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   Question    posted to Pet Trainers on 09/27/08 01:06 PM, Mount Vernon, NY 10552
I have an silky terrier.  She will be 2 years old 11/16/08 and was given to me when she was 9 mos. old.  She jumps at anything that move, eat here food as if it is the last supper, urinated everytime I attemp to put a lease on her to go outside, will pull you when walking, regardless of the "Dog Whisper" advice and is extremely difficult to train.  What do I do?
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Specialist Answer 1 of 2
   Answered By     The Cultured Canine, 09/28/08 11:31 AM
The Cultured Canine

White Plains, NY 10605
914-288-0020
Email Company
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Please stop using techniques you have seen on television!  There is a warning at the start of the show ("don't try this at home") and it should be heeded.  If you are having difficulty training your dog on your own, consulting a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT) will enable you to better understand your dog's behavior and how to best modify it.

You listed several behaviors which concern you:

- "Jumping at anything that moves."  Consider what it is about the jumping that you don't like or are worried about.  Dogs are stimulated by movement to chase things but it is not clear that is what you are describing. Are you concerned that your dog is scared? 

- "Eating her food as if it were her last supper."  Dogs often eat very fast, even when relaxed.  But dogs who guard their food (worried that someone will take it from them) will sometimes eat in a very rapid, "punchy" style.  A certified professional dog trainer can help you tell the difference between normal rapid eating and the super-fast eating which can signal that your dog is guarding her food from you.  Guarding can lead to dog bites, so making this distinction is important.  In either case, hand feeding your dog and NEVER leaving food out in a bowl ("free feeding") will both prevent food guarding and strengthen the warm bond between you and your dog.

- "Urinating when I put the leash on her."  Assuming that your dog is otherwise housetrained and physically healthy, emitting small amounts of urine when greeting or being handled falls in the category of "active submissive" behaviors.  In other words, your dog is communicating that she is, for whatever reason, not comfortable having her leash clipped on.  Never punish a dog for this.  Ignore the urination, cleaning it up calmly and consider how you can make putting on the leash less threatening for your dog.  A certified professional dog trainer can help you resolve this common problem.  One suggestion is to have your little dog stand on a bench or ottoman so you don't have to loom over her when clipping on the leash.  Standing up is a less threatening posture than bending over your dog.

- "Pulling on leash." Very, very common.  Dogs walk faster than we do and they want to investigate the world outside NOW.  Try an Easy Walk Harness (made by Premier) or a Puppia harness and a Wacky Walk'r leash to make the pulling immediately easier on your arm.  Then set about training your dog to walk on a loose leash by practicing indoors.  Take a step forward with your very hungry dog off leash.  When your dog is within 12 inches of your calf, say "yes" and feed her next to your calf (left or right - the side does not matter).  Take another step and feed in that location again.  Soon you will be able to take two, three, four steps between treats or kibbles fed at your calf.  Next steps are to add the leash, practice indoors and then outside.  Again, a certified professional dog trainer can coach you through these steps so you and your dog can enjoy your walks together.

Diane Podolsky, of The Cultured Canine, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) and a valedictorian graduate of the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, considered the "Harvard" of dog training academies due to its academic excellence.

You can reach her at The Cultured Canine, 914-288-0020 or diane@theculturedcanine.net

www.theculturedcanine.net

Best of luck to you and your Silky Terrier!

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Specialist Answer 2 of 2
   Answered By     Westchester K-9, 09/30/08 02:24 PM
Westchester K-9

white plains, NY 10601
914-393-2346
Email Company
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Wow, you have all kinds of stuff going on with your dog!  Don't worry - it's all fixable.

Let's start with the jumping.  From the way you phrased it, I'm getting the feeling she's doing a lot of jumping at things like squirrels, birds, etc.  Probably also on people, too, right?  With regard to jumping at things (like critters), a command like "leave it" is a really useful one for her to know.  Start by teaching her indoors:

1.  Have her on leash.

2. Put things you know she'll go after on the floor (toys, treats, your stuff, etc.)

3. When she starts to go after something, tug her away and say "leave it" (use a firm voice, but don't yell at her - no need to be scary!)

4. As soon as she's away, give LOTS of praise.

Once she's starting to get the hang of it, start to practice outside, around more difficult distractions.

For jumping on people, you should also have a leash on her.  Whenever she walks up to anyone (including you around the house) have her sit.  Step onto the leash to keep her from jumping.  COMPLETELY IGNORE HER like she doesn't exist until she calms down - don't look at her or talk to her; don't even say "no" or "sit."  Once she's calm & quiet pet and greet her. You want her to learn that she gets attention for calm, quiet behavior but nothing for crazy, jumpy behavior.

Don't worry too much about the fast eating unless she's choking or something. If you're concerned about it, you can feed her on a flat plate instead of in a bowl - that makes it a little harder for dogs to pick up the kibble.  Or, there's a new kind of bowl called a "Break-fast" bowl, that slows down a dog's eating (Google it - it's hard to describe).

Peeing when you put the leash on is a submissive behavior.  Try crouching down next to her instead of bending over her.  Put the leash on from under her chin instead of over the top of her head.  Also, try giving her a treat as you put the leash on.  Whatever you do, DON'T correct her or yell at her for peeing - that'll only make her more nervous & submissive.

Leash walking...yup, that's a hard one.  This is kind of annoying to do, but it works.  As you're walking, stop and have her sit the moment she starts to pull forward, every time.  The first few times you do this you may only get 5 feet before you can't stand it anymore - that's fine.  Just keep at it & she'll start to see that if she pulls, you don't walk.  It'll be as frustrating for her as it is for you!

Feel free to call or email me anytime if you have any questions or need any further information.

Joanne Willard, Senior Trainer & Behaviorist, Westchester K-9

914-844-8680

joanne@westchesterk-9.com

 

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