Helpful Holiday Strategies

Hanukkah is fast approaching (beginning on December 14 this year) and Christmas is just two weeks away as well.  A lot of my clients are feeling the pressure already to get everything done and make everything perfect for their friends, families, and loved ones.  I get it.  I like to get my Christmas tree up early and my house decorated so I can enjoy the festivities as long as possible.  But putting up a tree and decorations, and wrapping presents, with big dogs underfoot? Not an easy task.  I like to think my dogs are well-behaved.  They know what they are supposed to be doing and what is off limits.  The holidays, however, bring so many temptations, that even my dogs can get into a little trouble, landing them on Santa's naughty list, on occasion. I have put together some strategies that work for me to keep mishaps and shenanigans to a minimum, thus reducing my holiday stress and ensuring that we all have a good time.

1.  Don't put away those crates, pens, and gates just yet. Just because your puppy is all grown up, or you have adult dogs who've not needed confinement in years, using those options during the holidays can be a game changer. Need your dogs to stay out of the kitchen while you are preparing food?  Put up that gate.  Need your dog to stay away from the tree?  Put up a pen around it.  Need your dog to stop rushing the door as people come and go?  Put them in their crate with something fun to do, or inside that exercise pen. While I agree that gates and pens aren't all that attractive, they get the job done by creating obvious, enforceable boundaries for our dogs. The bottom line is this:  You can absolutely teach your dog to stay out of the kitchen, away from the tree, and not to bolt out the front door, but two weeks before the holidays is not the time to be doing that training. You'll be stressed out, your dog will be anxious about getting it right, and no one will have a good time. Embrace the gates and pens and decorate them with some garland as well!

2.  Plan ahead. Let your dog check out that tree before you add lights and ornaments.  If they get in some good sniffs in advance, they'll be less likely to dive into it when you bring it indoors and start decorating.  Don't put anything but plain water into the tree stand and clean up fallen needles regularly as they can cause stomach upset.  You don't want them drinking from there at all, but best to make sure that if they sneak a sip, it's just water. Only put non-breakable, non-toxic, durable ornaments down low.  You can expect your puppy to pull down at least one ornament, so let's make sure no one gets hurt! 

3.  Limit risk of exposure to poisons and toxins. I love poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, and amaryllis, but if someone brings them to my house as a gift, they immediately get placed strategically somewhere the dogs can't reach them and where any falling petals, needles, leaves, or berries won't land where curiosity might get the best of my dog friends.  If you are wrapping up edible treats like candy, cookies, etc. don't put them under your tree; leave those wrapped gifts up on a table or in a closet and bring them out when it's time for unwrapping.  And if you wrap presents for your dogs like I do, those gifts should stay safely tucked away until Christmas morning!

4.  Don't tempt them unnecessarily. My dogs are great at not touching plates, bowls, glasses, etc. on low tables as it's something we've practiced since they were puppies.  However, I don't tempt fate by walking away from plates piled high with novel holiday goodies and cups filled with yummy smelling beverages.  Dogs can be tethered, crated, penned, or kept behind a gate safe and sound.  Don't relegate your dogs to a part of your house away from all of the fun and activities, however.  Instead, keep them where they can safely see and participate without risk of over-indulging or intoxication.  One exception to this is if  you have a very fearful, aggressive, or overly protective dog.  Dogs who are afraid of new people and new experiences, or those who will aggressively defend and protect their owners or their homes from visitors should be confined away from the holiday activities.  Confinement is not punishment, so don't feel guilty or ashamed about doing so. You are protecting your guests, reducing your liability, and giving your dog some peace of mind.  Check on them regularly, give them bathroom breaks, and make sure you leave them things to do during their necessary confinement.  

5.  Maintain your usual schedule as much as possible. For some of my clients, it's hard enough to maintain a regular schedule during the rest of the year, let alone during the hectic holiday season, however doing so reaps its own rewards. Dogs are creatures of habit, deriving pleasure and satisfaction from eating, walking, playing, and exploring at the same times every day.  If you deviate too far from their normal routine, you risk creating avoidable stress and anxiety.  Instead, make every effort to feed them on time, get those walks in (that exercise is good for you too), and don't forget to play.  Play is nature's stress-buster, so don't skip out on that game of fetch or tug-of-war.

6.  Don't make excuses. You have dogs because you love them.  Having dogs means regularly dealing with water dripped on the floor, hair and fur on the furniture, dirt on the carpets, and occasionally, urine, feces, and vomit in random places as well.  That's life with pets, so don't apologize for it!  If guests in your home "aren't dog people," that's on them.  They are visiting you at your house; you can make minor accommodations as mentioned above with those crates, gates, and pens, but they need to remember that you share your home with dogs whom you love very much.  Loving you means loving (or at the very least tolerating) your dogs.  That doesn't mean you won't still do your best to make sure your canine companions are on their best behavior and looking (and smelling!) their best.  We all like to put our best face and foot forward during the holidays and your dogs want that approval and adoration too.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

I've never met a dog who was as methodical about opening his Christmas gifts as Westley was. He absolutely LOVED opening gifts, joyfully pulling off ribbons first and then finding the right spot to loosen tape and then finally removing the wrapping paper.  And just like a little kid, he loved the boxes and paper just as much as the gifts inside them. This was Christmas 2024, his last one here on earth.

Are Dogs Getting Crazier?!

That was the question posed by a new client when he phoned my office for help with his three year old German Shorthaired Pointer.  He'd had dogs his entire life, and this was his fourth GSP, so he couldn't understand why his veterinarian was talking about possible drug therapy and the need for a behaviorist! When he asked me (somewhat jokingly, but not really) if I thought dogs were getting crazier, my response was a serious one: Dogs have always had behavioral issues, we've just gotten better at recognizing the problems and seeking out solutions that benefit those individual dogs than we did in the past. Much as there has been an increase in the diagnosis of children and adults with ADD, ADHD, and autism since the early 1990's, so have we seen an increase in the diagnosis of anxiety-based behavior problems in dogs over the last thirty plus years. It isn't that ADD, ADHD, and autism didn't exist before the 90's, it's just that human doctors and therapists have gotten better at recognizing these conditions and are more aware of how earlier therapeutic intervention results in more productive outcomes for their patients.  It's the same with dogs; veterinarians are recognizing that their canine patients need behavioral intervention and they are pointing those pet owners to trained professionals like myself. Veterinary care just keeps getting better and better and because of that, pets will continue to receive more thorough workups, including questions regarding that pet's behavior.

Obviously, I know a lot of veterinarians. They all collect behavioral information on the pets they see in their practice as part of their intake history during exam appointments.  Why? Because a pet's behavior can tell you an awful lot about how they are feeling, how they are coping, and where they may be struggling. Why might our pets be struggling?  The world is a different place than it was in the 1950's and 60's when oftentimes there was a human home all day long, so dogs didn't face separation anxiety.  Dogs were also often free to roam the neighborhood beyond their backyard, exploring, sniffing, and socializing with other dogs. While dodging cars can certainly be anxiety-provoking in and of itself, for the most part, that free-roaming suited a lot of those dogs. When dog owners began working longer days and with households needing two incomes to stay afloat, dogs were alone more, confined to the house or the yard, with less time to wander, explore, sniff, and socialize. Consequently, dogs became anxious due to lack of experiences or socialization opportunities. Their worlds shrank, making them more dependent on their humans for social interaction and mental stimulation, and that neediness became attention seeking and that attention seeking became boredom and anxiety.  Living in cities and suburbs meant more time on leash and leashes create anxiety for many dogs. Add in over-breeding or poor breeding, and you get dogs with more serious issues like OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), aggression, panic attacks, and phobias, to name a few. 

My new client took all of this to mean that it was his fault his dog was anxious!  On the contrary, I was surprised that his three previous GSP's hadn't had any anxiety-based issues given that I've seen quite a few GSP's over my 35 years in business, and all of them had anxiety in one form or another.  I told the client that he was fortunate that this was his first anxious GSP! I firmly believe that his dog was predisposed to anxiety, in this case obsessive compulsive disorder, based on his dog's history and the family tree details he provided.  As a puppy, his dog chased his tail until he fell over or wore himself out. As an adolescent, he snapped at flies that weren't there, and now he routinely chases lights, shadows, and reflections.  Treating these issues means recognizing that this dog is anxious; scolding him, crating him, and keeping him on a pinch collar and tether aren't going to fix the problem.  On the contrary, those things are likely to make the problem worse.  What this dog needed was to have his energy channeled into more appropriate activities.  He needed serious mental stimulation and a breed appropriate outlet for his energy.  He also needed drug therapy as OCD cannot be effectively treated with behavior modification alone once it's gone on this long. Learned behaviors are hard to break.  Just ask anyone who ever had to give up cigarettes how hard it was to break that behavior!

While this wasn't really the news my client wanted to hear, he did have his dog's best interests at heart and agreed to the behavior modification plan I created.  I followed up with his veterinarian and we'll be starting the dog on clomipramine and we will see how it goes over the next few months. Not the easy fix my client was hoping for, but I think we are on the right track to bring relief to his dog.  

Thinking back to when I was a kid, we had a neighbor with a big Irish Setter.  That dog used to spend hours tethered to a tree in front of their house while neighborhood kids (including his own) played in the street.  I can remember that dog chasing his tail and fly snapping when there weren't flies, so clearly that dog had some issues with not enough mental stimulation and physical exercise, and maybe even some compulsive issues like my client's dog.  Was the neighbor's dog treated for any of this?  I don't think so, but then again it was the 1970's and there weren't a lot of behavior resources for dog owners back then beyond Barbara Woodhouse.  Do any of you remember Barbara Woodhouse?  Boy, I really am getting old!

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

She was enormously popular, very entertaining, and quite no nonsense!

DIY Puzzles & Games

This has been a rough year for a lot of my clients here in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Between the tariffs, skyrocketing grocery prices, and cutbacks at work, many of my clients are worrying about the holidays and gift giving even more than usual.  I'm a big fan of homemade gifts.  I think those lovely, one-of-a-kind items speak volumes about how much we care for the people in our lives receiving those handmade treasures. Even our pets appreciate homemade gifts and they really don't know the difference between an expensive toy, treat, or puzzle bought at the pet store, and one we made for them ourselves.  And this year?  Homemade pet gifts are the way to go.  Here are some of my favorites:

For the dog who loves a good puzzle:  Take an old beach towel, hand towel, or wash cloth (size of the towel depends on the size of the dog) and lay it out flat; add small treats or kibble and roll the towel up tightly.  Once you've got it rolled up, tie it in knots, creating a yummy smelling puzzle for your dog to untangle, roll out, and discover all the fun inside.

For the dog who likes to take stuff apart:  Collect four to six boxes of different sizes that you can nest inside each other.  Cut holes in the boxes of differing sizes to allow treats to drop out.  Place treats inside the boxes and then seal the seams of each box as you nest them one inside the other.  If you are giving this gift right away, you can make it even more fun to destroy by adding a small smear of nut butter to the outside to get your dog started. Yes, they will make a cardboard mess of all of this, so supervise them much as you would supervise a toddler opening gifts!

For the dog who always wants a snack:  Take sweet potatoes, carrots, or zucchini and thinly slice them (I use a mandoline), placing them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make sure there is space between the pieces so that they'll cook evenly. Bake at the lowest possible over temperature (I do 170 degrees) or use a convection oven to reduce moisture efficiently and evenly. You want the vegetables completely dried and a bit crispy in texture which will take a few hours in a regular oven. I just periodically check on mine, testing for crispness. Once they are dry and crisp, remove from the oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container for your dog to snack on. Healthy treats you'll both love!

For the dog who loves soft toys: Look for flannel or fleece fabric remnants at the craft store or simply pick up some flannel sheets or large flannel shirts at the second hand store.  Cut the fabric into strips and tightly braid them together creating a homemade tug rope for your dog (see the photo below for an example).

And if you happen to drive past a yard sale, stop and see if they have any durable kids toys like backyard playhouses, slides, or tunnels.  These are fun for dogs as well, creating obstacles to go over, around, and through.  You can even hide treats in the playhouse or under the slide for your dog to find when they go exploring on their own.

I love making and receiving homemade gifts and I truly believe our dogs appreciate whatever we give them, so why not make their gifts yourself this year?

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me. 

Several years ago, this puppy did a week of boot camp at my house following his neuter surgery in December.  That was the year that my friend, Molly, made rope toys for my dogs for the holidays.  Well, this innocent looking puppy had the audacity to steal this toy from Ozzie and then growl when Ozzie tried to take it back!  Needless to say, that sheepish look on his face was for me when I took the toy away and asked him for a polite sit and stay.  It was boot camp after all!

Attention Seeking & Manipulation

Many of you have heard me say that dogs are terminal toddlers.  Toddlers are smart, agile, and independent, but they are also self absorbed, impulsive, manipulative, and prone to outbursts (tantrums).  For many dog owners, that definitely sounds like familiar territory.  Fortunately, toddlers outgrow this phase (hopefully) becoming successful, productive, compassionate children and adults.  Dogs?  They are stuck in this phase, for better or for worse.  It's our job as dog owners to guide our pups so that they minimize the negative aspects of toddler-hood in favor of those more positive attributes.  If you don't provide your puppies and dogs with structure, rules, schedules, and consistent consequences, however, you may end up with a canine tyrant in your home.  I meet a lot of those dogs.

We all seek out attention for ourselves.  It might be a brightly colored shirt we love to wear as we always get compliments when we do.  Or, it might be giggling and spinning around with your arms wide open as you know when you do, your bestie will do the same and give you a big hug.  Seeking attention in and of itself is not a bad thing.  Where it goes awry is when it becomes disruptive and potentially dangerous. Here's an example.  A smart dog might bark at the backdoor as he's realized that doing so gets your attention and causes you to open the door for him, allowing access to explore his outdoor territory and maybe relieve himself in the process.  Some dogs take this a step further and bark at their owners any time they want something.  Hungry?  Bark at the owner until they cave and give you a snack.  Bored? Bark at the owner until they stop what they are doing and throw the ball.  Frustrated?  Bark at the human for ignoring them and then escalate to pawing, grabbing clothing, biting at hands, and jumping on them snapping teeth in their face.  That sure gets the human's attention, right? Now, if you are like most of my clients this type of negative attention seeking takes you by surprise.  You might jump up and try to calm your dog, or redirect them to something more appropriate.  You might even put them outside to "cool off."  Doing any of these things, however, has the potential to backfire, resulting in your dog persisting in those behaviors that got him the undivided attention he craved.  And that, my friends, is manipulation.

So, what should you do if you think you are being manipulated by your canine housemate?  Respond appropriately.  Don't give them what they are demanding and instead attach a consequence that they won't particularly enjoy but can, begrudgingly, understand.  Barking for no reason?  Time out in your pen, crate, or the laundry room.  Persist in barking?  Stay there until you can calm yourself.  If you can't safely move your dog to the time out, then remove yourself to another room and close the door! Removing yourself serves the same purpose; your dog can't demand attention from you, or escalate their manipulation, if you've removed yourself from that narrative. If your dog, starts grabbing your clothes and snapping at your hands and face the minute you sit down on the couch, then don't let them be near you on the couch.  Tether your dog away from the couch, confine them to an x-pen, or use a crate.  Give them something to do while you are on the couch and they are effectively confined; we aren't punishing them, we are establishing boundaries.  If they bark when tethered or confined, despite having something to do there, remove them to another room for a time out, or remove yourself. 

Now, I know you are tired and you just want to enjoy your evening, but handing a dog a bully stick, a bone, or actually stopping what you are doing (relaxing) and playing with them or trying to bribe them into leaving you alone is only going to backfire.  They always want more and sometimes, just like human toddlers, they don't even really know what they want.  They are frustrated!  You can't reason with a frustrated toddler or dog.  Remove them, let them calm down and rest, and then give them something appropriate to do at that point.  

It is true that I see a lot of bored dogs as well.  Remembering to provide daily challenges for your dog in the form of physical and mental exercise is important.  If you get too busy to walk them or too lazy to fill the food puzzle, then you can expect them to act up and act out later.  Bored dogs are frustrated dogs and boredom and frustration lead to negative attention seeking, manipulation, and in some dogs, escalating aggression.

You are the adult with the thumbs to open the fridge and the back door, the car keys to get them to the park, and the credit card to order their treats, food, and toys. Your dogs KNOW all of this.  They will absolutely try to manipulate you if they think they can or if they've been successful with that strategy in the past.  If your response is always to calmly remove them (or yourself) for a time out, the result is a dog who begins to curb their own behavior to avoid that time out.  Now, this doesn't mean you can ignore those barks to let them outside, delay mealtimes, or forget that you always do two walks a day and play fetch afterward.  Dogs like predictable schedules and too much variation causes undue stress and anxiety.  We all have a responsibility here.  We need to be predictable and trustworthy caretakers and our dogs need to be well-mannered toddlers. 

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

When Zelly was about six months old, she really started boundary testing.  She'd bark at you anytime she didn't get her way; she'd also chase after the other dogs biting at them and barking in their faces as well. My response to this was always the same:  Time out.  Nine times out of ten, she'd fuss for a few minutes and then fall fast asleep.  A reminder of just how important those naps are for puppies and for the rest of us who are living with them!

Petsitters & Dog Walkers

I get asked all the time what to look for when choosing a petsitter or a dog walker, or if I actually know someone that I can recommend.  I appreciate that pet owners trust me with the mental health of their pets and that they also trust that I will know qualified people who can help them with the other needs of their furred and feathered family members. On the flip side, I've also been asked by pet lovers to advise them in how they can build a petsitting or dog walking business for themselves. I think that it's important to understand what you, the pet owner, should be looking for in a petsitter or a dog walker, and by reviewing what you should look for, this should also provide a good foundation of the skills needed if you are considering either profession for yourself. 

Petsitters need to be more than just animal lovers.  They need to have the ability to accurately read animal body language and react/respond accordingly.  Petsitters need to know what stress and anxiety look like in our pets so that they can respond in ways that reduce those emotions.  Good petsitters will ask you for a detailed schedule of your pet's day, including feeding times, exercise, play, grooming, sleep patterns, and any quirks they might have, as knowing your pet's behavior and routine in a very detailed way reduces stress for your pet and for you.  For example, if you always feed your dog right at 5 p.m., it will be important for the petsitter to do so as well.  Pets who aren't fed on their usual schedule often become anxious, and some pets get more anxious about food and feeding times than others. It's important for you to tell the petsitter where your dog sits on the couch, especially if the petsitter sitting in that spot will make your dog upset.  You need to tell them *if* your dog resource guards and *what* they resource guard.  If you know your dog will growl and snap if their food bowl is picked up before they've chosen to walk away from it, you need to tell the petsitter that important information!  If a petsitter will also be walking your dog, share with them your usual route(s), what to do if they encounter other dogs, cats, squirrels, kids, etc. You want the petsitter prepared to avoid encounters or adjust their own behavior at the other end of your dog's leash. And if your petsitter will be medicating your pet while you are gone, walk them through every specific step you take to do that safely whether it's using pill pockets, wrapping the pill in lunch meat or cheese, or simply tossing the pill into your pet's bowl. No detail about your pet's daily life is too small to include in the outline for the petsitter because this is about safety and comfort for your pet and for the petsitter.  Because safety is important, I believe petsitters should be trained in animal CPR, just in case. There are classes and certification in first aid for pets and anyone interested in a career in petsitting should have that certification, in my opinion. 

While some dogs could truly be walked by anybody, many of my clients have dogs with very specific needs: A need to avoid encounters with other dogs; predatory behavior around cats, squirrels, etc.; fear of wheeled objects like bikes, scooters, and skateboards; or noise sensitivities to loud vehicles, backfiring cars, alarms, or sirens. If you know your dog is a handful on the leash, you cannot in good conscience hand them off to a neighborhood teen for daily walks; you will need to seek out a professional dog walker. Professional dog walkers should also be good at reading dog body language and understanding how to diffuse a volatile situation. They should come prepared with the tools to insure their safety and the safety of your pet.  I always recommend that dog walkers carry air horns with them, just in case.  Make sure the dog walker you've chosen also asks about your dog's typical walking behavior, the route you usually take, how much leash you allow your dog to have, if you allow your dog to sniff, if they are they allowed off leash at all, and if they are allowed off leash, what command do you use for them to come back, and do they know leave it and drop it, if they pick something up on the walk that they shouldn't. I'll never forget talking to a dog walker years ago at a conference telling the story of how she was having a terrible time getting a client's dog to come back to her at the dog park.  She tried everything she knew, but nothing worked until someone else at the dog park who knew the dog told her, "his mom just hollers cookie, cookie, cookie and he comes running!" Would have been nice if the dog's owner had told her that when she agreed to be the dog walker.  

I think one of the most important steps in choosing a petsitter or dog walker for your pets is determining if the person you are interviewing shares your views on animal care and keeping.  If you are a soft spoken pet owner, your pets are used to that style.  Bringing in a loud, boisterous, somewhat over enthusiastic petsitter is not going to work, no matter how qualified they are.  Same goes for the dog walker:  If you don't use harsh corrections with your dog on the leash, you certainly don't want to use a dog walker who routinely uses prong collars, e-collars, and firm leash snaps with the dogs he or she walks. And if you are hiring a dog walker to walk your dog alone, make sure that you stipulate that request as many dog walkers walk multiple dogs at one time which is beneficial for them financially and for time management purposes, but may not be what is best for you or your dog.

For people who are interested in careers in petsitting or dog walking I advise them to collect as much information as they can at the outset, meet with the owner and pets together well ahead of time, AND do a dry run, meaning babysit the pets for a single day or a weekend before committing to a longer petsitting gig.  For dog walkers, collect all the information on the dog ahead of time AND go for a walk with the owner and the dog so you can see what they actually do, which may not be the same as what they told you! Always make sure the situation feels safe and feels like something you are capable of doing.  Don't sign up to care for an animal you feel uncomfortable around and don't offer to walk a dog whose behavior is risky for you.  It's always better to side with caution.  Finally, get insurance to cover your business; having insurance shows you are a professional and take your job seriously, but it also protects you if something goes awry.  You are working with animals after all and animals can be unpredictable.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

I'm lucky.  Anytime I need a petsitter or a dog walker, I can call on my daughter to jump in and do it.  I'm also the person who walks her dog two to three times a week when she's at work and I babysit when she's out of town.  Our dogs are comfortable with this because they are with familiar people in a familiar environment and all of their needs are met the same way regardless of whether I'm providing the care or my daughter.  Find someone you trust and your pets will thank you for it.

Crash Course in Crates

I had a wonderful visit with a new client and her puppy earlier this week.  She's never had a dog of her own before, though she grew up with dogs.  Like many of the young people I meet, she was never responsible for anything with regard to those family dogs, other than love, attention, and an occasional walk!  Because she wants "to do everything right," she decided to meet with me in person for a "Puppy 101" appointment.  I've talked about my Puppy 101 appointments before; I basically give you a crash course in puppies, their wants and needs, the importance of establishing good routines early, boundaries (literal and figurative), selecting the right toys, leashes, and bedding, etc.  One of the main things I go over right off the bat is the value in having a crate (or two) in your home. 

Believe it or not, crate training a dog isn't something new. The first dog crate was patented in the early 1900's and they were used extensively with police and military canines. Using crates to recreate denning behavior and help with house training, for example, really took hold during the 1980's as an emphasis on positive training practices rather than aversives was emphasized. Popularized by Dr. Ian Dunbar in the mid-80's while he was teaching volunteers and staff at the San Francisco SPCA, crate training puppies and dogs became more of a standard of practice and widely accepted as a helpful tool in the pursuit of happily house trained dogs.

Crate training isn't a complete no-brainer, however.  You do need to put some thought into the style of crate you use, the size, the placement, amount of time you use it, and what you use it for.  I prefer crates to be placed in a bedroom where at least one of the humans sleeps.  That bedroom can easily be a kid's bedroom, as long as said child is capable of being responsible for responding to a puppy who indicates it needs to use the bathroom in the middle of the night!  Puppies gain social time with us even when we are asleep when they snooze in our bedrooms with us.  Crates in bedrooms are also ideal for those very important daily, scheduled naps.  Most of us don't use our bedrooms during the daytime making them ideal locations for puppies to nap and learn that it's okay to be alone for a little while every day.  You will want to establish good sleep rituals from the get go, closing curtains or blinds, and using fans, white noise machines, or music as background noise to make resting during the day easier for your puppy. I'm not a fan of putting covers on crates as I think they restrict air flow. Instead, I suggest a soft, durable bed for the crate, a crate pad, or a cuddler bed that will curl up around a small dog or puppy for stress relief and comfort. I love wire crates as again, good air flow.  Plus, they often come with dividers which allow you to adjust the size of the crate as your puppy grows.  I know people who swear by airline style crates, and some who love nylon, tent-style crates.  For me, airline crates in my house are icky to look at and since I use crates on and off for my dogs' entire lifetimes, I don't want something ugly in my home!  I love nylon crates for travel, but I just don't find them durable for long term use indoors, especially for puppies who like to chew on the zippers and seams for fun!

So, you might be asking, how long can a puppy be in a crate?  A good rule of thumb is one hour in the crate per month of life, plus one.  So, a three month old puppy like the one I saw this week could be in the crate for up to four hours at a time.  Given that most puppies nap two to three hours at a time, this works great.  They do that nap in their crate, come out for a bathroom break, play time, a snack and some training, and then head back a couple hours later for another nap. Don't worry about that three month old puppy crating for longer than four hours at night.  That rule of thumb applies to daytime sleep primarily.  Adult dogs can crate for longer, but really a dog should not be in a crate during the daytime for longer than eight hours. If your work schedule has you crating your dog for more than eight hours, consider doggie daycare for them instead, or a dog walker who can come in and break up your dog's day in the crate with exercise and a bathroom break. 

And, yes, your dog's crate can also be used for time outs.  This will not make the crate a negative, on the contrary, their crate is their safe space.  As long as you aren't punishing your dog (yelling, grabbing them, shoving them into the crate roughly), then putting them in their crate for a time out won't change the positive way they view their crate.   However, the key to time outs for puppies and dogs is to be able to put them into their time out immediately following whatever happened that earned them that time out in the first place.  So, if your dog's crate is upstairs, in a bedroom, and the infraction was committed downstairs, then the crate might not be the optimal spot for the time out.  Which brings me to exercise pens.

Exercise pens (x-pens) are wonderful for homes with puppies, in particular. You can set up an x-pen (or for smaller puppies and dogs, a doggie playpen) in the common room of your home, that is the space where your family spends most of their time.  Your puppy can be put in that pen anytime you can't supervise them, but they are awake and active. You can put toys, puzzles, etc. in the play pen area with them and know that they are safe.  Exercise pens are perfect for time outs as well since, again, they are centrally located.  Just remember to pull out those toys, bones, and puzzles before placing your puppy in there for a time out.  Any parent will tell you:  A good time out means no TV, video games, phones, or books!

One more often overlooked use for an x-pen is in your yard.  You can set up an x-pen in the area where you'd like your puppy to toilet, creating a well-defined bathroom area.  You can make sure the zone you use is safe,  meaning free of sprinkler heads, rocks, bark, acorns, and mushrooms before you place your puppy in there.  The safety of the pen allows you to walk away, if you need to, knowing they won't wander off and hurt themselves.  Once they've toileted in their designated potty area, you can return to praise them and let them out for some free time in the yard, supervised of course, since you never leave a puppy unsupervised in your yard ever!

My client lives in an apartment, so she doesn't have a lot of free space.  We opted to use two crates for her puppy, placing one crate in her bedroom for naps and night time sleep and one, slightly larger crate in the corner of her kitchen for awake playtime and time outs, much as I described above for the x-pen or playpen, neither of which she has space for.  Having two crates allows my client to reap the rewards of crate training despite her small living space.

We went over a lot more beyond crates during our Puppy 101 appointment, but I wanted to begin there because getting her puppy off to a great start with his house training and nap schedule was paramount to his success as a house dog and her success as a new dog owner!

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me. 

I have a crate in my office for Zelly when she's hanging out with me for the day.  She'll go in there on her own when she wants to rest, as you can see, but it's also where she naps when I'm gone seeing clients.  Here she is in her crate, using Desi's favorite crate pad and resting her head on Westley's favorite sleepy bear toy as a pillow.  I feel like comfort pours out of those two things, straight from the lovely dogs who used them before her.

Routines, Structure & the Importance of Consistency

I realize that I am always talking about the importance of schedules, routines, and structure when it comes to raising happy, well-adjusted dogs. Clearly there is data that supports this: Dogs truly thrive on structure, experiencing less stress and anxiety, and feeling more secure, when their worlds are predictable.  Sudden changes to their routine can result in anxiety that leads to inappropriate behavior and a decreased ability to learn.  Just like regular feeding times promote good digestion, regularly scheduled exercise results in a more physically fit dog and likely one who is less destructive than a sedentary counterpart. In addition to physical exercise, training your dog consistently using positive reinforcement methodologies results in dogs with lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol. When we have a routine, and we share that routine with our dogs, we are enhancing our bond with them by making ourselves appear more trustworthy and reliable. 

All that being said, what are you supposed to do when that schedule changes, or the routine gets disrupted?  It can happen to any of us and being prepared in advance for those schedule upheavals (when possible) makes all the difference to our dogs, particularly if we can introduce those changes gradually.  As the days get shorter, and it's dark in the morning when you awaken and dark by the time you get home from work, you may find yourself having to adjust the time you walk your dog, the route you take, or even move from two walks every day to just one. In this example, you'd want to choose just one thing to change, perhaps just changing the time of day you walk your dog.  You can do that change as gradually as possible, adjusting by a handful of minutes each day over the course of a couple of weeks to switch them over with less upheaval.  Or, if you are changing where you walk your dog, take them to that new place AFTER you've already completed their regular walk so it's a bonus for them.  Gradually begin shortening the usual walk and extending the time of the walk in the new location. I think the hardest change for dogs is going from multiple walks a day down to just one.  If your schedule has changed, making it hard to walk them twice a day, for example, maybe it's worthwhile to hire a dog walker, or enlist the help of a trustworthy preteen or teen in your neighborhood to do the second walk for you.  If it's the fact that the holidays are creeping up on you and your stressed about getting everything done AND walking the dog twice a day is becoming harder to do, then, again, think about getting some help.  I'll also encourage you to remember that those scheduled walks and that exercise aren't just good stress relievers for your dog, they are good for you too.  Maybe carving out that time with your dog is more important than you think!

If you need to change your dog's food, you'll want to make that change gradual so as not to upset their stomachs unnecessarily.  By combining the old food with the new, you can help their bodies to better accept the new diet.  And if you are changing feeding time, definitely do that as gradually as possible as big changes in time are definitely noticed by our canine companions who have very efficient internal clocks. Just remember that if multiple changes need to be made, for example changes to their exercise schedule AND meal time changes, tackle those changes one at a time.  Sweeping changes to everything in their lives will create undue stress for you both.  Remember, too, that mental exercise is just as critical as physical exercise to your dog's well-being.  Break out the snuffle mats and food puzzles to help with those transitions and adjustments you are making to your dog's routine, as well as put some focus every day on fun training exercises like tricks and games.

Let's play devil's advocate for a minute. I think that it's also helpful to stop thinking of changing your dog's routine as strictly something bad and disruptive, but instead think of it as an opportunity to teach your dog to be a bit more adaptable and resilient. Something as simple as not always feeding your dog in a bowl, but switching it up and using a slow feeder for some meals, a puzzle, or a snuffle mat means that your dog is learning to see change not as something to dread and stress about but as something to look forward to for the change of pace and mental challenge. 

Something as simple as this small change at feeding time can result in a dog who is better able to cope with the changes in routines and schedules that invariably happen when you live with humans.  We inadvertently oversleep or choose to sleep in, we change jobs, we move, we acquire spouses, and have kids.  All of these life events upset the routine and structure we've established for our dogs, but they will adapt, as dogs always do.  Dogs are nothing if not resilient creatures.  We just know that we want those changes to be as gradual as possible so that they can understand what's going on, and embrace those changes along with us.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

My daughter wants Zelly to be a resilient dog, so she's varying her walking route routine, feeding her from puzzles, and working on tricks training daily.  Here's a smiley, happy Zelly mastering the balance-a-treat-on-your-snoot trick!

Choosing To Make Changes

I heard this quote last week and it's really stuck with me: What you don't change, you choose. So simple, and yet, profound.  It really does apply to so many things in our lives; our actions, our reactions, or our lack of action. I think it applies to how we work with our dogs as well, particularly those with behavioral challenges.  If you don't make the changes necessary for your pet to have relief from the behaviors that are making their lives difficult, then you are choosing to have them continue to face those same challenges over and over again. Let's look at a common behavioral problem and how not changing what you do means choosing to have the behavior problem persist long term for your pet.

Let's say your dog doesn't like other dogs.  When you take him out for a walk on leash, he's constantly scanning for other dogs, pulling on the leash, and lunging and barking if he catches sight of another dog. He's dragged you around quite a bit, and you are embarrassed by his behavior. Nonetheless, you walk him twice a day anyway, hating every minute of it, your anxiety peaking from the moment you clip his leash to his prong collar. He's four years old now, but you sheepishly tell me that he "flunked out of puppy class." Why?  Because he'd charge at other puppies, bark the entire class, and you were told he was "overzealous" and lacked impulse control, and you were not invited back to class. So, back to that quote:  What you don't change, you choose.  By not changing your dog's behavior, you are choosing to continue on this path of dreading walks with him.  I know this is hard, but you are making that choice. Want to get a handle on the problem?  Then, let's make some changes.

First, stop walking your dog.  I actually mean that.  Not just stop walking them twice a day. I mean stop walking them altogether.  Give yourselves a break.  Use a flirt pole, a game of fetch, play hide and seek, and use puzzle toys to challenge your dog's brain. Put your dog on leash and walk him around inside your house. I know it's boring, but it's safe!  Make it more fun by creating an obstacle course with your furniture.  This is your grand opportunity to work on all those leash skills everyone talks about.  Loose leash walking is now possible!  And you know what?  Ditch the prong collar.  Use a flat collar or a martingale collar and start retraining your dog to walk nicely on a leash without pain as a reinforcer.  Use treats!  Make it fun by playing a little "red light, green light" with your dog, creating arbitrary stops and sits, as if you were crossing busy streets.  Once your dog walks nicely indoors, move to your yard (if you have one) to practice the same exercises. If you don't have a yard yourself, see if a friend or family member has one you can use, or you can rent one in your area on Sniffspot. Drive your dog to this new location, even if it's close enough to walk there. It's not worth the risk!  Once your dog can do this, you are ready to move back out into the real world. 

Here's what we are going to do together. I'm going to have you purchase a specific harness, a head halter, and a double leash.  I want you to have the right equipment the next time you are out in public with your dog.  Then, you are going to repeat those exercises you did above, walking in your house, walking in your yard or a friend's yard, etc. with the new equipment.  Once you and your dog are comfortable with the new equipment, we are going to meet to walk in an off peak area at an off peak time.  Why?  Because I want you and your dog to be successful and what you don't change, you choose, right?  I'm going to show you how to handle your dog to keep their focus on you, on sniffing, on exploring, etc. and not on any other dogs we might see at a distance.  We will keep our session short and positive, and then you will do these short sessions, off peak times and off peak places, with your dog on your own.  As you gain confidence in your dog's ability to ignore other dogs and listen to you, you can start challenging them a bit.  Just a bit though.  Maybe you adjust your walk time to a busier time of day when others are out with their dogs, OR you choose a busier area to walk, but you don't do both.  You will gradually work your way back to those twice daily walks at times and places that are convenient for you, just not now. Desensitization and counter-conditioning take time and patience.  What you don't change, you choose.  Choose to take the time and make the effort.

Some of you may be asking, "What about drugs for my dog? Can I give him something to make this process go faster?"  I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  There is no magic pill that will fix this.  It's about changing your behavior to help your dog change their behavior. It takes time, and while your dog might need drug therapy for their underlying anxiety, I like to hold off on that until I'm sure that behavioral modification alone won't correct the problem. If your pet's anxiety is keeping them from being able to change their behavior, then of course we will pursue all therapeutic avenues including holistic options such as CBD.  

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Zelly is now 11 months old!  She will still pull on the leash, on occasion, but not from a place of anxiety, just from a place of LET'S GO!  The Gentle Leader Head Halter (in a stylish pink!) keeps her from pulling and definitely helps her to be a better listener.  I highly recommend head halters for dogs who pull due to excitement (including those who pull to chase squirrels).

You Asked For It!

I'm tickled pink that so many of you reached out to tell me that you enjoyed last week's blog post on the behavioral differences between male and female dogs.  Several of you said it really got you thinking about how you've chosen your own dogs, and that's awesome!  That's what the original book was designed for, and what those of us collecting the data hoped pet owners would achieve by reading the book. Now the downside.  You also told me that finding a copy of the book for yourself is darn near impossible.  Apparently, it's still available in a few libraries around the country (and those on the UC Davis campus, of course!), but the few remaining copies for purchase are available from random booksellers here and there.  None of the larger retail booksellers have copies at all, or if they do, they are ridiculously expensive!  I, too, find it frustrating when I can't find a book I'm looking for because it's out of print.  

So, because you were interested in more from that study and book, I figured this week we could take a closer look at those thirteen behavioral markers we quantified across 56 dog breeds. From the comments I received, it sounds like you are most interested in the specific behavioral scores for those dog breeds, particularly as it relates to the dogs you yourselves own. As I mentioned last week, you aren't going to find Cavaliers, for example, in our study as very few people had them back then, but we did look at a couple of other spaniels which I hope my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel friends will find informative nonetheless, if they pick up the book. What follows are summaries from the data collected and presented in "The Perfect Puppy: How to Choose Your Dog by Its Behavior," by Benjamin & Lynette Hart. 

Let's start with some ground rules.  Of the thirteen behavioral traits we looked at, two traits, excitability and general activity level, were highly predictive, meaning they were reliably helpful in distinguishing between dog breeds. Eight behavioral traits were moderately predictive, meaning they were helpful in distinguishing between breeds, but with fewer marked differences between breeds. These traits were: snapping at children, excessive barking, playfulness, obedience training, watchdog barking, aggression toward other dogs, dominance over owner, and territorial defense.  And the two behavioral traits that were least predictive were destructiveness and ease of housetraining. What that means is that training and the environment play a bigger role in whether a dog is destructive or easier to housetrain.

If you were going to pick your next breed of dog, strictly based on the behavioral characteristic(s) most important to you, you'd want to choose based on at least one of those two highly predictive measures, or a handful of those moderately predictive measures. Conversely, you could start with a breed you think interests you and then look at their scores for those behavioral characteristics you find most important.  

Let's create a hypothetical situation:  You are a parent of young children, and the most important characteristic for you is a dog with a low ranking for snapping at children. You'd like a dog that's playful too, but you're also concerned about the dog being two big for your modest home.  You're worried that if you get a big dog, their exercise requirements might be too high for you to reliably handle.  Exercise requirements fall under general activity level, which also happens to be one of those very predictive behavioral traits. So now, let's see if we can find a dog who ranks low for snapping at kids, is playful, but isn't going to have a high activity level.  Six breeds ranked the lowest for general activity and they were: Basset Hounds, Bloodhounds, Bulldogs, Newfoundlands, Collies, and Saint Bernards.  Of those six breeds, Newfoundlands, Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, and Collies also ranked lowest for snapping at kids. For playfulness, Bloodhounds, Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, and Saint Bernards all ranked very low.  Newfies were low on playfulness too, but not as low as those just mentioned. But my beloved Collies? They were smack dab in the middle, ranking 5/10 for playfulness.  Now, I know you're thinking I skewed the results to my favorite breed, but really, I didn't!  This is science, after all.  So, for a family with kids,  looking for a dog with a reasonable exercise requirement, and who still wants to play, a Collie could be a good option.  And for those who don't want all the grooming of a rough collie, then a smooth collie might be a better choice. Now, that was indeed, my pitch for collies!

Now, having said all of that, let's say you just don't like Collies; you don't like those long noses all up in your business (something I've heard people actually say!). To that, I'd respond, okay, let's go back to the drawing board and just look at the dog breeds ranked lowest for snapping at kids, putting less emphasis on those other traits.  By just looking at snapping at kids, we find Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers right there with Newfies, Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, and Collies. No surprise, right?  Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retriever are the quintessential family dogs. Those two breeds also rank high for playfulness and both are pretty close to the same on activity level, with Labradors rating slightly lower than Goldens on how active they are. While I have certainly met dog owners who chose their dogs based on size alone, thinking that smaller size would mean a lower exercise requirement/activity level, clearly from these results, that couldn't be further from the truth!  It would appear that bigger dogs are more manageable from an exercise/activity level perspective alone.  And the bottom line is that those little dog breeds often rank the highest for snapping at kids!  In our study, the snappiest dogs were:  Scotties, Miniature Schnauzers, Westies, Yorkies, Pomeranians, Toy Poodles, Maltese, and Chihuahuas. The largest dog breed with a very high ranking on snapping at kids? The Chow. Enough said.

Ultimately, there is a plethora of combinations of traits you could rank for yourself and then investigate which breed most closely fits your ideal dog.  The bottom line?  Your ideal dog is that one you have right there next to you.  You chose them (hopefully) based on their individual personality, something that they inherited from their parents and that you honed through care, training, and love.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me. 

Here I am with my first dog, Tosh, a Westie.  Remember what I said above?  Westies rank high for snapping at kids, general activity level and excitability.  They also rank high for watchdog barking and aggression toward other dogs.  They rank relatively high for dominance over their owners as well.  Doesn't sound like a good fit for a family dog, right?  Well, my parents chose Tosh based solely on his size and the obvious "cute factor."  He was a terrific dog and I loved him dearly, but he was a lot for a first dog.  What dog had I asked them for?  A Saint Bernard.  Based on what I outlined above, that would have been a better fit for a family dog, but my mom would have disowned us if we'd come home with a dog that size that drools!

Battle of the Sexes!

I'm definitely going to show my age with that reference in the title for this blog post! Anyone else remember that historic tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973?  If you are too young to remember it, definitely look it up.  It's epic.  Anyway, now that I have your attention, we can move on to this week's blog topic:  Male dogs versus female dogs.

Back in 1988, my graduate school advisor, Benjamin Hart, wrote a book, compiled from data that many of us, his graduate students, collected and analyzed.  The book, "The Perfect Puppy: How to Choose Your Dog by Its Behavior" looked at thirteen behavioral traits and 56 AKC recognized dog breeds.  There is an entire chapter of the book devoted to understanding the differences between male and female dogs, beyond the obvious ones, of course. This was an important chapter as the general consensus at the time among dog owners seemed to be that there was little difference between male and female dogs, it was just about personal preference or availability when you were looking to add a dog to your family.  A handful of us in Ben Hart's lab had dogs of our own and could anecdotally attest to the fact that there were significant behavioral differences between our male and female dogs, unrelated to their spay/neuter status. To this day, I still refer back to much of that research when advising prospective dog owners on what to look for in their next companion dog.  I also use that research to help explain why dog owners have some of the behavioral issues they are having; it's because they chose a male dog...or a female dog.  Gender and breed do intersect, meaning, for example, just because you chose a female Rottweiler, that doesn't mean that she won't be territorial; Rotties rank high for territoriality whether they are male or female, but choosing a female *may* mean slightly less territoriality as compared to males.

When talking about animals, we often refer to something called "sexual dimorphism."  This refers to differences between animals of a particular species based on whether they are male or female. Differences can be anatomical, physiological, or behavioral. Within any given breed, dogs aren't particularly sexually dimorphic in size; while females may be slightly smaller or weigh a bit less than males, the difference is not significant. This also means that a dog's gender isn't readily apparent unless you can see their genitalia.  This is why male collies were so successfully used to play Lassie in the movies and on TV; there isn't a big difference in size between male and female rough coat collies, and that coat hides their genitalia quite well, allowing male dogs to consistently portray the female Lassie. Why were males chosen for the role?  Male collies want to please their owners/handlers.  Female collies are more independent.  Which brings me to my next point: Most animal species, dogs included, are sexually dimorphic with regard to their behavior.

Female dogs tend to be less aggressive overall, particularly when it comes to aggression toward other female dogs; male dogs are more aggressive overall, particularly toward other males. Male dogs engage in more urine marking behavior than female dogs, and they also mount other dogs (and their humans if not corrected for this!) more than female dogs do. So, if you already have a male dog, you might want to consider a female dog if you are going to get a second dog.  You would thus reduce the tendency for aggression by your male dog toward the new dog. If you already have a female dog, you can add either a female or male as your second dog, given the fact that females are less aggressive overall than males. 

For the study on which the book above was based, questions about breeds and breed-specific behaviors were not posed to breeders, or anyone else with a vested interest in promoting any given breed.  Veterinarians and their staff were asked, as were obedience judges, not conformation judges. We asked these folks to comment on the differences between male and female dogs of the breeds represented in the study. With the exception of markers in excitability, these experts polled reported differences between male and female dogs across the board in terms of their behavior. While some of the sex differences were subtle, they were nonetheless statistically significant.  Personally, I think the most significant result of this part of the study was the fact that there were no behavioral traits for which male experts polled differed from female experts polled; our experts were in agreement on the sexually dimorphic behaviors exhibited by dogs!

By now, I hope you are wondering just exactly what behavioral traits male dogs scored higher on than female dogs, regardless of breed, so here they are: Dominance over their owner, aggression toward other dogs, general activity, territorial defense, destructiveness, and playfulness. Dominance over the owner got a score of 70/100 for male dogs, the highest score in the study.  Playfulness, while statistically significant for being higher in males than females, was just 20/100.  There were only three behavioral traits for which female dogs ranked higher than males and they were: obedience training, ease of housetraining, and demand for affection. For obedience training that was a score of 40/100.  And that demand for affection?  Just 20/100.  So, while the experts we polled ranked females higher for demanding attention, there really wasn't a huge difference. For watchdog barking, excessive barking, and general excitability, all the markers we classified under reactivity, there wasn't a big difference between males and females.

So, what does this mean for you, the dog owner, or prospective dog owner?  It means that if you are choosing a purebred dog, you can utilize these behavioral trait differences to your advantage when deciding between a male and female.  For example, lets say you are looking to get a small breed dog.  Generally speaking, the small dog breeds in our study ranked high on snapping at kids, excessive barking, dominance over the owners, and destructiveness.  Given all of that, choosing a female dog would hedge your bets that you'd experience less dominance, for example.  Then, you could narrow down your breed choices and consider a Shih Tzu, perhaps, because they scored mid-range on those traits.  Choosing a female Shih Tzu would hedge your bets even further. 

I really wish the study could be repeated again, looking at additional breeds that we see more commonly now like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, French Bulldogs, Australian Cattledogs, Pit Bulls, and Border Collies.  We simply didn't see enough of them back in the late 1980's to poll experts on those breeds. Now? Those breeds would absolutely be included due to their over-representation in the dog population.  If you are into Beagles, Pugs, German Shepherds, or Retrievers, however, you'd enjoy perusing this book and seeing how your experiences line up with the results of our study.  It really was fascinating and rather ground-breaking at the time.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

I've had lots of different dogs over the years, but collies are my favorites. Other than barking, they score low on reactivity, don't dominate their owners, score near perfect tens for obedience training and ease of house training, are low for destruction, and mid-range for playfulness. 

My perfect companion dog, male or female, though these two boys stole my heart.

When Your Dog Is Too Scared To Ride In The Car!

There are many reasons a dog might be afraid to ride in the car.  It could be something as simple as a lack of experience.  I've met several rescue dogs who likely never rode in a vehicle until they were picked up and put in the shelter or sent to a rescue group.  Another very common reason rests in how cars make dogs feel.  Some dogs get nauseous with the movement, the lurching, the stop and go of traffic. Dogs who get car sick start to work themselves up even before they get into the car, anticipating that icky feeling. Many dogs get anxious about the car because the only time they ever go anywhere is when they are on their way to the vet or the groomer, and those situations can (for obvious reasons) be anxiety-provoking. Then, the less common but still observed reason that some dogs are afraid of car rides is that they were in the car during a car accident.  I've treated more than one poor dog who survived a car accident with their owner. Regardless of why a dog is afraid to get in the car, treatment is the same: Slow desensitization, high value rewards, and frequent, very short sessions.  It's a tedious process but well-worth the effort if you yourself live with a dog who avoids car rides like the plague.

What follows will be a basic outline on the desensitization process for car rides.  It is important to note that every dog is different; some may take longer to have success on a given step than others.  Don't get frustrated and don't push too quickly!  You want your dog to be completely comfortable, no signs of anxiety, before moving on to the next step in the process. Don't skip any steps! You may think, "Oh my dog is okay with that, so I'll just move to the next challenge," but resist the urge to do that.  Each step, in and of itself, is important to the bigger picture of a dog who rides comfortably in the car. If your dog is successful immediately at one of the steps, great.  Repeat the step once more, and then move on.  We refer to this as proofing. In terms of equipment, all you need are a decent quantity of very small, but very high value treats, and your dog on the leash and collar (or harness) you use for walks.

Here are the steps:

1.  Walk your dog out to your garage (keep the garage door down) or to your driveway if that is where you park your car.  Walk around your car, asking your dog in an upbeat tone of voice for behaviors they know well: Sit, touch, shake, etc.  They may resist a bit at first because they are thinking you are going to try to put them in the car OR because this seems like an odd thing to do. Persevere!  This is an important step. You are teaching your dog that just because the car is nearby doesn't mean it's going to move or that the dog needs to get into it.

2.  Once your dog comfortably moves around the outside of your car with the doors closed, open all of the car doors (and the hatch back if you have one), as well as the garage door (if you are parked in the garage) and repeat the above step.  This teaches your dog that just because the doors are open, that doesn't mean that they have to get in the car or that the car will be going anywhere.

3.  Once your dog isn't anxious moving around the car with doors closed or open, get into the driver's seat and have your dog do those same easy behaviors for you while they are outside of the car and you are in it. Repeat this exercise while sitting in the passenger seat and the back seat, on both sides of the car.  Again, they may resist this step as they are assuming they will have to get in the car too, but not yet!

4.  If and only if they've had success with those first three steps will you move to getting them into the car.  You can lift them in, use a ramp, or put them in their car seat, but don't secure them in the car, simply sit with them, holding the leash.  Offer treats for sitting or laying down on the seat.  Reward them if they appear calm (no yawning, no panting, no shaking, no trying to escape). If they are visibly anxious, don't tell them that it's okay. We don't want to reinforce the anxiety!  Instead, take a few deep breaths yourself, sing, hum, or talk to them about what's going on around them.  This is redirection and helps to reduce anxiety. It may take you several sessions to get to the point where your dog is sitting quietly and calmly in the car.

5.  Once they can sit quietly and calmly in the car, it's time to secure them.  Use a car harness, dog car seat, or crate to secure your dog in place.  Sit next to them while they are secured!  Repeat this several times so that they become comfortable with the process of being secured and seated in the parked car.  Once you've got that, time to move you to the front seat!

6.  With you in the front seat and your driver's door open, do "driving stuff."  Look in your rear view mirrors, play with the radio, etc.  Get them used to NOT being the center of your attention in the car.  Reward them periodically as long as they remain calm.  If they can do this, shut your door and repeat the pretend driving behaviors.

7. Only now are you ready to turn the car on!  If you are in your garage, be sure the garage door is up before starting your car! Remain in your parked car, idling, again doing driving behaviors.  Adjust the temperature, the radio, the mirrors, etc. and reward your dog for being calm. If they are anxious with the car's ignition on, talk them through it again to redirect them, but don't tell them that it's okay.  

8.  Once you can start your car it's time to roll out of the garage or just down the driveway and back.  Repeat this several times until your dog basically looks at you like you've lost your mind.  This teaches them not to anticipate that a ride is any given length of time or that they are going to a specific destination.

9.  Now you are finally ready for a trip around the block.  Each time you do this step, you'll go a block further, watching for signs of anxiety.  You may need to enlist the help of another human at this step so that they can reward and redirect your dog while you focus on your driving.

10.  When you are finally ready for a destination, pick something fun! A trip to the park, a hike, or a friend's house. Definitely not the groomer or the vet, please.  After several fun destinations, you can start throwing in some of the less fun destinations.  Just remember:  You have to routinely take your dog for car rides to fun places in order for them not to resume being anxious.  They have to frequently stretch that muscle, so to speak!

If your dog gets nauseous in a moving car, you will need to address that piece of the puzzle before step 8 above.  Talk to your vet about a prescription for an anti-nausea medication or you can even try a few Nabisco Brand Ginger Snaps Cookies (the ones in the orange and brown box).  I've always been able to get my collies past the nausea stage with a couple of ginger snaps.

If you get stuck for a long time somewhere between steps 4 and 7 ( or maybe even sooner than that!), it may be time to speak with your veterinarian about an anti-anxiety medication to take a bit of the edge off for these more provocative steps.  You might also be able to try CBD oil to calm them, but check with your vet first for any contraindications for your own dog.

After 35 years of helping dogs and their people, I've found that the hardest dogs to help get over their anxiety with car rides are those who were in actual car accidents.  Their fear of cars is well-founded!  These dogs often do need anti-anxiety medication in order to become mostly, or fully, desensitized to car rides.  Only time will tell for sure. I had one client buy a new car, change how she secured her dog in the car, and try having other people drive her dog around before finally deciding he was too traumatized by the car accident that they were in together.  She began using a mobile vet and mobile groomer so that her dog didn't need to ride in a car ever again. 

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here is Henley as a puppy, doing the car desensitization exercises outlined above. This photo was taken at step 7, with us sitting in the car in the driveway. The towel is there on the seat next to him as on previous attempts, he drooled profusely. All of this started the first time we put Henley in the car to drive him from his breeder's house in Washington back to California. We split the trip over two days, but Henley got sick every time we got into the car with him. Consequently, by the time we got home, he wasn't a fan of car rides in the slightest. I spent several days each week desensitizing him and after a month, and two ginger snaps cookies 30 minutes beforehand, he could ride in the car without getting sick. Once he no longer got sick, he started enjoying himself, looking out the window, wagging his tail at passersby, etc.  To this day, he loves car rides and is one of the calmest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of commuting with.  Slow desensitization works!

 

Support for YOU, the Owner of that Reactive Dog!

Being a dog owner isn't always cookies and rainbows.  It often involves a lot of mud (usually in the form of paw prints on your floor), some vomit (on occasion, and a relief when it's not on your bed), and a lot of poop (hopefully, outdoors).  Seriously though...dog ownership can be incredibly challenging, particularly if you share your home with a dog who has a behavior problem. Reactive dogs seem to be extra challenging for their owners.  For the purposes of this discussion, we are going to lump incessant barking, leash pulling and lunging, and aggressive outbursts altogether as reactivity. Why am I lumping them together?  Well, because I've talked about what you should do for your reactive dogs several times in previous blog posts.  This time, I want to talk about what to do to support you, the person on the other end of that leash.

One of the most common things I hear my clients say about their reactive dogs is that they are mortified by their dog's behavior as they feel like their dog is causing a scene. For people who are a bit more introverted or shy themselves, having a reactive dog can feel overwhelming; they've spent their entire lives trying to fly under the radar, so to speak, and now their dog is drawing unwanted attention their way! While I understand those feelings, I try to coach these dog owners so that they understand that their value as humans, and as dog owners, isn't tied into anyone else's comfort around their dog.  It doesn't matter if someone is giving you side-eye or telling you to get control of your dog.  You know your dog is overstimulated and you are working on changing their behavior; you don't owe them an explanation or an apology. If you want to say something tell them precisely that: I'm working on it!  Unsolicited advice from other dog owners isn't helpful either and can create more stress and anxiety for you and your dog. Just wave and move on! You are not obligated to stop and listen to someone tell you what their brother does with his dog. Unsolicited advice from other dog owners is a lot like googling, "What should I do when my dog barks and lunges at other dogs?" You are going to get a million answers, and only a handful are useful, based in science, and fear-free options for your dog.

The second most common thing I hear from my clients with reactive dogs is that they feel like an utter failure as a dog owner.  Again, they believe their dog's behavior is a reflection on how good they are as people and pet owners.  You have to let go of this "I'm a failure" mentality.  Your dog's behavior is about them, not you.  Their behavioral issues are an opportunity to learn and grow as a dog owner.  You may feel like you didn't RSVP for this invitation for growth, but here you are, so make the most of it.  Seek out assistance from practitioners you know and trust who support your journey, and your dog's small steps toward success.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Yes, all dogs need exercise, but that doesn't mean you have to walk them twice a day, at peak times and in peak places where you'll encounter what triggers them over and over again until your arm feels like it's being pulled from the socket and your neck (and theirs) hurt.  There are many ways to get physical exercise for you dog that doesn't involve walking them when and where you know they will be triggered.  And remember, too, mental exercise is just as important for anxious dogs, and mental exercise can be easily and successfully addressed from the safety of your own home.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Westley never had a reactive day in his life.  He loved everyone and everything except for buses and garbage trucks which scared him. I watched him diffuse more than one potentially volatile situation on a trail.  He was good at looking away, moving away, and offering non-threatening body language which often caused reactive dogs to end up warily ignoring him in turn. He helped me with several clients and their reactive dogs, that's how good he was at it.  I miss him for so many reasons.

What To Do When You Can't Keep A Dog

I truly believe that one of the most heartbreaking decisions a dog owner can ever make is to give up a dog. Whether they are giving the dog up for financial reasons, a change in their living circumstances, or because the dog has a serious behavior problem, the end result is the same: They feel anxiety, guilt, shame, frustration, remorse, or all of the above regarding their decision. Most of the dog owners I speak with who are in this position feel trapped by the reality of their situation and judged harshly by their friends and family. I feel a great deal of sympathy for these dog owners because I know arriving at this decision didn't come easily AND if they thought there was anything else that could be done, they would have done it.  People who reach out to me when they are giving up a dog aren't looking for recriminations from me; most aren't even looking for sympathy.  What they are looking for is validation that this is the right path to take and they are most often looking for suggestions as to how to place their dog effectively. 

It's not uncommon for a dog owner to give up a dog because they can no longer afford to care for him or because their circumstances have changed.  In our current economic climate, everything has become more expensive and for some, caring for a dog may be a luxury they can't afford.  Some families have to downsize, moving into a housing situation where dogs aren't allowed.  I have a lot of older clients who have to give up their dogs when they move into assisted living or skilled nursing environments that don't allow pets, or don't allow dogs over a certain size. My first question is always, "Is there someone in your family or circle of friends who can take your dog?" My follow up to this if the dog came from a breeder is, "Have you contacted your breeder about taking your dog back?"  The reputable breeders I know will take their dogs back at any time for any reason.  They don't want their dogs to end up in shelters or rescues, preferring to care for the dogs themselves, or place them elsewhere.  For people who acquired their purebred dogs from a pet store, mass puppy website, puppy mill, or puppy broker, returning a dog to the breeder isn't a viable option. At that point, they would need to look at breed rescue groups.  And for people with shelter dogs or dogs they adopted from rescue organizations, they do need to reach out to those places first.  Some rescues want their dogs back if it isn't working out, much like reputable breeders. For many dog owners, however, their calls and emails aren't answered, or if they are, they are turned away and told that the shelter, rescue group, etc. has too many dogs and they can't take on another at this time.  It's also unfortunate that dog owners faced with this predicament will be made to feel like complete jerks for even considering giving up their dog.  Telling a dog owner in this situation that they shouldn't have gotten a dog in the first place isn't helpful.  At all.

As you might imagine, the worst case scenario is when a dog owner needs to place their dog who has issues in aggression.  These dogs are difficult to place regardless of the type of aggression displayed, but the most difficult are those who are aggressive toward people, in particular, those who have bitten someone (or those who have bitten multiple times). These dogs pose issues in liability.  Rescue groups are reluctant to take them because they don't want to assume the liability.  Shelters often tell dog owners with aggressive dogs that surrendering the dog means euthanasia. Trying to place an aggressive dog with friends or family isn't easy either given the inherent liability.  If you can get someone to take your dog, you'll want to draft a letter where you are very transparent about your dog's aggression, outlining each instance of aggression, including every bite and what steps you took.  You'll sign this letter and so will the person taking your dog.  You should get the letter witnessed or notarized as well. Why go through all of this extra work?  Well, unfortunately, the odds are that your dog will bite again and if the bite lands the new owner in court, you'll be in court as well. If you have the letter saying your informed the new owner as to the risk and you signed off on your liability, you will likely be removed from any lawsuit that arises involving the dog.  Sobering, I know. 

At this point, you might be saying to yourself, "Why don't they just call their vet and euthanize the dog themselves if it's that risky?"  Well, the simple answer is that they love their dog, in spite of his aggression.  Frankly, most of the aggressive dogs I meet aren't aggressive all of the time; they are aggressive when triggered and often those triggers aren't completely predictable. It's also unfortunately the case that some veterinarians draw the line at "euthanizing a healthy dog."  The fact that an aggressive dog who bites people isn't mentally healthy or sound seems to escape them.  Luckily, most veterinarians have incredible compassion for dog owners with aggressive dogs and understand that dogs who bite people are a risk to the community at large and have no issue with humane euthanasia. Nonetheless, making the decision to euthanize your own dog is one of the most difficult decisions you will ever have to make, even if you know it's the right one for you AND for your dog.  Aggressive dogs aren't happy dogs. They are profoundly anxious.  Most don't want to bite, but they are unable to stop themselves. Many resist muzzles and other management tools that could keep them in their homes a bit longer, or render them more adoptable, making quality of life an issue for everyone. Sometimes dog owners just need to hear that they aren't bad people for making the decision to euthanize their aggressive dog.  If they call me, I won't tell them that's a bad choice; who am I to judge them? I don't have to live with that dog and I KNOW after 35 years in business, aggressive dogs are difficult to live with and often end up cutting you off from your family and friends because they don't want to deal with your dog. Dogs are important, but you can't cut off all of your human support system.

So, no easy answer here.  Basically, you need to look at your dog's specific aggressive issues and determine what the best course of action might be.  For those whose dogs aren't aggressive, but they still can't keep them, the decision to be made will often depend on the timeline of how quickly you need to place them.  If you can, for example, keep your dog until the rescue group has an opening or finds a home for your dog, that's terrific.  For most dog owners looking to place their dogs, however, time isn't on their side.  Frustrating and sad, but a reality nonetheless. 

It's true that, on occasion, I've been able to help place a dog that a client needed to rehome.  It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it's quite satisfying to help a dog and their owner find the right situation that works for them both.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Border collies are terrific dogs, but certainly not the best fit for every dog lover.  Many in rescue have significant behavior problems which may be difficult for even an experienced owner to address.  They may look cute, but these are working dogs and I've treated enough frustrated and aggressive border collies to know you have to be well-informed when adopting one.

Helpful Strangers

So many of us were told as children not to talk to strangers.  We were also told to seek out the help of trustworthy adults, even though it was sometimes difficult to determine who was trustworthy and who should be avoided.  Nonetheless, we made it through childhood and some of us did indeed solicit the help of strangers.  The fact of the matter is that when it comes to dog ownership, strangers can be very helpful in your training journey. Let me explain.

Let's say you've got a new puppy that you need to socialize.  You'll certainly want to enlist the help of your friends and family in socializing your newest family member, but the bottom line is that your puppy needs to meet lots of different people.  They need to meet crying babies, screaming toddlers, teens on scooters and skateboards, seniors using walkers or wheelchairs, and people whose skin tone isn't the same as yours. I've had more than one client sheepishly tell me that they think their dog is racist.  Dogs aren't racist.  What happens is that if a dog isn't socialized to lots of different people, including people with skin that's lighter or darker than your own, then they will be wary when they first encounter them.  The same is true if you don't socialize your dog with kids; they'll be cautious or even nervous around children when they meet them. So, taking that puppy to puppy classes and puppy socials, bringing them with you to run errands, and even just sitting with them on your lap or in a stroller at a public park means they'll be exposed to a lot of new people (strangers) and understand that new people can be wonderful too.  And it's certainly not hard to get strangers to pet and engage a puppy, now is it?

So, what if you have an adult dog who is wary, fearful, or just lacking in good social skills?  You can still do all of the above, you're just going to do it more slowly, at a pace that feels comfortable for you particular dog. For example, if they are terrified of scooters and skateboards, then you most certainly aren't going to take them to sit outside of a skate park!  Instead, you might sit with them in your car or on a bench at a distance and watch kids on scooters, bikes, and skateboards as they leave school.  Or maybe you have to start even further back than that and just observe those things happening in your neighborhood or the sidewalk in front of your house from the safety of being indoors. Regardless, as your dog gains confidence, you will once again want to get out there in public spaces and solicit the help of strangers.  Ask that teen on the scooter if they'd like to pet your dog.  If they do, great!  Now your dog sees that scooters aren't always moving and that the people riding on them are just friends they haven't met yet.

I'm most certainly NOT advocating for taking a dog who is aggressive out in public and subjecting strangers to encounters with your dog that may not be safe.  If you have an aggressive dog, you'll still need to do some training in public spaces, but you'll want to discourage strangers from coming too close or directly engaging your dog.  You'll need to be proactive in what you say (firmly but kindly explain that your dog doesn't like new people, for example) and if you live in an area where close encounters can't be avoided, go ahead and muzzle train your dog. This will not only protect you from liability should someone get too close to your dog for their comfort, it also means that people can see that your dog is muzzled and will likely give you the space you need to keep your dog safe.  Hey, you know what?  Those strangers are still helping you train your dog. They're helping you by keeping their distance!

If you are encouraging strangers to interact with your dog, please make sure your dog is ready to meet that challenge. If they are still jumping up in excited greeting, stand on their leash. If they still snap at treats, show people how to toss them a treat instead.  Actively show people where your dog likes to be petted.  Most importantly, talk to that stranger so your dog not only sees that new people are interesting, he comes to understand that when you stop to talk to someone, they must remain calmly at your side or at your feet.  This clearly takes practice and I've found that most strangers in public parks, for example, are more than happy to help.  Obviously, you can't just walk up to people's children without getting labeled as a weirdo, so ask parents if their kids would like to meet your dog, or simply wait for the kids to approach and remind them to check with their parents first.  This helps kids see who those helpful adults are too.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

When Henley was a puppy, I took him everywhere with me that I could. I would carry him in my arms or in a bag, letting his head poke out for people to see him and ask to pet him.  Anyone who wanted to hold him could, so he got passed around, hugged, squeezed, and loved on.  This established for him that strangers were good, whether those strangers were young or old, quiet or loud, and skin color made no difference.  Henley loves everyone clearly believing that anyone he sees is a friend to be greeted with a happy tail wag.