There are numerous ways to discourage unwanted behavior. The tools you use are not nearly as important as how you use them. There are some tools I don’t like. I never use head halters or choke chains. Both have the potential to injure dogs, even when used properly, by putting torque on the vertebra of the neck. I don’t generally use electronic collars. If not used properly, dogs can react to electronic collars with increased fear, which may have been the root cause of the behavior you are trying to correct in the first place. Reputable trainers use caution and avoid tools which can potentially harm dogs.

Every training program must be tailored to the individual dog and situation to be most effective. I strive for a relationship of mutual respect between dog and owner in deciding which methods to use. As humans, we can and should respect the amazing qualities which dogs possess: their intelligence; their highly developed senses of smell, hearing and vision; and their unique ability to sense and respond to our gestures, facial expressions, and even our emotional states. I learn a great deal from dogs every day. But dogs require clear leadership to be happy. The challenge is providing the guidance dogs need in a way that fosters a relationship of mutual respect.

I strive to create a relationship with my dogs that says, “I trust that you’ll do what I want you to do if I make my expectations clear.” A good example of this is how I get my dog to wait for me to go out the door. In most situations where distractions are involved, I put my dog into a sit every time. When greeting people or other dogs, feeding, putting on the leash, playing fetch, or getting into the car, if my dog isn’t sitting and calm I back off and re-approach the situation until he is. But when we go out the door I don’t want my dog to sit; I just want him to wait for me to go out the door first. So that’s what I ask for. Putting a dog into a sit before going out the door sends the message that you don’t trust your dog. It’s like throwing up your hands and saying “I can’t really control you so I’m going to make you sit.” Dogs can see right through that!

In determining my training approach for a particular situation I take into account many factors — the most important of which is maintaining a relationship of mutual respect between dog and owner. Trust is essential! Without trust there is no respect. Evaluating the temperament of the dog is critical in determining the type of correction to use, the level of severity of the correction, and the impact of the correction.  If the correction scares the dog, then it erodes the trust between dog and trainer. The goal of a correction should be to refocus the dog’s attention without producing fear. For some dogs and situations an electronic collar might not even refocus the dog’s attention; for others, even the quietest audible correction can frighten the dog.

The goal of any dog owner should be to have a happy, well-behaved dog. Effective training combines positive reinforcement with techniques for discouraging unwanted behavior in ways that take into account the impact on a dog’s emotional state. It is those underlying emotions that drive your dog’s behavior. Changing the behavior without addressing the impact on the emotions is merely treating the symptom. Techniques should be fine-tuned for every dog, owner, and situation! Taking into account the dog’s emotional state is what makes the trainer a behaviorist. Don’t forget to make it fun for the dog! Happy training!



Let’s look at a popular breed which is often bred for aggressive behavior: the Pit Bull. I work with more Pit Bulls than any other breed. They happen to be one of my favorite breeds as well. A Pit Bull that is not properly trained or is handled by an inept owner can be extremely dangerous. Pit Bulls often have a propensity for aggression; it’s part of their genetics. So do German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinchers, Akitas, and Mastiffs, among other breeds. If you own a dog that is of one of these breeds that doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body, no need to post a comment. That’s not uncommon. I’m simply saying that somewhere along the line these breeds have protection among the characteristics that breeders were seeking as they developed the breed. Some of these breeds are more likely to be aggressive toward other animals, some toward people, and some simply don’t discriminate. Even when not bred specifically for aggression, Pit Bulls are part Terrier and more likely to be dog aggressive than other breeds if not properly trained. Despite their bad reputation, Pit Bulls are one of the most loyal, affectionate breeds out there.

Each week clients come to me with puppies saying, “I wish I could play tug of war with my puppy. He loves it, but all the books say not to because it will make him aggressive.” Those books are wrong. If your dog likes tug of war you should play with him every chance you get. Such aggressive play does make your dog respond in kind. However, once the play session is over, your dog will actually be less aggressive. Playing aggressively with your dog gives him a healthy and appropriate outlet for those aggressive tendencies that he might have inside of him. If you don’t provide your dog an outlet for that pent up aggression, it is highly likely that it will come out in other ways, such as aggression towards other dogs or people.

The nice thing about play is that it is a controlled activity where you can set limits. If you don’t want your dog to bite you while playing, you can let him know that behavior is not allowed. The same goes for growling or scratching or any other aspect of play. I personally don’t mind “play growling” and even encourage it. Now if the growl turns aggressive, then I don’t allow it. You can usually tell them apart. You can also (and should) stop play periodically to remind your dog that you are the one in charge, and to reinforce that he takes his direction from you.

For my pit bull clients I advise them to play very aggressively to really get the dog engaged. You want to push your dog around, grab his skin, grab his ears, etc. Your goal is to try to develop the same intensity that your dog would develop if he were attacking another dog! Then when he really starts getting into it, but before he loses control, stop, redirect his attention, and make him drop the toy. If your dog gets this out of his system during play he will be much less likely to direct it toward another dog or person. If you can’t make it to the off leash dog park on a particular day it’s also a good way to tire your dog out.

If your dog has as part of his makeup some aggressive tendencies, wouldn’t you rather choose when, where, and how that aggression comes out than to leave it up to your dog to decide? I much prefer to dictate my dog’s behavior rather than wait to see how my dog will react in any given situation and then respond to his behavior. Staying in charge has the additional benefit of making my dog feel happier and more secure as well. As I often say to clients, “We have dogs because we like to share affection with dogs. Dogs like affection, but first and foremost they need structure. They need to know who’s in control at any given time or they cannot be happy, well-adjusted dogs.”

“How can I keep my dog from getting so excited?” owners frequently ask. It is possible that your dog is not able to stay calm because his basic need for exercise is not being satisfied. If he isn’t neutered, he may have no outlet for that energy. When your dog has pent up energy — of any type — it doesn’t just go away. If you have an intact (unneutered) male dog, or a sporting breed dog without a job, or any young dog under the age of three, it’s probably not reasonable to expect your dog to be calm in all situations! Your dog needs to go to the dog park or somewhere else where he or she can run full speed and chase other dog s and be chased by other dogs at least three times a week for 45 minutes each visit, and that’s for an average sporting breed dog. If you have a high- energy dog he may require a lot more exercise than that. Understanding the underlying motivation for your dog’s behavior will give you the insight you need to change the behavior.

If your puppy won’t stop chewing on your hand, or the leash, it probably isn’t that he doesn’t understand that you don’t want him to do that or that he doesn’t take his lead from you. You can refocus a puppy’s attention and get him to stop chewing by pulling your hand away or giving an audible correction, but unless you give him something else to chew he will go right back to chewing on your hand one second later. It’s because he isn’t capable of sitting there and not chewing on something. If he’s a young puppy his attention span is about one second long — maybe less. This is not a behavioral problem, but rather an unreasonable expectation on your part. You’re asking your dog to do something he isn’t capable of doing under the circumstances. Puppies will be puppies – they can’t be anything else.

If your dog barks all day while you’re at work, then it’s probably not because he simply likes to bark. He may be bored, or spending too much time alone, or feel insecure, or may not be getting enough exercise. He’s probably barking for a combination of reasons. If you buy a bark collar to discourage the barking it won’t solve the problem. It may suppress the barking, but the underlying problem will still be present and your dog will probably find another way to satisfy that unmet need. He may start digging up the flowerbeds, or jumping the fence and running away, or chasing the neighbor’s dog through the fence, or chewing up the door frames.

Another common scenario is owners trying to calm their dog down when it fixates after seeing another dog, or cat, or person. They say that they have tried a harness, a choke chain, a Halti, making the dog sit, and none of them seem to work. That’s because they are treating the symptom and not the underlying problem. A Halti may help you get your dog back under control when he gets out of control, but it is much better to keep him from getting out of control in the first place. To be effective you need to address the fact that he gets excited around other dogs rather than the pulling, lunging, and barking. Then you can keep him from fixating in the first place and avoid those problem behaviors altogether.

Before attempting to change any dog behavior, make sure that you understand what is behind the behavior. Why does the dog exhibit that behavior? What does he get out of it? If the behavior is not a “learned” behavior, then there is no reason to try to “unlearn” the behavior. The take away here is to make sure you are addressing the real issue, not merely treating the symptom. Because after all, dogs will be dogs!

• Make sure you are completely in control of your dog before you go into the dog park.
• Let your dog get used to the dog park gradually! The first six times you go don’t go in if there are more than three dogs there or of there are any unruly dogs.
  
• If your dog isn’t walking behind you on a loose leash as you approach the gate, don’t go inside.
• If you don’t have control of your dog with the leash on, you won’t have any control off leash.
• Walk all the way around the dog park before you go in and assess every dog inside.
• If there are any dogs causing problems don’t go inside.
• If you see a dog drag the owner up to the gate don’t wait to see how it goes, just leave.
• DON’T bring toys from home! Don’t play ball in the dog park. Many dogs have resource guarding issues, especially with their own toys.
• Playing fetch gives your dog something to fixate on rather than having him play with the other dogs.
• Always keep an eye on and stay close to your dog. Even if you trust your dog you can’t trust other dogs. If a dog gets in your dog’s face and stops wagging his tail or lowers his ears for even one second don’t hesitate to get between them and shoo the other dog away. Don’t put your hands down though or you will get bitten. You will make enemies of irresponsible dog owners doing this, but it’s much better than letting your dog get hurt.

View Sacramento Area Off Leash Dog Parks in a larger map

The color of the marker used to designate the park location indicates the type of park. Green has a designated separate small dog area, yellow does not, red is unfenced (BE VERY CAREFUL! Your dog could conceivably chase a squirrel and get run over by a car!), and blue simply means that I haven’t yet been to the park to find out. If you find any errors or your favorite dog park is missing please let me know by posting a comment or shooting me an email.

There are numerous advantages to a dogshare for both you and your dog.  These may include:

• activity for your dog
• activity for your dogshare partner
• preventing your dog from getting bored
• preventing your dogshare partner from getting bored
• splitting of the expense, time, energy, and commitment required to own a dog
• mental stimulation for your dog from living in two separate households with different owners and rules
• peace of mind that your dog has companionship while not with you
• socialization for your dog

Here are a few scenarios that might justify a dogshare:

• You travel often
• You work long hours
• You are unable to give your dog the exercise your dog needs due to health limitations
• Your dog barks or gets into trouble when left alone
• Your neighbor’s dog barks when left alone
• Your dog spends too much time alone

Well, what do you think? Post your comments below. I’ve yet to meet anyone that is actively participating in a dogshare, yet everyone I mention the idea to thinks it has a lot of merit. I’m hoping to create my own national dogsharing database and host it right here on my website. The most immediate stumbling block is that I have to learn MySQL in order to create the database. Anyone out there with database creation skills that would be interested in exchanging services? Dog training or web analytics consulting for database creation?