Teach Your Dog to Calm Down with These 3 Tips

Teach Your Dog to Calm Down with These 3 Tips:

Teaching a “settle” is a great new behavior to teach your dog. We recommend that you only practice teaching the settle when your dog has been exercised. You can’t teach a settle to a dog that hasn’t received any attention all day and expects him to be calm. Take your dog for a good walk or run before you practice settle, you can even work on other basic obedience cues to get your dog into the learning mode vs. play mode. Remember that training sessions should be no longer than 5 minutes, as dogs have naturally short attention spans and learn best in small increments.

Catch the behavior. The concept of catching a behavior is that you identify and reward behaviors or actions that your dog performs without a cue from you or anyone else, thus making it more likely that the dog will repeat that behavior or action again. Settle provides a wonderful opportunity to catch a behavior. If you happen to catch your dog sleeping, take a tasty treat and leave it right in front of his nose. Don’t say anything at all. Try to be as inconspicuous as possible when you are rewarding this. Your pup will wake up to a tasty treat, which will make him start to associate sleeping with getting food rewards! Conversely, you can pet your dog and give attention when they are sleeping, just be careful to not scare him.

Lure the behavior. Luring is showing your dog something it wants, usually food, and using it to encourage the dog to move in the desired way. You can teach the settle by luring your dog into it. Lure your dog into a down behavior by bringing the treat down between his forelegs. Once your dog is in the down, wait for him to relax in some way. The tricky part of this is that you need to be certain you are rewarding the calmness, not the down. I usually wait until the dog cocks his hip to one side and looks away from the treat. You may find it will take some time for your dog to think about something other than the treat. This is normal and to be expected when you are first teaching the settle. Just be persistent and patient with your dog. When you get a moment of calm, you can tell your dog “good settle” as you reward him. If your dog can’t seem to wrap his head around being calm, that’s okay! You can always walk away and come back to this training later.

Only give affection to what you want. Overall, the success of this behavior is dependent upon your consistency. If you give attention to your dog when he is jumping around, you can almost guarantee that you will see more jumping overall. If you want a calmer, more relaxed dog, be certain that you are giving plenty of attention to your dog when he is not bouncing off the walls. The best time to engage in a game of fetch is when your dog is in the middle of a nap, not when he is dropping the ball in your lap and barking at you! If you have guests over and your dog can’t contain himself, do not allow this to be reinforced by accident! Set him up for success by removing him from the situation entirely. A great option is to give him a frozen chew in his crate whenever new people arrive. This will begin to build a strong association with calming down, finding something to chew on, and sleeping when guests are present.

Find the full blog HERE by our trainer, Malory

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Why It Is Important to Practice Handling Your Dog

Why It Is Important to

Practice Handling Your Dog:

The importance of teaching your dogs to accept body handling is monumental because of many reasons. Here are a few.

It is safer. Dogs that accept body handling of any sort are less of a bite risk. There are some situations in your dog’s life where you will need to restrain them and put them in uncomfortable positions. Teaching your dog to accept body handling will make these situations much more safe, and you won’t regret it once the time comes.

It makes grooming easier. Properly acclimated dogs will be a pleasure to handle for grooming. This doesn’t just apply to you, it applies to your groomer as well. Ask any groomer and they will tell you how appreciative they are of pet parents who take the time to acclimate their dogs to body handling. It makes their job easier, and you will see this if it is you who grooms your own dog!

It makes vet visits go smoother. Just like groomers appreciate dogs who can be handled, vets share this appreciation. When your dog is at the vet, chances are he’s already stressed out and upset. Being able to safely handle him is paramount to a successful vet visit. The last thing you want when your dog is injured is to have the potential to injure himself more while struggling against the vets and techs who are just trying to help him.

It teaches your dog impulse control. You can never get enough of impulse control opportunities in training! Dogs are naturally very impulsive, teaching them to be patient and calm is an important skill. Body handling can help with this as your dog has to be calm and quiet in order to be handled.

It instills trust in you and builds a stronger bond. When your hold your dog’s paw, you are asking them to put a lot of faith in you. If something were to happen in that moment, you have removed the ability of your dog to run away. This is why body handling is a bit of a trust exercise. Your dog learns to trust that you will keep them safe, and in turn this builds a stronger bond. Furthermore, touching your dog causes the release of the “love” hormone, oxytocin, in your dog’s body that helps calm your dog. Oxytocin is also released in humans when they touch dogs.

Now that we know the benefits of teaching your dog to accept body handling, how do we teach it? I mean, let’s face it, some dogs just really don’t like to be handled in certain situations. Let’s explore some tips that will make the process go much smoother.

Consider a muzzle. If you have a particularly difficult dog, it is better to err on the side of caution. Muzzle training is another important skill for dogs to learn, and can be absolutely essential when you are practicing body handling on a dog that is likely to bite you when you practice this. If you aren’t sure what your dog will do, a muzzle is also a good idea. You can learn more about muzzle training and how to properly muzzle train your dog here.

Set up sessions everyday at mealtime. Consistency is the most important piece of any training puzzle. Body handling should be practiced daily in order to see success. Keep the sessions short (3-5 minutes max) and consider doing them at mealtimes. This will build a strong positive association with body handling.

Use treats to reward your dog for allowing their bodies to be handled. The trick with this is to make the experience a positive one! I recommend treats from Real Dog Box!

Go slow. Don’t just grab your dog’s foot and hold on. Every dog is different with how you have to handle them in the beginning. Young puppies will be far more tolerant than an older dog who’s never been handled. If your dog really doesn’t want his tail to be touched, you may have to start by simply casually adding the tail to the mix when you are petting your dog, run your hand gently over his tail and reward with a “yes” and a tasty treat. Over time, you can progress to holding the tail and building duration over time.

Use calming signals to help soothe your dog. When you are practicing body handling, you can relate that your dog should be calm by using the same body signals that they use themselves. Taking deep breaths and sighing as well as a yawn can tell your dog “it’s okay” while you handle them. Another option is to offer a “look away” when you begin to handle whatever body part you are handling. A look away is achieved exactly as it sounds. Turn your eyes and head away from your dog, perhaps even offering a tongue flick as you turn away.

Never force handling. If your dog backs away from you when you touch a certain body part, allow them to move away. Simply do not reward and maintain a neutral demeanor instead of punishing or trying to continue anyways. See if you can get your dog to come back to you instead and offer a reward when he does, and maybe take it back a step to just a casual touch vs. actually restraining that body part

Read full blog HERE by our trainer, Malory.

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Basic Dog Training for Kids

BASIC DOG TRAINING FOR KIDS:

1. Teach Proper Handling Etiquette!

Dogs do NOT communicate in the same way we do and do not enjoy being interacted with in the same way humans interact with each other. Make sure to educate your children properly on how to pet a dog.

How to Pet a Dog Tips:

Move Slowly and Turn to the Side, and Let them come to you! (Don’t run directly at them or corner them)
Pet Under the Chin or On The Chest (not top of the head)
Don’t yell or scream
Absolutely NO Hugging or Kissing
No Matter What – ask the owner for permission

2. Understand Dog Body Language

Dogs can be very obvious when they are uncomfortable. Make yourself familiar with the subtle ways dogs express discomfort so that you can redirect your child before there is a serious problem.

Critical Signs of Stress in a Dog:

Stiff Body (dogs that are happy are wiggly)
Wide eyes
Turning away
Licking Lips or Nose (This is VERY common, and often missed)
Yawning

3. Understand Canine Phobias and Give your Dog Back Up

Unless they have been directly socialized to this age group, it is common for dogs to be afraid of children between the ages of 1 and 5.

Why Your Dog May Be Afraid of Children:

Children move unpredictably
Children do not recognize or respect the dog’s distancing signals (Sometimes the parent doesn’t either! It’s important to be educated!)
Children generally attempt to interact with dogs in the EXACT way that is considered rude in canine language (frontal approach, over the top, direct eye contact.)
Children make strange, loud, sudden noises

Therefore, all child/dog interactions should be strictly supervised.

How To Back Your Dog Up :

Enforcing soft petting (no-tolerance policy for rough petting. If child is not old enough to learn this, they are not old enough to interact with a dog.)
Redirecting child IMMEDIATELY if dog shows even minor sign of discomfort.
Providing dog with a safe space to go to get away from the child when they need a break.

4. Teach Assertiveness and Give your CHILD Back Up!

Sometimes it is the DOG that is taking advantage of the CHILD. This can be prevented with proper dog training for kids.

Dog Training for Kids:

Have your child participate in training at home. This will allow your dog to see them as another parent, not another playmate/plaything.
Enforce boundaries with the pup. (Ex: If they are allowed to jump on you, they will think they can jump on everyone.)
Have a no-tolerance policy for anything that scares the child (like jumping, nipping, chasing). 30 second Time-Outs work wonders here!
Provide dog with plenty of stimulation and exercise outside the home. The child should not be dogs primary energy outlet.

Interested in taking a class specifically for training proper interactions between your children and dogs? Check out our Pack Basics Junior class.

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Bringing Home a Rescue Dog Advice

BRINGING HOME A RESCUE DOG ADVICE:

So you just adopted a rescue dog. Congratulations on the new addition to your family!

When adopting a rescue dog, the first seven days to two weeks, your new fur-mate will have a lot to adjust to: new surroundings, a new schedule, new house rules, new friends and new family.

Luckily this rescue dog honeymoon period can be made easier by following these steps.

1) Take it SLOW

We know it’s an exciting time, but resist the urge to show off your rescue dog. Give your pup a chance to settle in before attending that “Dog and Mom” meetup at the dog park, checking in at your local “Yappy Hour” or hosting a housewarming dinner with all your closest BFFs.

2) Promote the BOND

In order to get your dog to thrive in the chaos that can come with their recent move, allow them boundaries. Your pup can find solace in the structure that comes with it. Enroll them in a basic dog obedience class to learn the best way to communicate and create a lasting bond fit for the long haul.

3) Don’t JUMP (to conclusions)

It’s common and completely normal for your dog to experience light anxiety and minor behavioral issues during this transitional time. These experiences don’t necessarily indicate a serious problem. How long does it take a rescue dog to adjust? It’s different for everyone. Just remember to have patience with your pup, but don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional if you have any concerns.

With these steps, your rescue dog is sure to adjust to their new home in no time. Enjoy every moment with your pup. You got this!

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