Sometimes dogs become disobedient for no apparent reason - as was the case with Diva, a seven month old Shih Tzu, owned by Lisa.
Diva had always been a pliable puppy, readily obedient to Lisa’s requests, until she turned six months old - and then disobedience started to creep in. It started with a lack of response to the recall command, and progressed from there to an increasing reluctance to sit or stay on command, as well as related behaviors
like “talking back” (barking defiantly at Lisa when she reprimanded Diva).
It’s always best to nip these problems in the bud, so it was with relief that we read Lisa’s email and learned that Diva had only been acting up for a month or so.
After some detailed information from Lisa, we discovered several contributing factors:
Lisa was not keeping up with Diva's obedience training program. After
● Lisa felt that Diva had got the basics sorted (at approximately three to four months of age), she didn't bother with daily or even weekly training sessions
Lisa free-fed Diva throughout the day
●
Lisa was not aware that some of Diva's behavior, such as leaping up
● on beds and couches uninvited, was tentatively dominant behavior
We advised her to take several steps with regard to Diva's behavior:
Obedience training must start immediately. We advised Lisa of the 1. importance of keeping up Diva's training on a daily basis - not just in the interests of having a well-behaved dog, but also as a valuable means for Lisa of asserting her authority, and of keeping this dominance fresh in Diva's mind. We advised Lisa to study up on the basic obedience commands in chapter 203 of Secrets to Dog Training ("Commands to Start") and spend five to ten minutes a day on this.
When a dog is exhibiting signs of disobedience and/or dominance, free-2. feeding is not conducive towards a respectful owner-dog relationship. Food
is an important tool when it comes to asserting dominance, since anyone who provides food is accorded alpha status pretty much automatically.
This was something that we felt Lisa could be making more use of in her relationship with Diva.
We advised her to begin a feeding schedule with Diva, and to stick to it rigidly:
two medium-sized meals a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, at set hours. Any uneaten food was to be removed after twenty minutes, and Diva was to sit and stay until released before being allowed to eat. We also reminded Lisa to never feed Diva scraps from the table, and to refrain from giving her treats unless Diva had earned them through obeying a command, or through exemplary good behavior.
Finally, behaviors such as leaping up on the bed and couches are not to be 3. encouraged when a dog is demonstrating dominant or disobedient behavior (and after all, disobedience is really just an early sign of dominance). There's
no problem with inviting your dog to share your personal spaces, as long as you really are INVITING her to do so - if the dog leaps up whenever she feels like it and without waiting for your invitation, this often goes far toward confirming her cockiness and exaggerated sense of social stature. We advised Lisa to either forbid Diva access to these areas until her behavior shaped up, or to allow her access - but on the proviso that Diva did something for Lisa first, like performing a "sit-stay" until released. Making dogs earn privileges such as couch and bed access is another highly effective way for any owner to confirm their authority.
K. Fear of the Leash
With a lot of dogs, the sight of the leash being brought out is something to be celebrated - it’s usually associated with an imminent walk, and is therefore to be welcomed.
But for some dogs, the leash is something to be feared. This may be because the leash has been misused in the past - for example, it may have been used as a tool to drag the dog around with - or it may just be due to a simple dislike of being restrained and confined.
Fortunately, it’s not hard to train your dog to accept the leash. Below is detailed a simple program that will work on developing your dog’s trust, and which will slowly build her up toward accepting the leash.
This technique works on the principle that less is definitely more! The slower you go, the more effective it will be. Right now your dog is spooked by the leash, and even the sight of it is going to make her tense. You need to respect this, and take things very slowly. Only move on to the next step when your dog is exhibiting absolutely no signs of tension with the current progress.
Training For Leash-Fear
All you need for this training session is a couple of tasty treats chopped up into small bits, some patience, a collar, and a leash. If possible, invest in a long line.
This is a long, nylon line that’s designed to just whip along behind the dog as he runs about - even through undergrowth - without catching on anything, and is useful for accustoming him to the presence of something hanging off his neck.
Begin by accustoming him to the sight and smell of the leash. This is
● really easy: all you have to do is leave the leash out in places that your dog tends to enjoy hanging out in, like preferred play areas, next to his bed, and near his food bowl. Don't pick it up or wag it around - just leave it lying there. If he wants to sniff it, he'll do it all by himself.
When he's able to happily eat, play, and relax with the leash near
● him on the ground - preferably, when he's stopped noticing it at all - you can begin to introduce the leash in a more active role. Next time you've got him in a relaxed state, like when you're petting him, bring out the leash and hold it while you pet him. Let him sniff it and get used to it. You can try wrapping part of it around the hand that's petting him, if you like. Repeat this three or four more times over the next several days.
If he's accepted the previous step with no wriggling, whining, or
● tension, then great. He's ready for the third step: attaching the leash to his collar. If you've got a long line, use that instead. Get him to sit and stay, and clip it on. Keep your manner brisk, cheerful, and no-nonsense: make sure you don't coddle him or inadvertently reinforce his nervousness. Remember, he takes his cues from you, so be calm and just get on with it.
Once the leash is on, don't attempt to touch it: give him a pat and a
● treat for being so brave, and then it's time for a play session with the leash on. Let it just trail behind him - but if you're using a normal leash instead of a long line, keep things out in the open away from bushes and trees, and keep the play quite gentle (no Frisbee!).
Take the leash off after about ten to fifteen minutes and give him a big
● petting session and praise for being such a good dog.
Repeat this leash-and-play step a couple of times to really desensitize
● him. Remember, we're moving slowly on purpose - the less your dog even notices the leash, the better! We're trying to create positive associations here, and this takes time.
After several days to a week of leash-and-play, it's time to introduce
● some basic obedience commands while he's wearing the leash. This will reinforce your authority over him while he's wearing the leash. Get him to sit-stay, and practice the recall command as well (while he's in a sit-stay, walk several paces away and ask him to "come").
When your dog seems quite calm and confident, and is readily obeying
● your requests while wearing the leash, take him for a short walk. Five minutes is fine, but you can go for longer than that if he seems keen. If he's jumpy, redirect his attention by placing him in a sit-stay for a minute or two, and reward his obedience with praise and a small treat.
If he's OK with the previous step, then congratulations! You've managed
● to overcome his fear of the leash. If you think he's still a bit too tense, then go back a step or two and work your way back up. Take as much time as you need.
Things To Avoid
Don’t force him to rush his progress. The whole point of this training is
● to ACCUSTOM him to the leash in his own time. You can’t force him to relax. Any pressure you put on him will be counterproductive.
Don’t indulge his nervousness by babying him if he plays up. Your
● own attitude has a huge impact on your dog, especially when he’s nervous. He will follow your lead, so reassure him that nothing’s wrong by acting bouncy and upbeat. Act as if you haven’t even noticed that he’s nervous.
Don’t let yourself get annoyed by a prolonged lack of acceptance of
● the leash, and CERTAINLY don’t tell him off or punish him for being skittish or timid.