Canine Common Sense: Things women who own dogs need to know. (Part 1)

Despite the numerous books on dog training and behavior, the almost mushroom-like growth of national pet supply stores offering dog obedience training courses and the increased number of celebrity canine trainers on television, I continue to receive questions from women that reflect a lack of knowledge or naiveté regarding canine behavior.

“Will spaying or neutering my dog make it calm down?”

 Answer: No. A dog’s personality and temperament, two key components of a dog’s psychological profile, cannot be altered by a medical procedure.

“What steps do I need to take to gain control of my alpha dog?”

Answer: There is no such thing as an alpha dog because dogs are not wolves or pack animals they are scavengers. Out-of-control dogs, often misdiagnosed as alpha dogs, typically belong to owners who fail to establish house rules that provide a dog with behavioral boundaries. These same owners will sometimes deliberately or inadvertently allow the family dog to become a decision maker, opening the door for many unwanted, aberrant canine behaviors to foster and develop. This could potentially (and usually does) allow the dog to control its owner's behavior. 

“Can I use a squirt bottle or a can filled with pennies to control my dog’s jumping-up behavior?”

Answer: No. A human implement used as a disciplinary tool can trigger some dogs to attack or display fear when the object is later used for its intended purpose.

“If I give my dog human food, will this cause it to beg at the table?”

Answer: It is impossible for a well-trained, uninvited dog to beg at the table. But don’t refrain from occasionally giving a dog (away from the table) unprocessed human food (chicken, fish, beef, a few grains, vegetables and fruits). They have been eating what we’ve been eating for more than 8,000 years.

                                                           

“My husband dislikes having our dog sleep in the bedroom, but several national canine celebrity trainers promote the idea. What should I do?”

Answer: My concern with dogs sleeping in the bedroom will be addressed in future blogs: “What’s really happening in the Bedroom? For now, the main issue that needs to be addressed is how any canine professional can theoretically advocate such a position, and then offer behavioral modification advice when so many unknown factors such as the dog's home environment, temperament or health profile is unknown. 

Before venturing an opinion or recommendation, I believe it is imperative for any canine training professional to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Observe the dog in the home to determine if the environment is conducive for supporting its needs. To my knowledge, no in-home consultation service is offered at any national pet store facility, yet these same facilities will offer group training sessions and puppy socialization programs before ascertaining this vital information. Ultimately, consumer dollars decide the success or failure rate for businesses offering, in my opinion, less-than-stellar services.   

• Conduct a canine psychological profile to determine the dog’s temperament and personality. This information will aid the trainer to determine if the dog is mentally prepared to receive training instructions and predict the dog’s behavior when subjected to a familiar or alien environment.
• Recommend owner lifestyle changes for creating a positive human-canine bond. 

• Help the owner to establish house rules so the dog will receive consistent guidelines for acceptable canine behavior.

“My dog failed obedience class at a local pet store. Now what do I do?”

Answer: Your dog didn’t fail, nor did you. Group training classes are conducted with the implied assumption that all dogs are the same. This one-size-fits-all approach to training a dog negates several important facts. Dogs participating in a group training session will vary in breed affiliation. And, much like their owners will also vary in age, temperament, personality, physical and mental ability as well. This hodgepodge of characteristics and traits will undoubtedly cause unnecessary distractions or concerns. How could this possibly be considered by anyone as conducive to learning?