At a loss

Since losing my 13-year-old Italian Spinone before Christmas, my 7-year-old Airedale has become manic (well, more than usual!). Having always had a senior companion, the rise to becoming top dog in the house has gone to his head. He barks at everything, especially in the car. He seems to think he has to protect me and vehicle from everything he sees!

We live in a rural area but I take him into town where he meets other dogs and our friends visit with their dogs. The problem is that he loves them to death.  He won't leave their side, and is always licking and pushing them to make them play or respond.  

He is still reasonably obedient, except when these situations arise. I keep reminding him of his basic training commands but these go out the window when he's with his friends.

Could I neuter him at this late stage and would it make a difference? Or would a new companion help his behaviour? We had hoped to be a one dog household, but I am willing to try anything to change his behaviour!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Jenny

Shocking suggestion

Hi there,

I wonder if you can help me.

I have recently adopted a young female Saluki-Lurcher who is typical of her breed and likes to chase everything that moves and doesn't listen much to recall commands. I have tried the long lead and chicken treats but even her favourite food doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to distracting her from live preys or even an interesting scent.

I met a couple of owners of dogs with similar high prey drive (one was a Podenco - or Ibizan hound - and the other a Bedlington terrier/whippet lurcher) and they both recommended the use of training collars that deliver high pitch noises and mild electric shocks. They both said that they only needed to use the shock 2 or 3 times at the beginning before getting near perfect recall and that they don't need to use it any more. But I am unsure about using even mild and safe electric shocks on my dog. What do professional trainers think of these systems?

I know that there are also training collars with sprays but do they work as well? I would be grateful for some feedback on this and indeed any training tips to improve my dog's recall as I would dearly love to give her more freedom than she is enjoying at the moment.

With kind regards,

Isabelle, by email

Bright future ahead

Dear Dogs Today,

Well done for another fabulous edition! I love the magazine and I buy it when I can!

My name is Emily and I am a budding animal behaviourist/dog trainer. I am currently in year nine so have been choosing my options this year and was wondering how your fantastic dog behaviourists and dog trainers got to where they are now? I would love to know which colleges/sixth forms they went to, what they studied, what universities they went to, what hey studied there, and how they built up their careers to where they are now.

I know I am very young, but our generation is finding it increasingly more difficult to find jobs and I would love to set myself in good stead for the rest of my life so that maybe one day I could be as amazing as they are! They are a big inspiration to me as they are changing the harsh opinions that people have on different dogs and rescues. This is what needs to happen because many dogs are suffering because of it.

I have a rescue dog myself called Jasper. The only training he had had was toilet training when we got him. So, me and my family had to train him right from the start! He was in a really bad state when we got him, but now, besides his arthritis, he is a happy, fit, healthy, well-behaved Toy Poodle.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

Emily Foster, age 14, by post



Dogs Today says...

Dear Emily,

Thank you very much for your letter. It is wonderful to hear you have such a passion for dogs and for learning. Jasper must be in very safe hands.

We would like to send you a couple of dog training books and a subscription to Dogs Today to help with your background reading. I do hope they are useful and enjoyable.

Very best wishes with your future career. You are certainly asking all the right questions, and it sounds like the dogs you care for will have a very bright future.

Rachael Millar
Dogs Today

Down to business

Hello,
I know this might sound like a funny question, but is it possible to train my dog to 'go' in my garden? I've found my local authority isn't changing the dog bins so often and they fill up quickly. It might just be easier to train her to go in my garden before we go on a walk. The problem is, she's a shy goer (she goes behind a tree when we're out so I have to subtly watch so I can find it after, but avoid her embarrassment!) so I'm worried she might not want to. She does go in the garden when I let her out before bed, but she knows I'm not watching then.

Thanks very much!

Jules Morris, by email

How do I train my hard of hearing pup?

Hi,

my 16-week-old Border Collie pup Mabel is partially deaf, my vet is referring her for a hearing test so we know how much hearing she has.

I am using lots of hand signals in her training, I wondered if any body had any experience and tips on training a hard of hearing pup.

Thanks,

Debbie Broadway, via Facebook

Realising potential

I’ve recently started doing local agility classes with my Golden Retriever, Milo. I purchased some of the Rosewood mini jumps so we could practice in the garden – he LOVES it! At home he is attentive, he watches me and listens to commands and is a pleasure to train! But, once we get to the class, he turns into a different dog! I can’t keep his attention on me, he runs off between obstacles - the temptation of other dogs is just too much!

It’s so disappointing to think I’ll have to go back a step and put him on the leash again. Is there anyone out there that had this problem or anyone who can give me some help! - I don’t think the other members of the class believe me when I tell them how good he is at home!

Milo’s mummy, by email

Head start

Hi all,

I’m looking into agility classes in my local area and wondered if there are any skills I need to teach my dog before we start and if there’s anything else I should consider?

I would be grateful if you could help.

Diane Ryan, by email



Lauren Langman, Devon Dogs, advises...

Agility is one of the fastest growing trends in the country. It is active, fun and both the dogs and their handlers become hooked very, very quickly.

The skills that are required early on all revolve around reinforcement. It actually is very simple. Does your dog like food? Will he work for it? Does he want to do tricks and is he willing to generally hang out with you? Does your dog play with toys, do you have a special toy? Do you have one that your dog is desperate to work for? If your dog enjoys coming back to you for food and toys you will leap ahead in any group and make super progress as training is so easy when your dog wants to work for you.

In terms of the skills required to make a good start you could start to teach a wait, we call it a startline wait, a solid recall, a spin both ways (like a small circle left and right), to race ahead to a toy on the floor and to retrieve a toy back to you to play. If your dog doesn’t play don’t worry I am sure your new trainer will have lots of other ideas. You could also teach your dog to follow you both sides chasing you to get to your leg, similar to very fast heelwork. The other thing we like to do with our own dogs is allow them opportunities out and about on walks to jump logs and low natural jumps to see that they enjoy the process of jumping.

There are loads of innovative games to play at home and in the garden, ask your trainer once you have mastered the above how you can push forward and take it to the next level. Good luck and happy jumping.

Join the club

Hi

I'm thinking about starting a training club. How do you go around about it, and what are the rules and regulations that you need to start one?

Thanks,

Danny Cooper, by email




Val Harvey, chairman of the APDT UK advises…

The first thing you need to do is learn to be a Dog Training Instructor (ie someone who teaches people to train their dogs). People often think that because they have trained their own dog, they can set up classes. However, training your own dog, and teaching other people to train theirs requires different skills. Of course you need to

understand how to train the various exercises, but you also need to know how to successfully share that information with other people, both adults and children. People learn in different ways, and dogs also learn in different ways. You cannot say “this is how I teach a ‘down’” and expect that every owner will be able to teach their dog using that method. Most dogs might, but some won’t. You have to understand learning theory, why some things work better than others. You need to know about reinforcement schedules, progression of exercises, what to do when things go wrong etc.

For an idea of what is involved in the role of Dog Training Instructor look at www.abtcouncil.org.uk/practitioner-standards.html#2. Where it says ‘animal’ you should read ‘dog’. There is a lot to the role, not just being able to train a dog. You might want to also look at www.apdt.co.uk – details there of ‘what to look for in a class’.

Once you are a competent Instructor then you need to look for a suitable venue to hold classes. This may be indoors or outdoors – a private paddock, or a village hall, for example. This venue has to be safe, easily cleanable and large enough for the dogs to carry out the activities you are planning to take into your class. You will need to do a risk assessment of the venue as you have a duty of care to the people and dogs who come to your classes. You need Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance. You might need an accountant. If you have staff working for you, they also need insurance, PAYE and NI and possibly there are other work related requirements.

My advice – please do not think about setting up classes until you have learnt how to be a good Dog Training Instructor.

Can I stop him cocking?

Would it be reasonable to ask and enforce that a male dog does not cock his leg in our garden?

My husband and I would like to get two dogs and the advice seems to be that a male and female generally get on best. We used to have a female dog and she didn’t use the garden for toileting at all, I think because we walked her first thing and last thing. We would keep this routine with the newbies and they will be adult dogs. They will be welcome to pee and poop on the lawn; however, I don’t want the pee high up on shrubs and flowers. If it is reasonable to stop the male dog cocking his leg in the garden should I start this straightaway or should I at least let the dog settle in his new home so as not to stress, confuse or frighten him?

Laura, Oxfordshire, by email

Alleviating an anxious dog

My dad recently acquired a one-year-old castrated Patterdale Terrier cross. When left on his own he chews anything he can get his paws on! I'm currently training to be a veterinary nurse, and spend my lunches and time off walking the dog and trying to keep him mentally stimulated with toys and other games that can puzzle him throughout the day. However his chewing hasn't subsided. My dad is very “old fashioned” in his training methods and punishes the dog when he arrives home and finds evidence of chewing, to the point of our dog running around the house urinating and hiding. I explain to my dad that this is not going to help his behaviour and will probably worsen the chewing because of the anxiety the dog will feel on my dad's return home. It's starting to become a big issue which I'm finding hard to monitor as I don't live with my dad and I'm only there for parts of the day. I'm looking for other advice on how to stop him chewing and possible reading material to get my dad out of his old fashioned ways and build a really good relationship with our dog, where both are happy. So far we have tried toys to keep him occupied throughout the day and a deterent spray but to no avail. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Our dog Barry lives with two other dogs (another crossbreed and a Great Dane), we have had him for almost a year and he is on his own during a normal day for between four and six hours.

Thank you.

Miss H Melia, by email

A sting in the tail

I have a six-year-old Jack Russell Terrier who is obsessed with his tail. He has an exceptionally long and fluffy tail which curls over his back. He has never liked his tail since he was a puppy, and seems to view it as competition to himself. Now and again he would have a go at it, then he would forget about it for months and then start again for a few days. During these times, he did not severely attack it, drawing blood etc but within the past few months he has started to really attack it and draw blood. We have had to start putting on a muzzle to protect the tail. However, as soon as we take off the muzzle, he starts on the tail again. Any suggestions?

Ann Gillies, by email

Rolling in it

Firstly let me say how much I enjoy your magazine. My daughter has a problem with her Newfie in that when on a walk she will insist on rolling in anything smelly and nasty - why does she do this? Molly remains unconcerned when shouted at by my daughter to get up, then carries on with the walk and will do the same thing again.

Any advice would be most helpful.

Sallie Moorhouse, by email