Need Help with your Dog?
Email me with your training/behavioral questions and I will gladly post them here and help you!!! Crue13@aol.com.
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Question: My dog Sophie is constantly mouthing me when I walk away! How do I correct her behavior?
Answer: Your dog is basically telling you, that she is not done with play or the attention you were giving her. If you were not giving her attention, then she was demanding it from you! This is a dominance issue and you will need to take steps in becoming her pack leader. A pack leader is the one who can initiate and end play, or demand affection...not the follower. So in a sense, your dog is seeing you as a follower. Use your calm assertive energy and claim your space from her. Walk into her and have her move from your space/body. It's best not to use words, or scream and yell. This will sometimes create more excitement and your dog will look at that as a sign of weakness. You can also cup your hand and "bite" her when she mouths you. Shaping your hands like a claw/teeth and using your fingers to bite. Remember, dogs came into this world only knowing how to speak dog! How do they communicate? Through energy, body language, grunts, growls, and BITING! Mother dogs bit their pups to teach them their rules, boundaries and limitations. This is what you need to do, in order to reclaim that throne along with leadership exercises! Best of luck to you!
Answer: Your dog is basically telling you, that she is not done with play or the attention you were giving her. If you were not giving her attention, then she was demanding it from you! This is a dominance issue and you will need to take steps in becoming her pack leader. A pack leader is the one who can initiate and end play, or demand affection...not the follower. So in a sense, your dog is seeing you as a follower. Use your calm assertive energy and claim your space from her. Walk into her and have her move from your space/body. It's best not to use words, or scream and yell. This will sometimes create more excitement and your dog will look at that as a sign of weakness. You can also cup your hand and "bite" her when she mouths you. Shaping your hands like a claw/teeth and using your fingers to bite. Remember, dogs came into this world only knowing how to speak dog! How do they communicate? Through energy, body language, grunts, growls, and BITING! Mother dogs bit their pups to teach them their rules, boundaries and limitations. This is what you need to do, in order to reclaim that throne along with leadership exercises! Best of luck to you!
Q: My dog is constantly barking! If the wind is blowing and a leaf passes, he will bark. If a car drives by or the neighbor walks to their mailbox, he barks. If a dog off in the distance barks, he barks. Sometimes he just barks for no reason. He is driving me nuts and alot of times I will just scream at him and tell him to shut up, but he looks at me like I'm the idiot! What can I do, or else he needs to be taken to the pound? Help!
A: Unfortunately, you are not the only one in this same position. To be quite frank, the barking is really the owners fault. Before you jump up and get angry, please allow me to explain... Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. They tell us when someone is at the door, they tell us when someone strange is coming onto our property, they bark to keep intruders at bay, they bark to express their excited energy. We really should determine what the dog is barking at. If your dog is barking at anything, well it sounds like your dog is bored out of his mind. This is what I mean when I say it's the owners fault. Dogs need mental and physical stimulation to be fulfilled. If your dog is locked up in the backyard or inside the house all day, well you can imagine how boring that would get! He is looking for other means to keep his life meaningful. Most dogs enjoy having a job of some sort. Try getting your dog more exercise! Alot of times dogs who are subjected to confined living will look for other outlets to release pent up energy. In your case, barking. Consider yourself lucky, that it hasn't escalated to aggression. Which it absolutely can! Instead of tossing your dog away for bad behavior, try "working" with your dog. This is what responsibility is all about. Also, if your dog is giving you the look, like you're an idiot...well you probably are! Best of luck to you!
A: Unfortunately, you are not the only one in this same position. To be quite frank, the barking is really the owners fault. Before you jump up and get angry, please allow me to explain... Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. They tell us when someone is at the door, they tell us when someone strange is coming onto our property, they bark to keep intruders at bay, they bark to express their excited energy. We really should determine what the dog is barking at. If your dog is barking at anything, well it sounds like your dog is bored out of his mind. This is what I mean when I say it's the owners fault. Dogs need mental and physical stimulation to be fulfilled. If your dog is locked up in the backyard or inside the house all day, well you can imagine how boring that would get! He is looking for other means to keep his life meaningful. Most dogs enjoy having a job of some sort. Try getting your dog more exercise! Alot of times dogs who are subjected to confined living will look for other outlets to release pent up energy. In your case, barking. Consider yourself lucky, that it hasn't escalated to aggression. Which it absolutely can! Instead of tossing your dog away for bad behavior, try "working" with your dog. This is what responsibility is all about. Also, if your dog is giving you the look, like you're an idiot...well you probably are! Best of luck to you!
Question: Hi. I have a 1 year old female chihuahua name Princess that I adopted. We adore her and she is such a loving, smart dog, but she's got some issues lol. I have been crate training her to potty break her for a month now, but she is still have a few accidents in the house. Also even though she is a small female dog she thinks she is an alpha. She is very possesive of my three year old daughter and I. She doesn't want ANYONE near us. She barks NON STOP if someone even comes near our home. She barks at, dominates, and even tries attacking other dogs regardless of their size or sex. She absolutely HATES men, so if one is ever around she tries to get to them and barks like crazy. She is just precious with me and my daughter, and plays with us as if she is a child herself. She has brought us so much joy and fits in so well with our tiny little family, but these issues are becoming overwhelming. I am looking for some kind of guidance or help with this. But beings I am a single mother, and on workman's comp right now, money is really tight around here. So I can't afford to pay a couple hundred dollars for dog training. So if you could give me any advice I would appreciate it. Thank you so much!
Answer: When I read your email, the first thing that came to mind, was that you are in denial with this little dog. You have allowed her to become alpha and I can't help but wonder if you like her this way? Although I may sound harsh, I'm seeing that you've babied her and I'm assuming it's because she is small and because she is a rescue? I'm also thinking there is a void you want her to fill for you. This is a huge burden on a dog, and they will act out accordingly. You are denying her the right to simply be a dog. It's not so much that she hates men, but men naturally exude a dominant, in control energy. If your dog is used to being Ms. Princess and getting her way, well she is not going to give up that position easily. Your daughter and yourself have become her followers. I would suggest taking pack leadership steps to regain control of the situation. That I can email you privately. The pottying in the house is also her way of claiming your home. You definitely have a lot of work cut out for you. Like I said the, first step is re-structuring the way you live with this dog. Yes, she is a DOG! Yes you can love a dog, but at appropriate times...not when she is barking or trying to bite someone. Everytime you touch a dog, you promote their behavior! This is something that shouldn't be taken lightly simply because she is small. A small dog can pack a lot of damage to a person, especially a child. Remember, Princess is an animal first and foremost! Princess is a personality that you have created for her and allowed her to become one in your home.The animal in Princess can bite "anyone" if she feels provoked. I almost lost a thumb to a Lhasa Apso that was extremely loved by her owner when I was younger! Get serious about her rehabilitation, because right now, she knows she can get away with it!
Answer: When I read your email, the first thing that came to mind, was that you are in denial with this little dog. You have allowed her to become alpha and I can't help but wonder if you like her this way? Although I may sound harsh, I'm seeing that you've babied her and I'm assuming it's because she is small and because she is a rescue? I'm also thinking there is a void you want her to fill for you. This is a huge burden on a dog, and they will act out accordingly. You are denying her the right to simply be a dog. It's not so much that she hates men, but men naturally exude a dominant, in control energy. If your dog is used to being Ms. Princess and getting her way, well she is not going to give up that position easily. Your daughter and yourself have become her followers. I would suggest taking pack leadership steps to regain control of the situation. That I can email you privately. The pottying in the house is also her way of claiming your home. You definitely have a lot of work cut out for you. Like I said the, first step is re-structuring the way you live with this dog. Yes, she is a DOG! Yes you can love a dog, but at appropriate times...not when she is barking or trying to bite someone. Everytime you touch a dog, you promote their behavior! This is something that shouldn't be taken lightly simply because she is small. A small dog can pack a lot of damage to a person, especially a child. Remember, Princess is an animal first and foremost! Princess is a personality that you have created for her and allowed her to become one in your home.The animal in Princess can bite "anyone" if she feels provoked. I almost lost a thumb to a Lhasa Apso that was extremely loved by her owner when I was younger! Get serious about her rehabilitation, because right now, she knows she can get away with it!