Articles | Kristie Allen, The Learning Canine, LLC Summerville SC

Training your dog to be well mannered in any setting or environment sets them up for a great life, a great relationship with you, and can even help in emergency or rescue situations.

I was inspired to write this article by the recent rescue of a dog that was pulled out of the flooding waters in CA by a man hoisted from a helicopter. I was also intrigued by the global response…..whether it was positive or negative. Although most of my colleagues were not shocked by the dog’s instinct to bite the man trying to save him, many people were surprised and couldn’t believe what they saw. Now, preparing your dog to be pulled from raging flood waters only to fly through the air via a huge scary monster with sharp, loud, wings may not be feasible, but there are many things you can do to prepare your dog to be able cope with new and stressful situations, including being rescued.

First and foremost – introduce your dog to a collar and leash as soon as you get him. I know this seems like a ‘no brainer’ to some, but unfortunately, I have learned that many dog’s lives consist of living in the home or crate (if they are lucky), and then let out into the fenced yard, and that is it. Some dogs never even make it into the house. They never leave the yard, nor have use for a leash. They don’t have a clue why you put a leash on them, let alone why you are trying to lead them around with it. Teach your dog the “Dress” command, which means sitting calmly and allowing his collar/harness to be put on. Have him sit before putting his leash on and take him for a walk. Don’t encourage him when he starts bouncing off of the walls in excitement when you grab his leash. Remember, calm is better, in any situation. He needs to learn how to walk on a leash properly also. If he doesn’t master this, chances are he will never get out of the house, or trips will be few and far between. It is his primal instinct to walk and move forward…..not just side to side as he would in a fence. He also needs to experience different sights, smells, objects, surfaces and places – not just look at them from the other side of a fence – to help him learn how to live in our human world. A dog not allowed to actually interact with the outside world creates frustration, anxiety and in some cases, aggression. Teaching your dog leash manners doesn’t mean you can’t work with him off leash, or continue to train off leash, however, he should still practice accepting the collar and leash and learn that it is okay – it is necessary at times. If he is in an emergency situation, already stressed to his threshold, imagine someone trying to add insult to injury by attempting to put a leash on him that he will not accept.

Socialization is the act of positively introducing your dog to accept new situations, environments, sounds, smells, surfaces, other dogs, other animals, and all sorts of different people and things. It does not mean forcing your dog to accept these things – you want to encourage her to face her fears, but never force her. Always reward calm, positive reactions; ignore negative reactions and remove your dog from the stressful situation if she is overwhelmed or over stimulated. Go back and break it down into steps she can understand. If she learns early in life that new and different things are fun and not so “scary”, and she is also exposed to so many things that nothing really seems new or different to her, this can make a world of difference if she is, for example, stranded out on a rooftop while being surrounded by water waiting to be picked up by a boat.

Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA Photo 17680
“New Orleans, LA, September 5, 2005–FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force members and local rescue workers and US Coast Guard, search for residents in neighborhoods impactd by Hurricane Katrina.”

At a very young age, or as soon as you get your dog, let him get used to things around the house. Then move outside and around the neighborhood to see what’s out there. After that, and when the dog is older, about 3- 4 months of age, start venturing out to a few of the locations that will be discussed in Part 2 of this article. As your dog’s confidence grows, take him to more places and introduce more sounds and surfaces. Be careful not to expose your dog to too much too quickly. Baby steps – A little bit at a time is just fine! Brief and positive introductions are much more productive than long drawn out introductions, which can tend to turn negative or stressful. You start w/ a 3 second exposure then build on that 3 seconds at a time. Be careful to encourage your dog, but don’t inadvertently reinforce him if he is scared – if you tell him he is okay in a sweet oochie coo baby voice that you give when he has done something right, and/or pet him, he will associate this as reinforcement for his behavior and begin to think this is how you want him to act. Be confident and assertive – show the dog you are his protector, and his kind and patient leader. Teaching and guiding your dog to be confident in new environments can help him work out feelings of anxiety in stressful situations such as emergency situations also. (Side note: If you rescue, inherit, foster, or somehow obtain an adult dog, treat him like a puppy until you learn more about him and what he knows – he may have never been socialized, taught manners, what to chew on, not to jump, etc., and is actually a puppy trapped in an adult’s body – that’s a completely different article though!)

Introduce your dogs to as many different people that you can. Some examples are: children, people of different ethnic origins, people who wear uniforms, people who wear caps or glasses, people with beards, young people, older people, and people in wheelchairs, using a cane, or walker. And don’t forget about people engaging in activities such as walking, running, jumping, crawling, swimming, bathing, carrying things, exercising, etc. Many dogs are startled or worried by people riding bicycles, skateboards, scooters, go carts, wagons, etc., so the earlier you can expose your dog to these things and teach them these things are safe, the better. Showing your dog that even people that look different, act different, or move differently than what they see on a daily basis can help him to accept a man with a crazy hat and a scary looking coat pulling him to safety.

Places that Offer Training Opportunities:

Vet’s office – not only when he has an appt.

Pet store and any other pet friendly locations you can find

Strip malls and shopping centers and their parking lots

Your friend’s and family’s houses and their pets if applicable

Your car, friend’s and family’s car, if allowed (don’t ever force your dog on anyone either…..you have to face that not all people are dog people)

Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience Class, at the least

Parks, beaches, lakes, any outdoor dog friendly place you can find

Exposing your dog to unfamiliar places properly will allow her to understand that every new portion of our human world is not so scary. Even if it is, she should be able to handle her stress more easily than if she never left her immediate environment.

**NOTE** Do your research on these areas – find out if and when your dog is allowed in the park or beach, what the leash rules are, and if your dog is required to be licensed or have a permit. Alligators populate most fresh and brackish water lakes and rivers in the Southern Region of the US – please don’t allow your dog to swim in these areas. If you are not sure, or don’t know…..don’t risk it.

Expose your dog to rain, water, waves, tall grass, short grass, wet grass, bushes, flowers, sand, dirt, concrete, rocks, gravel, asphalt, stairs, floor, carpet, snow, mud, puddles and anything different you can think of. Once again, if your dog is in a predicament and needs assistance of either you or another person, this is already stressful for them. If they are acclimated to these things, or at least acclimated to change or unfamiliar territory, it won’t perpetuate the anxiety.

Your dog should be exposed to as many sounds as you can think of, but this doesn’t mean that you take the stereo that he’s never seen or heard before, set it in front of him and then blast it away……take it slow. For sounds in which you can control the volume, start with low volume and slowly increase the volume. For those items you cannot control the volume, and it is too loud for your dog to handle, use distance in the beginning and then slowly decrease the distance. Examples of sounds to introduce your dog to are: the TV, stereo or radio (let them see you dance too!), a doorbell, any bell, the vacuum cleaner, clapping hands, stomping your feet, a whistle, sirens, a car horn and a car that backfires, balloons popping, electric tools, kitchen appliances, a stainless steel bowl falling to the floor, pots and pans clanging together, singing, laughing, other dogs barking, and a knock at the door. If your dog seems a little stressed, but not overwhelmed, you can do things with your body to calm her down. Try yawning, licking your lips and/or blinking your eyes. Try eating something. If your dog sees you doing these things, it can help to make her more comfortable as they are calming signals to dogs. Whatever you do, don’t make a big deal about these noises. If you accidentally drop something and it scares the puppy, don’t go running over to her to hover and make sure she is ok. Just act nonchalantly as if it were no big deal at all. Your dog will usually follow your lead and your body language. If you are calm, your dog is more likely to be calm just as if you are frantic, your dog is more likely to be frantic. If your dog learns that loud or different sounds are just a part of life, they don’t become so reactive to it. Dogs are creatures of habit – if they continue to practice to be reactive or anxious when hearing loud or different sounds, they just build the habit even stronger. If they practice being calm around these things, they in turn make that habit stronger – which could also carry over to helping your dog to stay calm during an emergency.

Multiple Handlers:

Finally, teach your dog to be to be handled by and to respond to other people. Start with family and friends who are willing to help and then try to incorporate new people and strangers into the training and handling your dog. You may have to take a group class for this, but it is well worth it. If your dog is used to being handled by lots of different people, along with all the above mentioned examples, if and when he is need of rescue, he may be able to cope much better than if not exposed at all.

Emergency situations don’t always apply to the dog being rescued away from home. What if there was a natural disaster or if you were in an accident……. If you could not get home and you had to send someone to assist your dog – would she allow a stranger into her “den” to leash her, put her in the car, and care for her while you are unable to? If your answer is yes, then great job! Now let’s get her ready for the helicopter ride! If your answer is no, or I don’t know, it’s time to get to work!

PART 3

Young puppies are avid biters and nippers. It is natural puppy behavior in the dog world. However, those puppy teeth are very sharp and hurt us humans – it’s not so natural in our world! It is your responsibility as a dog owner to teach your pup what trainers call "bite inhibition." If your young puppy is play biting or nipping, it doesn't mean that she is aggressive, it means she is young and needs guidance on how to behave with her new human family. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to watch a litter of puppies interacting with each other, you will see them constantly biting and play fighting with each other. The other pups will yelp and stop playing if another pup bites them too hard. The pup soon learns that play stops when she bites too hard, so she learns to inhibit her bite so she can keep playing! When pups do this with humans, they just think we are their littermates, or worse, their chew toys. We need to teach them appropriate behavior in our world, the challenge is, we as humans, don’t typically communicate with them in a language they understand.

In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming part dog. - Edward Hoagland

Puppies bite because it is entertaining to them and it often gets them attention. In order to make it less entertaining for him – offer a consequence that ends the fun and all interaction with you. If you're playing with your pup and his teeth touch you, "yelp" loudly like a hurt puppy, even if it didn’t actually hurt you. You want him to think the slightest touch of his teeth on your human skin, undoubtedly hurt you. If the yelping makes him more excited, which it will in some dogs, say "Ouch!" in a lower toned voice, but still in a tone like he's definitely hurt you. Next, immediately pull the plug on the play session. Remove yourself from him, and as calmly as you can, leave the pup behind in a safe, puppy-proof place – a play pin is ideal. You only have to leave him for a short period; 3 - 5 minutes will usually do the trick. Keep in mind, you are not looking to physically punish you’re dog, but talk to him in a language he can understand. (Please also remember, there is no need to get angry. You are "acting" this way to teach your dog a valuable lesson. If you do get angry and lose your patience, your training session should end immediately. You can’t teach your dog while you are angry or frustrated. Be calm and assertive, not intense and resentful)

Now, on the other side of the spectrum – when teaching your dog the rules of the human household, the 2 most important things to remember are to offer a consequence for the behaviors you don’t like, but don’t forget to offer a reward for the behaviors you do like! Rewards are things the dog really likes….when rewarding with praise, be sure to give the praise she likes – scratch behind the ear, rub on the chest or belly rub? What’s her favorite? Not all dogs like to be patted on the head. Remember not to get too excited or rowdy when praising though, as to invite her back into play biting. It is crucial that you make sure your pup is getting lots of praise and attention when she is playing gently and being calm. Some pups may learn to nip you to get attention, so if you make sure that they are getting rewarded with attention when they're not biting, they will soon learn they don’t need to nip you to get your attention! They learn very quickly what is rewarding and what is not, if you are consistent. A very important tip to remember in any training scenario is that the opposite of reward is no reward, not punishment.

It is also important to have everyone in the family follow these rules so the pup learns that all human skin is very delicate, not just yours! After he’s got this down pat with the household family, have your friends and extended family help with the exercise! Keep in mind that young children must be supervised at all times with the dog. Most young children don’t have the attention span or mental capability to engage in training strategies, especially this one. They will often scream (not yelp) and run in a very excited manner, waving their hands in the air, which the puppy will take as an invitation for more rambunctious play time. You, as the adult, must be the mediator and help teach both the children and puppy what to do. That being said, children under the age of 10 should ALWAYS be supervised with any dog of any age.

Other tips include redirecting his biting to a chew toy, or to spray your hands with an anti-chewing deterrent. (This is ideal when working with the children and the puppy) Proper and plenty of exercise will also be key in this training plan, but also in your dog’s daily routine on his journey to being a well balanced fulfilled dog. A tired dog is a good dog! Your pup can also learn bite inhibition from playing with other healthy and well balanced dogs and pups, but always oversee play to ensure it is appropriate, no one is being a bully, and dogs don’t get too disorderly. Make sure you know the dogs and their humans that you allow your young puppy to play with.

It is imperative that puppies learn that they can, and are expected to control the strength of their jaws and the way in which they use them. If you don’t teach your dog bite inhibition, she will never learn how to use her mouth softly. Sometime in your dog’s life, she will more than likely find herself in a setting where she feels she needs to bite - this is the only way that dogs know to “say” that they are terrified or in distress. Remember they are dogs, not human – they don’t communicate by talking – they communicate via body language, growls, barks, and sometimes biting. Your goal is to teach your pup that she can use her teeth without breaking skin. Among many other things, teaching bite inhibition can play a huge role in assisting your beloved family dog, or a brave rescue worker, if your dog is in an emergency situation,

Almost all of us have had, or maybe still have what you might consider to be the “perfect dog”. You know the one…..the one that really seems to “get it”, after telling him only a couple of times what you want. The dog that instinctively understands your body language, follows your cues without much repetition, and seems to learn what acceptable behavior is and what is not, very quickly. She grasps our human words as if she knows English, he learns obedience and tricks at an exceptional rate, and instinctively wants to please us in every way, at any moment possible. She almost seems to ask us to teach her more. Most importantly, he loves other dogs and people, and she has never shown any aggressive tendencies in her lifetime. For those of you that have had this type of dog, consider yourself very fortunate, but also give yourself some credit if you properly socialized your pup at the appropriate age, and began training as soon as you met the dog and brought him or her home. The definition of Socialization has become a more commonly used word in the last decade; however, I have seen many cases in which my clients had no idea of what socializing a puppy meant. They may have heard the word before, but again, didn’t really have a clear concept of what proper socialization is and how significant it can be in reducing dog bites. I have also been told by clients that they never socialized their puppy, but after asking a few questions and researching the situation, found out they really did socialize their puppy, they just didn’t realize that’s what they were doing. They took her on family vacations to the beach and the mountains, trips to the pet store, daily walks, and to Grandma’s on Sunday. He went to the pond for a swim once a week, the dog park, and over to friends’ houses to play with their dogs and children every chance they got. The neighbors’ kids would come over and ask if he could come out and play with them, and he did!! This, my friends, is socialization, in a nutshell.

Proper Socialization: The act of teaching a dog not to react by exposing and desensitizing her to those things she will encounter in daily life.

All dogs are unique, have their own personality, learn at different rates, and react differently to new situations. I have encountered countless dogs and puppies between the ages of 5 months to over 2 years old at the local shelters, that were there because they‘re frustrated owners said they “wouldn’t listen”, or “kept jumping”, “were stealing food” or “chewing the furniture“. These pups and dogs at the shelter where never truly trained how to live in a human household, I am positive they were not given sufficient mental and physical stimulation, and I would bet they were not properly socialized during the critical time period between 7 and 16 weeks. They may have been told once, twice, or even a number of times not to jump, beg at the table, chew on our things, etc., but for most dogs, that isn’t enough. You have to commit to being patient and training your dog. If you train him to sit when he meets people, he is not jumping; if you train her to chew her toys, she is not chewing your shoes. If you train him to wait before being fed or going out the door, he learns impulse control. If you ask her to leave the table or kitchen, and she doesn’t truly know what it means, you can’t expect her to comply. You can teach him how to comply however. The behaviors we see as problems are very typical of our dogs if they were living amongst a pack of dogs in their natural state. They are Dogs - they are born with the instincts of how to stay alive in the wild. Sure, we have domesticated them; however, they still have hard wired survival instincts and always will. We have to teach and guide them how to co exist peacefully in our human environment whether it takes 2 weeks or 2 years. They do not know our rules until we teach them.

Too often, the average person gives up after the dog doesn’t “get it” after only a couple of attempts at teaching a new cue. It’s not the human’s fault, so to speak, as this is our nature and the average person’s perception of how a dog learns. However, if your dog is not succeeding, you, as the leader, need to accept the responsibility and hold yourself accountable, instead of the dog. Stop and think about it - does your dog really have an understanding of the cue? Has she practiced around distractions and have you added distance to these distractions? Have you built a bond with him and does he view you as his fair and benevolent leader? Teach at the dog’s pace, make it fun and rewarding for her, be patient, and never forget how unique and different your dog is. Lead by example. Dogs are visual creatures and often learn by watching you or another dog do something. If you want to spoil your dog, do so by being a leader and patiently teaching her the lessons she needs to learn to live happily ever after with you and your family in your human world..

Patience: The capacity, habit or fact of being patient. Patient: Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.

Some trainers and dog owners believe that if a dog already understands a cue, and doesn’t perform it, then punishment must be induced. The glitch with this belief however, is that you can’t validate, with 100% exactitude, that the dog is just being headstrong and unwilling to comply.

Before you assume a dog truly understands what a cue means, try an experiment created by *Dr. Ian Dunbar.

If your dog can sit under these distractions and assortment of contexts, then you could say he truly knows the meaning of sit. Do this with every cue, not just “Sit” to proof your dog’s knowledge of the cue.

Emergency Preparedness

Training: by Kristie Allen -

Published in Low Country Dog

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March 1, 2010 · 1 Comment