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Is it ever ok for a dog to lie on a human?
owner'd do if they are emotionally upset and their dog comes over and lies on top of them?
Question: What should an owner do if they are emotionally upset and their dog comes over and lies on top of them?
Answer:
If you are having a bad day and are emotionally upset and your dog comes over and lies on top of you, be it your feet or lap, what does it mean? To the human it is very comforting. We feel that our dogs care and are trying to make us feel better. That's the human side of the equation.
What does it mean to the dog? Dogs do feel human emotion and since they are pack-oriented animals that need to know who the strongest being is so that being can run the pack, they see the weak as lower. It's instinct and there is nothing we can do to change that. A dog will pick up on a human's weakness and will claim that person as their subordinate by lying on top of them, be it their feet or their lap. Sometimes a dog will lick the person. In the dog world the leader is on top. The leader will often cover up the lower member by standing over them.
It is not realistic to say a human who owns a dog can never get upset. But it is a fact that when they do the dog will feel the human as weak. Different dogs will have different reactions. Some may become worried, stressed, anxious and/or upset because his leader is now weak and/or become empowered and try to "save the pack" by taking over. If you are emotionally upset and a dog comes over and lies on top of you, send the dog away back to his dog bed (or other area). Do not allow the dog to get on top of you. Try and take deep breaths and do your best to not be upset anymore. But to say you can never get upset is not going to happen, so you just deal with it when it happens and don’t allow the dog to be "in your face" or standing over you during that time.
Why does my dog hate it when I touch his food?
Your dog is not necessarily "hating it" when you touch his food. Nor is he being "mean." He is communicating with you. What he is saying is, "This is MY food. Leave me alone while I eat it." Is this a problem? You bet it is. It's a big problem. It means your dog is alpha over you. There are different levels of dominance and even if your dog has never bitten, always keep in mind that growling or the bearing of a dog’s teeth eventually does lead to biting. It is time you reassess your human to dog communication skills and take the alpha position away from your dog before it escalates into a larger problem.
What does it mean when a dog licks?
There are a few reasons why a dog licks.
A dog's saliva contains a healing agent and dogs often lick another's wounds in an attempt to heel them.
Dogs will also lick as a way to show submission. A submissive dog will hold himself very low, slinking himself down to try to appear smaller. He will approach a human with his head lowered and his ears slightly back as if to say “you're my boss.”
A dog's saliva contains a healing agent and dogs often lick another's wounds in an attempt to heel them.
Dogs will also lick as a way to show submission. A submissive dog will hold himself very low, slinking himself down to try to appear smaller. He will approach a human with his head lowered and his ears slightly back as if to say “you're my boss.”
Some dogs will lick another in a dominant manner. For example, mother dogs lick and groom their puppies and for the pups it is the mother displaying leadership. Mom says stay here and be groomed because she is alpha over them and she says so. Submissive licking and dominant licking have different body languages. A dominant dog will carry himself high and proud. He approaches things with an air of confidence. He may also be very persistent as to what he wants.
Sometimes dogs lick out of obsession. Dogs that lick others in an obsessive or dominant manner need to be corrected and the dog must be told not to lick.
Sometimes dogs lick out of obsession. Dogs that lick others in an obsessive or dominant manner need to be corrected and the dog must be told not to lick.
have dog on a leash?
Question I take my dog for off-leash walks and she does great. She was trained to heel on a lead and did really well in classes but since we only do off-lead walks she pulls like crazy at first when I do have to leash her up. Are our "free" walks doing harm; should I have her on a leash?
Answer:
Answer:
It's good to allow a dog to run free. However if that is all you do then the dog is not learning or practicing patience on a lead. I would not stop the free-roam walks, they are great, but for those times when you do need to leash your dog it is important that you teach good manners. I would start leashing the dog up at least a few times a week to practice lead walking, or even put the dog on a lead for only part of your walk in the woods just for practice. The dog needs to be trained that when you are free, you are free, but as soon as that lead snaps on you are to follow me heeling and not pull. I take my Bruno out to the woods and he runs and chases rabbits, etc...but as soon as I snap on the lead his entire demeanor changes and he knows it's time to follow.
You may want to bring the lead with you on your free walks. Put the lead on for a short time in the beginning and when the dog heels nicely for a bit make her sit and be calm, then take it off and allow her to go. Maybe even a few times until she gets the idea. I use my foot to backwards side-boot my dog in the butt below the tail if he starts to pull, but different things work for different dogs and owners.
Inside the house, practice making the dog sit calmly while you snap on the lead. At the gateway to the door practice going out the doorway first with the dog following. If you are on your way to an area where you can do a free-roam walk do not unsnap the dog's lead until she is heeling and walking nicely. Never unsnap her while she is pulling. You may have to take her out for some town walking for the socialization just so during those times she must be on a lead the dog is used to that type of environment. You need to convince her and condition her that when the lead is snapped on it means it's time to heel. It's going to take some time and a lot of work. But you can't give up or give in or the dog will learn to just keep pressing you in order to get her way.
remain alpha while dog is running free
Sometimes when I take my dog for walks, I let him run free. Can I remain alpha while he is running free?
I wanted to thank you for your site. I have a beautiful red-nosed Pit Bull. He's my baby. He's almost two years old, and he's been such a good boy. Lately he started growling at me and my girlfriend and I was getting worried I would have to get rid of him. After reading through your site it only took a few hours to get my alpha spot back. Even took him for a walk tonight and it was the 1st time that he's walked beside me. I thank you so much for the information.
I have one question. Over the summer I take him out every weekend to a spot where we have lots of open land. I keep him on a leash until we get out away from the road. Then I let him off his leash to run through the fields and the woods. He never goes too far from us and he is always checking to see if we are coming. If we change direction we just call him and he goes the way go. Once when a deer jumped up not too far from him, it took a couple of calls, but he stopped and came back. Is this OK to let him run and play out in the woods and fields?
Answer:
You are very welcome! I am very happy to hear you are now alpha. Your dog will love and respect you for it. Yes, that is OK to allow him to run free like that, so long as you are making the calls, not him. Make sure he is calm, and in a submissive mind-frame when you leash him up and when you take off the leash. If he is really excited when you are trying to take the leash off wait until he calms down. That is pretty important. You decide when he gets let off, you decide when he is to come back, and you decide what direction to go in. Change up on him often. So if he is ahead and he turns right, you turn left. If he runs back in your direction without you even calling him, that is even better; it shows he is following you. So long as he comes back when called and you are making all the decisions in the run, and you still take him for leashed pack walks to reinforce who is alpha in your pack, it is all good. I feel dogs need this type of, "off-lead, run your heart out" time.
When hunters go out hunting they must be the pack leader, but they are also in a situation while they are looking for the prey in which they are allowing the dog to use its nose to find it, which means the dog is walking where its nose leads, sometimes in front. It is a situation where the dog is working for the human and both dog and human know it, and they know the job at hand. When a lead is snapped onto a dog it is like you are connected. The dog at that point needs to heel. If you get to a gate that must be opened when walking off-lead you need to pass through before the dog. The dog has an understanding that you are allowing him to go in front so he can run and use his nose. This only applies if you are able to call him back and he listens, and when the leash is snapped on he goes into heel mode, because that means he understands your agreement.
I wanted to thank you for your site. I have a beautiful red-nosed Pit Bull. He's my baby. He's almost two years old, and he's been such a good boy. Lately he started growling at me and my girlfriend and I was getting worried I would have to get rid of him. After reading through your site it only took a few hours to get my alpha spot back. Even took him for a walk tonight and it was the 1st time that he's walked beside me. I thank you so much for the information.
I have one question. Over the summer I take him out every weekend to a spot where we have lots of open land. I keep him on a leash until we get out away from the road. Then I let him off his leash to run through the fields and the woods. He never goes too far from us and he is always checking to see if we are coming. If we change direction we just call him and he goes the way go. Once when a deer jumped up not too far from him, it took a couple of calls, but he stopped and came back. Is this OK to let him run and play out in the woods and fields?
Answer:
You are very welcome! I am very happy to hear you are now alpha. Your dog will love and respect you for it. Yes, that is OK to allow him to run free like that, so long as you are making the calls, not him. Make sure he is calm, and in a submissive mind-frame when you leash him up and when you take off the leash. If he is really excited when you are trying to take the leash off wait until he calms down. That is pretty important. You decide when he gets let off, you decide when he is to come back, and you decide what direction to go in. Change up on him often. So if he is ahead and he turns right, you turn left. If he runs back in your direction without you even calling him, that is even better; it shows he is following you. So long as he comes back when called and you are making all the decisions in the run, and you still take him for leashed pack walks to reinforce who is alpha in your pack, it is all good. I feel dogs need this type of, "off-lead, run your heart out" time.
When hunters go out hunting they must be the pack leader, but they are also in a situation while they are looking for the prey in which they are allowing the dog to use its nose to find it, which means the dog is walking where its nose leads, sometimes in front. It is a situation where the dog is working for the human and both dog and human know it, and they know the job at hand. When a lead is snapped onto a dog it is like you are connected. The dog at that point needs to heel. If you get to a gate that must be opened when walking off-lead you need to pass through before the dog. The dog has an understanding that you are allowing him to go in front so he can run and use his nose. This only applies if you are able to call him back and he listens, and when the leash is snapped on he goes into heel mode, because that means he understands your agreement.
How do I stop my dog from barking at things while on the walk?
As soon as you see your dog perk up as if he is going to bark the correction needs to be made. You need to try and catch him a second before he goes into a heightened state; timing is critical. You need to watch for signs of interest in whatever your dog is going to bark at and catch him right before he starts. Once a dog starts barking it is harder to make him stop because he is at a high level of excitement. The way you are feeling at the time has a lot to do with your success. If you are upset or anxious in any way your dog will feed from that emotion and it will intensify the dog's reaction to what he is about to bark at. You want to remain calm but very enthusiastic/serious.
The correction can be a tug on the lead, a touch to the neck, a backwards bop with the side of your foot to the butt of the dog, a verbal correction such as "No," "Hey," "Aaatttt"—whatever works for that particular dog. You may also walk in front of your dog to block his view, lean forward and say, "No" and touch him in the neck if he continues to want to bark. Your intensity needs to match his without going too much over or you could intensify the dog’s reaction, but on the other hand if your intensity is less than his you will not be effective and the dog will not listen. Each and every time you hear your dog growl or bark you need to correct it. The intensity of the correction will vary from dog to dog, situation to situation. For example, a little Chihuahua may only need a two-finger touch to the neck, whereas a big Rottweiler may need a backwards boot to the butt with the side of your foot; where other dogs may only need a verbal command, others may need a combination. Keep your dog moving forward, keep walking
dog finding a place to pee and poop
Question:
When I am walking my dog on a lead, is it okay to let him walk in front of me when he is finding a place to pee and poop?
Answer:
When I am walking my dog on a lead, is it okay to let him walk in front of me when he is finding a place to pee and poop?
Answer:
Yes, if your goal at the moment is to allow him to go to the bathroom, then you may give him lots of room and allow him to go where he wishes to do his thing. It's only during your actual 'walk' that the dog should heel. The person holding the lead should also go first through any entrance and exit-ways, be they gates or any doorways to your home or other building even if there is not an actual door in the threshold.
When do I start to walk my puppy?
When do I start to walk my puppy? Right now she only sits when I try to walk her... We made it around the block one day but that was it! Help?
Now is the time to teach her to follow you. She might not be the easiest dog to walk because she is so small but bring treats and/or a favorite toy and make it fun.
You will be teaching her to follow and now is the best time to start. After you get the actual walking down and the pup will walk while on a lead, which you can do by walking backwards with food in your hand as she tries to eat it, slowly begin practicing heeling on a lead. Teach her to not pass you (pack leader goes first); she should be following you.
That will be the foundation of your relationship. Keep it positive and happy. Food always helps. For those slightly older energetic pups that insist on pulling from side to side and smelling everything, keep working at it, do not give up. The time you put into these younger years will be well-rewarded when the dog is older and larger. Be aware of her energy level and what she can handle at this time. Meaning, don't OVER-walk her for miles and miles. Use your best judgment on the amount she can handle, but do walk her daily.
How do I calm my dog when it's time to put on the leash?
How do I calm my dog when it's time to put on the leash? When my dog sees a leash in my hand she starts jumping around and will not let me put on the leash properly. How do I calm her? She is too excited to listen to 'Sit Down.'
Answer:
You have to wait until she gets tired of jumping. Only reward her with the leash when she calms down. The first time you do this it may take a long time. Be prepared to wait patiently, calmly and quietly with the leash in your hand. Dogs only have so much energy and she will eventually stop jumping just because she is tired. When she is calmly waiting reward her by putting on the leash.
Answer:
You have to wait until she gets tired of jumping. Only reward her with the leash when she calms down. The first time you do this it may take a long time. Be prepared to wait patiently, calmly and quietly with the leash in your hand. Dogs only have so much energy and she will eventually stop jumping just because she is tired. When she is calmly waiting reward her by putting on the leash.