Stop Dogs from Rushing the Door

In the human world, we often think our dog rushing up to us and jumping on us is cute. Not so in the pack world.

Me and Bo at the Queen Anne Merril Gardens assisted care facility.

A dog rushing toward you is called "charging" and it spells dominance, regardless of whether it's motivated by excitement, play or aggression. A dog being on top of you or putting his paws on you is also a canine sign of owning you.

Again, they're not the boss of you and this is inappropriate behavior, especially if there are children in the house or you have physical injuries or disabilities.

A healthy greeting means your dog patiently waits to greet you, family or guests WHEN YOU ARE READY. Here's how you can teach your dog to be respectful:

Step between the dog and the door. Never allow them to be closer to the door than you. That means they own it.

Now, make them stay several feet away to give you and your guest "space", a sign they are being respectful of your leadership. This makes you the owner of the door AND of the guest in the dog's eyes.

Insist that your dog sit (lay down for excitable dogs) and stay while you calmly open the door to your guest. Your dog should be in total submission, which means their ears and tails are relaxed, not standing up. If the dog moves when your hand is on the door knob, stop and put them back into place. Again, use a leash for added control. Take your time and ask your guest to be patient.

Ignore the dog when you come home or your guest enters for a few minutes (5-10 min for excitable dogs) until everyone is calm, especially the dog. Then greet.

Step FORWARD (never backward), if your dog jumps on you, and give the command for them to sit. Being "over" the dog tells them you mean business. Step on the leash for added control.

Be calm and quiet. Not only do excited dogs not hear words, your voice can excite your dog further. It's better to touch the dog or use signals (or the leash) to get them to do what you want. Your dog will take you more seriously when you are not speaking, but moving toward them.

Happy wagging!

Rain, Sleet, or Snow!

Dogs are like the US postal service. Rain, sleet or shine, they need to get out.

High energy dogs – especially hunters and working breeds (labs, golden retrievers, Visalas, pointers, terriers) need daily activity, regardless of the weather.

While many dogs may naturally accept a day on the couch when the weather is wet or cold, high energy dogs get more wound up the more they’re cooped up.

Weather can be a tool. When I work with dogs on behavior issues, one trick to inducing their trust in my leadership is to use foul weather as my environment. They are more inclined to want a strong leader at that moment, so I stay out front and keep a strong pace, and they bond with me faster! If there is snow, we run around and play catch with snowballs. It’s fun for both me and the dogs, and we all go home tired.

Sometimes I employ doggie backpacks and rain slickers to keep dogs covered if they are thin or have health issues. But typically I welcome the rain, which can both cool and calm a dog. Remember: Like people, dogs don’t get colds from rain – they get colds from germs. But getting them too cold can, I believe, make them more susceptible to getting sick or injured. So I gauge the temperature more than the rain.

So don’t worry about your dog getting wet. It’s better to use up those spare towels at home, rather than let the dog chew up your spare couch due to boredom!

Bo Working Magic at Merrill Gardens

I stopped by Merrill Gardens, Queene Anne today and they all hugged me and relayed condolences about Bo. What kind people! They just sent the photos and I had to put them up so folks see how Bo touched hearts!

These are of Bo from last Sept 2011 working at the Merrill Gardens, which is part retirement home and part assisted care facility. We helped put on 2 dog shows for residents in the last 3 years so folks could show off their dogs' beauty and tricks. Everyone got a prize and an award.

1. Here's Bo meeting the judge, who is one of the residents. Or should I say schmoozing her. I had to tell Bo he wasn't part of the competition. But he got an award anyway for best trained dog. What a ham!

2. Here's Bo helping me explain to residents what dominance (being "over" your dog, exemplified by straddling) means and how it's not a bad thing. Note he's still wearing his car harness (for a seatbelt attachment). I liked to show people his gear, so those ladies who like purses and shoes would understand why I get my thrills out of dog accessories.

3. Here's Bo getting a treat from one of the residents. Note the oxygen tube near her arm. He wouldn't take treats from me during the "show" because he was stressed. The big crowd was hard for him. So I took him around the room to greet folks one-on-one and he did great. He even took food from the residents. I think I got suckered.

4. Here's Bo sitting in front of a resident who is petting him (those are my naked ankles). When we first got Bo, he used to bark at all wheeled objects and people carrying sticks, like canes and crutches. That was one of the issues we had to rehab, and it never completely went away. So being at the assisted care facility, where many residents are in wheelchairs or have support units, was always hard for him at first. But when Bo greeted folks one-on-one he was fine. Bo came a long way from his early years!

Hope you enjoyed these!