 | |
Animal Training Chat Transcript
Victoria Wells, ASPCA Manager of Shelter Behavior and Training—August 19, 2008
You’ve probably seen the fabulous Victoria Wells, ASPCA Manager of Shelter Behavior and Training, on television or in magazines. But day-to-day, Victoria works with the animals rescued from cruelty by ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement—so believe us when we say she’s seen it all! Wells was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to give ASPCA Community members several hours of behavior and training tips.
Missed the opportunity to ask Victoria a question? There’s a good chance you can find the answers you’re looking for in the ASPCA’s online Pet Care Center. Check it out!
Victoria, I think you are awesome! I watch you on Animal Precinct and how you work with the animals no one wants. You show the animals love and find good homes for them—you are an animal angel.
I just rescued a Chihuahua from the pound about two weeks ago and she is the best. The only problems I have are that she is very protective and she wants to bite the cat! How can I train her not to attack the cat? I confine her for a few minutes after she goes after the cat, and then she is fine for awhile—but the next time she sees the cat pass by, she wants to get him so bad. I just want them to get along. What can I do?
—Michelle
Thanks for the nice words, Michelle. I think you should invest in a baby gate and give your cat a break from the dog. The second thing I would do is to teach your dog a “leave it” command and have a punishment attached for not listening. When she starts looking intensely at the cat, say “leave it” in an authoritative tone of voice (it helps a lot if you have her on leash for this). If she looks away from the cat and toward you, give her a treat. If she continues to go toward the cat, put her in a time-out area for one minute. This technique works only on social animals who like to be around people. Do this constantly and you may see improvement. If it doesn’t work after awhile, call us at the ASPCA for a trainer referral.
A dog I know, Daisy, jumps around like a puppy—but she’s at least three years old! She tackles people, knocks you over…she’s wild! Any tips?
—Darian Grace
Daily aerobic exercise will calm Daisy down. Another tip is to teach her to sit when people approach. It really does the trick for a jumping pup! Train her to do this automatically and only let people pet her when she is calm and sitting.
I have had my dog, Harly, for almost a year. I cannot train her to come. I have tried with treats, and that works—but only as long as she gets a treat. I have also tried with a lead. She hides under the couch or bed and will not come out.
At times she is aggressive, and other times she will cower when I attempt to pick her up. She is aggressive to all other dogs. She has food aggression even with me, but I do not let her get away with it.
—Ann
Hi Ann, I suggest you seek the help of a trainer or behaviorist. Your dog is scared and has some guarding issues, and needs to be seen by someone in person. I would refrain from picking her up if she becomes aggressive, and would continue to train her to come with treats if she is motivated by them. Please call the Association of Pet Dog Trainers at (800) PET-DOGS for a referral to someone in your area who can help.
Please help! My dog barks constantly and does not use the bathroom outside. She’s a pretty shih tzu and Pomeranian mix.
—Liz
Hi Liz, I don’t know why your pup is barking all the time. Dogs bark for a number of reasons. Most of the time, they do it for attention or to alert others to sounds. The best way to keep them quiet is to occupy their mouths with a Kong toy stuffed with a spreadable food. If it’s for another reason, call (800) PET-DOGS for a trainer referral.
The main components of house training success are to confine your dog to a crate or behind a baby gate when you can’t watch her, take her out to go to the bathroom on dirt or grass frequently, and praise her when she goes to the bathroom. If she doesn’t go after 15 minutes or so, confine her again and take her back outside after another 15 minutes.
When I give my dog a compliment, like “good boy,” he will frequently yawn or flick his tongue out and touch his nose. What does this mean?
—Steve
Yawning is typically a stress-related or displacement behavior, Steve. It’s kind of strange that he does that when you are praising him!
I’m a volunteer with my local Rottweiler rescue. One of our fosters—we are guessing he is almost two years old—has had to change foster homes several times because of his intensely hyperactive behavior.
The biggest problem he has is aggression toward other dogs on leash. He recently went crazy at one of our adoption events, barking and lunging at other dogs on leash. His foster mom later took him to the local shelter to test him with the dogs there, and he didn’t repeat the behavior. He had not shown this aggression toward other dogs on leash at his first two foster homes, but he had been introduced slowly to those dogs.
He is a fantastic dog, great with people, great with other dogs when introduced slowly, is a complete ball of energy, escape artist (probably how he ended up in the shelter in the first place), and once this issue has been corrected he will be completely adoptable.
What would you recommend we do that would help discourage this inappropriate behavior?
—onebigassdog
I have found that a combination of treatments is the most effective way to deal with on-leash dog aggression. When walking on the street, it is important that you cut off the behavior before it gets to the point where the dog is over the threshold. When you see a dog coming and your dog has just spotted him, get your dog’s attention and say “let’s go,” turn in the opposite direction, and reinforce the turning with either tug-of-war or treats. If you practice this constantly, what you will end up with is a dog who automatically turns away when another dog is approaching. There are other methods of dealing with this issue, but since I am not talking to you in person, I think this is the safest advice I can give you.
I am having difficulty getting my small dogs (four shih tzus, one Japanese chin) to relieve themselves on paper when I am not home. I keep them in the kitchen/dining room so I only have to clean those rooms instead of the entire house. Any suggestions how to get them to use the paper when I’m not home?
—Kirsten
Paper training is soooo tricky, especially with a multi-dog household. First of all, if you have any rugs, you should roll them up. Many surfaces are similar to paper or wee wee pads in a dog’s mind, and rugs top the list. Keep in mind that dogs will pee on the pads, but not poop on them, when they have been soiled. If you want to make sure your dogs hit the pads, I would say confine them to a smallish area, perhaps with an exercise pen, and set out a number of wee wee pads.
My three-year-old Siberian husky, Cobaka, has started guarding her food. Our family has gone through a lot of stress lately, including several moves, and since Cobaka is so in tune with us it has really started to affect her. She seems very stressed. One way this is exhibiting is through food guarding. Every time certain family members come into the room, she goes straight to her food bowl and protects it. Not aggressively—she just stands over her food, sometimes eating it and other times not. She does not exhibit this behavior around my mom or me. She also still lets me take the food away if I need to. I am very worried about her. Is there anything you can think of to help me with her food guarding issues or stress?
—Cherie Lynn
Interesting question, Cherie Lynn. It is hard to say what is triggering the guarding. Many times guarding happens only with some individuals in the household and not others. Those from whom she is guarding her food should, at a safe distance, toss something of higher value into her food bowl than what she is guarding. If practiced often, she may be more receptive to those people approaching. If this doesn’t work, please schedule an appointment with a trainer or behaviorist.
I have a 10-month-old boxer who is always on the furniture! We have consistently told her “no,” taken her off the couch and placed her on her bed near the couch. This seems to be making it worse.
—Alyska
There are products on the market that can make your life a lot easier and teach your dog not to jump on furniture, Alyska. The Scat Mat is a mat that is pressure-sensitive. You put it out on any surface you don’t want your dog to be on, and if they step on it, it gives them a little static shock. It doesn’t hurt—I have put my hands on it. But it will keep them off the furniture when you are not there to tell them to get off.
My four-month-old Lab is digging and destroying my outdoor plants! She has a doggie door, so she goes in and out whenever she wants. How do I stop her?
—Kelly
Hi, Kelly. There are lots of gadgets and repellents out there made just for this problem. Boundary dog repellent is one such item. I would suggest the crystals for outside use. There are also ultrasonic motion-sensing devices that are triggered by digging. Give your pup a better outlet for her love of digging, too. If you have the space, provide a sandbox with buried bones, treats and toys to keep her busy.
I have a very large, 81-pound Doberman mix whom I just cannot get to stop jumping up on people, especially guests! She is super-friendly and just wants to greet everyone. She is incredibly intelligent, so I’m probably just not teaching her correctly. I have tried keeping her on a leash when guests enter, but it just makes her more wild and she ends up trampling all over my poor feet with her huge paws.
I am very sure of my dominance over her, but she just tunes me out as soon as a new face arrives. How can I correct this? I hate confining her away from guests, because she cries and barks.
—Emily
That crying and barking can work to your advantage, Emily! Time-outs can be very effective as punishments for jumping dogs. Every time your dog attempts to jump, put her in the bathroom for one minute. Do this consistently and she will link the jumping behavior to the punishment. If she is sad when taken away from the action, it may work really well. Also, teach her to sit when people walk up to her. Have the people walk away the second her front paws leave the ground.
My eight-year-old dog, Muri, has never gone up or down indoor steps in his entire life—but he goes up and down outdoor stairs with no problem. Do you have any idea why? I just can’t figure it out. I’m afraid of the day we have a tornado and are unable to get him down to the basement.
—doglover217
Maybe the steps inside are slippery or too narrow. I work with a dog who will go up and down concrete and brick stairs but not wooden, indoor stairs for this reason. What I did to get him over that was bait each step with a very yummy treat and let him go up at his own pace. He eventually did it, and now he’s fine with stairs. If it is an issue with surface, get something non-slip to cover the stairs.
I’m having a hard time controlling the boisterous behavior of my two Lab mixes. I am physically not able to walk them regularly, nor for very long, so they are constantly full of energy. They even had to be kept apart for about four months for fighting each other. I was working with a behaviorist, but my finances no longer allow for this expert help so I am going it alone. Most folks are telling me to rehome them, but I don’t believe that is the answer. Please help!
—Jerri
Jerri, I am sorry about your situation and hope things get better for you. Labs need a lot of attention, training and aerobic exercise—I would say at least 45 minutes to an hour per day. This would calm them down quite a bit. I would separate them via dog crates when left alone to avoid any chance of fighting. For additional training tips, visit the Animal Behavior Center on ASPCA.org.
I got my four-year-old miniature poodle mix from a rescue group when she was 18 months old, and she’s a jumper and “mouther” when greeting. I’ve managed to reduce the jumping, but I’m not sure how to stop the mouthing. She has never bitten anyone, but the mouthing concerns me, particularly with kids. Do you have any suggestions?
—Laura
You have a few ways to go here, Laura:
1. There are usually signals when your dog is entering that mouthing mode. When you see it coming, give her an appropriate toy to chew on.
2. If your dog puts her mouth on someone’s hand, have them yelp like they are mortally wounded and put your dog in an area of isolation—such as the bathroom or her crate—for one minute. Repeat every time the biting occurs. Your dog will eventually associate the behavior with the punishment.
3. You could bait your hands with bitter apple anti-chew spray so when your dog mouths your hand, she will be in for a bitter-tasting surprise! As with all of these methods, this has to be practiced with a number of people so she generalizes.
Good luck.
Hi Victoria, I have a Pomeranian who was a rescue from a puppy mill. I have been attempting to house train her with no luck. I have done paper training and crate training, and I lavish her with praise and a treat every time she does go outside. We never use negative reinforcement, only positive. She seems to like to potty in things, like her bed, or a box on the floor. What do you think about using an indoor potty box for a dog?
—Jill B.
Jill, I say use the actual box, but don’t use doggy litter. I tried that with my dog, and she ate the pellets. Beyond that, you should still confine her at times when you know she has not used the potty. If you do take your dog out to go to the bathroom, try dirt or grass, which are more conducive to elimination.
What can I do to stop my cats from roaming to the property next door? The owner does not want cats there! I have heard of the canned product called “No,” and of bitter apple, but have never used anything.
—jacq
I have a client who has a really cool cat enclosure. It enables his cats to enjoy being outside, but it keeps them safe—plus, they will live a lot longer and won’t make the neighbors angry. Check out acats-on-line.com for some options.
I have a cat with a bad habit of clawing the rug. How do I get her to stop? I clip her claws and have scratching posts, but nothing has worked yet.
—cheetaahh
Have you thought of nail caps? They are essentially glued your cat’s claws and create a smooth surface that cannot scratch. You could also bait your scratching post with catnip and hang toys from them to attract your cat.
I have a 65-pound possible Brittany mix whom we adopted from an animal shelter. He was absolutely fine with other dogs at that time. He still gets along with our dog, but he dislikes other dogs, especially if they are small. He also has issues with our outdoor cats. We do have an appointment with a trainer in a couple of weeks, but is there anything we can do until then?
—Tedi
Tedi, try distracting him from other dogs using treats or tug toys. I would suggest walking him on a head halter or an “Easy Walk” harness—something that gives you good control. I am not sure about the cats because I don’t know your setup. If you can, tether the dog when he’s outside or confine him to a cat-free area. Work on recalls. The trainer should be of more help because he or she can really tell what is motivating your dog to chase these animals.
Last year I found a stray Lab mix. She is a wonderful pet, but often just walks around in a small circle. She is not chasing her tail—she just seems stressed. If something upsets her, she walks in the circle faster. In addition to this trait, she follows me everywhere I go. If she is in a dead sleep and I get up to go to another room, she jumps right up and follows me. How do I make her stop these behaviors and feel more secure?
—jackie
Jackie, I suspect your dog needs more physical and mental stimulation. Interactive toys like Kongs and Tricky Treat Balls, along with some sort of daily running exercise, could do the trick. However, this may be a more complicated issue. You and your dog would probably benefit from a visit from a behaviorist.
I have a great dog named Charlie. She’s either full or mostly Rhodesian ridgeback, 18 months old and a rescue from the ASPCA. Her only problem is that she’s obsessed with cats. She goes crazy whenever she sees or hears a cat. She barks, chases, flips out and ignores everything else when a cat crosses her path. It’s ridiculous.
I can’t keep cats out of her life because we live in an apartment complex with a big shared yard, and over half the tenants have cats. We’ve trained her to “leave it,” but that command doesn’t work when cats are involved. My neighbors all think she is going to kill a cat if she catches one. What can I do?
—Tiff
It’s hard to say if Charlie would kill a cat without witnessing her body posture as she is stalking them. I don’t think conventional training is going to work for this. It’s more about modifying the way she thinks about what she considers prey. You should contact a professional to determine the motivation behind her chasing small animals and how to solve the problem. You can call (800) PET-DOGS to locate a professional in your area.
My five-month-old shepherd puppy won’t go to the bathroom outside. I rescued her at two months, and she is paper trained. I’ve tried to use soiled and regular paper outside, I have kept her outside for six hours and have walked her with other dogs, all to no avail. Do you have any other suggestions?
—Suzi
A couple of quick tips: Take her to grass or dirt—to a dog, these surfaces are similar to wee wee pads. Keep a loose leash and turn your back. Dogs don’t like people hovering over them when they go to the bathroom.
You need to remove the option of eliminating indoors. Here’s how: If your dog hasn’t gone to the bathroom after being outside for 15 minutes, take her back in and put her in a crate or a small area. Take her back outside after 15 minutes and see if she goes to the bathroom.
My daughter has two large pit bull mix dogs, a male and a female. I have two mini schnauzers. We would like to walk them all together, but her dogs are very intimidating. Any suggestions?
—Karen
Is it you or your dogs who are intimidated by the pit mixes? If your dogs are intimidated, but the pit mixes are not aggressive in any manner toward them, it might just take time for everyone to get used to each other. Introduce them gradually, on leash. Make sure they meet for short periods at a time. Start by walking the pairs of dogs with some distance between them.
I have two 16-month-old pit bull pups, littermates, both male, whom we are having problems socializing. Part of the problem is that so many people have bought into the hype that bullies are mean! We have tried classroom-type settings to get them used to being around other dogs and people, but they tend to get aggressive the minute they feel anyone getting nervous.
Our boys are great around anyone who will give them a chance. But when we try to practice ongoing training, the first thing they do is take an aggressive posture: hackles start to come up and we can feel the “lunge” getting ready to happen. Is there anything we can practice at home to prepare them for obedience class? I know it sounds strange to ask if there is something we can do to prepare them for class, but the standard class setting isn’t working. All the other dogs get freaked out because our boys get nervous—and the boys get nervous because the other dog owners are nervous. It just goes round and round. But I don’t want anything to happen to our boys—they are my kids, part of our family and we have to find a way to get them trained. Thanks!
—Dom and Rudy's Mom
Are they getting aggressive or are they overly confident with other dogs? Pit bull play styles are sometimes different than those of other breeds, so it is important to recognize this. If they are being aggressive toward people and other dogs, you might want to do some one-on-one training. Call (800) PET-DOGS to find a professional in your area.
Hi Victoria, my son has two darling six-month-old bichon frise brothers who are not fully house trained. They are being crate trained and are doing fine with that, but accidents happen frequently when they are just walking around the house. The dogs don’t go to the door, bark or otherwise indicate when they need to go out. They are taken outside on a regular basis, but it just hasn’t clicked yet. Suggestions?
—Mary
Hello, Mary. Were these bichons paper trained at any point? If so, sometimes the transition from wee wee pads to the outdoors can be difficult. Many times accidents can occur on carpets and throw rugs because those surfaces are so similar to that of a wee wee pad.
Even if this is not the case, please pass this info on to your son: Take the dogs to a grassy or dirt-covered area. Keep some slack in their leashes and turn your back so your dogs have some privacy. If your dogs do not eliminate within 15 minutes, take them back inside and put them in their crates. Wait 15 minutes, and take them out again. Until your dogs have eliminated, don’t allow them free run of your house. You can get more info on house training at ASPCA.org.
Donate Today
