. Their studies confirmed that there are specific time periods early in life when neurological stimulation has optimum results. The first period involves a window of time that begins at the third day of life and lasts until the sixteenth day. It is believed that because this interval of time is a period of rapid neurological growth and development, and therefore is of great importance to the puppy.
There are 5 specific exercises. These exercises impact the neurological system by kicking it into action earlier than would be normally expected. The result being an increased capacity that later will help to make the difference in the dogs performance. These include: Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate), Stronger heart beats, Stronger adrenal glands, More tolerance to stress, and Greater resistance to disease and cancer.
Touch: Babies are handled from the moment they are born until the moment I hand them to you. We believe that the more human touch the more your puppy will want it from you. Their eyes and ears are closed until about day 10. We use this time to stimulation them with our exercises and touch.
Sounds/Smells/Textures: We introduce your puppy to different sights, sounds and smells. Getting them used to them early helps them not be frightful as a adult. The vacuum cleaner is a big one for dogs. The hair dryer and the cooking smells of food. These are things that they should be introduced early to desensitize.
Field Trips: Pups have the opportunity to visit the vet several times and we use this time as a way for them to have outside socialization. The big black magic bucket can be carried into the vet office and after people sanitize their hands are asked to pet the puppies. A trip by our local feed store also offer stimulation.
Litterbox Training:No puppy wants to have to go potty in the area they are being raised. We introduce the litterbox at 3 weeks of age. They are so smart and take to it. It makes raising a litter of pups much healthier than allowing them to walk all over their feces.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Calming Signals - The Art of Survival
by Turid Rugaas
For species who live in packs it´s important to be able to communicate with its own kind. Both in order to cooperate when they hunt, to bring up their offspring, and perhaps most importantly: to live in peace with each other. Conflicts are dangerous - they cause physical injuries and a weakened pack, which is something that no pack can afford - it will cause them to go extinct.
Dogs live in a world of sensory input: visual, olfactory, auditory perceptions. They easily perceive tiny details - a quick signal, a slight change in another´s behavior, the expression in our eyesÉ Pack animals are so perceptive to signals that a horse can be trained to follow the contraction in our pupils and a dog can be trained to answer your whispering voice. There´s no need to shout commands, to make the tone of our voice deep and angry - what Karen Pryor refers to as swatting flies with a shovel.
The dogs have about 30 calming signals, perhaps even more. Some of these signals are used by most dogs, while other dogs have an incredibly rich ´vocabulary´. It varies from dog to dog.
The problem
Dogs use this communication system towards us humans, simply because it´s the language they know and think everyone understands.
By failing to see your dog using calming signals on you, and perhaps even punish the dog for using them, you risk causing serious harm to your dog. Some may simply give up using the calming signals, including with other dogs. Others may get so desperate and frustrated that they get aggressive, nervous or stressed out as a result. Puppies and young dogs may actually go into a state of shock.
Basic knowledge
Dad calls Prince and has learned in class that he needs to sound strict and dominant so that Prince will understand who is in charge. Prince finds dad´s voice to be aggressive, and being a dog he instantly give dad a calming signal in order to make him stop being aggressive. Prince will perhaps lick his own nose, yawn, turn away - which will result in dad becoming angry for real, because dad perceieves Prince as being pig-headed, stubborn and disobedient. Prince is punished for using his calming signals to calm dad. This is a typical example of something that happens on an everyday basis with many dog owners.
We need to learn to understand the language of dogs so that we can understand what our dogs are telling us. That is the secret of having a good life together.
How the dog is using the calming signals
Yawning
The dog may yawn when someone bends over him, when you sound angry, when there´s yelling and quarreling in the family, when the dog is at the vet´s office, when someone is walking directly at the dog, when the dog is excited with happiness and anticipation - for instance by the door when you are about to go for a walk, when you ask the dog to do something he doesn´t feel like doing, when your training sessions are too long and the dog gets tired, when you have said NO for doing something you disapprove of, and in many other situations.
Threatening signals (to walk straight at, reach for the dog, bending over the dog, staring into the dog´s eyes, fast movements, and so on) will always cause the dog to use a calming signal. There are about 30 different calming signals, so even when many dogs will yawn, other dogs may use another calming signal.
All dog knows all the signals. When one dog yawns and turn his head to the side, the dog he is ´talking to´ may lick his nose and turn his back - or do something completely different.
The signals are international and universal. All dogs all over the worlds has the same language. A dog from Japan would be understood by an elkhound who lives in an isolated valley in Norway. They will have no communication problems!
Licking
Licking is another signal that is used often. Especially by black dogs, dogs with a lot of hair around their faces, and others who´s facial expressions for some reasons are more difficult to see than those of dogs with lighter colors, visible eyes and long noses. But anyone can use licking, and all dogs understand it no matter how quick it is. The quick little lick on the nose is easier to see if you watch the dog from in front. It´s best seen if you can find somewhere you can sit in peace and quiet and observe. Once you have learned to see the lick, you will also be able to see it while walking the dog.
Sometimes it´s nothing more than a very quick lick, the tip of the tongue is barely visible outside the mouth, and only for a short second. But other dogs see it, understand it and respond to it. Any signal is always returned with a signal.
Turning away/turning of the head
The dog can turn its head sligtly to one side, turn the head completely over to the side, or turn completely around so that the back and tail is facing whoever the dog is calming. This is one of the signals you may see most of the time in dogs.
When someone is approaching your dog from in front, he will turn away in one of these ways. When you seem angry, aggressive or threatening, you will also see one of these variations of the signal. When you bend over a dog to stroke him, he will turn his head away from you. When you make your training sessions too long or too difficult, he will turn his head away from you. When the dog is taken by surprise or take someone by surprise, he will turn away quickly. The same happens when someone is staring or acting in a threatening way.
In most cases, this signal will make the other dog calm down. It´s a fantastic way in which to solve conflicts, and it´s used a lot by all dogs, whether they are puppies or adults, high or low ranking, and so on. Allow your dog to use it! Dogs are experts at solving and avoiding conflicts - they know how to deal with conflicts.
Play bow
Going down with front legs in a bowing position can be an invitation to play if the dog is moving legs from side to side in a playful manner. Just as often, the dog is standing still while bowing and is using the signal to calm someone down. These signals often have double meanings and may be used in many different ways - often the invitation to play is a calming signal by itself because the dog is making a potentially dangerous situation less tense and diverts with something safe.
Recently, in a puppy class with a mix of puppies, one of them was afraid of the others in the beginning. The others left him alone and respected his fear. In the end he would dare to approach the others. When he did, he went into a play bow as soon as one of the other dogs looked at him. It was an obvious combination of slight fear of the others, as well as wanting to take part in the playing.
When two dogs approach each other too abruptly, you will often see that they go into a play bow. This is one of the signals that are easy to see, especially because they remain standing in the bow position for a few seconds so that you have plenty of time to observe it.
Sniffing the ground
Sniffing the ground is a frequently used signal. In groups of puppies you will see it a lot, and also when you and your dog is out walking and someone is coming towards you, in places where there´s a lot going on, in noisy places or when seeing objects that the dog isn´t sure of what is and find intimidating.
Sniffing the ground may be anything from moving the nose swiftly down toward the ground and back up again - to sticking the nose to the ground and sniff persistently for several minutes.
Is someone approaching you on the pavement? Take a look at your dog. Did he drop the nose down toward the ground, even slightly? Did he turn his side to the one approaching and sniff the side of the road?
Of course, dogs sniff a lot, also in order to ´read the paper´ and enjoy themselves. Dogs are pre-programmed to use their noses and it´s their favorite activity. However, sometimes it´s calming - it depends on the situation. So pay attention to when and in which situations the sniffing occur!
Walking slowly
High speed will be seen as threatening to many dogs, and they might want to go in to try and stop the one who is running. This is partly a hunting behavior and is triggered by the sight of a running human or dog. If the one running is coming straight at the dog, it involves a threat and a defence mechanism sets in.
A dog who is insecure will move slowly. If you wish to make a dog feel safer, then you can move slower. When I see a dog react to me with a calming signal, I immediately respond by moving slower.
Is your dog coming very slowly when you call him? If so, check the tone of your voice - do you sound angry or strict? That may be enough for him to want to calm you down by walking slowly. Have you ever been angry with him when he came to you? Then this may be why he doesn´t trust you. Another reason to calm you may be if the dog is always put on a leash when coming when called. Take a look at your dog the next time you call him. Does he give you any calming signals when coming? If he moves slowly, you may need to do something different in the way you act.
Freezing
"Freezing" - is what we call it when the dog is stopping while standing completely still, sitting or laying down and remain in that position. This behavior is believed to have something to do with hunting behavior - when the prey is running, the dog attacks. Once the prey stops, the dog will stop too. We can often see this when dogs are chasing cats. This behavior, however, is used in several different situations. When you get angry and aggressive and appear threatening, the dog will often freeze and not move in order to make you be good again. Other times the dog may walk slowly, freeze, and then move slowly again. Many owners believe that they have very obedient dogs who is sitting, lying down or standing completely still. Perhaps they are actually using calming signals? Very often a dog will stop and remain calm when someone is approaching. If your dog wants to stop or move slowly in a situation like that, then let him. Also, should your dog be in a conflict situation with a human or dog, and is unable to escape, freezing may be one way to calm the other dog or person.
Sitting down/lifting one paw
I have only rarely seen dogs lift their paw as a calming signal, but on a few occasions it´s clearly been used to calm another dog.
To sit down, or an even stronger signal, to sit down with the back turned towards someone - for instance the owner - has a very calming effect. It´s often seen when one dog wants to calm another dog who is approaching too quickly. Dogs may sit down with their backs turned against the owner when he or she sounds too strict or angry.
Walking in curve
This signal is frequently used as a calming signal, and it is the main reason why dogs may react so strongly towards meeting dogs when they are forced to walk straight at someone.. Their instincts tell them that it is wrong to approach someone like that - the owner says differently. The dog gets anxious and defensive. And we get a dog who is barking and lunging at other dogs, and eventually we have an aggressive dog.
Dogs, when given a chance, will walk in curves around each other. That´s what they do when they meet off leash and are free to do things their own way. Allow your dog to do the same when he´s with you.
Some dogs needs large curves, while others only need to walk slightly curved. Allow the dog decide what feels right and safe for him, then, in time and if you want to, he can learn to pass other dogs closer.
Let the dog walk in a curve around a meeting dog! Don´t make him walk in a heel position while you´re going straight forward - give him a chance to walk in a curve past the meeting dog. If you keep the leash loose and let the dog decide, you will often see that the dog chooses to walk away instead of getting hysterical.
For the same the reason, don´t walk directly toward a dog, but walk up to it in a curve. The more anxious or aggressive the dog is, the wider you make the curve.
Other calming signals
By now you have learned about some of the more common calming signals. There are around 30 of them, and many have yet to be described. I will mention a few more briefly so that you can make further observations:
"Smiling", either by pulling the corners of the mouth up and back, or by showing the teeth as in a grin.
Smacking the lips
Wagging the tail - should a dog show signs of anxiety, calming or anything that clearly has little to do with happiness, the wagging of the tail isn´t an expression of happiness, but rather that the dog wants to calm you.
Urinating on himself - A dog who is cowering and crawling toward his owner while wetting himself and waving his tail, is showing three clear signs of calming - and of fear. · Wanting to get up into your face and lick the corners of your mouth.
Making the face round and smooth with the ears close to the head in order to act like a puppy. (No one will harm a puppy, is what the dog believes)
Laying down with the belly against the ground. This has nothing to do with submission - submission is when the dog lays down with the belly up. Laying down with the belly towards the ground is a calming signal.
...an there are even more calming signals that are used in combination with others. For instance, a dog may urinate at the same time as he is turning his back to something. This is a clear sign of calming by for instance an annoying adolescent dog.
Some dogs act like puppies, jumping around and act silly, throwing sticks around, etc. if they discover a fearful dog nearby. It´s supposed to have, and does have, a calming effect.
Meeting situations
A meeting situation between two strange dogs will almost never show signs of strong submission or what people refer to as dominant behavior. A meeting situation between two dogs will usually be something like this:
King and Prince sees each other at 150 meters range and are headed toward each other. They start sending each other message the moment they see each other. Prince stops and stands still (´freezes´), and King is walking slowly while he keeps glancing at the other dog through the corner of his eye.
As King gets closer, Prince starts licking his nose intensly, and he turns his side to King and starts sniffing the ground too. Now King is so close that he needs to be even more calming, so he starts walking in a curve and away from Prince - still slowly and now he is licking his nose too. Prince sits down, and looks away by turning his head far to one side.
By now the two dogs have ´read´ each other so well that they know whether they wish to go over and greet each other, or if this could get so intense that it is best to stay away from each other.
Never force dogs into meeting others
Allow the dogs to use their language in meeting situations so that they feel safe. Sometimes they will walk up to each other and get along, other times they feel that it´s safer to stay at a distance - after all, they have already read each other´s signals, they do so even at a several hundred meters distance - there´s no need to meet face to face.
In Canada, dog trainers who attended my lecture, came up with a new name of these calming signals: ´The Language of Peace". That´s exactly what it is. It´s a language which is there to make sure that dogs have a way to avoid and solve conflicts and live together in a peaceful manner. And the dogs are experts at it.
Start observing and you will see for yourself. Most likely, you will get a much better relationship with your dog and other dogs, too, once you are beginning to realize what the dog is really telling you. It´s likely that you will understand things you earlier were unable to figure out. It is incredibly exciting, as well as educational.
Welcome to the world of the dog, and to knowledge of a whole new language!
For species who live in packs it´s important to be able to communicate with its own kind. Both in order to cooperate when they hunt, to bring up their offspring, and perhaps most importantly: to live in peace with each other. Conflicts are dangerous - they cause physical injuries and a weakened pack, which is something that no pack can afford - it will cause them to go extinct.
Dogs live in a world of sensory input: visual, olfactory, auditory perceptions. They easily perceive tiny details - a quick signal, a slight change in another´s behavior, the expression in our eyesÉ Pack animals are so perceptive to signals that a horse can be trained to follow the contraction in our pupils and a dog can be trained to answer your whispering voice. There´s no need to shout commands, to make the tone of our voice deep and angry - what Karen Pryor refers to as swatting flies with a shovel.
The dogs have about 30 calming signals, perhaps even more. Some of these signals are used by most dogs, while other dogs have an incredibly rich ´vocabulary´. It varies from dog to dog.
The problem
Dogs use this communication system towards us humans, simply because it´s the language they know and think everyone understands.
By failing to see your dog using calming signals on you, and perhaps even punish the dog for using them, you risk causing serious harm to your dog. Some may simply give up using the calming signals, including with other dogs. Others may get so desperate and frustrated that they get aggressive, nervous or stressed out as a result. Puppies and young dogs may actually go into a state of shock.
Basic knowledge
Dad calls Prince and has learned in class that he needs to sound strict and dominant so that Prince will understand who is in charge. Prince finds dad´s voice to be aggressive, and being a dog he instantly give dad a calming signal in order to make him stop being aggressive. Prince will perhaps lick his own nose, yawn, turn away - which will result in dad becoming angry for real, because dad perceieves Prince as being pig-headed, stubborn and disobedient. Prince is punished for using his calming signals to calm dad. This is a typical example of something that happens on an everyday basis with many dog owners.
We need to learn to understand the language of dogs so that we can understand what our dogs are telling us. That is the secret of having a good life together.
How the dog is using the calming signals
Yawning
The dog may yawn when someone bends over him, when you sound angry, when there´s yelling and quarreling in the family, when the dog is at the vet´s office, when someone is walking directly at the dog, when the dog is excited with happiness and anticipation - for instance by the door when you are about to go for a walk, when you ask the dog to do something he doesn´t feel like doing, when your training sessions are too long and the dog gets tired, when you have said NO for doing something you disapprove of, and in many other situations.
Threatening signals (to walk straight at, reach for the dog, bending over the dog, staring into the dog´s eyes, fast movements, and so on) will always cause the dog to use a calming signal. There are about 30 different calming signals, so even when many dogs will yawn, other dogs may use another calming signal.
All dog knows all the signals. When one dog yawns and turn his head to the side, the dog he is ´talking to´ may lick his nose and turn his back - or do something completely different.
The signals are international and universal. All dogs all over the worlds has the same language. A dog from Japan would be understood by an elkhound who lives in an isolated valley in Norway. They will have no communication problems!
Licking
Licking is another signal that is used often. Especially by black dogs, dogs with a lot of hair around their faces, and others who´s facial expressions for some reasons are more difficult to see than those of dogs with lighter colors, visible eyes and long noses. But anyone can use licking, and all dogs understand it no matter how quick it is. The quick little lick on the nose is easier to see if you watch the dog from in front. It´s best seen if you can find somewhere you can sit in peace and quiet and observe. Once you have learned to see the lick, you will also be able to see it while walking the dog.
Sometimes it´s nothing more than a very quick lick, the tip of the tongue is barely visible outside the mouth, and only for a short second. But other dogs see it, understand it and respond to it. Any signal is always returned with a signal.
Turning away/turning of the head
The dog can turn its head sligtly to one side, turn the head completely over to the side, or turn completely around so that the back and tail is facing whoever the dog is calming. This is one of the signals you may see most of the time in dogs.
When someone is approaching your dog from in front, he will turn away in one of these ways. When you seem angry, aggressive or threatening, you will also see one of these variations of the signal. When you bend over a dog to stroke him, he will turn his head away from you. When you make your training sessions too long or too difficult, he will turn his head away from you. When the dog is taken by surprise or take someone by surprise, he will turn away quickly. The same happens when someone is staring or acting in a threatening way.
In most cases, this signal will make the other dog calm down. It´s a fantastic way in which to solve conflicts, and it´s used a lot by all dogs, whether they are puppies or adults, high or low ranking, and so on. Allow your dog to use it! Dogs are experts at solving and avoiding conflicts - they know how to deal with conflicts.
Play bow
Going down with front legs in a bowing position can be an invitation to play if the dog is moving legs from side to side in a playful manner. Just as often, the dog is standing still while bowing and is using the signal to calm someone down. These signals often have double meanings and may be used in many different ways - often the invitation to play is a calming signal by itself because the dog is making a potentially dangerous situation less tense and diverts with something safe.
Recently, in a puppy class with a mix of puppies, one of them was afraid of the others in the beginning. The others left him alone and respected his fear. In the end he would dare to approach the others. When he did, he went into a play bow as soon as one of the other dogs looked at him. It was an obvious combination of slight fear of the others, as well as wanting to take part in the playing.
When two dogs approach each other too abruptly, you will often see that they go into a play bow. This is one of the signals that are easy to see, especially because they remain standing in the bow position for a few seconds so that you have plenty of time to observe it.
Sniffing the ground
Sniffing the ground is a frequently used signal. In groups of puppies you will see it a lot, and also when you and your dog is out walking and someone is coming towards you, in places where there´s a lot going on, in noisy places or when seeing objects that the dog isn´t sure of what is and find intimidating.
Sniffing the ground may be anything from moving the nose swiftly down toward the ground and back up again - to sticking the nose to the ground and sniff persistently for several minutes.
Is someone approaching you on the pavement? Take a look at your dog. Did he drop the nose down toward the ground, even slightly? Did he turn his side to the one approaching and sniff the side of the road?
Of course, dogs sniff a lot, also in order to ´read the paper´ and enjoy themselves. Dogs are pre-programmed to use their noses and it´s their favorite activity. However, sometimes it´s calming - it depends on the situation. So pay attention to when and in which situations the sniffing occur!
Walking slowly
High speed will be seen as threatening to many dogs, and they might want to go in to try and stop the one who is running. This is partly a hunting behavior and is triggered by the sight of a running human or dog. If the one running is coming straight at the dog, it involves a threat and a defence mechanism sets in.
A dog who is insecure will move slowly. If you wish to make a dog feel safer, then you can move slower. When I see a dog react to me with a calming signal, I immediately respond by moving slower.
Is your dog coming very slowly when you call him? If so, check the tone of your voice - do you sound angry or strict? That may be enough for him to want to calm you down by walking slowly. Have you ever been angry with him when he came to you? Then this may be why he doesn´t trust you. Another reason to calm you may be if the dog is always put on a leash when coming when called. Take a look at your dog the next time you call him. Does he give you any calming signals when coming? If he moves slowly, you may need to do something different in the way you act.
Freezing
"Freezing" - is what we call it when the dog is stopping while standing completely still, sitting or laying down and remain in that position. This behavior is believed to have something to do with hunting behavior - when the prey is running, the dog attacks. Once the prey stops, the dog will stop too. We can often see this when dogs are chasing cats. This behavior, however, is used in several different situations. When you get angry and aggressive and appear threatening, the dog will often freeze and not move in order to make you be good again. Other times the dog may walk slowly, freeze, and then move slowly again. Many owners believe that they have very obedient dogs who is sitting, lying down or standing completely still. Perhaps they are actually using calming signals? Very often a dog will stop and remain calm when someone is approaching. If your dog wants to stop or move slowly in a situation like that, then let him. Also, should your dog be in a conflict situation with a human or dog, and is unable to escape, freezing may be one way to calm the other dog or person.
Sitting down/lifting one paw
I have only rarely seen dogs lift their paw as a calming signal, but on a few occasions it´s clearly been used to calm another dog.
To sit down, or an even stronger signal, to sit down with the back turned towards someone - for instance the owner - has a very calming effect. It´s often seen when one dog wants to calm another dog who is approaching too quickly. Dogs may sit down with their backs turned against the owner when he or she sounds too strict or angry.
Walking in curve
This signal is frequently used as a calming signal, and it is the main reason why dogs may react so strongly towards meeting dogs when they are forced to walk straight at someone.. Their instincts tell them that it is wrong to approach someone like that - the owner says differently. The dog gets anxious and defensive. And we get a dog who is barking and lunging at other dogs, and eventually we have an aggressive dog.
Dogs, when given a chance, will walk in curves around each other. That´s what they do when they meet off leash and are free to do things their own way. Allow your dog to do the same when he´s with you.
Some dogs needs large curves, while others only need to walk slightly curved. Allow the dog decide what feels right and safe for him, then, in time and if you want to, he can learn to pass other dogs closer.
Let the dog walk in a curve around a meeting dog! Don´t make him walk in a heel position while you´re going straight forward - give him a chance to walk in a curve past the meeting dog. If you keep the leash loose and let the dog decide, you will often see that the dog chooses to walk away instead of getting hysterical.
For the same the reason, don´t walk directly toward a dog, but walk up to it in a curve. The more anxious or aggressive the dog is, the wider you make the curve.
Other calming signals
By now you have learned about some of the more common calming signals. There are around 30 of them, and many have yet to be described. I will mention a few more briefly so that you can make further observations:
"Smiling", either by pulling the corners of the mouth up and back, or by showing the teeth as in a grin.
Smacking the lips
Wagging the tail - should a dog show signs of anxiety, calming or anything that clearly has little to do with happiness, the wagging of the tail isn´t an expression of happiness, but rather that the dog wants to calm you.
Urinating on himself - A dog who is cowering and crawling toward his owner while wetting himself and waving his tail, is showing three clear signs of calming - and of fear. · Wanting to get up into your face and lick the corners of your mouth.
Making the face round and smooth with the ears close to the head in order to act like a puppy. (No one will harm a puppy, is what the dog believes)
Laying down with the belly against the ground. This has nothing to do with submission - submission is when the dog lays down with the belly up. Laying down with the belly towards the ground is a calming signal.
...an there are even more calming signals that are used in combination with others. For instance, a dog may urinate at the same time as he is turning his back to something. This is a clear sign of calming by for instance an annoying adolescent dog.
Some dogs act like puppies, jumping around and act silly, throwing sticks around, etc. if they discover a fearful dog nearby. It´s supposed to have, and does have, a calming effect.
Meeting situations
A meeting situation between two strange dogs will almost never show signs of strong submission or what people refer to as dominant behavior. A meeting situation between two dogs will usually be something like this:
King and Prince sees each other at 150 meters range and are headed toward each other. They start sending each other message the moment they see each other. Prince stops and stands still (´freezes´), and King is walking slowly while he keeps glancing at the other dog through the corner of his eye.
As King gets closer, Prince starts licking his nose intensly, and he turns his side to King and starts sniffing the ground too. Now King is so close that he needs to be even more calming, so he starts walking in a curve and away from Prince - still slowly and now he is licking his nose too. Prince sits down, and looks away by turning his head far to one side.
By now the two dogs have ´read´ each other so well that they know whether they wish to go over and greet each other, or if this could get so intense that it is best to stay away from each other.
Never force dogs into meeting others
Allow the dogs to use their language in meeting situations so that they feel safe. Sometimes they will walk up to each other and get along, other times they feel that it´s safer to stay at a distance - after all, they have already read each other´s signals, they do so even at a several hundred meters distance - there´s no need to meet face to face.
In Canada, dog trainers who attended my lecture, came up with a new name of these calming signals: ´The Language of Peace". That´s exactly what it is. It´s a language which is there to make sure that dogs have a way to avoid and solve conflicts and live together in a peaceful manner. And the dogs are experts at it.
Start observing and you will see for yourself. Most likely, you will get a much better relationship with your dog and other dogs, too, once you are beginning to realize what the dog is really telling you. It´s likely that you will understand things you earlier were unable to figure out. It is incredibly exciting, as well as educational.
Welcome to the world of the dog, and to knowledge of a whole new language!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Pack Mentality
Understanding the Nature of the Pack
Pack leaders don’t project nervousness. They don’t project panic. They don’t project tension.
What’s the same about a dog, an elephant and a horse? These animals all organize behind a leader.
People make a mistake when they treat dogs like humans. Every species has its own psychology. If we understand its psychology, we can control the behavior, because we know how to relate to them.
Newborn puppies need to find a place or status within the pack. They don’t get a name like we do, because personality is something humans create and only exists in our world. In the animal world, there are two positions: the leader and the follower. Dogs are simple; we make their lives complicated by misunderstanding what they need as a species.
Dog Speak
Dogs communicate through constant energy. The pack leader always projects a calm-assertive energy. Energy is what I call beingness: who and what you are being at every moment. (If you don’t know what I mean by calm-assertive energy, think about Oprah Winfrey. She is calm and assertive in the human world.) Pack leaders don’t project nervousness. They don’t project panic. They don’t project tension.
Simply put: the pack leader is a calm-assertive presence that provides balance to the pack. It’s also not about gender; a female or a male can become pack leader. Pack leaders control everything; nothing is open to debate.
Two Worlds Collide
When dogs come into our homes, they meet emotional energy for the first time. We shower them with affection, and they see us as excited energy. This is why dogs don’t listen to humans. Their mothers never acted this way. Where did the calm-assertive leadership go?
We often develop a different agenda for our dogs. We want to make puppies our babies. When people see a nervous or shy dog, they console her like they would another human.
In the animal world, this nurtures instability, something a pack would never do. From day one, the human fulfills himself and forgets about what’s important to the dog.
In the absence of a one hundred percent leader, the dog, even a submissive one, will seek to fill what they see as a vacant role. The dog will ignore the owner or act out in other ways. This is the beginning of giving control to the dog.
One of the most important things you can remember is that dogs are animals. If we don’t fulfill them as a species, they won’t live a balanced, centered life. Understanding and projecting a pack leader’s calm-assertive energy will create a positive and lasting connection with your dog.
from Cesar Millan website
Pack leaders don’t project nervousness. They don’t project panic. They don’t project tension.
What’s the same about a dog, an elephant and a horse? These animals all organize behind a leader.
People make a mistake when they treat dogs like humans. Every species has its own psychology. If we understand its psychology, we can control the behavior, because we know how to relate to them.
Newborn puppies need to find a place or status within the pack. They don’t get a name like we do, because personality is something humans create and only exists in our world. In the animal world, there are two positions: the leader and the follower. Dogs are simple; we make their lives complicated by misunderstanding what they need as a species.
Dog Speak
Dogs communicate through constant energy. The pack leader always projects a calm-assertive energy. Energy is what I call beingness: who and what you are being at every moment. (If you don’t know what I mean by calm-assertive energy, think about Oprah Winfrey. She is calm and assertive in the human world.) Pack leaders don’t project nervousness. They don’t project panic. They don’t project tension.
Simply put: the pack leader is a calm-assertive presence that provides balance to the pack. It’s also not about gender; a female or a male can become pack leader. Pack leaders control everything; nothing is open to debate.
Two Worlds Collide
When dogs come into our homes, they meet emotional energy for the first time. We shower them with affection, and they see us as excited energy. This is why dogs don’t listen to humans. Their mothers never acted this way. Where did the calm-assertive leadership go?
We often develop a different agenda for our dogs. We want to make puppies our babies. When people see a nervous or shy dog, they console her like they would another human.
In the animal world, this nurtures instability, something a pack would never do. From day one, the human fulfills himself and forgets about what’s important to the dog.
In the absence of a one hundred percent leader, the dog, even a submissive one, will seek to fill what they see as a vacant role. The dog will ignore the owner or act out in other ways. This is the beginning of giving control to the dog.
One of the most important things you can remember is that dogs are animals. If we don’t fulfill them as a species, they won’t live a balanced, centered life. Understanding and projecting a pack leader’s calm-assertive energy will create a positive and lasting connection with your dog.
from Cesar Millan website
Sunday, September 02, 2007
New Puppy? Start Puppy Off Right
For your puppy to grow into a healthy, balanced dog, you must demonstrate leadership from day one.
New puppy owners often make the mistake of endlessly worrying about finding the right puppy treats or bed. They spend little or no time worrying about how or what they will teach their new puppy.
Yes, a puppy needs nutritious food and a safe, warm place to live. But another equally powerful and important biological necessity is the need for a strong pack leader to serve as the dominant source of alpha energy in their lives.
Puppies are naturally hard-wired to follow a pack leader. A pack leader is, by definition, strong, stable and consistent; traits many new puppy owners forget around their dogs. I have had clients who are strong leaders in their jobs, but, when they come home, they turn to mush with their dogs. Then they come to me, puzzled as to why their dog won’t behave.
Puppies sense our confidence levels and will take control if they perceive us as weak. When dogs or puppies take control, bad behaviors, such as excessive barking, leash-pulling, or anxiety, will develop.
The most important thing you can do is to become your puppy’s pack leader. This role doesn’t begin when your dog is six months old or when he’s bad. For your puppy to grow into a healthy, balanced dog, you must demonstrate leadership from day one.
Here are some important points to remember in your role as pack leader:
When getting a new pet, make sure to set aside time every day to provide mental exercise by maintaining rules, boundaries and limitations. When these needs are met, the affection you give to your dog will be channeled as a reward.
Create a schedule that includes a daily 45-minute power-walk in the morning. This is critical for your dog’s health, both physical and mental.
Enlist your whole family in the process of bringing a new dog home. Discuss what their responsibilities will be before the puppy arrives.
Make sure you find a breed that fits your lifestyle. For example, more active breeds, like hunting and herding dogs, require more physical exercise to stay physically and mentally content.
Always walk out the door ahead of your dog when leaving the house. This will show your dog who is in the leadership role.
On walks, make sure that your dog is not in front of you, pulling you down the street. Instead, keep your dog to your side or behind you. This will also demonstrate to your dog that you are the alpha figure.
Give the puppy something to do before you share food, water, toys or affection. This way the dog earns his treat. For example, have your puppy perform the Sit or Down command.
Set aside a budget for unexpected circumstances, like medical bills and training classes. A healthy, well-trained dog makes a wonderful pet.
A puppy will be set up to fail if his new family doesn’t learn these lessons before he arrives. Remember, puppies don’t crave a fancy treat or bed; they need you to become their stable pack leader to demonstrate love in a way they understand.
from Cesar Millan website
New puppy owners often make the mistake of endlessly worrying about finding the right puppy treats or bed. They spend little or no time worrying about how or what they will teach their new puppy.
Yes, a puppy needs nutritious food and a safe, warm place to live. But another equally powerful and important biological necessity is the need for a strong pack leader to serve as the dominant source of alpha energy in their lives.
Puppies are naturally hard-wired to follow a pack leader. A pack leader is, by definition, strong, stable and consistent; traits many new puppy owners forget around their dogs. I have had clients who are strong leaders in their jobs, but, when they come home, they turn to mush with their dogs. Then they come to me, puzzled as to why their dog won’t behave.
Puppies sense our confidence levels and will take control if they perceive us as weak. When dogs or puppies take control, bad behaviors, such as excessive barking, leash-pulling, or anxiety, will develop.
The most important thing you can do is to become your puppy’s pack leader. This role doesn’t begin when your dog is six months old or when he’s bad. For your puppy to grow into a healthy, balanced dog, you must demonstrate leadership from day one.
Here are some important points to remember in your role as pack leader:
When getting a new pet, make sure to set aside time every day to provide mental exercise by maintaining rules, boundaries and limitations. When these needs are met, the affection you give to your dog will be channeled as a reward.
Create a schedule that includes a daily 45-minute power-walk in the morning. This is critical for your dog’s health, both physical and mental.
Enlist your whole family in the process of bringing a new dog home. Discuss what their responsibilities will be before the puppy arrives.
Make sure you find a breed that fits your lifestyle. For example, more active breeds, like hunting and herding dogs, require more physical exercise to stay physically and mentally content.
Always walk out the door ahead of your dog when leaving the house. This will show your dog who is in the leadership role.
On walks, make sure that your dog is not in front of you, pulling you down the street. Instead, keep your dog to your side or behind you. This will also demonstrate to your dog that you are the alpha figure.
Give the puppy something to do before you share food, water, toys or affection. This way the dog earns his treat. For example, have your puppy perform the Sit or Down command.
Set aside a budget for unexpected circumstances, like medical bills and training classes. A healthy, well-trained dog makes a wonderful pet.
A puppy will be set up to fail if his new family doesn’t learn these lessons before he arrives. Remember, puppies don’t crave a fancy treat or bed; they need you to become their stable pack leader to demonstrate love in a way they understand.
from Cesar Millan website
Saturday, September 01, 2007
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THOSE MOUTHY PUPS!
Puppies are naturally biting machines. In a way, this is good because they learn to inhibit their jaw strength to exist with us fragile humans. Most mouthing is reflexive behavior. When a pup is touched, or even approached with a hand, the mouth is the natural means of responding. Puppies can be taught to inhibit this reaction. (It will help if you pet the puppy with long, firm strokes rather than quick pats.) Here are some ideas to help with this ouchy problem.
Grab a paw when your pup starts mouthing you. This distracts him from chewing on you-at which point you can praise him for being such a good dog. (Praising for good behavior is just as important as stopping the bad behavior.) Another idea is to holler “Ouch” in a squeaky voice and immediately leave the pup. After a minute, return and reward your pup’s good behavior by playing with him-immediately leaving if he starts biting again.
Teach your pup the “no-bite” or “stop it” commands. When he nips at you, take him by the jowls and lift his head up so you can look him in the eye for several seconds while you repeat the command. Release and ignore him. After a minute call him to you and praise him when he gets to you.
You can accustom your pup or dog to being grabbed and petted (valuable with children in the family) by giving a treat with one hands while gradually moving the other hand closer, giving a treat each time. Then start from the beginning with the other hand. Increase the speed of arm and hand and the squeeze (grab) of the dog. Another way to accustom the pup to hands moving toward his head or body is to scratch him on the chest or throat with one hand as your other hand moves into his visual field. This teaches the pup to inhibit his bite reflex when people and children grab at him.
If you have tried these methods conscientiously for a week or so with no improvement, you can move on to more negative methods. Try a solution of one part vinegar or Listerine to ten parts water in a spray bottle with a stream. When the puppy bites at your heels, you can squirt him in the mouth and scold in a low, growly voice to stop. Another method of negative reinforcement with a hard-mouthed puppy is to cause the puppy to bite himself. Put your hand under his muzzle and squeeze his lips into his teeth until he gives a squeak of pain. Then ignore the puppy for a minute and then call him over and praise him for doing a good recall.
These suggestions are successful with the normal mouthy puppy. A pup who bites with intent to hurt is an aggressive personality and is a different matter. Most pups, however, will try a nip or two and when they find out it’s not acceptable will stop such behavior.
Videos for help
http://www.perfectpaws.com/pupstuff.html
Grab a paw when your pup starts mouthing you. This distracts him from chewing on you-at which point you can praise him for being such a good dog. (Praising for good behavior is just as important as stopping the bad behavior.) Another idea is to holler “Ouch” in a squeaky voice and immediately leave the pup. After a minute, return and reward your pup’s good behavior by playing with him-immediately leaving if he starts biting again.
Teach your pup the “no-bite” or “stop it” commands. When he nips at you, take him by the jowls and lift his head up so you can look him in the eye for several seconds while you repeat the command. Release and ignore him. After a minute call him to you and praise him when he gets to you.
You can accustom your pup or dog to being grabbed and petted (valuable with children in the family) by giving a treat with one hands while gradually moving the other hand closer, giving a treat each time. Then start from the beginning with the other hand. Increase the speed of arm and hand and the squeeze (grab) of the dog. Another way to accustom the pup to hands moving toward his head or body is to scratch him on the chest or throat with one hand as your other hand moves into his visual field. This teaches the pup to inhibit his bite reflex when people and children grab at him.
If you have tried these methods conscientiously for a week or so with no improvement, you can move on to more negative methods. Try a solution of one part vinegar or Listerine to ten parts water in a spray bottle with a stream. When the puppy bites at your heels, you can squirt him in the mouth and scold in a low, growly voice to stop. Another method of negative reinforcement with a hard-mouthed puppy is to cause the puppy to bite himself. Put your hand under his muzzle and squeeze his lips into his teeth until he gives a squeak of pain. Then ignore the puppy for a minute and then call him over and praise him for doing a good recall.
These suggestions are successful with the normal mouthy puppy. A pup who bites with intent to hurt is an aggressive personality and is a different matter. Most pups, however, will try a nip or two and when they find out it’s not acceptable will stop such behavior.
Videos for help
http://www.perfectpaws.com/pupstuff.html
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cesar’s Insight for Dog Lovers
Dogs are not humans. Before they receive love and affection, they need exercise, clear direction and leadership. Giving them love alone doesn’t create balance in their lives. Be a pack leader!
Rehabilitating a dog is not about “fixing” it. It’s about you, the owner, creating the intention for what you want, not what you’re feeling. Dogs pick up on feelings of fear, doubt or worry – and they will move to fill them by attempting to become dominant.
Practice unwavering leadership every day, especially on your walk. The energy you’re projecting internally is the message you’re sending to your dog.
Dedicate at least 45 minutes of time to the dog’s walk in the morning. Let the dog know you have a consistent pattern that you expect it to follow. Utilize your dog’s energy in a positive manner.
Don’t expect more from your dog(s) than your own children. Dogs need discipline, too. Give them rules, boundaries and limitations as well as love.
Avoid nurturing your dog’s fears or unstable mind. Imagine a successful scenario and hold it in your mind when dealing with your dog.
You are the source of your dog’s energy. You are the role model.
Challenge the dog’s mind – dogs want to know what to do with their lives. Let the dog work for your affection. Once in a calm/submissive state, your love will intensify those qualities in your dog.
Dogs need “on” and “off” time. Engage them fully in structured times together; then they can relax and avoid impatient or destructive behaviors.
Dogs show us how much we can learn – they live in the moment. Try it!
from Cesar Millan website
Rehabilitating a dog is not about “fixing” it. It’s about you, the owner, creating the intention for what you want, not what you’re feeling. Dogs pick up on feelings of fear, doubt or worry – and they will move to fill them by attempting to become dominant.
Practice unwavering leadership every day, especially on your walk. The energy you’re projecting internally is the message you’re sending to your dog.
Dedicate at least 45 minutes of time to the dog’s walk in the morning. Let the dog know you have a consistent pattern that you expect it to follow. Utilize your dog’s energy in a positive manner.
Don’t expect more from your dog(s) than your own children. Dogs need discipline, too. Give them rules, boundaries and limitations as well as love.
Avoid nurturing your dog’s fears or unstable mind. Imagine a successful scenario and hold it in your mind when dealing with your dog.
You are the source of your dog’s energy. You are the role model.
Challenge the dog’s mind – dogs want to know what to do with their lives. Let the dog work for your affection. Once in a calm/submissive state, your love will intensify those qualities in your dog.
Dogs need “on” and “off” time. Engage them fully in structured times together; then they can relax and avoid impatient or destructive behaviors.
Dogs show us how much we can learn – they live in the moment. Try it!
from Cesar Millan website
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