Pet Chat: Back to school for pups

Now that the kids are all settled back in school, it’s time to talk about whether you and your pup should be in school too.

In the pet store, I see a lot of folks who are having problems with their dogs; problems that would be avoided if they had just gone to a training class. Dianne Canafax of Kitsap Animal Rescue & Education says the three top problems that cause people to bring their dog to a trainer are jumping up on people, excessive barking and pulling on their leash. The unfortunate thing is while training can fix the problems, all of these behaviors are much easier to prevent than they are to correct.

When talking to the trainers that were at PAW-Fest, Dianne Canafax, Noel Ritter and Shade Whitesel, they all seem to agree that one of the biggest problems folks have with training their dogs is a failure to communicate – a failure of the human to understand the dog. There is a ton of information out there that dog trainers wish you knew about communicating with your dog – like Noel Ritter put it, “I could write a novel.”

Although we grow up with dogs around us, we frankly don’t really understand them very well. “Frequently our actions reinforce the very behaviors we are trying to stop,” says Dianne Canafax, “For example if you push your dog away and yell at him when he jumps up on you, you are actually barking and engaging in play from his perspective.”

Working with a trainer can help you establish training strategies that actually work.

Shade Whitesel says a common age when problems arise is in dogs around seven to 10 months when they enter adolescence. “As an adolescent your dog will want to try to do new things. If he hasn’t been taught what you expect of him, he may begin to try things you don’t like.”

Dogs this age are also beginning to explore their place in the pack hierarchy, and you wouldn’t believe how often our behaviors convince our dogs that they are alpha. Also, behaviors that were acceptable as a playing puppy aren’t as cute in a serious adult. Chasing after the kids as they play and biting at their ankles might seem cute and harmless in a puppy, but when it’s an 80-pound dog nipping at the kids as he attempts to herd them it becomes a problem.

Shade believes that a critical skill dogs need to learn is how to control their emotions – like excitement or frustration. Over-excitement makes a dog more prone to jumping; frustration can lead to barking. Dogs aren’t thinking or listening well when they’re overly emotional. Teaching a dog to down-stay is a good way to help teach him self-control.

When talking to the trainers that were at PAW-Fest, they all agreed – it’s never too late to teach an old dog a new trick or two. If you haven’t taken your dog to training classes before, then now is the time! For information on contacting our local trainers mentioned here, call Country Pet Shoppe.

Stephanie Stebbing is owner of the Country Pet Shoppe, located at 11132 NE 2nd Street, Kingston, (360) 297-4165.

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