Bark, Bark, Bark!

People often ask me how to stop their dog's excessive barking. The answer depends on why the dog is barking. It's helpful to learn the differences between the various types of barking. Below are some common reasons that dog bark, along with potential solutions:

Attention-Seeking or Demand Barking
Dogs will often bark at their owner in order to demand something specific, whether it's attention, food, or access to a physical area. Nobody wants their neighbors to complain about the barking, so we dog owners often immediately give our dog what he's asking for in order to stop his barking. Although this may stop the barking temporarily, we are inadvertently teaching our dog that he can get what he wants by barking. Another way that dog owners attempt to quiet down their dogs is to yell at them to shut up. While this may work (i.e. your dog is scared of punishment or your dog is barking temporarily for territorial reasons), it may also encourage the barking because your dog doesn't speak English and he thinks you're screaming, "Keep barking, Fido!"

The simple solution to demand barking is to ignore your dog when he's demanding something. You may have to put up with extra barking for a few days while your dog makes a last ditch effort to get what he wants, but if you stick to the "no attention" program, your dog's demand barking should fade away from lack of reinforcement. You can also praise or give your dog attention a few seconds after he stops barking. Just make sure he doesn't learn to chain the behaviors (bark first, then be quiet, then get rewarded)!

For some dogs, ignoring their barking will not work, because they are extremely persistent, or they will end up getting their reward at some point anyway, such as when they bark for their meal at meal time.  In this case, you can try the time-out method.  Let's take mealtime as an example.  Have your dog drag a leash so you can easily take him away if needed. Begin preparing your dog's meal.  The instant your dog starts barking, verbally mark it, e.g. "Time Out!", then lead him away from the food preparation area with his leash.  Stay away for 30 seconds or so.  Come back to the kitchen with your dog and continue preparing the meal.  If your dog barks again, call the Time Out again immediately, and take him away.  This example would be easier to implement if 2 people did it together, one person preparing the meal, the other person walking the dog away for time-outs.

The time-out method shows the dog that if she demand barks, then she will get her reward taken away.

Boredom and Frustration Barking
Under-exercised and under-stimulated dogs will often bark for no apparent reason. They won't direct their barking at anyone or anything in particular, but they may bark for prolonged periods of time in order to get their frustration out. I see this happen with dogs whose owners are very busy with work, and the dogs are left at home alone all day with nothing to do. Exercise is probably the best solution for this. A tired dog is usually a good dog. Before leaving for work every day, take your dog for a nice walk, jog or swim. You can also do mentally challenging games like nose work. If you don't have much time and you have a high-energy dog, go on an off-leash hike with your dog. Your dog can burn twice as much of his energy as regular leashed walking, and it takes a lot less time. You can also hire a dog walker.

Another thing that might help is to give your dog a food-puzzle/chew-toy such as Premier's Busy Buddy or Kong, to keep his mind occupied while home alone. These types of toys work especially well for food-motivated dogs.  You can read my blog article about food toys for more info.

Excitement Barking
It's an endearing quality for a dog to bark every now and then to let you know how excited he is. But what if he does it all the time, i.e. when he sees another dog, when he's waiting for his food, when he's about to enter the dog park? I would treat excitement barking in the same way as demand barking (above).

Let's say your dog is barking in excitement when he's about to enter the dog park. Simply stop and wait for your dog to stop barking and calm down. Move towards the dog park only when he's calmed down (repeat as necessary).  If you notice over time that this doesn't curb the barking, you can add the time-out method - as soon as he starts barking, mark it verbally (e.g. Time Out!) and walk away from the dog park.  Re-approach the dog park after 15-20 seconds and repeat the steps.  Don't be discouraged if it takes you a long time to get into the dog park the first several times!

Alert Barking and Territorial Barking
Two kinds of barking that are quite different from demand, boredom and excitement barking are alert barking and territorial barking, which are quite natural things for dogs to do. We probably all want our dogs to alert bark if an intruder comes into our property, but at the same time we don't want our dog to constantly be alert barking.

To some extent you can manipulate the environment to curb the amount of barking. For example,  you can put up a visual barrier so that your dog can't see passersby through the gate or window.  Or you can play music in the house so that your dog won't react to every little noise he hears in the neighborhood.

We can also train our dogs to stop barking when we ask them to.  Acknowledge or thank your dog when he alert barks, and then reward him for stopping.  For some dogs, a verbal praise and acknowledgement will be enough. Other dogs may require treats. Just make sure you recognize if your dog starts "manipulating" you, i.e. barking at nothing in order to stop barking at your request, and then get a treat!

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Shock Collars, Citronella Collars and Debarking
I do not recommend the use of anti-barking shock collars because in addition to harming your dog and potentially having negative side effects, they don't solve the underlying problem of your dog's barking. They now have less harmful anti-barking citronella spray collars, which could be used as a temporary solution if, for instance, your landlord is threatening to evict you because of your dog's barking. But even the citronella spray should not be used as a long-term solution.

Debarking a dog is not a humane solution for barking either. It may take care of the symptoms, but it doesn't change the underlying reasons for the barking. Let's all educate ourselves so that we can use humane and effective techniques instead!

Reinforcing Polite Behavior Using NFL (No Free Lunch)

Positive reinforcement in dog training means is that a desired behavior is increased by giving your dog a reward for the behavior. For instance, if he sits when you ask him to, and you give him a treat for doing so, then it will increase the likelihood that he will sit next time.

But what to do if your dog is over-excited, pushy and obnoxious?!? It might seem like there are no desired behaviors to reward, and plenty of undesired behaviors to scold! If this sounds like your situation, then you are a perfect candidate for the "No Free Lunch" program or NFL. In order for your dog to get attention, food, freedom or anything else that he wants, he must work for it by first being calm and polite.

DOOR DASHING
We've all experienced having a dog rush past you as you open a door or push you aside as you open a gate. Not only is this impolite, but it could be unsafe. This is a great opportunity to train your dog to be patient using the Evil Door technique. When your dog tries to push past you to get through the doorway, simply close the door or gate without letting her through. Wait for your dog to back off, then slowly open the door again.  (You may have to body block your dog if she's extra-pushy and will not back up.)  Repeat until your dog waits patiently while you open the door, at which point you can release the dog to go through the door.  With repetition your dog will learn to wait calmly by the door because that's the only way she'll get to the other side.  It's nice to build default behaviors (or voluntary behaviors) like this so you don't constantly have to tell your dog what to do or what not to do.

FOOD
Different dogs get excited about different things. Some dogs are so food-crazy that they lose control when you start preparing their food. For dogs that love to eat, feeding time is a good chance to work on their impulse control. See my blog entry Incorporating Training Into Feeding Time for a step-by-step guide and video on one way you can do this.  You can also eliminate formal feeding times, and instead use all of your dog's  meals on training.  Just measure your dog's daily food allowance, put it in a Ziploc or treat pouch, and dish out the kibble throughout the day whenever your dog does something you like, such as coming when called or not jumping on you.  Many service dogs and detection dogs work for their food like this rather than being fed out of a bowl.

GREETING OTHER DOGS
It's not uncommon for dogs to get excited when they see another dog. Of course, it's important to let your dog socialize with other dogs on a regular basis so that he doesn't feel deprived. But if your dog gets over-excited when he sees other dogs, regardless of the amount of socializing he does, then it's a good idea to do some training. If your dogs gets excited while you're on a leashed walk and starts pulling, whining and barking because he want to go say hi to another dog, then show him that only polite behavior will get him what he wants (the other dog).  When your dog starts pulling towards the other dog, stop and hold him back with the leash (just resist, don't do a leash correction).  When the leash slackens or your dog looks back at you, immediately move forward.  Repeat as necessary.  If your dog is a barker instead of a puller, use the same technique, except move towards the other dog only when your dog stops barking.

EVERYTHING!
The opportunities to get rid of over-excitement and reinforce calm behavior are endless, including:

* Before throwing a ball or stick for your dog to fetch (i.e. as soon as your dog settles down and gives you eye contact, throw the ball)

* Allowing your dog to greet people including yourself (i.e. when you come home, don't enter through the gate or door until your dog stops jumping)

* Getting out of a car (i.e. wait for dog to sit politely while you open car door, and then let him jump out)

* Putting on a leash before a walk (i.e. if you grab the leash and your dog starts doing circles around the living room, just ignore him and wait until he settles down...and then put the leash on)

You just have to be consistent in rewarding your dog when he's polite and holding back or waiting when he's rude.   If you give in and let your dog be pushy about what he wants sometimes, then you give your dog the message that if he tries hard enough, he can get what he wants without being polite.

It's tempting to use aversives instead (such as yelling or leash-jerking), but I believe that your dog will be happier and learn faster if you use a No Free Lunch program instead, since your dog will be motivated to get the things that he wants.

With any training, be careful not to ask your dog to do too much too soon. Start small and gradually go bigger.

Happy Training!

The Canine "Look Away" - with videos

Dogs have a fascinating array of body language signals that allow them to convey messages to each other. Some of the body language is involuntary (reflexive) but others are deliberate. The "Look Away" is one of those deliberate signals that can mean different things in different situations.

A Look Away could be a distance-decreasing signal, i.e. dog uses a Look Away to let another another dog know he's not a threat, or dog uses a Look Away to invite another dog to play. Often a Look Away is quick and subtle, with the head staying level and the neck staying relaxed. In the videos below, you will see distance-increasing Look Aways, with stiffer necks and chin up, as if to say, “I’m not available for social interaction right now. Don't bother me.”

In the video below, 3-year old shepherd mix Heidser does a Look Away to avoid the exuberant black puppy. Notice that Heidser points her chin up to show her lack of interest. If her chin were down, she might be expressing deference to the puppy.

In the video below, you will see three energetic yellow Labradors running over to 8-year old Golden Retriever Luka (the blonde one). As Luka emerges from the crowd, one of the Lab puppies tries to engage Luka, but Luka stops and does a Look Away with his chin up, which causes the puppy to walk away.

In the last video, you will see Mochi the French Bulldog using Sniffing as a calming signal to the yellow Lab puppy. Sniffing is one of the most common behaviors in dogs, and like the Look Away, can mean various things. In this case, Mochi seems to be telling the puppy, "Calm down and stop bothering me." You'll notice Mochi doing a few Look Aways too, to avoid interaction with the puppy.

We humans tend to think excited puppies are cute, so we often inadvertently reinforce those behaviors. But remember, a cute and bouncy 10-lb. puppy can eventually turn into a hyper 75-lb. dog that is jumping and slobbering all over you! One of the most effective ways for a dog owner to stop a puppy's jumping or over-excitement is to simply ignore the puppy when he's behaving that way - the way the adult dogs above do - and give the puppy attention or affection only when he is calm.

Fulfilling Your Dog’s Needs and Developing a Good Relationship With Your Dog

In addition to doing training, it's very important to fulfill your dog’s physical and mental needs on a daily basis. Dogs need more than just companionship and love. In much the same way, humans feel more fulfilled if we have a purpose in life (career, volunteer work, hobby, etc.), and we feel healthier if we get regular exercise, whether it’s going to the gym or going surfing. When we’re not working or exercising, we like to hang out with friends, read books, watch TV, etc. to stimulate our minds. Dogs are the same way. When dogs get bored and frustrated from lack of mental stimulation and exercise, many problems can surface, including hyperactivity, destruction of household items, aggression and obsessive compulsiveness.

It's also important to develop a good relationship with your dog, so that you trust each other and want to do everything possible to make each other happy. If your dog doesn’t trust you and doesn’t see you as his guardian, then it is going to very hard for him to listen to you. On the other hand, if your dog LOVES you and his needs are regularly fulfilled by you, then he will listen to you more and follow your lead.

Below is a checklist of things that will promote the well-being and happiness of most pet dogs:

* Exercise – Running, walking, swimming, etc. For untrained dogs, it's a good idea to provide structured walks in addition to unstructured exercise such as off-leash hikes and walking on the beach.  If you need help with loose leash walking, see my Dog Walking blog entry.

* Mental stimulation and/or challenges – Give your dog a job or games to play, such as hide and seek, tracking and nose work, agility, flyball, enrichment toys such as stuffed Kongs, etc. See my blog Give A Dog A Job for ideas on clicker training service-dog type tasks.  See the Star Advertiser article on nose work about the workshops we hosted.

* Play – Activities include fetch, tug, playing with other dogs, chasing a flirt pole, etc. Different dogs have different preferences so figure out what your dog likes!

Although I've listed exercise, mental stimulation and play separately above, they can be combined in some activities such as agility and nose work.

Above: Dogs playing on the beach.

* Love and attention – This is an easy one for most of us to provide! Just remember to give your dog attention only when he is calm and well-mannered.

* Quality time spent together – Dogs are social animals that have an inherent need to be around their pack, whether it’s other dogs or humans. If possible, don’t make your dog an outdoors-only dog, or he may develop behavioral problems stemming from boredom and loneliness. Take your dog with you whenever you can. There are lots of places out there where you can take your dog, including restaurants with outdoor seating and dog-friendly stores.

Above: Dogs hanging out with us at a friend's BBQ.

* Reinforce good behavior and extinguish bad behavior – Dogs are born into the human world, and don’t automatically know what is expected of them. It’s our responsibility as their guardians to guide them towards socially acceptable behavior. Remember that rewarding good behavior is a lot more effective than punishing bad behavior. For more info, read my blog entry on Reinforcing Calm Behavior.

* Clear and consistent rules about what is allowed and what is not allowed.

* Socialization with other friendly and balanced dogs - It’s not always easy to set up play dates with other dogs, but you can always take your dog with you when you visit friends who have dogs. It’s easy for us humans to forget that our dog is a dog, and that most dogs love to be around other members of their own species. (Note: If your dog is not comfortable with other dogs, there's no reason to force him to hang out with other dogs.  If your dog likes other dogs, you should still avoid pushy or aggressive dogs, because it can make your dog dislike dogs in general.)

Above: Dogs socializing with each other at the dog park.

* Exposure to and positive experiences with common aspects of daily life, such as strangers (men & women), children, babies, stairs, bicycles, vacuum cleaners, ocean, bathing, riding cars, nail-clipping, ear cleaning, etc. Early exposure to these things in a positive way will prevent fearfulness and anxiety in the future. See my blog entry on socialization for more info.

Above: Little grom playing with dog.

Incorporating Training into Feeding Time - with videos

Doggie mealtime is a great time to practice "impulse control" and manners training. Food is a huge motivator for most dogs, so it should be easy to train your dog to sit calmly and wait for his or her food, even if he is easily excitable.

Below is a video of a dog that has learned the routine. He voluntarily sits, waits, and makes eye contact and starts eating only when released.  I put the bowl down slowly and didn't make any quick body movements, as I didn't want the dog to release himself because of my quick body movements.  As he becomes more used to the routine, I will be able to move more quickly.

You can explicitly ask your dog to Sit and Wait (or Stay) before releasing him to eat, but it's kind of fun to let your dog figure it out on his own.

Below is a video clip of a puppy that figures out that she won't get to eat until she waits in a seated position.  I lifted the bowl every time she got up from the Sit position.  You'll be surprised how fast puppies pick this up!

Considerations When Adopting or Fostering a New Dog

Above: LD, aka Little Dog

I recently fostered a 6-week old formerly stray puppy for the Humane Society. She had big bulging eyes and a brindle coat with white patches. She was absolutely adorable, and even my hard-hearted boyfriend fell in love with her. We named her "LD," short for "Little Dog." On her first day in our home, she was quiet and shy. But as soon as she became comfortable with her new surroundings, LD was quite energetic and playful.

In fact, she was SO playful towards my almost 8-year old dog Luka, that Luka couldn't stand it! Luka is a mellow dog to begin with, and although he is friendly towards other dogs, he has never been very playful with them. So when LD started running around him in circles like a buzzing fly, jumping up at his face to get his attention, and repeatedly doing the play bow to entice him, Luka got increasingly anxious. Luka would try to ignore LD for a few minutes. But if LD continued her energetic display, then Luka would finally show some teeth and bark at her to stop. After a while, Luka started hanging out in the yard and avoiding the living room where puppy was, even if puppy was in her crate.

This is a case where neither dog was really at fault. LD, being so young and having been separated from her mother and siblings at an early age, doesn't know cutoff signals yet. And she's still a puppy, so of course she wants to play all the time! Luka, on the other hand, is an older lower-energy dog that enjoys his peace and quiet.

Above: A rare moment of peace between Luka and LD.

I think it's a common misconception and unrealistic expectation that all dogs should get along with each other. Dog owners expect this of their dogs, but wouldn't deny that there are some humans whom they would not want to hang out with or be around. Much the same way, it's natural for a dog to get along with certain dogs but not others.

Although I was supposed to foster LD for three weeks, I asked the Humane Society to transfer her to another foster home a little sooner. If you already have a dog and are considering adopting or fostering another dog, please take a moment to consider the age, temperament and energy level that would complement your own dog. I promise that everyone will be a lot happier that way!

Above: It was hard to resist an angelic face like this. Well...hard for me, but not for Luka!

Loose Leash Walking and Anti-Pulling Equipment

Walking your dog is not just about exercise - it's an essential part of training and bonding with your dog. It should be fun for both you and your dog, and something you should do every day! Walking with you will give your dog a sense of purpose and a chance to be mentally focused. It will also allow him or her to see you as his trusted partner. Unlike their owners, pet dogs spend most of their time at home or in the yard. Most dogs will jump at any chance to explore the world outside their home!

Below are some guidelines to make your daily walks a positive experience:

ANTI-PULLING EQUIPMENT
It's nice to use anti-pulling equipment instead of a neck collar so that your dog doesn't choke himself or potentially damage his trachea.  Please see a list of recommended tools on my other blog page Anti-Pulling Equipment for Dog Walking.

TRAINING FOR LOOSE LEASH WALKING

Loose leash walking is one of the hardest things to train in most dogs. But if you put the effort into it,  you will find that both you and your dog are a lot less frustrated on a leashed walk. A dog that pulls hard on a leash is more difficult to train when issues like leash reactivity or over-excitement towards distractions enter the picture.

You can use one of various methods to teach him to keep the leash loose, such as Red Light Green Light and the Penalty Yard.

Here's a video showing Penalty Yard to a goal.



Click here for another video on Loose Leash Walking.

If your dog simply has too much energy, try playing fetch or let him run off leash for a while before going on a leashed walk.

SNIFFING, URINE MARKING AND OTHER LIFE REWARDS

Discourage excessive sniffing and urine marking, or else use them as rewards. If your dog constantly tries to pull you towards things he wants to smell or pee on, there are a few ways to work on it.

One way is to set your dog up for success and swing wide of the known distractions (such as bushes and mailbox posts), and then use them as "life rewards" after he's walked nicely for a while. For instance, if your dog walks politely on leash for an entire block, you can walk him over to the side of the road to smell or pee on the bush.  What if he pulls you towards the bush?  You can stop, wait for him to stop pulling, wait for him to look at you, and then grant him the reward of sniffing the bush. 

With practice, your dog will start to "ask" politely (i.e. look at you) for things that he wants rather than dragging you towards whatever he wants.

Another way to deal with the situation, if your dog is not a really bad puller, is to just keep walking. Pretend like you didn’t even notice that he wants to stop and smell something.  With repetition your dog will most likely stop trying to pull you towards the side of the road because it never works.

GREETING OTHER DOGS AND PEOPLE

Discourage over-excitement when greeting other dogs and people during walks. Some dogs are very enthusiastic and will pull you towards or bark at another dog or person that he wants to meet. I've met many dog owners who were physically injured because their dogs pulled them so hard! Instead of giving in to your dog's demands (which will only reinforce the behavior), wait for him to be calm and give you eye contact, even if it's just for a second, and then reward him for it by allowing him to meet the other dog or person (when appropriate).  It's usually a good idea to keep the greetings short (2-3 seconds) so the dog doesn't escalate to excitement again and start jumping on the other person or play-wrestling with the other dog.  After a couple of seconds of greeting/sniffing, say "Let's Go!" enthusiastically, walk away and reward your dog for coming with you.

This method (of waiting for the right behavior and rewarding it) tends to work a lot better than telling your dog to be calm or to Sit.  Most dogs will not listen to commands when they're very excited.  But they will eventually calm down if you just wait.  The idea is to show your dog that his actions have consequences - by staying calm, he gets to meet other dogs. With practice, it will become a default behavior, meaning your dog will automatically remain calm when greeting other dogs and people.

REACTIVITY TO BARKING DOGS

For dogs that are reactive towards barking dogs behind fences, redirect your dog’s attention as soon as he looks in that direction or his ears perk up. Prevention is always easier than intervention. To redirect his attention towards you, you can snap your fingers, clap, whistle, etc. (but try not to repeat your dog's name over and over again). Praise or treat him as soon as he looks at you. You may have to start this exercise by leaving a large distance between your dog and the barking dog behind the fence, so that you won't be asking your dog to do more than he is capable of.  

If you absolutely can't get your dog's attention with a sound, it probably means that you are too close to the other dog.  If you find yourself in this situation, gently redirect him with the leash before he reacts, without jerking on the leash.  As your dog improves, gradually decrease the distance between the dogs. If your dog has a full-blown fear of other dogs, I would recommend avoiding neighborhoods with lots of barky dogs, until you've had a chance to modify his fear.

NOTE: If your dog is reactive on leash, I highly recommend working with a qualified trainer. Please see my website's Training page for recommendations on trainers.

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It’s nice to reward dogs for good behavior by letting them go off leash at the end of a walk, if there is a safe and legal place to do this. If you can't let him off leash safely, you can use a long line or retractable leash.  It gets boring for a dog to be on a short leash all the time. It also gets boring for them to walk the same route day after day, so mix up your routes whenever possible. In addition to exercise, dogs need socialization with other dogs too, so get together with friends' dogs in a park or someone's yard.

Happy Dog Walking!

Dogs At Play - Videos

I dog-sat a wonderful 9-month old mix-breed dog named Rocky last week. He is awfully cute and was extremely playful with every dog he met. I videotaped him interacting with other dogs. Below are eight short and fun video clips.

PLAY BITING
Here's a video of Rocky (the taller one with black muzzle) playing with a 7-month old puppy named Natto. They're both young, energetic boys. Notice the soft mouthing and play bows. Very nice!


In the next clip, Rocky is playing with a 1+ year old female shepherd mix named Marley. The playing style is a little different from the video above of Rocky and Natto although they are also play-biting each other's necks. Notice the bite inhibition - they never bite too hard. When dogs are playing, they will often pause, and then continue their play. In this video you'll see Rocky shaking off at the end, a sign that he's coming down off of adrenaline.


WRESTLING AND PAWING
Here we have Rocky playing with Marley again. They wrestle a little and use their paws to paw at each other. Dogs at play will often take turns being on the bottom, or being the prey versus predator.


STALK-N-POUNCE
In the next clip you'll see Rocky stalking my golden retriever Luka, and then pouncing. Dogs often use hunting behavior in play. Ruby the 10-week old puppy also tries to engage Luka by play bowing and growling. Luka is an older dog (almost 8) so he's not interested in playing with the young dogs!


KEEP AWAY
Dogs love to play "keep away" where they grab a toy and keep it away from another dog or a person and be chased. Here's Marley keeping a rawhide bone away from Rocky.


Below we have Rocky keeping a rope toy away from a 10-week old puppy named Ruby. Rocky is very playful with Ruby, and doesn't guard the toy when she takes it away.


PUPPY LICKING
In the next video, Marley keeps the rawhide away from Rocky again. When Rocky attempts to approach the rawhide, Marley makes a playful but sudden movement as if to say, "Mine!" Rocky backs off, and then appeases Marley by licking her muzzle. "Puppy licking" can also be a sign of bonding.


BONUS VIDEO - SIT STAY
Here we have Rocky, Luka and 7 year old German Shepherd Vader doing sit-stays. Rocky is young and new to the sit-stay, so he attempts to get up once. I use my body to put Rocky back in his original position. They all get rewarded in the end for maintaining their sit-stay.

The Importance of Early Socialization

It's quite common for dogs to become averse to certain things. Occasionally the aversions turn into full-blown fears or fear-based aggression. It's not fun for your dog, and it's not fun for the dog owner. Exposing your dog to many things from an early age can help to prevent this problem. Some common things you will want to expose your puppy to include:

* People - men, women, children, babies
* Other dogs
* Cats and other animals
* Riding in cars
* Going to the vet
* Nail clipping
* Bathing
* Swimming
* Stairs (including ones you can see through)
* Crates
* Being alone
* Loud noises including fireworks and thunder
* Bicycles, skateboards, scooters
* Public places and crowds
* Walking on a leash

When exposing your dog to these things, it's important to make it a positive experience. For instance, you might give Fido his favorite treat or give him a massage while you clip his nails so that he thinks of nail clipping as a happy event. If Fido is naturally fearful of certain things from the get go, you will want to introduce him to those things slowly or in increments.

It's especially important for puppies to be socialized with other dogs and people (strangers). Puppies go through a critical period of socialization between 1 to 4 months of age. If isolated from the outside world during that time, they can grow up to be unbalanced adult dogs. Some veterinarians advise people to keep their puppies in the yard or home until the entire vaccination series are complete. Of course, you should complete the first set of vaccines and keep your pup away from high-risk areas, but did you know that the chance of a dog being euthanized for behavioral problems is 1000 times higher than a dog getting sick from parvovirus or distemper?

It's also true that dogs, especially young ones, can be easily traumatized by a single negative experience with another dog. So it's very important that you monitor your dog's interactions with other dogs, and that you don't put your dog in a position where he has to defend himself. Dog parks are great, but as your dog's guardian, it's a good idea to educate yourself on subtle dog behaviors and always keep an eye on your dog, so that you can prevent bullying and fighting.

It's always easier to take precautionary measures to prevent fear, than to counter-condition a dog that has developed a negative emotional response towards something. Trust me on this one - early socialization is well worth your time!

Argentinian Hounds

I visited Buenos Aires, Argentina for the first time in December 2008. The food was amazing and we loved the people and the European feel of the cafés. But what struck me the most in Buenos Aires were the dog walkers. While sightseeing in the city, I saw many dog walkers walking up to ten dogs at a time! And what was even more amazing was that the dogs were all perfectly calm, no matter what they saw around them! Not one of them was pulling on the leash.

As a dog trainer in Hawaii, I meet many troubled dog owners who get walked by their dogs instead of them walking their dogs. Pulling on the leash and over-excitement are pretty common issues with dogs in the United States. How was it possible that the Buenos Aires dogs were so calm? I could be completely wrong but my theory is:

1. The dogs in Buenos Aires get out of the house and get walked more than their American counterparts.
2. They get to be around other dogs more often so it's not such a novelty to see another dog.
3. Argentinians treat their dogs like dogs, and they don't reinforce the dogs' excited behavior with attention.

Below: A makeshift dog park in the city center.

There were a lot of stray dogs in Ushuaia, the southernmost town in Argentina. What was interesting about the stray dogs there was that they all had long hair. Most stray dogs I've seen in Hawaii are short haired. I don't know if it's a case of "survival of the fittest," where long-haired dogs are more likely to survive in the cold climate of Ushuaia, or if there are more long-haired pet dogs over there in general, and therefore more long-haired strays.

Below: Stray dogs of Ushuaia.

5th Annual Hawaii Kai Dog Walk

Below: The registration booth

Below: Hundreds of dogs and their humans participated in this fun walk to raise funds for Hui 'Ilio.

Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i (the Hawaii Dog Group) was founded to promote safe and friendly places for dogs and their people to play, and to promote responsible dog ownership. Their initial reason for organizing was to establish the Hawaii Kai Dog Park.

Below: The 2.3 mile walk was a bit long for some of the smaller dogs but they seemed to enjoy it anyway.
I participated in their 5th annual dog walk fundraiser on June 7th, 2009. It was exciting to be around so many dogs, from tiny Pomeranians to huge Great Danes. It was amazing how well-behaved all the dogs were. The event was very well organized, with prizes, goodie bags, T-shirts, and booths offering dog-related information. There were lots of volunteers throughout the walking trail, providing water for the dogs and directing traffic. The Hawaii Kai Dog Walk is definitely a model to follow when it's time for the North Shore to hold a fundraiser for our dog park.

Below: They must be from the Great Dane Club of Hawaii!

Now that the Hawaii Kai dog park is a reality, Hui 'Ilio's ongoing goals include helping other dog groups (like us) get approval for parks in their respective districts, enhancing the opportunities for dogs to get proper exercise and socialization, and promoting the licensing, vaccination, and good-behavior training of dogs.

Below: Not surprisingly, all the Labradors gravitated towards the swimming pool.