Training Rant - Resource Guarding

I often hear about dogs that guard things like food, toys and people. This is what is called "Resource Guarding".
Many dog owners don't see Resource Guarding as a problem. They accept this behaviour because they love their dog and don't want to think that their dog has problems. Or they don't know how to deal with this problem.
It seems like an innocent behaviour but by allowing it to continue the behaviour is reinforced and rewarded. How? If he guards it, he gets to keep it. It's self-rewarding
I tend to suggest to people to use common sense (I know, that's a lot to ask!). I have some questions that I ask people to think about and answer honestly.

Question 1 - What do you think your dogs think of you? How do they "see" you?

Question 2 - Would you let your children do this (guarding of toys) to their siblings or friends? (think about the "Sharing" lesson we all learn in kindergarten)

Quesion 3 - Do you believe there is a "top/alpha dog" or a "pecking order"? If so, where is your spot? (Hint - If your dog is resource guarding when you're around then your spot is not at the top.)

Question 4 - The "top dog" takes control of the situation all the time when they are present, do we agree? If you don't take control of the situation and you let your dogs do it for you, then what does that tell the dog?

Question 5 - Having answered questions 1 - 4, let's go back to question 1 and rethink it - What do you think your dogs think of you? How do they see you?
Personally, we don't allow resource guarding between dogs that share our home. Because we don't allow it, it doesn't become a problem. Multiple dogs or stranger-dogs can come over and share toys (we can play fetch with as many dogs as we want at the same time with one ball), multiple dogs can eat in the same room and we don't ever have dog fights, etc. None of these things become a problem because we don't allow it to be.
If you don't control the situation with your dogs in your day to day life, then you don't have control. What are you going to do when dynamics change and a power struggle ensues? Why not prevent it before it has a chance to occur?
A change in the dynamics may be:
- New dog / cat coming on the scene (new permanent pet? or visitor?). Example, we encourage our friends to bring their dogs when they come over so visits also become play dates for the dogs. Learning is a lifelong process not only for humans but also our canine companions.
- Other adults or kids enter the space. Example, A neighbour's kids or your family members come over for a visit. Maybe they try to take a toy and play with the dog. What does your dog do? Does he guard it and snap because he has never been trained not to? What if he bites the child or adult?
- Other dogs existing in the house get older and many times aggression will be shown towards the other dogs when they age. This one is hard because people just don't seem to understand why this happens and it is difficult to explain because they are often not thinking of their dogs as dogs.
- The resource guarding will develop into something more. It always does - it may take a few years, but it will grow. It will begin with guarding, then turn to showing a bit of a snarl, then may turn into a growl, then a snap, and finally a bite. It is usually a slow process, but it is a natural and self-rewarding one.
People don't "see it coming" because the dog "never gave any warnings". Warnings are present, whether you choose to see them or not.
If you choose to let your dog continue Resource Guarding, don't be surprised if one day he bites someone or somedog. I'm not going to judge if a person or owner allows Resource Guarding, but I'll expect a phone call in a few year's time when the problem has escalated to a point where the owners can't deal with it. I don't want to hear about how the dog bit someone "out of the blue so we had to put it to sleep."
Be forewarned ... If I get a call from you about this or hear you did it, I may smack you upside the head, call you an asshat and walk away.

Training Tools - Martingale Collar

To me, the martingale collar is an interesting training tool. It is generally made of a combination of nylon and chain.

I've heard the martingale called many things including a hybrid between the flat collar and a choke chain. Many trainers encourage people to use the martingale because of its durability as well as its flexibility.

The collar can be adjusted to the proper size for the dog's neck. Properly fitted, it should sit loose on the dog's neck and you should be able to pull it over his/her head.

As with most other tools, if it is used improperly, it can be a dangerous item. Anything you put around your dog's neck could potentially cause damage if you aren't careful (yes, including the flat collar!) so always be careful.

There are a few things to watch out for with these collars.

Some companies have swapped out the chain portion for fabric. It changes the look of the collar and I can only assume it is because it doesn't look as "mean". This isn't very good though, because the release isn't quick enough. It also isn't as strong and it doesn't make the same sounds.

Some companies have made the chain links rather large. This is more for look than of any benefir to use. Remember when choosing a collar for your dog that the smaller the links, the faster it will adjust itself during use. You want quick-release, so you will want smaller links.

See if you can find one that has non-slip fabric on it. I have found that if you get one that is all nylon, it will automatically adjust its size on you without you realizing it.

I use this type of collar with the foster dogs because I find it works well. I don't like the choke because if your dog is not at the proper angle to you, the release doesn't work well and the chain stays where you tug it. Also, if you use a choke, your dog always has to be on the side you set up the collar - with the martingale, it doesn't matter.

I really like to use positive rewards to train a dog rather than correction because I find most dogs respond better this way. There are some instances, however, where I have found an interruption works best and I have found that the martingale works well for interruption without the need for correction.

Remember that with all training tools, it is just that. You should aim to train your dog to respond to your commands beyond the need for tools.

Have you tried this collar? What are your opinions of it so far?

Posted pics

Just a quick note - I posted some pictures on Drowning In Cats of the TNR cat we have currently at our house. She was too far along in her preganancy to abort the kittens (without euthanizing them as they came out), so she is living in our spare room until they are all ready for new homes. I figure that everyone loves kitten pictures - yes, even dog people - so I'd share them with you all.

While I'm sharing pictures, here's our foster dog. I'm pleased to report that she's emotionally stable enough to be spayed and adopted to her new forever home. WooHoo! So very proud of her. I think I have a glimmering of how proud parents feel ...

The picture to the left is her resting after being all 'crazy-dog' with the four other ones at the house we were visiting, and the picture to the right is her playing 'superman' off the deck. I know, I know, you aren't supposed to let big dogs do this because it screws up their growth plates ... but really? This is a dog that would shutdown everytime something in the environment changed (that you couldn't touch, that was reactive to dogs, etc). I'm just happy she's confident enough to be around new things, places, dogs, people, etc. And for those of you wondering, yes, that's my foot on the deck. She came running up beside me and before I could stop her, leapt to the ground to continue tear-assing around.
Anyway, we've got her to the point where my husband likes to get them - stable enough that they can go live with anyone including children. To get her this far, we've kept her a bit longer than I usually aim for, but that's ok. She's a far cry from the dog who came to live with us and that's what's important.

How many is too many?

A comment has spurned this post. I couldn't help it ... I just had to. This post is burning in my brain and I have to get it out there. You know, sort of like how money burns a hole in one's pocket? Ok, so I may not end up with a hole in my head, but some days ... well, let's move on.

I have a question to ask everyone out there ... How many is Too Many? Where is the line drawn? 2 dogs? 5 dogs? 12 dogs? 50 dogs? How many is too many?

Take this as you will. Yes, I am an opinionated person and am learning how to accept responsibility for my opinions. Here's my take on it.

I have found that often, people take in one dog at a time to 'save' it from its current circumstances ... then they take one more and one more and the next thing they know, they have 20 dogs and they're lucky to have enough resources to feed them all. You may not even realize you have a problem until it's too late ... If you do this, you are an asshat.

1. If you can't afford the vet bills and food for all your dogs, you have too many. If that means you can't afford the bills for one dog, then one is too many for you.

2. If you don't have time to train all the dogs you have, then you have too many. Each of your dogs should have 20 minutes of one on one time with you at least a few times a week.

3. If you have too many dogs, you are a hoarder and you are perpetuating the problem! Say the following statement to yourself ... "Hello, my name is yournamehere and I have a hoarding problem" Admitting to yourself that you have a problem is the first step towards wellness.

Those are my comments and my opinion. Short and sweet and to the point. A little vague if you were looking to me to tell you exactly how many is too many. I won't do that. It all depends on the person and their circumstances.

I have 3 perma-dogs and one foster, that makes 4. Some people would tell you that four is too many. If I didn't take the foster, I could probably do two perma-dogs (the fosters are more work than perma-dogs because I don't take normal ones). This is my choice. What's yours?

How many is too many?

Post Exchange - Organic Pet Food

There have been a lot of posts lately about pet food so I took this opportunity since it was related. The following information is regarding an Organic Pet Food on the market called Essential2Pets Life's Abundance Holistic Natural Pet Food. That's a mouthful, eh?

Here are some of the claims the company makes ... It is made from 100% Fresh and Natural ingredients formulated by nationally renowned Dr. Jane Bicks. NO Chemicals, NO Fillers, Nothing Artificial. Lifes Abundance is not affected by the recall.

You are able to get free samples ... I wonder if I could get them to send me a box of samples for the humane society??

The company claims that if you feed Life’s Abundance for 30 days and if you don’t see a difference, they will give you your money back.

Visit the website to compare your current pet food to Life's Abundance and see the difference.

I haven't tried this food ... have you?

Link Exchange - Remain Active

Though I try not to dwell on things that may be, I did sign up for this one, so I'll try my best to make it relevant.

One of the things that I think about is the possibility that something may happen so I may not be able to be as active as I am now. I may not be the kind of person who will run in an Ironman (truth be told, I might make it a block or two before collapsing!), but I do like to think of myself as an active person. (Unfortunately, my job is not very active and does not keep me moving as much as I'd like.)

I wonder if I could continue having dogs sharing in my life if I'm not as active and that really does concern me. I don't think it would feel like home without some furry four leggers wandering around.

There are so many ways you can ensure that you keep active as you get older or as life changes you. One of those options is by making use of items like hot tubs and whirlpools. There are also walkin tubs for those so inclined.

Hopefully I am able to stay fit and healthy for as long as possible (though I do know a few people in the same boat as I who have had to amputate limbs when they got older). I hope that I won't need them for a long while yet - and I hope never to need to be in a chair. We'll see how life goes though, right? When it throws you curve balls ... er ... you make lemonaid?

Please note that this post has been sponsored through payperpost and the RemainActive websites.