Achieving good dog behavior not only involves training your dog, but understanding how dogs think about their world and using that to practice leadership with your dog.

The Pack drive in dogs defines activities dogs do with a pack or family, as we relate to our dogs. Pack drive activities include eating together, sleeping together, playing together, grooming each other and walking/exploring together. All activities dogs like to do with other pack or family members. Using these valuable instincts to provide strong leadership to your dog can go a long way in preventing issues like growling when you get into their space, near their food bowl or touching their backside.

We know dogs historically were meat eaters and worked hard at finding food. Because of this, they developed guarding instincts to protect their food. Our family dogs have expanded the list to not only include food, but other things that relate to their pack drive activities such as beds or sofas, toy and chew bones and yes, your love and affection.

Taking advantage of your dog’s opportunistic nature by developing a cooperative partnership (performing sits and downs for the things he wants) can go a long way in preventing behavior problems as mentioned above.

Here’s a list of each activity and how you can work leadership around them:

Eating together – control the food by offering your dog his food immediately after you have had your meal and require your dog to sit and down in front of his bowl before he gets to eat

Sleeping together – control your space (bed, couches, chairs) by requiring your dog to do a sit before getting up on your space. Put the action of getting up on a command word such as “UP”

Playing together - control all toys – tennis balls, tug toys, squeaky toys. Take them up each night before going to bed and pick just a few toys for your dog to play with during the day. Require your dog to earn these toys by giving you a sit and a down before being allowed to play with the toys for the day.

Grooming each other – require your dog to earn his physical petting and praise (since petting is a simplified form of licking or grooming as interpreted by your dog)

Walking and exploring together – structure this pack activity by controlling the first and last third of the walk requiring your dog to stay by your side during these times. The middle 1/3rd of the walk is your dog’s free time to enjoy peeing, pooping and of course sniffing and exploring with his nose. Remember to sit your dog before each third of the walk and require your dog to wait to be released before enjoying his free, relaxed time of the walk.

The next time you notice your dog growling inappropriately, think leadership and put this plan into action. It is never too later to start. Be as comfortable with the trainer of your dog as your are the teacher of your children. And remember: “Opportunity Barks”

Jim Burwell’s Petiquette

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Here are some facts about relationships with our dogs other trainers are most likely not teaching or sharing with you that, if known, could change your perspective about your dog and your approach to training:

*  99% of what goes on between us and our puppies and dogs is
emotional. There is very little intellectual exchange between
us.
*  When you think about it, if they weren’t so sensitive to
our feelings, we probably wouldn’t have them as pets.

*  Puppies and dogs do not do well with emotional energy. Too
much love and affection can nurture their insecurity. 

On the other end of the spectrum of emotional energy is anger, panic,
excitement, yelling and screaming.  This energy only provides your puppy or dog with an unstable environment filled with anxiety and tension.

*  When puppies or dogs feel emotionally insecure about their  relationships with us, they become frustrated and anxious.

*  Your puppy or dog then tries to relieve the tension caused by the frustration in his relationship with you
and that’s when behavioral problems occur.

Understanding how to become a strong leader emotionally is important to having a well balanced puppy that will stay balanced into and throughout adulthood. As we look at how we interact with our dogs on a daily basis, remember this: *  Your feelings are emotions and translate to energy – your dog interprets your energy.

*  Your energy translates into actions – your dog responds  to your actions.

*  When you train or correct your dog, he connects the emotion of that energy you cause him to feel in that moment to that specific behavior or correction.

*  Dogs are less reactive to calm, emotional energy.

*  Your calm energy helps to relieve the anxiety and tension in your home environment.

*  Teach your children to help provide your puppy or dog  with a tension-free environment which will in turn alleviate  many dog problems in the future.

Here are some of my “trainer tips” that will help you on your way to becoming an expert on emotional leadership:

*  Don’t involve your dog in excited departures or arrivals. This tends to cause him to have emotional highs at important, critical times of the day which in turn can lead to disorders such as separation anxiety. 

*  An added complication is that dogs who demand, and get,  free pets and praise all the time will tend to miss their  owners more when owners leave home. Do ignore our dog for  5 minutes prior to departure and upon arriving home.

*  By consistently doing this, you will level out your dog’s emotional highs as they tend to contrast too sharply with his alone time while you are gone. After 5 minutes, simply and quietly ask for a sit – then greet your dog with love and affection.

*  Don’t “bark” (yell and scream) at your dog with anger or frustration when correcting him.

*  Do decide what you would prefer your dog do instead of what you are correcting him for and then train him to perform the good behavior.

*  Don’t placate your dog’s insecurities by feeling sorry for or coddling him (i.e. during thunderstorms.)

*  Do “happy your dog up” – that is, changing your emotional  state can change the emotional state of your dog through mood transferences.

*  Work your dog through happy sits and downs praising and  treating him for a job well done during his stressful  thunderstorm episodes.

*  Couple your calm energy with quiet redirects to appropriate behaviors like sits or downs followed by simple praise for doing a good job.

*  Engage your dog in 2 minute sessions of sits and downs 3  times daily to give him a sense of working for leadership  rather than being responsible for it himself as this is  a difficult emotional burden for dogs to carry living with us humans.

Behavioral problems occur because your puppy or dog is trying to relieve the tension produced by some frustration in his relationship with you.

“Be as comfortable with the trainer of your dog, as you are the teacher of your children.”    And remember:  OPPORTUNITY BARKS!

Jim Burwell Share

There are certain things that every dog owner should know if they expect their dog to grow up to be a well behaved, well adjusted dog.

These tips are some basic ideas you should keep in mind so that
your dog training can go smoothly and be fun for you and your dog.

Socialize your dog early. Puppies need to experience new places, noises and people early. Just keep in mind where your puppy is on vaccinations and do not take them to public areas like dog parks or
big box dog stores. Do activities that get him used to other animals and his environment. Socializing is training and you don’t want a dog that is frightened of everything and doesn’t play
well with other dogs.

Say your command one time. Repeating your commands conveys to your dog that you didn’t mean what you said the first time and he learns he doesn’t have to do the command immediately.

Be patient. Your tone of voice, volume and body language should never convey to your dog that you
are beginning to get frustrated or angry. Hold you patience – it will pay off in spades.

Be Consistent. Consistency is key. Use the same commands when you expect your dog to obey. Changing
your command words will be confusing and will sabotage your training.

Set Boundaries. Every action you allow your dog to get away with may gradually undo what you are
trying to teach him. Don’t set your dog up to fail. When he does something wrong, immediately say
“no, wrong” or “no off” and re-direct to the proper action.

Stay in control of your dog. This means sniffing, jumping, pulling on his leash is not ok when you
are walking him. Structure your walk where 2/3 of the walk the dog is beside you and 1/3 of the walk
the dog gets to sniff, hike his leg, etc (still on leash) but it’s his 1/3 of the walk.

Reward your dog for good behavior. This can be anything from treats to an enthusiastic Good Boy!
This helps them differentiate between doing something you like (your happy tone of voice) to something you don’t like with your (no off) said in a deeper voice.

Learn how dogs think. They are not human. If you understand how dogs think, which is not complicated, very black and white, and in the moment, you can help your dog be a better dog. Do not be hard on your dog.

When correcting an inappropriate behavior a simple No Off and redirecting to the appropriate behavior is enough. Do not hit, alpha roll, yell, kick, or yank and jerk the leash. All you will accomplish by doing those things, is to teach your dog YOU are not safe.

Have fun! Remain calm, enthusiastic and keep training on a positive note. Also keep your training
sessions short. No more than 10 minutes per session.

These are just a few things to keep in mind if you want a dog that is happy, obedient and well
adjusted. Teach your dog in a positive way that you control things, be consistent with your training
and praise for a job well done.

Be as comfortable with the trainer of your dog as you are the teacher of your children. And
remember, Opportunity Barks!

Jim Burwell, Jim Burwell’s Petiquette

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Every January 1st most of us make New Year’s Resolutions to get in better shape and be better people.  And, by January 31st most of us have
forgotten those New Year’s resolutions. 

Unfortunately many of us just don’t take very good care of ourselves.

But as pet lovers, we do try to take good care of our dogs.  However,
being overweight and no exercise has become a big problem in the pet
population also.  So this year, team up your weight loss and exercise
resolutions with the same resolutions for your pet.  This just might make you stick to your goals better.

According to research from the University of Missouri, people who walk dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion.  In this study, to the suprise of the researchers, the dog walkers showed a big improvement in fitness, while the people who chose a human to walk with, began making excuses to skip the workout.  Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by 28% compared with jua a 4% increase among the human walkers!

Also, we all know how we’re not supposed to snack and overload our plates with food.  Well, the same goes for our dogs.  Using treats to begin shaping training is fine, just don’t overdo it and wean off treats quickly.  Give healthy treats like raw organic carrots or simply pieces of quality dry dog kibble.  You could even snack on some of those carrots!  Also, really think about how much food you’re giving your dog at each meal.  Dog food producers want to sell dog food, so generally speaking, the amounts they suggest for feeding are usually too much.  An adult 17# dog, which gets sufficient exercise everyday, should be fine with approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food 2 times a day.  An adult 70# dog that also gets sufficient exercise should get approximately  1 1/2 to 2 cups of food 2 times a day.  Try adding cooked vegetables to your dog’s food if Fido’s a little flabby.  Cut back on the kibble and replace some of that with cooked spinach, cooked broccoli, sweet potatoes or peas.  Dogs love that and it’s good for them.  Good veggies for you too!

Speaking of quality food, make sure you are making good choices for yourself.  Back off on the processed carbs and fat; choose fresh foods as much as possible.  Now is also a good time to check the ingredients in
your dog food so you can make a good choice there.  Dogs don’t care if it looks pretty, or smells like bacon.  What is important is the quality of the ingredients in their food.  The first thing mentioned on the
ingredients list needs to be a high quality protein, such as chicken, beef or lamb or turkey, NOT corn meal or any other low quality carbohydrate.  High quality “meals (chicken meal, beef meal) made of
those whole meats listed above are also ok.  Whole grains, vegetables and fruits are good things to find in dog food.   Look for bad preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin. Another bad additive is propylene
glycol.  Many dogs have allergies to wheat, corn and soy.  Don’t buy foods that contain such things as animal fat, animal digest or meat meal or foods whose protein is derived almost completely from “meat by-
products. 

Quality dog food is like quality human food, you get what you pay for.  “There is a terrific publication called “Whole Dog Journal”, all of our Petiquette trainers encourage dog owners to subscribe.  It’s the “Consumer Reports” for dogs and every February they do a thorough rating of all dry and canned dog foods.You’ll be amazed! ”

The dreaded “E” word.  Yes, exercise is important for both you and your dog.  Realize that daily walks are central to the well being of your dog.  If you won’t get out and walk for yourself, get out and walk for your
dog.  Walk at a pace as if you were late for an appointment, don’t just leisurely stroll.  The dividends are enormous.  You’ll be surprised how something as simple as a walk not only burns calories for you and your
dog, it gets endorphins going for both you and your dog also.  What a great way to meet other folks in your area who have dogs, a great conversation starter!

Exercise is also a terrific way to manage your dog’s energy.  I always encourage owners who are having
behavioral issues with their dogs, to include walking as part of the behavior modification.  This simple exercise not only manages the dog’s energy, it allows you to show leadership when you control the walk. 

Last but not least, some of us make New Year’s resolutions to be better people.  That means different things to all of us.  But, being a better dog is pretty simple.  A good dog is one that understands boundaries and
restrictions, has good house manners or “Petiquette” as we call it.  No jumping, house soiling, barking, tearing things us. 

Make a decision to make your dog a better dog this year.  – “‘OPPORTUNITY BARKS!”