Yesterday was our second of our Dog Chat Series 2013. When I come up with the titles every year I really try to find ideas that most dogs and of course owners need help with. I really enjoy spending two hours on one subject and really breaking it down so the owners can go home and step by step put it into practice.
When I design the course I use a formula. I use this formula for every problem that I deal with with dogs and slightly modified with life. Any problem can be defined (a bit part of the issue) and solved using this plan.
First define the problem. Remember you cannot teach a dog not to do something and you have to be realistic in your expectations.
Problem: Horrible door manners!!!
What does that mean? Is the behaviour only horrible when your frail mother-in-law comes over but is rewarded by everyone else who walks in the house including yourself? What would you like to see happen instead?
There are four options that are all solutions. Some require more effort some almost no effort.
1. Ignore the problem. Some problems you just have to accept. You can change them but that will require effort you are not willing to expend to solve this problem so the solution is acceptance. No yelling, not getting all upset, smile and accept. You know the saying
2. Manage the problem. I will give you an example. I have a 12 year old Siberian, I find as dogs start to hit serious old age they obsess about food. I think they have nothing else to do, chasing stuff is no longer that exciting, running around is exhausting, etc. About 2 hours before meal time if you approach the kitchen Max is underfoot, always in the way. Especially in the morning when I am trying to get breakfast and lunches ready and I keep bumping into him. My solution was pure management. In the morning when I walk into the kitchen Max gets put in his crate (where he eats breakfast), that way he doesn't drive me nuts and I can get to his breakfast when I get to it. I am happy because I have stopped having to constantly say "Get out of the kitchen".
3. Train. Definitely the most work intensive of the solutions, but that being said most problems take about 2-5 minutes once or twice a day to be solved within a few weeks to a month. This is really not that much work. I think for most people they don't know where to start so this is not an option. The easiest way is to train the new dog as soon as they come into your home so that the wrong choices never happen.
4. Get rid of the dog. I know most of you are thinking "I would never do that" but you have to admit this is an option and sometimes it is a very good option but usually one of the first three will work much better.
There it is the formula to solve all your dog problems. Every time I become frustrated and discouraged I think of all the incredible things animals have been trained to do; circus animals, animals in the military, police dogs, marine animals, etc. If they can train a dog to drive a car I am pretty sure I can train my dog to ...
When I design the course I use a formula. I use this formula for every problem that I deal with with dogs and slightly modified with life. Any problem can be defined (a bit part of the issue) and solved using this plan.
First define the problem. Remember you cannot teach a dog not to do something and you have to be realistic in your expectations.
Problem: Horrible door manners!!!
What does that mean? Is the behaviour only horrible when your frail mother-in-law comes over but is rewarded by everyone else who walks in the house including yourself? What would you like to see happen instead?
There are four options that are all solutions. Some require more effort some almost no effort.
1. Ignore the problem. Some problems you just have to accept. You can change them but that will require effort you are not willing to expend to solve this problem so the solution is acceptance. No yelling, not getting all upset, smile and accept. You know the saying
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference.This is the serenity part.
2. Manage the problem. I will give you an example. I have a 12 year old Siberian, I find as dogs start to hit serious old age they obsess about food. I think they have nothing else to do, chasing stuff is no longer that exciting, running around is exhausting, etc. About 2 hours before meal time if you approach the kitchen Max is underfoot, always in the way. Especially in the morning when I am trying to get breakfast and lunches ready and I keep bumping into him. My solution was pure management. In the morning when I walk into the kitchen Max gets put in his crate (where he eats breakfast), that way he doesn't drive me nuts and I can get to his breakfast when I get to it. I am happy because I have stopped having to constantly say "Get out of the kitchen".3. Train. Definitely the most work intensive of the solutions, but that being said most problems take about 2-5 minutes once or twice a day to be solved within a few weeks to a month. This is really not that much work. I think for most people they don't know where to start so this is not an option. The easiest way is to train the new dog as soon as they come into your home so that the wrong choices never happen.
4. Get rid of the dog. I know most of you are thinking "I would never do that" but you have to admit this is an option and sometimes it is a very good option but usually one of the first three will work much better.
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