Take Your Dog To Dog Places

Dragging Dog

This sounds so simple wish I did not even have to bring it up. But I see people taking their dogs places they shouldn't all the time. I don't just mean bringing your pet into the grocery store (in the many places where that is forbidden) or the myriad examples I saw today of people bringing dogs to a no dogs allowed walk, although those are certainly examples of things to avoid. But bringing your dog to places that he or she is not prepared for or that is really a place for humans and your dog doesn't enjoy is just as much of a problem.

The dog in the picture here was taken to an event in my town where no dogs are allowed but the event organizers do not enforce it. It was alternating hitting the end of it's leash getting behind and running to catch up. From the front in particular you could see that it wasn't having fun. The owners did have a stroller to put it in if needed, but they were convinced the dog was "doing fine."

Dog parks are a "dog place" but you may not have a dog park dog (most of us probably don't.) Your local restaurant may allow dogs on the patio, but your dog may just be too stressed by the location. You may be going for a long hike on a trail that welcomes dogs, but your dog may not be in shape for the distance. A lot of areas have a mutt strut or dog parade, but that might be too many other dogs around for your dog.

Don't just take your dogs to places that you can get away with it or even welcome dogs, take your dogs to places that they enjoy. Watch your dog to make sure that it is a good experience, and be ready to protect your dog by taking them out of the situation if necessary.

How do you know if your dog is okay with the situation? Watch their body language and especially for signs that they are tired or stressed.

Is leash agression a myth?

It's a known fact that many dogs are more aggressive when on the leash than they are when off leash. This is generally blamed on the restriction of being leashed. However, I suspect the problem has more to do with how humans act when dogs are on leash than the restriction of the leash. Over time, this may result in superstitious behavior on a dog's part when leashed, but only because humans have trained this behavior. When a dog is leashed, humans usually expect them (and train or force them) to behave politely according to human standards - these standards are often aggressive by dog standards. For instance, humans consider walking in a straight line to be polite and usually insist on it, dogs view doing so in the territory or presence of another dog as rude.  Dog standards call for arching. Humans usually want to walk through an area briskly - particularly if another dog is barking at them; dogs consider sniffing to be the polite, and non-aggressive, response. People often encourage leashed dogs to greet each other by touching noses, again this can be a signal of aggression - a polite dog greeting is a quick tail sniff. Finally, I've often seen dogs who feel threatened attempt to hide behind their owner, only to have the leash shortened so they are forced to come stand beside their owner.

By forcing dogs to act in an aggressive manner and discouraging retreat behavior when on leash, you are ruling out the option to appease or submit to another dog and limiting dogs' options to escalating the aggression. So, what can we do to not teach leash aggression? We can encourage our dogs to sit perpendicular to the path or arch ourselves when passing another dog. We can allow - and even encourage - sniffing in the presence of other dogs, particularly dogs who appear threatened or aggravated by our presence. We can be our dogs' advocates and protect them from other dogs. We can encourage polite dog greetings and remove our dog from situations with rising aggression. Of course, if you have already trained your dog to be leash aggressive, it will take longer to turn things around than if you start from the beginning encouraging non-aggressive behavior even, and especially, on-leash.

Blogged with Flock

Arching OR I'm Just Passing Through

It's probably not a surprise to anyone with a neighborhood dog that barks at everyone that walks by that dogs can be territorial and have strong feelings about who passes through their territory or personal space.  Dogs need a way to let other dogs know that they are not impinging on the other's territory, just passing by or through.  One of the ways they do this is arching.  As one dog approaches another, rather than walk in a straight line (the most direct route), the approaching dog will walk in an arch around the other dog. 

This is in direct contrast with human nature and leads to a lot of the problems with walking on a leash.  When humans want to signal that they are just passing through, they attempt to travel the quickest route, an accompanying dog will want to make an arch through the area, which often results in pulling. 

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Is your dog walking you? or How to walk a dog that pulls

I regularly speak with people who complain that their dog pulls when on leash no matter what they do. Walking the dog often becomes a daily battle for these people and this daily struggle starts to damage the dog / human relationship – or they give up on walking the dog, who then often acts out in other ways due to lack of exercise.

The problem is, every time you let your dog walk you, you are teaching them that that is okay. If by pulling they get to sniff what they want and go where they want, you are rewarding them for behavior you don't want. Why would they ever stop if you reward them? On the other hand, how are you going to get your dog enough exercise to pay attention to training if you can't walk him or her?

The first step is to quit rewarding your dog for pulling, unless you want your dog to pull. Now, I'm sure some of you are sitting here thinking – why would I want my dog to pull? Well, if you are reading this, chances are your dog likes to pull, so maybe you'd like to get him or her involved, formally or informally, in a pulling sport like weight pulls, bike- or skijouring, carting or dog sledding. Also, particularly in the beginning stages of teaching your dog not to pull, walking your dog can be very stressful for both of you and it can be hard to get enough exercise in. Finally, learning to pull really helps some dogs learn not to pull. Generally, dogs wear special pulling harnesses for all of the pulling sports. However, you can use any standard harness for those times when your dog is allowed to pull on the leash. If you are going to purchase a harness, I highly recommend the RuffWear harnesses, because they are designed to handle light pulling work and work better than pulling harnesses for walking your dog. You can also use a well fitted dog backpack with a leash loop for this purpose.

Starting right now, the rule is your dog cannot pull unless you say so AND he or she is wearing a harness appropriate for doing so. And put away your retractable leash. Retractable leashes can be useful in some situations, but for the most part they just teach the dog to pull and reward them with a longer leash for doing so.

So, how do you stop your dog from pulling? One solution is mechanical – using a head collar / halter or walking harness. These are devices designed to be comfortable for your dog to walk in as long as they are not pulling on the leash. These can work really well if they are properly fitted to your dog, however if they are not, they can be uncomfortable all the time. Martingale and prong collars can also be used in this way. I highly recommend against using a slip or choke collar, it is too easy to hurt your dog accidentally. If you want to go this method, the Easy Walk Harness seems to give the best results with the majority of dogs. Again, make sure it is properly fitted.

Whether you use a mechanical solution or a plain flat collar, your behavior when walking your dog is crucial. If your dog takes even a step without pulling, you need to give him or her praise and treats (if you are a clicker trainer, click and treat.) Over time you can gradually reduce the praise and treats. For the rest of your lives together, if your dog pulls inappropriately, you need pretend to be a tree or boulder and not reward your dog by allowing him or her to be successful in deciding where you go. If you have taught your dog a no reward signal – like "too bad" – use it. You can also turn around and start walking the other way. Over time your dog will learn that if he or she wants to get anywhere, a loose leash is the only way to do it.

Be patient and over time walking your dog can be an enjoyable experience for both of you. Good luck and have fun!

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