Nurturing a Better Dog, Trick No. 5: Ignore Excited Greetings

It's All Important

If you have been following the series so far, I hope will have been practicing the techniques and already experiencing a positive change in your dog's behaviour. Although the methods are simple and some may seem to have nothing to do with your own dog's issues, by practicing them all regularly and consistently, you will be laying the foundations for a much happier, healthier, relaxed dog—and you. So, please, before you read on, go back and absorb the previous lessons and start practicing them from now on; you really will see great improvement just by following the previous advice.

This next lesson, although seemingly ineffectual at first glance, has the potential to bring about a huge difference for the better in your dog's behaviour, particularly if they have issues with excitability, anxiety, separation, or jumping up on visitors. Admittedly, it is one of the most difficult to carry out—not because it is hard to grasp or master, but because it goes against something that we tend to look forward to and enjoy every day. It's about ignoring your dog when you come home.

Ignore When Returning Home

"What?! Ignore my dog when he excitedly greets me on my return? Turn my back on his demands for a hug hello? Be aloof to my best buddy? Why on earth would I want to do that?!" I admit that it seems counterproductive (and a little rude), but the reasons why you should ignore your dog when you walk in the door are manifold and of profound importance to his or her state of mind.

For one, we should never reward excited behaviour that your dog initiates (we can of course go crazy with our dogs once in a while, but always on our terms, on our say, and only until we decide that it's time to stop). When your dog jumps up at you when you walk in the door and you accept that, you are telling your dog that you encourage him or her to lose control—and that means allowing your dog's issues to dictate his or her behaviour. To control our dog's problem behaviour, we must be in control of ourselves and every situation at all times.

Maintain the Status Quo

Another reason is that it is allowing your dog to disrespect you and not only giving the go-ahead to challenge your role in his or her pack, but also submitting to his or her bid for leadership. A pack leader would never tolerate another dog jumping on his or her back (in play, yes, but never at a time when it is important to demonstrate leadership).

Furthermore, by making such a huge fuss on our return, we are encouraging our dog to see our homecoming as one of the biggest events in his or her day, and that's not good, as it just leads to greater anxiety or out-of-control behaviour in anticipation of that moment. The same goes for when you leave the house: you should always make these daily events as low-key as possible—for your dog's benefit.

Control

Another reason is that we do not want to encourage our dogs to greet people (or other animals) in this way, as it is dangerous to all concerned, unappreciated by most recipients, and can lead to situations where your dog could be labeled as aggressive or out-of-control—and we all know where that can lead, especially if your dog jumps up at a child or somebody whose reaction will only make your dog more excited and, yes, aggressive.

Be Aloof!

Whenever a dog's pack leaders leave the den, it is usually to perform a potentially dangerous task, such as exploring new territory, defending boundaries, fighting, or taking food. It is likely that dogs—including the pack leaders—could be badly injured or even killed on such a foray. When the scouting party returns to the rest of the pack, they will be greeted enthusiastically, with lots of whole-body wagging and face-licking, which are joyous but respectful behaviours. Pack leaders will allow other dogs to greet them in this fashion, but they do something very powerful to reassure all the dogs of their continued ability to lead, to maintain the pack's status quo: they remain aloof.

Yes, aloof! You can do it! Just pretend you're royalty (though, as far as your dog's concerned, you really will be). When your dog gets too excited—and especially if he or she jumps up—simply turn away (don't get annoyed; you're regal, remember!) and ignore. You may have to do this several times. You may have to very briefly push your dog down (do not linger!) and then turn and ignore, but ignore you shall . . . but (and here's the good news you've been waiting for) only until your canine buddy has calmed down and no longer demanding attention; once that has happened, you can crouch down (so he or she doesn't have to jump up) and enjoy a much calmer, much more relaxed, much more respectful, and much more loving greeting.

Should your dog get excited or try to jump up or paw you when you're enjoying this calmer greeting, simply stand up in an aloof fashion and ignore your dog again until he or she calms down—which will happen within seconds—and then reward that with calm, quiet attention again.

Dogs Want to Know You're Still the Leader

And here's the thing to remember: Your dog will not perceive you as being mean and his or her feelings won't be hurt; instead, your dog will enjoy seeing that the pack structure is intact, his or her calm, assertive, benevolent leader is still in charge, and he or she won't have to step into the stressful role of leader for the pack's sake. The more you greet your dog this way, the happier, calmer, and better behaved he or she will become.

You should also advise all house guests (or anybody who greets your dog) to do the same: tell them your dog is in training and please do not look, talk, touch, or respond in any way to your dog until he or she is calm, and then ask them to give your dog a very calm, very nice, very relaxed bit of attention. Always, though, let your dog smell anybody he meets; it's how dogs meet each other, but we humans go and break protocol—rudely and aggressively—when we try to greet them the way we greet each other, with sight, sound, and touch.

Make Yourself Busy

I have a number of dogs to return home to several times a day, and although a couple may bark as they hear me outside, when I walk in the door, I am greeted respectfully and therefore more affectionately by them all. I make a point of busying myself for several minutes while ignoring them all, before greeting each affectionately once I'm sure I won't be causing excitement. Do the same—maybe go empty your washing machine, or quickly sweep the floor before greeting your dog on your return—and he or she will be so much happier knowing that you've returned from your foray unharmed.

As always, change first needs to come from you if you want to see change in your dog. Enjoy seeing how your dog reacts when you no longer reward anxiety or excited behaviour, and use it to improve the relationship you have with your dog. Ignore (or briefly correct) what you would rather not see again, and give long, enjoyable attention to the behaviour you want to encourage. Behave like a leader at all times (though it's fine to instigate and end fun or even crazy activities whenever you think it suitable), and understand that we all have perfect dogs—we just need to allow them to be so.

I act this way whenever I walk into the home of a dog I need to help rehabilitate (or when encountering strays)—and usually we get a better-behaved dog immediately, much to the exasperation of the person, who can't believe their dog is refusing to show his or her bad side now the dog-rehab guy is here! Just by ignoring dogs and therefore allowing them to smell me unmolested while I remain aloof, I am able to define our roles as leader and follower, and everything else from then on is easy because of the greater compliance and calmness I get from the dog from the outset, which always amazes the people of the house. Once the people mimic this way of greeting their dog, however, they get the same incredible results themselves—and you can do the same.

Summary

• All the lessons pertain to your situation, so follow them all if you have a problem dog, no matter what his or her issue is
  
• When you return home, ignore your dog until he or she is calmer and no longer demanding attention
• Being aloof maintains the status quo and your control over your and, consequently, your dog's behaviour
• Your dog will love you even more, and in a more secure way
• Have others greet your dog the same way
  

If you have any questions or concerns about any of these lessons, please just leave your comments below and I will respond as soon as I can, and perhaps amend the article accordingly, to address the points you raise. I won't ignore you, I promise.

Be aloof next time you greet your dog, and let me know how it goes.

Cheers!


Seán

Nurturing a Better Dog, Trick No. 4: Lead the Walk!

(Note: This is going to be a long article, but please do read it through in detail, as this is one of the most important ways to have a happier, healthier, more balanced dog, and a happier life for you.)

Lead the Walk

Are you one of those people who dreads walking your dog because it always involves your dog barreling along the road, dragging you, arm stretched forward, running in a slightly sideways gait, and holding on for dear life, just hoping that your companion canine doesn't do anything embarrassing or dangerous today? If you are, then who can blame you for not taking your dog out as often as you should—for at least three bathroom breaks a day, and for a combined time of at least forty-five minutes, most of which should be on one particularly long walk? But here's the catch: as I mentioned in Trick No. 1, if your dog isn't getting out on a long walk every day, he or she will put all that pent-up energy to bad use.

So, the less you walk your dog, the more out of control he or she becomes, and that means a much more difficult walk. It's a destructive cycle. But don't worry; I'm going to show you how to make your dog walks a pleasure. And we're going to start by making sure you're using the right tool.

The Right Equipment

The vast majority of badly behaved dogs who pull on leash wear the same piece of bad equipment: the harness. A harness straps across the chest, giving your dog the ability to put all his or her weight into dragging you along, while doing nothing to control the head, which is the secret to controlling both a dog and his or her issues. What you should be using is a slip leash, a magical piece of dog-training equipment that is great for both you and the dog. Instead of putting all the pressure on the front of the neck like using a collar does, a slip leash spreads the pressure out, turning it into a gentle squeeze that goes all around the neck—try it on yourself; give a gentle tug backwards or to the side and see that it doesn't choke, but instead applies pressure all around your neck (if the dog keeps pulling and pulling, though, it can choke, so never let your dog pull, and always use a short, gentle tug and immediate release; also, never leave your dog tied to anything with a slip leash, as it will tighten on the throat if the dog turns around and around).

A dog has a natural inclination to pay attention when he or she feels pressure on the neck, as this is how a higher-ranking dog will show dominance, by mouthing the lower dog's neck; it's also how a mum dog calms her pups when she picks them up by the scruff and the mild pressure around the neck causes the pups to automatically relax. Make sure you put the slip leash on the dog correctly, with the leash part going from your hand and across the back of the dog's neck and then under, rather than underneath it and then up and over the back. If it goes across the back of the neck first and then under and back on itself, the leash will tighten when tugged but then loosen when relaxed, because the ring can fall; if the leash part goes under the neck first, then the ring won't fall when you relax the leash, and it won't loosen, which will just create tension. (If you walk the dog on your left, imagine holding the leash open in a P shape as you put it over your dog's head; if you walk him or her on your right, imagine a b shape.)

Head Held High

And to get your dog walking next to you without pulling, you simply need to just make sure the slip leash is high up on his or her neck, right up under the jaw and as close to the base of the ears as possible. This prevents your dog being able to move his or her head in any direction, keeping him or her focused on the walk instead; if your dog tries to pull, all that will happen is the head will automatically be lifted, preventing his or her ability to get traction to pull ahead. The difference between having a slip leash high or low is huge, with the former making walks so much easier just by itself. It's particularly effective at encouraging your dog to be more confident, as it helps him or her keep his or her head held high; just as mood effects body language, body language effects mood, so don't let your fearful dog adopt a fearful posture.

The Trick to Taking the Lead

But there are some pretty cool ways to have your dog accept your lead so that you don't need to keep him in check physically, which is of course better all round. Read on to learn a fun trick to teach your dog that he or she should completely forget about trying to walk ahead of you, and instead take his rightful place beside or behind you, never challenging your leadership.

(For brevity, in the rest of the article we will discuss as though the dog will be walked on your left, but if you walk your dog in your right, just reverse all the instructions.)

Keep your dog on your left and the leash loose. You want to have a calm, assertive, confident attitude and body language, and a positive image in your head of how you want the walk to be —expect the walk to be great (dogs read your mind through your body language very easily). But do also be prepared for things to start to go wrong and know how you will deal with them quickly and effectively so that you can get back on track—more about overcoming possible setbacks later.

Now, and throughout the walk, do not look at your dog; this just invites a challenge and shows that you're not being a good leader who would be focusing on the walk, not the dog. Wait until the dog is calm and not demanding to move forward, then give a little tug and start walking. Imagine an invisible line that runs left-right in front of you. As soon as you notice out of the corner of your eye that your dog even tries to pass that line (starts to walk ahead of you), immediately turn right 90 degrees and give him or her a quick but light tug to follow (90 degrees is better because you can easily tug him to the side but not so easily backwards). Stay aloof, but enjoy as your dog realises that the attempt to get ahead immediately put him further behind.

Your dog will catch up and most likely try to overtake once more. Just once again change direction, nonchalantly, 90 degrees to the right, and give a tug. Remember, do not look at your dog when doing this. Keep your shoulders back and your head up, and focus on leading the walk.

Do this again and again and you will soon notice that your dog isn't trying so hard to get ahead. Keep it up. Maintain the positive attitude and ignore the dog. Act aloof. Enjoy yourself. When you get the hang of it and feel more in control, start cutting him or her off to the LEFT; you'll be amazed how your dog starts looking up at you to see what you want him or her to do—or maybe just to admire you as you demonstrate such great leadership. Do a few more right turns, then a few more left, whether your dog tries to take the lead or not.

Stay Relaxed

Apart from when giving a light tug, you want a loose leash throughout—tension in the lead is tension in the leader-follower relationship, and it also enables your dog to test his or her physical strength against yours, so don't do it. Relax your arms, and relax the leash (especially when he or she meets other dogs—but more about that in a later article).

This whole exercise is a mind game. Dogs need a leader. If the leader isn't you, your dog will feel that he or she has to fill the role. By constantly showing your dog that he or she will always be behind you until you say otherwise, he or she will learn that it's his or her place to follow. The only way you can lose this game is to give in. Stay focused on having a perfect walk with you leading and that's what will happen (particularly with dogs, but also as in life, what you think will happen will happen, so keep a positive image in mind).

Your attitude is key, so don't let yourself get frustrated; if you control yourself, you control the situation, and that means you control the dog.

Taking It On the Road

I can fix a bad puller in minutes practicing this technique; it's never failed yet, no matter how big or strong the dog, nor his or her age. It works. If it's not working for you, read the instructions again and see where you're going wrong. It's probably that you're watching the dog, tightening the leash, or imagining it all going wrong—so DON'T!

You can do this exercise in a quiet road or park, where you have space to keep turning when necessary. Once your dog is walking nicely behind or beside you, you can start to walk in a straight line, but keep using tugs upwards and inwards (towards you) as soon as your dog starts to move too far behind, to the left, or ahead. Don't watch the dog; instead, simply feel the direction your wrist is being pulled in and just tug back.

Keep Control

For the first few minutes or so of any walk, while you are establishing leadership, don't let your dog smell the ground, go to anything, or even look at anything. When your dog wants to pee on a tree, keep walking, but allow him to pee at another tree instead. You are in control, and your dog will like that. Once he or she accepts your lead, you can grant more freedom, allowing your dog more of the leash to explore the environment as he or she wants, but never allow your dog to pull (just tug back) and make sure you take the lead again when the situation requires it or when heading home.

Be Prepared

There will always be times when you feel your dog is not accepting your lead or maybe starts to play up, perhaps because he or she is scared or wants to go and investigate something; just accept these incidents as great opportunities to once again demonstrate your leadership, and be prepared for how you will handle them. Here are some suggestions:

1. Just stop and ignore, even if it is fearfulness. Don't go anywhere until your dog is back in a calm state. But do give praise as soon as the dog starts to relax more. Alternatively, you can gently put your dog in a more confident posture, such as sitting with head up or standing with tail out or up, and then give praise and/or calming strokes.

2. Do the change-direction exercise a few more times until your dog has fallen back into line.

3. Give a tug up on the leash and make a short, sharp sound to get your dog's attention, and then just carry on with the walk.

4. Give a touch or make a 'Tsst!' noise to quickly divert your dog's attention back to you.

5. Push your dog's flank (around his upper thigh / waist area). This is a dog way of asserting oneself. You can use the side of your leg or knee if easier. But DO NOT HIT—it's a gentle shove, pretty much like leaning against your dog, to put your dog's rear slightly off balance.

Always, don't dwell on the unwanted behaviour; just quickly move on and focus on the good walk ahead, and expect your dog to follow alongside you. Remember to correct the behaviour at the earliest possible opportunity, which may be when your dog even just looks at another dog or a cat.

And be careful not to project your own fears onto your dog—this happens a lot! When you see something that you think may be a problem, just ignore it, keep your head up and shoulders back, and make sure you are not unconsciously giving your dog a clue that he or she should be prepared for trouble ahead. Control yourself if you want to control your dog.

Good Dog!

Whenever your dog is walking nicely, give praise or a treat. Speak in high, soft tones, and rub his side (not the head, which can feel like a threat, or the chest, which gets dogs excited). Let your dog know when you're happy with what he or she is doing and you will see more of that behaviour. Just be careful not to raise the excitement level. But dogs love praise, so be sure to tell them when they're doing great.

With your dog's perceived leadership on the walk now relinquished to you, you will start to see a huge improvement in his behaviour, as he or she will realise that it's no longer his (stressful) responsibility to decide what to chase, attack, jump up at, get excited by, or be afraid of. When people start to lead their dog walks, they all report that their dog seems happier, that the walk is far more enjoyable, and that their relationship with their dog seems far more fulfilling. You will enjoy those same benefits; all you have to do is believe it and stay positive.

Summary

Here is a summary of the most important points you need to remember:

• Leading the walk is key to controlling your dog's behaviour in other situations.
• Use a slip leash, and be sure it is on the right way round and high up under the jaw.
• Use light tugs to communicate with your dog.
• When your dog tries to walk ahead, just change direction, 90 degrees, with a tug, so he or she is behind you again.
• You cannot achieve what you don't first envision; how you perceive the walk to be is key, as your dog can read your body language, so say positive, confident, and calm, and always envision a great walk.
• Your dog will accept your lead if you believe it and don't give up.
• When demonstrating leadership on the walk, control everything; grant (and take away) more freedom once your dog is following nicely.
• Dogs are happier when they have a cal, confident, benevolent leader.
• Be prepared for opportunities to demonstrate you are a leader.
• Whenever possible, correct unwanted behaviour before it even begins.
• Do not dwell on mistakes; move on quickly from upsets and get back on track, enjoying a nice, calm, walk with your dog.
• Envision a good walk, and do not project your own fears; control yourself and your thoughts and you will control your dog.
• Praise lavishly or give a treat whenever your dog is doing well.
• Dogs want to relinquish control and their issues to a good leader—remember that.

Now go lead that walk! And be sure to let me know how it goes.


Seán

Nurturing a Better Dog, Trick No. 3: Leaders First!

This next dog-leadership trick is very simple to explain, but you will need to keep coming back to read it again and again to absorb the details, especially about how to back your dog up away from the door.

Enter New Environments First

When you take your dog for a walk, who goes through the door first: you or your dog? If you have a dog who is a nightmare to walk because he or she pulls like mad, or keeps trying to go for other dogs, or even shows fear at certain things, then you probably allow your dog to go through the door first. So many people tell me the same thing: "Fido is great in the house, but once we get outside, he just becomes difficult to control." If that sounds like your dog—or the opposite: your dog is fine on a walk but out of control in the house—then you're about to learn why.

Whenever you enter a new environment, whether that be going outside or inside, into a vet clinic, into a dog park, through a narrow lane, down the stairs, or even just into your yard or garden, you should lead the way. It's not that canine pack leaders go through doors first (dogs lead other dogs much better than us, and can do so from the middle or the rear just as well as from out front); it's slightly more complicated than that, but much more interesting:

A Leader for all Situations

According to research on abandoned or escaped dogs in Italy, packs tend to have one or two leaders, and it is most often a matriarch who takes on the lead role; however, very often, packs will have a different leader for different circumstances. Whereas the lead female may be in charge around the den, another dog may take the lead when it's time to go and reinforce boundaries, or to see off intruding dogs, or to go looking for food. This is a very efficient way of ensuring the pack is as strong as possible in any situation, since not every leader type is suitable for all situations. The rest of the pack accepts the leader of each situation readily, and harmony reigns because of it.

If you want to demonstrate to your dog that you are the leader in any situation the two (or more) of you proceed into, then the best way is to make sure you go first and with no attempts from your dog to challenge that. If your dog is allowed to go charging out the door, pulling you behind him, every time you go for a walk, then no matter how good he or she is at home, your canine companion will believe that he or she can easily assume the leadership role outside—and not being the best one to make decisions on what you should chase, attack, be scared of, or even bite, your dog will most usually invoke mayhem when seemingly put into that role.

Take Ownership of the Doorway

So, if you want to send a clear signal to your dog that it's your leadership that will dictate how the walk will be (and your aim should be for calm and controlled—more on that in the next lesson), then the solution is simple: take control of your dog before you head out the door, demonstrate leadership by remaining calm and assertive (and aloof), and make sure that you go through the door first while your dog waits for a signal to follow. You then make sure to do the same as you close the door behind you and set off on the walk (though your dog will almost always be 'ahead' of you at this point, he or she will be waiting patiently and without making demands until you are ready to lead the walk.

So how do we get the dog to go along with all this? Do we need to give orders—maybe have the dog sit and stay while we open and walk through the door? No. Giving dogs instructions is not the most powerful way to demonstrate leadership; what's most effective is when your dog works out for him- or herself the best way to show you in his or her own language that he or she accepts you control the door and therefore the walk ahead. If you follow the following guidelines exactly, then this is exactly how your dog will behave. Prepare to be amazed.

How to Lead Through Doors

(Remember: if you read carefully and make sure you follow correctly, this will work; if you need to see it in practice, sit tight for the upcoming videos to accompany this blog series.)

Leading your dog through the door will be much easier if you make him or her come to the leash instead of you chasing your dog to put it on. Just stay calm and stand confidently and quietly near the door until your dog comes to accept the leash (I know this will be impossible at first for many dogs, in which case, approach and leash your dog with the minimum of fuss). You may give the command for him to come to you if you want to, but only once—never incessantly. When your dog lets you leash him or her in this way, it's as good a signal as any that he or she is willing to submit to your leadership.

Lead your dog to the door. If he or she tries to dart ahead of you and put his or her nose near the door waiting for it to open or starts to try and scratch at the door, you need to step in and take 'ownership' of the door. Step in between the dog and the door, using the leash if you have to, giving tugs to make the dog back away to give you space to step in. Once there is enough space, loosen the leash and step into your dog, as though you want to walk into his floor space, in a calm, assertive manner, with a confident body posture and perhaps an 'Ah!' or 'Eh!' grunt as you do so. Do not do anything else that you think will demonstrate dominance, such as shouting, giving commands, being angry, raising the tone of your voice, etc., as it will likely be something that will actually tell the dog you are not really in control. If you like, raise a finger in front of you in a 'Don't even try it' kind of manner. This helps you feel dominant while also putting something above your dog's head, which will make him feel he has a superior above him or her. You can also tap (briefly push) his chest with your fingers in a kind of 'bite' action—gentle but firm, as though to guide.

Accepting the New Dynamic

Your dog will back away from the door, probably look confused at this new behaviour from you, and sit down. At the very least, he or she will stand and wait for your next move. You will open the door next, but first you must be prepared for your dog to try and dart through as you open it; know what you will do to counter this (exactly the same as you did to back the dog up in the first place, but with a very serious look on your face, and more stern body language, as if to say 'You are pushing your luck.' This will not make the dog scared of you, but will make him or her respect you more. Back him or her up again, and, while being prepared to step in again if you have to, know that, this time, your dog will stay in place, politely waiting to see what you want him or her to do. Dogs generally accept new leadership instantly and without question, and that is how we can achieve rapid change in a dog so quickly.

You should now be standing between your dog and the door, sideways on, so you can see both the door and the dog and are not blocking the doorway—this is very important, as you want the dog to stay in place because of respect for your new leadership and not because of a physical block. Open the door. Step in and back the dog up again in the same manner as last time if you have to, though by this stage you should find, to your amazement, that he will look at the open doorway and then you and back again, in turn, as he awaits your instruction. Walk through the door, prepared to back your dog up if necessary, but you should be able to just give a gentle tug and a command to come as you walk through the doorway ahead of him or her. If possible, wait until your dog looks away before inviting him or her through, as this ensures your canine companion isn't 'commanding' you or pleading to be able to go through, which would give him perceived status if that's then what happened.

Entering a New Situation

Get ready to control your dog once through the doorway, as he or she may think that it's OK to run ahead at this point. Simply give gentle tugs while ignoring the dog and remaining aloof as you wait for him or her to calm down once more. Close the door, and, once your dog is relaxed and not trying to make you do anything, head off on the walk, giving your dog a gentle tug as a signal to follow alongside. Remember, we always tug and immediately relax, as this prevents tension in the leash (and therefore the relationship) and gives the dog nothing lasting to resist. Give lots of praise (or a treat) as you set off, letting your dog know that he or she pleased you by accepting your leadership.

After a few times practicing this properly, you will have it down to pat, and your dog will understand the new procedure too. Never lose your temper or plead with your dog, and do not add anything else that you think may help. You want to keep everything simple while demonstrating control—of yourself first, then the situation and your dog. Follow this procedure when entering any new territory, environment, or situation, and you will be letting your dog know in no uncertain terms that your will shall dominate still and not your dog and his fears, excitement, or other issues that need to be kept under control. This simple technique, practiced at every possible opportunity, helps your dog to understand the new hierarchy. Don't feel sorry for him; it's hell trying to lead when you have know idea how to, and your dog will be happy to relinquish all that stress to you.

Summary

To recap the important points:

• You must go through doors first
• Dogs have different leaders for different situations
• If the dog is allowed to lunge through first, he or she will think that he or she can lead in the new environment
• A dog can be controlled by his or her issues, so if you don't lead, your dog and his or her problems will
  
• Dogs accept new leadership readily
• Stay calm, assertive, and aloof when demonstrating leadership
• Have the dog come to the leash, not you go to the dog
  
• Try to back your dog up with posture and a dominant attitude rather than physical force
• Tug, not pull; tap, not push
  
• Be prepared to respond to challenges
• Invite your dog through only when he or she is calm and not demanding
• Reward your dog for doing well
• Enjoy your new role as leader!
  

The next lesson will be on how to have your dog walking beautifully on leash, beside or behind you, never pulling, further enhancing the relationship between the two of you, and making walks a complete pleasure. So stay tuned! And be sure to post comments or questions, and please share this series with your friends.

Enjoy going first!



Seán

A Zippety-Doo-Da Day

As I’m writing this, at my table, looking out the window at the pines, Kaful is nestled at my feet, eyeing up the kitten who already established dominance over the ‘aggressive’ retriever with a timely smack on the nose.

The Brit girls decided this morning, after a cold, dark night at high altitude, surrounded by noisy dogs, that they should seek volunteer opportunities elsewhere. Alexis hadn’t really come prepared for Hound Heights, and looked tired and sorry in the morning. I couldn’t bring myself to persuade her to stay, so I let Xenii and Martin know of their departure. It wasn’t entirely bad for me, as the girls cleaned up before they left and also helped keep a pup alive. And I got the more comfortable sleeping quarters back.

By 7.30 am, the clinic was getting ready to do a neutering session. Elsa, one of the vets, wasn’t happy that we had let the pup eat raw chicken, even when I tried to explain that it’s not just fine for pups but also the only thing he would eat, and that it was high in moisture content, which was very important for the dehydrated little dog. Her rudeness in the face of my explanation wasn’t appreciated, and I told her so; Elsa reacted by storming out of the clinic to tell Xenii that she was quitting. I had to apologise to get her to stay. I didn´t want to; if you gave in to a dog’s demands in this way, you would end up with a big problem on your hands. Which brings us to Kaful again.

I´d exercised Kaful already, and held him while Claudia, the other vet, injected him with the anaesthetic to put him to sleep for his neuter op. He snapped at her as she tried to stroke his head afterwards, but I had bound his muzzle shut already so no harm was done. When I went back to get him for surgery a short time later, I found Martin standing still in Kaful’s pen. 

‘He attacked me when I tried to put his muzzle on!’ Martin explained. I went in and leashed Kaful and decided to lead him to the clinic for another shot before his neuter op. Kaful, seemed to know what was in store and who had asked for it to be done, and, as I went to tie the leash around his muzzle again so I could carry him safely, he lunged at me. I jumped back while pulling his leash skyward, and Kaful’s gnashers snapped just short of letting me know how it´ll feel for him after his op.

A battle of the minds ensued, but not between me and Kaful, but me and Elsa. Despite my suggestion that we use the dog-catching pole to control him, Elsa decided to make a point by trying to show that she would inject Kaful without incident merely by putting a blanket over his head. Luckily, I was able to pull his head back before he could bite her hand. Still she insisted that using the pole would make him more crazy, and again I saved her from getting bitten. For Elsa’s safety and so as not to cause offence by compromising her authority, I wound Kaful’s leash around a tree and pulled his head close to it so he could be injected in a back leg without being able to bite. It worked, and soon I was able to carry the snoozing Kaful into surgery, which went very well.

Dee came again today, as she does every Wednesday, to wash as many of the dogs as she can. She was still gushing with disbelief—and also praise to God—about how effective the natural diet has been on her dog Terry; after many, many months of trying every treatment available, Dee, a missionary, had laid hands on Terry and asked for a miracle. And then, according to Dee, I came into the picture soon after. I was a godsend! It´s nice to be appreciated sometimes, but I was mostly happy that Dee was helping her dog towards a more comfortable life.

I was impressed that Dee had taken the diet seriously and did everything I told her to. I reminded her that she should also be grateful to Dr Ian Billinghurst, as it was he who wrote The Barf Diet, the book that got me started on natural food for pets and turned me so much against commercial pet foods; they are mostly nothing more than food unfit for human consumption, processed to death, and marketed cleverly as ‘scientific’ diets.

 

Here’s the irony, though: the oldest dog in the world, an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, lived to the ripe old age of 29 years and seven months, and he died in 1939—several years before commercial diets started to become popular. Bluey was fed on raw, meaty farm scraps and leftovers. The two oldest dogs currently are also farm dogs and also fed the same. It seems that these ‘scientific’ diets cannot compete with randomly fed meat and table scraps. Think about that.

It makes sense, of course. Our pets have been thriving on our leftovers for many thousands of years. Commercial convenience foods have only been around for about 60 years, and since then, we’ve seen our pets suffering from all kinds of ailments that our grandparents’ scraps-fed animals didn’t: kidney disease, tooth problems, gum problems, bad breath, leaky eyes, dysplasia and arthritis, anal-sac infections … the list goes on. I could write so much about this, so I will, but later, and I’ll tell you about my first dog, Foxie, and how her failing heart and kidneys got me researching diets for critically ill dogs, and how her recovery shocked the heart specialist who examined her every six months.

Anyway, Dee was singing my praises again by the end of the afternoon, bless her, because I leashed ‘the unleashable dogs’ for her so that she could give them their first bath ever. And they all seemed to really enjoy it! Dee lives in Antigua, where I’ll be heading back to for a few days next week, so hopefully I’ll be able to meet and photograph her improving dog, Terry.

As I headed into town, walking down the lane that leads to the main road, with a bright blue sky above, corn fields to my left and fir trees to my right, and hummingbirds silently floating amongst the flowers, I realised what a zippety-doo-da day I was having. I´m enjoying myself here. We all need a bit of zippety with our doo-da at times. :-)

A Good Day

Today was a good day.

Kaful arrived yesterday afternoon and I had to get him out of the car using a dog-catching pole. Kaful did not like it, and he thrashed around like a hooked fish. I led him, in wild circles, to his new home: a kennel and run shared with two females. As I predicted, once his doting family drove off, Kaful calmed down considerably, and looked a little lost … and in need of a leader.

Today, Kaful was barking ferociously again at anyone who went near his run and snapping aggressively at anybody who didn’t understand the instructions to stay out until he had been rehabilitated. But I know how a dog’s mind works, so I slowly approached Kaful’s pen and sat with my side to the wire fence, remaining calm and confident and ignoring the gnashing canine beside me. He barked ferociously at the fence for a while before doing what most aggressive dogs do when countered with nonchalance: he lowered his head and quietly came closer for a sniff. You see, people don’t understand that, in polite dog circles, the first thing new acquaintances do is smell each other. They don’t make eye contact, they don’t speak, and they don’t touch; instead, they approach sideways-on for a smell of the stranger -- anything else would be perceived as possibly threatening by the other party.

So, once I’d introduced myself (my unique smell) to Kaful properly, his aggression dissipated. I had made friends with him. He sat near the fence, with his eyes averted, signalling that he had accepted my presence as non-threatening. So I quietly went inside with the dog who, just a couple of days before, had made some vicious lunges at my legs, arms and face. I remained aloof, giving Kaful the impression that I was confident of my status as the more dominant of us two, and Kaful backed off with nothing more than an interested look. I sat looking away, and almost immediately he came closer for a quick smell before laying down beside me, his eyes relaxed and looking away. As he had approached me, I stroked his side gently while speaking praise, and he closed his eyes, showing his enjoyment.

After a few minutes, I decided he was ready for the next phase in our new relationship: me leading Kaful on a walk down the hill and back. I reached for the noosed leash I’d hung over the fence already and carefully hooked it over his head. Once you get a dog on the end of a leash, particularly one that will tighten with pressure, you are half way to cementing your position as a calm, assertive leader and his as a calm, submissive charge. I stood up and gave a light tug to signal we were on the move and Kaful responded as I knew he would and stood up to come with me. He approached the door but I held him back and made a noise that showed my discontent with his attempt at going through before me. He respectfully backed up, I walked out, and then I gave a little tug again to show he could now follow.

In stark contrast to the wild and crazy antics the day before, Kaful instantly accepted his place either by my side or behind me and we headed off down the muddy path at a brisk pace, which Kaful clearly enjoyed, as his behaviour when out with his family had meant no walks in a long time for the 

energetic young canine. For the first ten minutes, Kaful wasn’t allowed to stop to smell or go to the bathroom; only once he'd mastered the walk with me was he granted the opportunity to go about taking in the smorgasbord of doggy smells along the trail.

When I felt it was time for wagons to roll again, I gave him a gentle tug and we went on our way, with Kaful looking every part the show dog walking calmly, obediently, and happily by my side. It was a great feeling, and I couldn’t help but smile when I returned him to

 his run when I thought about the rapid progress we had made. Of course, Kaful wasn’t a bad dog; he’d just been allowed too much of a free rein with his family and was acting up because of it. As I headed back to the cabin, I looked back to see the golden retriever’s eyes following me lovingly and longingly. I looked forward to taking him out again later in the day.

The Brit girls arrived mid-afternoon and immediately set about helping me with the chores and cleaning up the clinic and guest room. Lucy and Alexis had only arrived in Guatemala one day before, as part of a round-the-world trip, but had decided to roll up their sleeves and get straight into volunteer life. I walked them into town and bought all the ingredients to make a curry of sorts for our evening meal. The ladies took it upon themselves to care for a two-month-old pup who was refusing to eat, was covered in fleas, cold, and dehydrated. It looked like the little guy wasn’t going to make it to the end of the day, but my fellow Brits got him eating raw chicken, taking in some water, and warmed up on a hot-water bottle. It was great to see him improve so much under the care and attention he was receiving. The last I saw of the sick pup was his tail a-wagging as he was being prepared for a night sleeping inside Lucy’s sleeping bag to keep him warm. The runt had made it.