Doggie Simple Pleasures

Yohji Simple Pleasures

Take a moment and just think about instinctive dog behavior.

Dogs naturally like to sniff, mark, scavenge, hunt, chase, dig and the list goes on. Now, think about the last time your dog did any of these innate activities. Never? Once last year? I recognize life is hectic and I too have to carve out time in my day to make sure my dog is happily engaged in some of his natural pleasures. I was recently reminded during a road trip how easy it is to please a dog, how much we restrict them in urban environments and the effect it has on behavior. For three days straight, Finn was able to sniff every tree, leaf and ant hill without hearing me say not there (his cue avoid neighbors’ gardens). He happily dug holes in the woods while we rested in between hikes and intently marked wherever he pleased with confidence and ease because we were somewhere it was safe to do so.

Not only did Finn have best day ever look on his face for the entire weekend but I found naughty behaviors that I have redirected with training to completely dissipate. One of which is, he loves to chase anything…squirrels, birds, cats. This is not a behavior I condone, encourage or allow except for the occasional chasing of the squirrel if I know it is far enough up the tree that Finn can not injure it. Another pesky behavior in the city is Finn’s disdain for dogs. After being attacked multiple times on neighborhood walks, I cannot blame him. Yet, he still had to learn that lunging, barking and growling were not a way to cope with his fear around dogs.

What I found on our little trip is he didn’t give two hoots about the birds that flew around us while we ate on a patio. He quietly and contently observed rather them. When we walked by dogs in town, Finn passed them with grace and disinterest as if their presence did not bother him a bit. While I still feel training is key to a quality life and a happy dog, using a little creativity to find simple activities can go a long way to supplement your behavior modification program in very big ways.

Now, stop listing all the things your dog does wrong in a day and get creative. Think about how to squeeze a forest preserves trip into your schedule or find an acceptable place for your pup to bury or dig his toys (sand buckets and boxes are great for that). Send us the activities you find that turn your dog’s tail wag into a full wiggle butt dance.

City Safety

Wedge City Safety

Your dog may be fabulous and never leaves your side. You may be the superstar with the perfect response to ‘come’, but the city is filled with distractions.

You never know when a cat may run across the street enticing your sweet dog to follow. Keep your dog safe and leashed when out on walks. There are plenty of fenced-in dog friendly areas in Chicago to allow him to just be a dog, safely. When visiting dog parks, scan the park for bullies and collars that may not be safe. Go to the other side of the park to avoid these hazards. It is your right to be at the park and to allow your dog to be safe. Do not be afraid to speak up if another dogs’ behavior towards your dog makes you uncomfortable. Prong and choke collars (any training collar for that matter) do not belong on playing dogs. Teeth and collars can get stuck. One or both dogs can get terribly injured. Steer clear, speak up or leave. Just keep your dog safe. If a fight breaks out, it is important to grab both dogs at the same time and by their hind legs to pull them apart. NEVER stick your hand in between fighting dogs. Even if it is your dog, you risk a serious injury. To keep your dog’s social graces after being involved in a dogfight, soon after invite a doggie buddy over so he can be reminded that not all play escalates to a fight.

Everyone wants their dogs to say hi to each other. If you have seen or known a neighborhood dog to be less than friendly, it is ok to cross the street or go in the other direction. It is much more important to keep your dog safe than to let him say hi to every Fido, Bruiser and Spike.

I know we are all busy and it is tempting to want to multi-task by taking your dog out on walk while grabbing a cup of coffee or picking up your dry cleaning. It is unsafe to tie a dog outside a restaurant. He could be taunted by someone who dislikes dogs, attacked by an aggressive dog with no protective shelter or even stolen. Keep him safe and lose the extra five minutes by separating his walks from your daily errands.

We use “leave it” to give you the cue to help your dog learn to avoid food on the ground. It could be spoiled, it could be poisoned (there was actually a local dog hater who placed poisoned meat all over a park and a few dogs died after ingesting it) or it could be something not meant for dogs to eat. Keep some yummy treats with you to reward your dog for ignoring the chocolate bar someone dropped out of their backpack.

Socialization 101

Spartan Socialization

Socialization does not mean pushing your dog to do something he is clearly uncomfortable doing.

Unfortunately, well intending humans often do just that and the results can be very detrimental. I recently witnessed a common situation in which two on leash dogs walked towards each other and their guardians stopped to allow them to interact. To avoid breed, sex, size and behavioral generalizations, I will call them Jack and Sadie. Upon greeting, Jack quickly turned his head and moved a few steps behind his guardian. Sadie stopped and casually stood still. Jack was clearly communicating he did not want to say hello to Sadie, and she responded by not pushing him. Even at my far distance, I saw it. Jack’s guardian unknowingly missed his clear signals and tugged on his leash towards Sadie while saying sweetly, “Look Jack, she’s nice, say hi. It’s ok”.

He quickly jumped behind mom and Sadie lowered her head to the side a bit while remaining stationary. This time, Jack was saying please, please go away and Sadie got it by avoiding eye contact and not getting in his space. Unfortunately Jack’s guardian was showing signs of frustration and how could she not, Sadie was clearly a lovely dog and Jack was embarrassing her. She then lifted Jack from the ground and pushed him into Sadie’s face. Jack quickly squirmed out of her hands, puffed out his chest and started a grumble bark. Sadie looked frightened as she jumped and backed away.

This scene took place very quickly or I would have stopped it. Unfortunately, Jack’s guardian thought she was socializing him by compelling him to approach Sadie. The most appropriate socialization occurs when pups are developing, ideally under three months of age. However, if you rescue a dog and you should, their early development and experiences are unknown. Rather than pushing your dog to endure loud noises, children or other dogs if he is backing away, trembling or even standing still; help him learn at a slower pace these things are not as scary as he thought.

Perhaps Jack missed appropriate interactions with pups at a young, maybe his behavior has been reinforced by a lot of attention from humans when he retreats or his reaction could be due to a bad experience with other dogs. A better way to reacclimate Jack to dogs would be:

Guardian says to Sadie’s human, “he’s not comfortable saying hello” and gives Jack a little space from Sadie. While Sadie is still in eye sight, if Jack sniffs or walks a step in Sadie’s direction, mom says “good boy Jack”. They walk on their merry way and so does Sadie. Jack then learns in scary situations his guardian will protect him and that particular dog was not so bad. Sadie continues to think other dogs are super fun. We have to remember when introducing our dogs to the world, we need to consider what they are attempting to communicate and what they are capable of handling based on past experiences or their stage of development. Lots of little positive interactions with even the scariest thing can make a big difference.

Home Safety

Fonz safe at home

Sometimes it may feel like your dog is a child. Keeping him safe does require some childproofing techniques.

One way to keep him safe is to crawl on the floor. Sounds silly but it will help you identify nifty things he might be attracted to at his eye level. Look for loose cords he might get caught in. If your dog is a chewer, you can coat electric cords with dish-soap. The soap will not harm him, but may deter him from gnawing on a live wire that would. Check to see how easy it might be to open a cabinet (especially those that hold cleaning supplies). For dogs that chew frequently, it is best keep them crated when not home or unsupervised. It will prevent the unwanted, potentially dangerous behavior and make your arrival home much more pleasant. Items that are toxic to dogs (not exhaustive list), more information

  • Chocolate: even in small amounts
  • Antifreeze: has a sweet smell that attracts dogs and cats to it
  • Grapes
  • Raisins
  • Raw onions
  • Garlic
  • Xylitol (found in sugar-free gum, candies and toothpaste)
  • Lillies
  • Cocoa Mulch
  • Human medications-prescription and over the counter

Toys are a great way to keep your dog busy but make sure the toys are appropriate for your dog. Thin plastic squeaky toys and cloth toys are fine for dogs that do not chew a lot, but should only be allowed when you can supervise. Kongs, sterile bones stuffed with cheese or peanut butter are fine to leave alone with your dog, just make sure to keep your eyes out for sharp edges or small pieces that could harm your dog. Rawhides that are made in the USA are good for dogs’ teeth and help direct the chewing behavior to something other than your favorite shoes. Those made outside the USA do not have the same regulations to help prevent salmonella. As with any toy be cautious and always supervise your dog when chewing on rawhides. Some tenacious chewers can swallow whole pieces and potentially choke.

Be leery of trash hounds. Any type of discarded meat bone is dangerous to a dog. Real bones splinter, the temptation of bones, corncobs or smelly plastic bags can be very tempting and potentially harmful. Suggestions to keep your dog healthfully out of the trash:

  • Buy a stainless steel trash can with a lid.
  •  Keep the trash in a room away from your dog.
  • Take the trash out right away if there might be something tempting in it.
  • Some dogs are deterred if there is black pepper on top of the trash.

Keep food paraphernalia off countertops. Dogs have been known to get caught or stuck in plastic bags. Not only will your dog be rewarded for counter-surfing by gorging on a whole bag of tortilla chips but the bag can also pose a danger if he cannot escape after his binge. Some dogs will lick the bag exhaustively and may not be able to get their head out of the bag. Keep your dog safe and well behaved by putting away these temptations.

If you have low door handles on a cabinet or other fixtures, your dog’s collar could get caught on them. Consider getting a breakaway collar designed to come apart if the dog becomes stuck on something. If you think your dog might get into something he should not when you are not around, crate him. It might help your anxiety if your dog is well exercised and trained to happily accept his crate to be confined while you are away to assure his safety. Our lifestyles and work schedules often lead to long days. If you are gone for long periods of time, consider getting a dog walker or dog daycare. Before inviting someone into your home to take care of your beloved or sending him off to play with other dogs all day, do your homework. Make sure you understand the extent of training each employee receives, safety precautions they take, range of services they provide and process if an emergency situation does arise. Ask for business references or ask neighbors who they use.

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