Tag: canine behavior


Getting over the Hump

Why do they Do That?

One of the most obvious reasons that dogs hump is sexual.  Males that have not been neutered are able to perform humping as displaced sexual behavior.  Some dogs continue to hump even after having been neutered, possibly for purely pleasurable reasons.  However, there are actually other reasons that dogs do this.  It may be either some genetic background or else, it is a display of dominance.

The humping behavior is seen in both genders of dogs and is sometimes merely a sign of aggression or a desire for dominance in the hierarchy of the family, whether human or canine.  It is the dominant dog who gets the right to breed with receptive females.

Females that display this behavior is something a bit less common but not to be overlooked. 

As early as possible, if this behavior is evident, it should be corrected.  The "object" of the dog’s affection should be removed and the dog should be distracted.  This may take consistency and patience.  In extreme cases, it is essential that the human establish a dominant role to make sure that the dog understands who is in control of the situation.  In the early stages of this training, you may also have to resort to ignoring ALL inappropriate behaviors.  After a few weeks of consistent distractive techniques and the dog learning who is in charge, the canine should become oriented to more socially acceptible ways in which to play.

Read on in Chew toys for Dogs.

 

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It’s a Private thing

Dog Training: How to Train Your Dog to Stop Licking “Private Places”

A nose thrust may be acceptable among dogs, but it’s not so pleasant for the two-legged visitors in their lives. Every dog can learn to greet people in more acceptable ways. The secret is to teach them an alternative to that ancient, secret handshake they know so well.
 
Start with a Shake
 
The standard greeting among people is the handshake, and dogs can learn it too. Have your dog sit, then stick out your hand, putting it slightly below her nose. Most dogs will instinctively raise a paw to meet it. If your dog doesn’t get it and won’t raise a paw, pick up her paw for her and give it a shake. Then say, "Good shake!" and give her something to eat. Keep practicing, and have other people do it too. As long as there’s the potential for food, dogs will remember this trick and try it every chance they get.
 
Take her Everywhere
 
Dogs spend most of their time at home, and when they do get out they’re so excited and hungry for information that they can hardly keep their noses to themselves. Take them out in public more often so they meet a lot of new people. Eventually, they’ll start getting used to everyone and everything, in part because they’ll have collected so much information in the past that they won’t feel the burning need to collect more. This will make it easier for them to remember to sit and shake rather than lunge and sniff.
 
Quick Tip
 
Dogs despise the smell of minty breath spray, and you can take advantage of this to discourage them from sniffing people. When you’re going to be in a situation in which your dog will be meeting new people, arm yourself beforehand with a canister of breath spray. When she moves in for the inevitable sniff, quickly spritz some of the spray toward her mouth. Aim downward so that the irritating spray doesn’t hit her eyes. The unpleasant smell and taste, combined with the psst sound, is a very strong discouragement.
 
This type of "aversion therapy" works because dogs link the unpleasant experience with the behavior that caused it, and the memory will stay with them. For the most part, however, dogs learn fastest when they’re praised for doing things right, rather than scolded for doing them wrong. So reward your dog well when she sits and shakes. You should even reward her when she does nothing at all. As long as she’s not sniffing, she’s being a good dog and deserves a special treat.
 

 

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Use your Eye Power

Developing Your Leadership Through Eye Contact

Every wolf pack has a leader, also referred to as the alpha figure. This wolf, sometimes a male, sometimes a female, controls many aspects of pack life, including, to a degree, defecation and urination rights and spots. Dogs, of course, are directly descended from wolves and now live in human packs. Problems arise when an individual dog, either through his genetic makeup or improper training by his owner, comes to think of himself as the leader of the pack.
 
If your dog thinks that he is the leader, you are in trouble. How can you know? Usually if you have behavior problems with your dog, you are not considered the leader no matter how you think you are viewed by your pet.
 
One way to establish your leadership or “Alphahood” is to simply get your dog’s eye. You might think that your dog looks at you quite frequently, but take a moment to think about the terms. They are usually the dog’s. Does your dog look at you but only when he feels like it? That’s not eye contact. That is the dog looking at you because he wants something. You can establish eye contact on your terms by formalizing the look-at-me process.
 
Take your dog, on leash, and have him “Sit.” Hold a little upward tension on the lead and bend down and touch your dog’s muzzle and immediately bring your hand up to your eyes. At the same time, make a clicking sound and say something like, "Laddy, look up here at me right now."
 
Don’t just say the dog’s name or "Laddy, look." It won’t be enough to get the dog to lock eyes with you. What you’re aiming for is about three to four seconds of solid eye contact when the dog looks up at you with an attitude of "your wish is my command." Make sure that after you touch his muzzle and then your eyes that you straighten up right away so that the dog truly looks up at you and not you down at the dog.
 
Once you have the lock, end the moment with some light verbal (not physical) praise such as, "Good boy. Laddy!" Then turn and go about your business. Do not worry about leaving the dog sitting there wondering, "What was that all about?"
 
Your dog will soon realize that what it is about is “look at me when I ask you to look, watch me, get out of your own world and into mine.” This is a wonderful foundation for any puppy or older dog (especially if house-soiling is a problem) because the eye contact starts to overflow into his regular, daily life so that he looks at you from across a room. Then you can catch your dog’s eye more readily to direct him to not do something.

Also read Wherever You May Roam.

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