Dear Pack Leader

Dear Pack Leader:  My pup weighs 3 lbs and is training on "pee pads" inside the house.  He is too small and thin to spend much time outside in the Maine winters.  Can he come to your school?

From The Pack Leader:  I'm sorry, but.... I cannot accomodate pups who use pee pads for indoor urination/defacation.  The DWD pups don't have to be completely potty trained to start school, but they need to be using ONLY the outdoors for pottying when they start school.  Personally, I believe it is very confusing for a new pup if pee pads are used.  The DWD pups go outside every 15 minutes as a class (unless they are napping), giving everyone ample opportunity to potty outside, even in cold weather.  Additionally, the pups spend lots of time outside when the weather permits!

Hi Julie,

I read your puppy report for today and it reminded me that I meant to ask you about barking. Toby is generally a very quiet dog.  When he sees deer in our backyard, or hears another dog barking (even at a distance), he barks.  I'm okay with that, imagine it's just the animal instincts taking over.  But sometimes when he sees people in the distance (e.g. walking towards us), or unfamiliar sights (e.g. a tractor moving) he barks, and I don't like that.  His tail is wagging, he likes people, but I know barking sends off the wrong message and probably makes the people nervous about him (well, maybe not because he's a puppy, but that will change as he gets bigger).  So, my question is, how do I discourage barking??  I tell him to "sshhh", say "no bark", but I don't think he really understands.  Any ideas?

Thanks for your help,

Barb

Barb:

Toby's barking is mostly what I would call "fear/alert barking" in that he will see an object or hear a noise at a distance and that sets him off.  Only occasionally does he "play bark," which is acceptable during exciting play, to a point.  So, for instance, yesterday, he kept barking at the neighbor's flag which was fluttering in the wind.  He didn't know what it was, so he kept staring over at it and barking.  My first line of defense is to say his name followed by "no bark!" in a deep, stern voice.  Sometimes I'll also say, "uh uh, Toby."  This did not work yesterday.  He just looked at me and then back at the flag and barked again.  Next, I went up to him w/o making eye contact and in a calm manner.  I did this so that he would be less likely to run away from me.  If a dog knows a reprimand is coming, they'll likely scoot away before you can get to them, and we're looking to instruct, not reprimand, so stay calm and walk slowly and non-chalantly over to him.  If you are able, hold him by the collar or bend down next to him and block his view of the thing he is barking at.  Tap him on the hind quarter and say "no bark!" and make sure you get eye contact from him.  When he stops barking, immediately switch to a sweet, high, sing-songy voice and praise him for "good quiet, Toby!" and "I like quiet, thank you!"  Next, move out of the way so he can see the "distraction" again and repeat the instruction and praise as above until he "gets it."

If Toby doesn't "get it" after two or three repetitions, remove him from the area for a "time out."  A time out is a loss of all privileges for a brief period (1-2 minutes). I tether the dog on a leash attached to a heavy object (table leg) and say, "Awww...too bad," as I hook them up.  Ignore him entirely for the duration of the time out, then unhook him and give him another chance to behave appropriately, repeating the entire lesson if necessary.

This is really the only way to teach your dog to control that voice.  Any time that he "gets away with" the behavior, THAT is also instructional for him...i.e., "I can bark if I want to...cool!"   So, you need to have many, many repetitions of the "lesson" to instill in Toby what you expect from him and that you mean business.  You are not being MEAN to your dog, you are TEACHING him.

Good luck!

Dear Pack Leader:
My adult Lab mix will happily eat (nearly) anything put in front of her, however my 5 month old Catahoula/Terrier mix pup is not quite so easily pleased!  Also, my puppy is not nearly as active as the Lab mix was as a pup, AND she will likely grow up to be only half the size as my Lab.  So, making sure I don’t over-feed her based on my past dog’s food intake is important to me.   

What brands of dog food do you recommend?  I’m looking for recommendations of brands I could *potentially* find at a regular grocery store to specialty types I could definitely find at a pet store.   

Can you recommend any specific flavors a more food discriminating pup may prefer?

How much, and how often should I be feeding my puppy? 

And, when can I move her to adult dog food?

Thanks!

Rebecca

Dear Rebecca:
There's SO MUCH to know about feeding your dog healthily these days.  You absolutely cannot trust TV commercials, and oftentimes you need to further investigate information given to you by breeders and veterinarians, unfortunately.  The best source of information concerning the many and varied food choices available for your dogs, I have found, is The Whole Dog Journal.  Locally, you can purchase this monthly journal at Planet Dog Company Store.  I also have two or three years worth of back issues available here at school for customers to borrow.  Why do I love this journal?  Because once each year, they test and rate the best dry and canned foods for dogs out there and they have very high standards, based on SCIENCE and research on DOGS.  They also have articles that focus on teaching consumers how to read a food label, what to look for, etc. in buying well for their animal.
Beyond educating yourself about food choices, here are some other considerations. Canned food is very nutritious for your dog.  It does cost a bit more than dry, but there's more nutrition in that can than in kibble that's been heat-processed to arrive at a dry product that suits humans' preferences!  So, don't be afraid to mix some nice, fragrant, high-quality canned food in with your pup's kibble to encourage her to gobble it all up. 
Not all dogs are immediate-eaters.  When I had just one dog, he would "graze" rather than eat his food immediately upon the dish being put down.  Then, when we added a second dog to our household, this dog was very food-motivated and would eat not only hers, but his too, if he didn't eat it right up.  So, this made the older dog into an immediate-eater, too!  Your younger pup may not be a gobbler.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it could complicate feeding times in a busy household with more than one dog to feed.
There are really no superior quality pet foods to be found at the grocery store, unless you shop regularly at Whole Foods, and even there, your choices, though healthy, are limited.  With that said, it can also be challenging to find a good quality dog food at some of the big box stores for pets...not naming any names, but I'm talking about the national stores.  Again, knowing your way around a food label is your best bet.  Look for whole foods in the top ten ingredients listed on the label.  That means CHICKEN not chicken meal or chicken by-products.  Vegetables and whole grains (preferably not wheat) are important and should be near the top of the list as well.  Just to avoid any of the major food sensitivities, I recommend finding a food that does NOT include most of the known top allergens to dogs, such as wheat, corn, soy, dairy and yeast.  Why get your dog started on a food if she may have an allergy to something in it?  The best places to buy your food locally are the smaller, locally-owned pet suppliers like Planet Dog, Fetch, Port Grooming and General Store for Pets.  You will find that the employees in these stores are savvy about the brands they carry and can really provide a lot of guidance.  Brands like Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, Evo, Wellness and others are of good quality.  There are lots of others, too.   Many small stores offer samples of foods or small bags so you can test your pup's tastebuds first before buying the 40-lb bag.
Most vets recommend keeping your pup on puppy kibble until they are 9 months to a year in age.  The protein/fat/carb ratios differ in puppy and adult formulas, as well as from one brand to another.  Use the feeding guide on the bag as a way to measure your pup's daily food allowance at first and then let your dog's weight and shape be your guide, adjusting up or down as your pup grows, gains or loses weight, etc.  Remember that if you change foods, you must read the recommended feeding allowances on the NEW food bag and adjust accordingly as calorie/protein/fat ratios differ from one brand to the next!

Good luck!
Julie


Dear Julie:
I have three young children and our new puppy keeps biting at their pant legs, their fingers and any part of them if they are sitting down at her level.  This happens more when the kids are quiet and trying to watch TV, for instance.  Help!

Carrie

Dear Carrie:
There are a few quick things you can teach the kids so that they a) feel empowered around the pup and b) help with the pup's training.  One thing I teach kids is to place their hands in their armpits when the puppy is jumpy around them and use their "chicken wings" (elbows) to nudge the pup away.  Puppies love dangling fingers and will often get more bitey rather than less if the child tries to pull fingers away or swat at the puppy with hands.  So, tucking the hands into the armpits hides those little fun fingers!  Another empowering act for the kids is what I call the "hacky sack" move.  Those who are familiar with the game of hacky sack know that you bounce the little bean-filled ball off the inside of your ankles to keep it in the air.  I teach kids to use this same move, lifting one foot and then the other and "showing" the pup the inside of your ankle about 4 times in a row (sort of like marching in place, but turning the raised foot toe-out) as the puppy approaches often is sufficient to remind the pup to keep the paws OFF their legs.  If the pup is running toward the child and they are doing the hacky sack move, they can also move TOWARD the pup as the pup comes toward them, especially if the pup starts to jump/bite at their feet.  Moving TOWARD the pup rather than away from the pup pushes the pup back, out of the child's space.  This has a few benefits - a) the child has been assertive with the pup, rather than defensive (running away or backing away) and this shows the pup that the child is in control of the situation, helping the pup get under control and respect the child a bit; and b) the pup is getting an undesirable response to his behavior - i.e. being pushed backward a bit.  The pup would rather jump on the child and nip at her - it's fun! - but won't enjoy being pushed back, thereby letting the pup know that this behavior isn't worth repeating.  The training word when the paws come up onto humans is OFF, not "down."  You will use "down" when teaching your pup to lie down.  Once the pup is understanding the assertive behaviors of the humans (elbowing away, hacky sack move, moving into pup's space), you can have the kids add the word "OFF!" in a stern voice while doing the assertive moves.  Also, when teaching your new pup what you DON'T want (paws on you, teeth on skin), always pair this closely with teaching the appropriate behavior.  Your pup needs lots and lots and lots of play and needs to chew on stuff that's appropriate, so engage in romping play (may not be safe for kids at first...) and place a soft cloth or rubber chew toy into her mouth as an alternative to chawing on the kids!!  Good luck!  Julie


Julie,

Do you have a handout or any information about getting your dog to walk on a leash. I try everything Elsa suggested and she still seems to give me such a hard time at times. She walk a few steps, I'll click her and treat her and she stops. This goes on & on. Or she just refuses to go.

I leave her in the crate while I'm at work and want to take a nice walk together in the morning. I just can't get her to go. She was worse this morning, maybe she is still tired from yesterday.

Any ideas???

Stacey