Inside a Dog Trainer - April 11

One of the most frustrating things about being a dog trainer is trying to explain, and illustrate the importance and idea of management. So, I am going to attempt to use humor as a way to teach just what trainers means when we say “management.”
As you read this, it might leave you laughing, or it might just make you mad.  Either way, I hope it will make you think about the myth of training and how at least half, if not more, of the answers to the riddle lies directly in the definition of the word management.
In a nutshell... management means paying attention to your dog, puppy, spouse or child. My mother used to say “Idle hands are the Devil’s play thing,” and nowhere is this more true than with a dog or puppy!

Let’s face it, a puppy will never get a chance to chew up your brand new red leather Manolo pumps unless you have conveniently “spaced out,” leaving them on the floor (unattended) after coming home from a hard day’s work. So with that being said, here are my Top 10 “management” customer comments and the corresponding internal thoughts of a trainer, upon hearing my customers’ lamentations.

1  My dog keeps peeing and pooping on the comforter in the back bedroom.
A  If you would just pay attention to Fido the 5-6 times he tried to tell you he had to go, or keep him in his crate or x-pen when you are not able to watch him, this phone call would not be taking place. You might even try keeping the bedroom door shut till he learns the rules.

2  Can you believe the nerve of my dog? She keeps chewing my clothes!
A  Ever heard of a laundry hamper? Or maybe putting the “clean” clothes away instead of leaving them in the basket on the living room floor? Did Fido open up your drawer and get the clothes out himself? If you will remember to put them away, then Fido won’t have a chance to chew them. 

3   I really need your help, my 16 week old lab puppy just ate our second couch while we were at work, and my wife says if we can’t get the behavior fixed, the dog has to go.”
A I am really surprised — would you let your two-year old child loose in the den while you went to the grocery store? Probably not. So why would you expect a 16 week old puppy to “behave” all alone, while you are at work? Consider crate training and/or doggy daycare. It may take more effort and cost more in the short term, but in the end everyone will be happier!

4  I am at my wits end. Fido jumps all over everyone who walks through the front door. Now he has broken my mom’s hip. I think it is okay for him to give me hugs, but how do I teach him he can’t greet guests this way?
A If you know when or where your three year old son will throw a temper tantrum, you can “train” him not to throw it, and you can be prepared to handle it. With your dog, you have a few clues about when and where they will act up, so start training now. 

5  How do you teach a dog to quit begging at the table? It is getting really bad, our dog has even started taking food right out of our kid’s hands at the table!
A If this is happening, then we all know that someone is feeding the dog at the table! Congratulations... you (or someone else in your family) have now become a slot machine for Fido. Your dog is now programmed to think if I just keep staring and/or stealing I will get human food. After all, it works most of the time!

6  Every time I open the front door the dog barrels through. It takes us 30 minutes to catch him! What do I do to stop this behavior?
A  Maybe you should watch to see where the dog is before you open the door. Or maybe you could just teach the dog to sit at the door? You probably want to teach a good solid recall before something bad happens. A training program of six sessions over several weeks. One other question — how often are you taking Fido for walks? Is this the only time he gets outside? Maybe that explains why he runs outside.

7  Can you explain to me why my dog runs from me every time I call him after he gets loose?
A From the dog’s perspective, he sees a crazy, unstable human at least 6-10 times his height, yelling and running towards him. Your dog may think it is a game or just want to get the heck gone!

8  I am so tired of this. Every time my dog does something bad, I tell him very clearly he has been bad, but it is just getting worse. How long will it take before this dog outgrows this behavior?
A  You learned as a kid that this did not work with your pet rock, didn’t you? Is this question really serious or are you just making a “funny?”

9   Just how long is it going to take before this dog can sleep through the night without waking me at 3:00 am to pee?
A   I will bet a hundred bucks this is the person who lets the dog tank up on water or eat within an hour of going to bed. Or this is a puppy that can’t yet hold it all night?

10  Why is it every time I try to establish dominance with my dog he just squats down and pees on the damn floor?
A  How about teaching Fido the “house rules” before enforcing them. Try this first and see what happens.

In Summary
If dog trainers had the “secret,” we would have already published the book and we would be millionaires. Unfortunately, there is no “secret” unless you think that “dogs only do what is rewarded and what they are allowed to do” is the “secret.”
I can save you money and time by saying “a behavior never tried is a habit never learned.” Focus on “mistake-free” training with Fido and be ready to redirect or eliminate opportunities for Fido to make mistakes. That is what dog trainers mean by management.
If you don’t pay attention or actively train, then know something bad is going to happen. So put down the phone, car keys or computer keyboard and save yourself some money by not calling a dog trainer. Instead, go spend the time, pay attention and manage the behavior of that furry little ball of fur you love so much!

Mike Deathe is a stay-at-home dad who found his passion as a dog trainer in 2008. The author of the Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) Pet Blog. Mike has had dogs since he was four years old! In 2009, he and his wife Kate founded Muttz “R” Us, a t-shirt and pet product company with a philanthropic motto of “Adopt a Pet, Save a Life.” In 2010 Muttz “R” Us also launched KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID DOG TRAINING. He is a charter member of Heartland Positive Dog Training Alliance and just earned his CPDT — KA credential! Visit him at facebook or twitter or follow the blog @http://muttzmembers.blogspot.com/ or check out the website muttzrus.com for details about shirts.