You are doing it all wrong!

What’s the best way to train a new puppy or to work on a dog’s behavioural problem?

The answer is to take unsolicited advice from a random stranger!

ONLY KIDDING!!!

How do I deal with those “you are doing it all wrong, you should do it like this” people?

The first thing is to do is stop being so British about it!

Brighton & Hove is generally a lovely friendly place but that doesn’t mean to have to do what any old random person tells you to do. Take responsibility and remember that your dog is totally dependent on you so if that means getting away from that scary person then do it.

If you are not happy with what someone else is doing then take control. That means you don’t have to be polite and let a stranger pick up your puppy or stand by as their dog is being too rough with yours. You can, and should, take control and walk away.

What random advice might you get?

Just let him off lead – it will be fine 

It will not be fine if your dog has not learnt recall and runs over to an aggressive dog on lead or a scared child.

Just let them sort it out

This is usually what someone says when their over-boisterous dog is terrorising yours. In this situation trust you instincts and walk away.

You need to show him who’s boss

This is someone who “trains” using fear and pain.They have probably seen a celebrity trainer on TV and now consider themselves equality qualified.

The list of bad advice is endless!  

What not to do

It may be tempting to get into an argument with the other person. However, this may well cause your dog distress. People that know it all will not be open to reason. Just smile, say thank you, and walk away.

My experience

I constantly get told by clients they are overwhelmed by the contradictory advice they get from random people in the park and on the internet. I always try to give clients the reasons for my training advice and methods rather than just telling them what to do.

A real life example

I was working in the park with a client. I was assessing the dog and working on managing his behaviour and helping improve it.

Behind us is the park expert with her unsolicited advice. My client says thank you and we walk away. We walk along further but she catches us up. More expert advice which would have made the dog’s behaviour far worse. My client thanks her again and suggests we walk in the other direction.The expert is now shouting after us how she has had dogs for 20 years and is just trying to help. She probably did have lots of experience owning her own dogs but that does not make her an expert. Luckily my client had excellent social skills and could confidently manage the situation.

Take home message

Having a new dog will mean you get to talk to lots of new people in the park which can be lovely. You don’t, however have to take on board everything people tell you.Trust your instincts and get some professional advice if you need help.

Mike Garner is a dog trainer and behaviourist at Rainbow Dogs in Brighton & Hove, Sussex.

Follow Rainbow Dogs on Facebook.

When should I neuter my dog?

One of the questions I am regularly asked by new puppy owners is “how old should my dog be when I neuter him / her”.

A very simple question without a simple answer

It is one of those “hot-button” topics for many people that can evoke equally passionate arguments from pro and anti-neuter advocates.

I always try to take a pragmatic view in dog training so that seems like a reasonable way to approach the sometimes emotive question of neutering.

These are some of the things you may wish to consider:

  • The physical health of your dog
  • The behavioural well-being of your dog
  • The needs of the owner
  • The needs of society

The physical health of your dog

What does your vet say?

A visit to your vet should answer this question, right? Well, no. You are likely to get a range of opinions from your vet. In my experience some will say do it as soon as possible, some say wait until about six months (or after the first season for a bitch), some will say only do it if required for veterinary reasons. No consensus at all!

A common reason for neutering given by some vets is the reduced risk of cancers. In bitches this could be mammary tumours and male dogs testicular or prostate cancer. Ask your vet to talk you through this.

What does the research say?

Research into the consequences of neutering should inform your decision.

This research however by its nature is difficult the conduct. The ideal, but impractical, method would be to follow a group of neutered and unneutered dogs of both sexes and multiple breeds over their lifetime to determine the consequences of neutering. An alternative method has been to retrospectively analyse data collected to look at significant effects. Good research requires good data with reasonable sample sizes. In the US research with Golden Retrievers (a very popular breed) has given some insight. However it would be wrong to assume that the results of studies on one breed can be generalised to all.

The behavioural well-being of your dog

Asking your trainer or behaviourist should give you an answer then? Again, there is little consensus between different trainers or behaviourists.

It is widely believed by owners that neutering will “calm down” a dog. This is however a major simplification.

Some male dogs will have poor recall because they have an overriding drive to seek out a mate.

Some male dogs will get themselves into trouble with other dogs by attempting to mount.

Does your male dog “have” to be kept on lead because of his hormone driven behaviours which restricts his general quality of life?

Neutering, however is not a “silver bullet” to behavioural problems for all dogs.

The needs of the owner

Do you have more than one dog in your home? How will you prevent unwanted mating.

Do you have good general control of your dog?

Can you cope with a bitch in season twice a year for three weeks at a time?

Do you plan to show your dog and therefore are required to keep him / her entire?

Do you plan to breed from your dog? Is he / she a perfect example of the breed with no health or behaviour problems? Have you considered all the implications of breeding?

The needs of society

In the UK there are thousands of unwanted dogs in rescue. Many of these got there through sellers wanting to make a “quick buck” by selling puppies to owners who did not research dog ownership sufficiently. Deliberate or accidental breeding of your dog just adds to this problem.

Is your dog a sex pest? Does he try to hump everything in sight making life stressful for other dogs and owners?

What do other owners do?

I asked the question “At what age (if at all) would you neuter your dog” on a Facebook Group that advocates positive dog training methods. The group is used by trainers and dog owners interested in training. This is not a scientific study but just a snap-shot of opinion!

I received 638 responses within 24 hours. The four main responses were are as follows:

  • Between 6-12 months: 25%
  • Between 12-24 months: 44%
  • After 24 months: 12%
  • Never: 19% 

Conclusion

Some people have very strong views pro or anti-neutering. For those people who do neuter there has been a general shift in opinion from neutering at six months to waiting until at least 12 months.

Do your own research since everyone’s circumstances will be different!

Mike Garner is a dog trainer and behaviourist at Rainbow Dogs in Brighton & Hove, Sussex.

Follow Rainbow Dogs on Facebook.

How to stop dog pee ruining your lawn

Many dog owners are worried about dog pee ruining their lawn. Lets look at the problem and possible solutions.

What is it about dog pee that is ruining your lawn?

A common belief is that the urine of bitches burns your lawn and that the urine dogs fertilises it. On the surface this is a reasonable explanation based on anecdotal evidence.

However, there is another explanation…Nitrogen!

In low concentration the nitrogen in your dog’s urine fertilises the grass encouraging growth but in high concentration it burns it.

The girls tend to squat and so the urine is concentrated in one area.

The boys like to spray it around, covering a greater area.

What about pH levels?

This explanation seems to be based on the desire to sell you products that alter your dog’s acid / alkaline levels. This is NOT something you want to do without first taking veterinary advice since you could easily be damaging your dog’s health!

The solution is dilution!

If your lawn is important to you then go buy a watering can and use it as soon as possible after your dog has used the area to eliminate.

The other option is training

Teach your dog to eliminate in a specific part of your garden.  This is best achieved by taking him on lead to a specific area of the garden.  You could also use a different substrate e.g. bark chipping and train your dog to just go on there.

What about a pee post?

 
 
 

This is a logical idea for the boys who like to raise their leg. It should also retain the dog’s odour encouraging him back. A quick look at reviews on Amazonsuggest it does not work, however I wonder how many owners put the effort in to take their dog on lead over to the post to pee?


Mike Garner is a dog trainer and behaviourist at Rainbow Dogs in Brighton & Hove, Sussex.

Follow Rainbow Dogs on Facebook.