Website to Visit: Free! Dog Training and Behaviour eNewsletter

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Hi Everyone - I subscribed some time ago to Caroline Jenkin's (GoodDoggie) "Free! Dog Training and Behaviour eNewsletter." She provides a lot of useful information in her emails (today's email shown below) and at her website... www.GoodDoggie.co.uk

For those interested you can sign up at her website to receive free e-Newsletters. Enjoy!

Hope you all experience increased feelings of wellness, daily.

Cheers Carlene

Caroline

Canine Behaviour and Training

caroline@...

www.gooddoggie.co.uk

08454 385522

Free Newsletter – October 2010

Welcome to October's Edition of your Free Newsletter.

Fact of the month

Most of us know that a dogs sense of smell is far superior to ours, it is also true that their hearing is better too, not only can they hear sounds above and below our own hearing range, they can also hear sounds from much further away - up to fours times the distance and they have 18 muscles to control the position of their ears enabling them to pinpoint the location of a sound better than we can too.

My news

I'll be on radio U105 with Carolyn answering caller's questions on Thursday, 21st October, after the news at 2pm.

Please pass this on

If you know anyone who may benefit from Free Training and Behaviour Tips, News and Information please forward this on to them , they can sign up for their own free copy at www.gooddoggie.co.uk/newsletter.htm

If there is anything you would like to see in this newsletter such as a new item, dog breed or special feature, please let me know, you can reply to this e-mail with your suggestions I can't wait to hear them.

Reader question - Can dogs smell fear?

In a recent episode of the popular quiz show QI, it was announced that dogs cannot smell fear. Never wanting to argue with the very knowledgeable Fry, on this occasion I must disagree, when a person or animal is frightened they produce pheromones in their sweat which dogs can easily detect, dogs also release their anal glands when they are very frightened which produces a very pungent smell which most humans can easily detect – even at an extremely diluted level dogs can detect this smell and this goes some way to explain why many dogs are fearful of the vet even though they have never had a bad experience there – the place literally reeks of fear.

Got a question about your dog? Reply to this e-mail with it and I will try to answer it for you next month.

How to be the Perfect Pack Leader – Part Six

Over the next few months I will be taking you through every step to being the best pack leader, from choosing the right dog for you and your family, his first days through to how to take control, some basic obedience and how to solve some common problems along the way too, if you missed any previous parts you can view them online, go to www.gooddoggie.co.uk and look under top tips. This month – Leaving and Greeting your dog.

Leaving and Greeting your dog

The way in which you leave and greet your dog is very important and gives him an insight into who is boss. A dog that feels he is a pack leader could object to being left or will panic. If your dog panics at being left alone he will likely become destructive at home and cause damage to windows, doors or floors, he may also destroy household item such as clothing, cushions, his own bed or shoes, he may also soil in the house, this is most likely to be near doors or windows but could be anywhere and if it is particularly smelly or runny then this is a also a sign that he is stressed and in a panic state as he is releasing his anal glands at the same time and that is what causes the horrendous smell. Your dog may also cry, howl or bark while you are away. If they are home when you are away, then your neighbours will be able to tell you if this is the case. He may also try to stop you from leaving by stealing items that he knows you need and hiding them from you or by refusing to go to the place where he is usually left alone if you have one, eg some dogs are put in a crate when left or confined to a specific room like the kitchen. Don't forget, as pack leader your dogs job is to keep you and the rest of the pack safe, he can't do this if he is separated from you!

You can also expect some extreme behaviour when you return to him such as hyperactive behaviour, barking, jumping up or throwing himself at you. It is worth mentioning that in the majority of cases it doesn't matter how long you are gone for whether it be for 5 minutes while you take rubbish out to the bin, half an hour while you pop to the shop or all day while you are at work, his greeting will always be the same. If your dog chews a lot but only if you leave him for more than a couple of hours then it is a pretty safe bet that he is just bored and if this is the case then you might consider some other ways of keeping him entertained while you are away such as a friend, family member or a professional dog walker to call in during the day.

Leaving Your Dog

Whenever you leave your dog alone to go out you must remind him that you are the boss or he will fret or even panic when you are gone. If your dog is likely to become stressed and chew or soil in the house while you are gone then I recommend you leave him in either a crate or the smallest room in the house, the less space he has the calmer he will be, which in turn means he will be less likely to chew, soil or panic in any way and will be more likely to lay down and sleep until you return. Please make sure he has access to fresh, clean water, a cosy bed and a chew toy wherever you choose to leave him.

First, take him out for a walk, this will make him tired and will make him more likely to sleep, it will also give him the opportunity to relieve himself. Now, ten minutes before you plan to leave you must start ignoring him; do not talk to him, touch him or even look at him. When it is time to go, take him calmly and quietly to the place where he will be left and close him in, use a lead to get him there if necessary. Do not look back or say anything to him, and especially do not try to comfort or reassure him, this will make him more anxious as he will think there is something wrong – just leave him. Once he is securely in his room or crate then you can get ready to go out, it is important that you wait until he is secure before you get your keys and coat etc because he will know your routine and will know that you are intending to leave him, this will make him anxious before you have even left and he may try to prevent you from going or refuse to go to his room. Now, go and enjoy yourself.

In summary

Take him for a walk Ignore him for at least ten minutes before you leave him Take him to his room or crate calmly and quietly Just leave, do not look back at him or try to reassure him Now get yourself ready and go

Greeting Your Dog

This is the most important part: when you return to your dog after leaving him for a period of time, he will be expecting you to insist on calm behaviour from him, if you do not then you are not behaving like a pack leader in his opinion. When you get the greeting right it will make leaving him much easier too as he will be confident that you will come back safe and sound and that you don't need his protection.

Firstly, leave your problems at the door and take a deep breath. If you are stressed or excitable when you return then he will wonder what happened to you and will be concerned about you leaving in the future. So, stay calm and walk through the door, whatever he does you should ignore him, don't look at him, talk to him or touch him – even to push him away, instead walk straight past him as if he was not there and greet every one else at home, if you are home alone then make a cup of tea, put your bags down or find something to distract yourself until he is calm, whether this takes 5 minutes or two hours will totally depend on your dog but do not offer any attention until he is completely calm and then only quiet praise – you do not want to get him all excited again.

If he has been left in a particular room or a crate then it is important that he is calm before you even let him out, again just be patient. If he is behind a closed door and you cannot see through it then open it a crack, but stand in the gap so that he cannot squeeze through, whatever he does just stand patiently and wait, he will calm down eventually and then you can open the door a little more, and a little more until eventually the door is open and he is sitting calmly on the other side, then you can invite him through it. Do the same with the crate only this time you can see him through the door and should wait until he is calm before you open the door at all.

In Summary

Leave your stresses on the other side of the door If he is confined then make sure he is completely calm before you allow him out.

Ignore him completely until he is calm Offer only quiet praise when he is finally calm

If your dog jumps up at you when you return home.

As you arrive home, do not anticipate your dog throwing himself at you when you come through the door. Take a few moments to relax and leave all the days stress behind you, if you always come home stressed he will wonder what happens to you when you are away and will want to be with you to protect you even more. Open the door and walk through it, remember to stand tall and confident, do not look at him at all or talk to him, just walk straight past, put your bag down, make a cup of tea or do whatever you normally do when you arrive home – as long as it does not involve interacting with your dog. Remember to stay calm, if you are not calm how will he ever be calm – lead by example, as soon as he starts jumping up at you stop moving, cross your arms and turn your back on him, he will most likely move around to your front, that's ok just turn your back on him again – keep doing this until he has stopped jumping then continue on as you were.

Answering the Door

Taking control of the front door and teaching your dog how to greet guests is very important as not all your guests will want to or be able to ignore your dog like you do when you come home.

The first time you do this it will take time so it may be a good idea to practise on your own a few times before you invite someone round for real or enlist the help of a volunteer. Knock at your door - whatever your dog does, whether he calmly trots out to the door or he goes completely bananas, remain calm, if you get excited or start shouting at your dog he will think you are joining in with him and will confirm to him that he is behaving appropriately. You must lead by example and calmly and slowly approach the door. Now, stand between your dog and the door and walk towards him so that he has to back away, he will try to get past you and back to the door again but you must try not to let him, if he does get past don't panic, just start again. Keep him moving until he is as far away from the front door as possible but still within sight of it. Now stand in front of him and don't let him past, don't look at him if possible. Continue to wait until he relaxes and sits. When he sits pause for a second to make sure it is not an accident then, turn and walk towards the door – do not look back as he will interpret this as you want him to follow you, keep an ear out instead and as soon as he moves, walk towards him until he is back to the same spot as before, again wait for him to sit again before you turn and head for the door. You may have to repeat this many times before you actually get to the door with him still sitting but it will be worth it. Once you are at the door, confidently start to open the door, if he gets up to move again, just close the door and walk him back to his spot again. Keep going until he stays in his spot while you open the door wide. If you are working on your own close the door now and then walk back to him – he should still be sitting, if he is not then walk him back to his spot again and wait for him to sit – now he has finished you can give him some quiet praise and a treat if you prefer – once you start letting people through the door do not praise your dog at all, meeting your guest in a calm way will be reward enough. If you are using a volunteer then don't invite them in yet, ask them to go away and knock on the door again so that you can practise a few more times. You will notice over the next couple of times that he is getting much quicker at going to and staying in his spot, now you can invite your volunteer in for the first time. As soon as they step across your threshold your dog will probably get very excited and charge down the hallway at them, if he does you need to be quick and get between him and your guest – keep your body between your dog and your guest and guard them like they are your most prized possession, at the same time walk him away from your guest, once he is calmer then turn back to your guest and let him try to meet them again. Keep repeating this until he calmly wonders over to meet your friend (if you would prefer he doesn't go near your friend at all then keep repeating this until he wonders off – this will take longer but he will get the message). Take every opportunity to practise this so ask all the family to knock on the door whenever they come home rather than letting themselves in until he really gets the hang of it. It is not the responsibility of your guests to train your dog for you, but it will help if they can completely ignore your dog until you think he is completely calm, if your guest cannot do this then their attention will only encourage the wrong behaviour and will undo all your hard work, in this situation it is probably better that your dog be completely removed from the front door while you let them in, you can always practise with the next person. While you are working on this it is very likely you will have visitors to the house that will not be interested in training your dog with you, or will simply not have time to wait – such as the postman, in these cases it is better to shut your dog in another room while you answer the door, whilst your dog will not learn anything from this experience, he will not unlearn anything either.

In Summary

Stay calm and walk slowly to the door – do not talk to him as this will only excite him more and will make it harder for him to calm down. Chase him away from the door by walking towards him. Stand over him until he sits – don't tell him what to do, let him work it out for himself, it will be quicker in the long run. Turn and walk to the door, if he moves chase him back to his spot again – listen out for him moving or place a mirror by the door so you can watch him. Answer the door – keep an eye on him, if he does move, close the door and chase him back or if your guest is already in the house, stand between your dog and your guest to prevent him from jumping up at them. Walk him away from your guest and stand over him until he is calm, then let him try to meet your guest again. If your dog is calm then let him approach your guest. Meeting your guest is a reward in itself so don't offer anything else. If your dog is not to meet your guest at all, then reward him yourself with quiet praise and a treat if you like.

You can apply these techniques to your dog at other times too, for example, if your dog is barking through the fence at another person or dog, calmly go to the fence where your dog is barking, get between him and the fence and walk him away from it, when he is calm and has become interested in something else then you can move and let him go, if he goes straight back to the fence then you probably didn't wait long enough, for now repeat the process but next time wait longer for him to settle a but more.

When you stand between a dog and something he is behaving badly towards you are telling him that you will protect him from it and that it is not his possession, by waiting for him to be calm and submissive to it you are showing him how to behave and by walking towards him or chasing him away from something you are asserting yourself as the dominant one in the situation.

Next month –.Attention Seeking

If you live in Northern Ireland and need help with your dogs behaviour, click here to get a quote or go to www.gooddoggie.co.uk/quote.htm.

Dog Breed of the month – Tibetan Terrier

Despite the name, this breed is actually not part of the terrier group and has no particular terrier characteristics. The Tibetan Terrier, also known as Tsang Apso, was originally bred to protect the camps of nomads in Tibet . The breed was first discovered by a doctor that lived in India , having saved the life of a merchant's wife he was presented with a puppy as a thank you gift. The doctor was soon smitten with the breed and purchased a second puppy from the merchant and began breeding them. The new breed was soon recognised by the Indian Kennel club and in 1930's she returned to England with her dogs and in 1937 the breed was also officially recognised by the British Kennel Club. This is a smart breed of dog, but can be stubborn and therefore need a firm, but kind and patient handler to achieve best results. This is a very sociable dog that does not do well if left alone for long periods, he does get on well with older children and other pets making him a good choice for the family. The Tibetan Terrier is thought to be lucky in Tibet , bringing good luck to those who have been presented with one as a gift.

This is a reasonably healthy breed, although parents should be hip and eye tested as the breed can suffer hip dysplasia and eye problems but this is not as common as in other breeds. Consideration must be given to general care of the dogs coat; he has a very long and easily matted coat, although a non-shedding breed, time saved hovering will certainly be spent grooming his beautiful coat to keep it in good condition plus he will need regular clipping – especially during the summer months. He will also need his bottom checked and cleaned fairly regularly to prevent build up of dirt that can cling to his long fur and matt it.

Vital Statistics

Average Cost of puppy £500-£800

Average Monthly Cost to insure £18

Average monthly cost to feed £20

Life Expectancy 15

Exercise Requirement 1hr + daily

Average Height 37cms

Average Weight 11kg

Need a Behaviour Consultation for your dog?

If you have any concerns about your dogs behaviour and would like to know more about how I can help you and your dog click here or go to www.gooddoggie.co.uk/quote.htm did you know you can now book online, click here or go to www.gooddoggie.co.uk/bookingform.htm. and arrange your private consultation today.

Until next time,

Caroline

caroline@...

www.gooddoggie.co.uk

08454 385522