Aranda Dog Training

PROBLEM DOG BEHAVIORS…
YOU HAVE TO HANG IN THERE

I work with so many people with dogs that have serious Problem Behaviors. That’s what I do almost every day. Love helping people solve and control their dogs’ problems behaviors.

However, It can be a lot of stress having and living with dogs that have serious behavior issues. It is not easy for clients trying to solve problem dog behaviors and it is not always easy for me to help them.

When people have serious problem behaviors with their dogs, they all too often resort to simple “Dog Obedience”. You know, Sit, Down, Come and Stay. Or just Punish the “bad behavior”.

Although training the Basic Dog Behaviors is important, they usually don’t get at the "Root Cause" of Serious Problem Behaviors. Most serious problem behaviors are Emotional in Nature and Basic Obedience does not get at the root cause of their problem behaviors.

I usually have the information and answers and can provide the type of training clients need. But am I always successful? Most of the time I am, sometimes I'm not.

Working with dogs that have serious problems requires a lot of time and commitment. I can teach a puppy to Sit in five minutes, Lay Down another ten minutes, Stay, not too difficult. But helping people and dogs with deeply rooted Emotional problems can take months and even a couple of years. It takes Commitment and Persistence!

Most of my clients follow through with the protocols I give them, but some do not.
Some people say they will do whatever it takes, but to stay with the program may not be so easy as they hoped. It usually takes a lot of time to recondition a dog's mind that has aggression issues. And problems like severe Separation Anxiety may not be feasible to implement because of their work schedule. And jumping by a large dog on children or adults can be a serious problem that may be difficult to control.

New Year Resolutions..
Staying with a protocol for serious problem behaviors is like sticking to a New Years Resolution.
For example, on a diet, you may start the year with a real commitment to lose weight and eat healthier, but anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that it is not easy to sustain.
How about going to the Gym? I see and meet many people who start out the year with a real commitment to go to the gym daily. But if I had to guess, most people only keep coming for about two or three months. Its hard work and takes Commitment!!

Again, my point is, working with serious Dog Problem Behaviors takes a Real Commitment and Persistence. Most will do it and follow through because they love their dogs and will do whatever it takes. However, others will start with good intentions and say they will do whatever it takes to help their dog but eventually give up because it's too much work.

I have helped many clients train their dogs for over forty years. I usually handle and work my clients’ dogs when I go into their home. Then I supervise them handling and training their dogs until they get it right. However, it is still up to them to follow through with the training when I leave their home. Most of my clients do, some do not!

Hats off to all those people that see their dogs as family members. They will continue to work hard to control their problem behaviors and ease their stress.

Oh, by the way, my dogs were not perfect. We worked on their issues every day. But I don’t see them as problem behaviors, I see them as just part of them being a dog and expressing their animal instincts in an artificial home environment. In a natural animal habitat, they would not be problem behaviors. In your home, it’s just part of having a dog.

New Years Resolution.
Try not to never give up on your Dog. Make the commitment and stick with it.
Happy New Year to all my Clients & Friends. 🐾 🎊

Ted Aranda
CDPT-KA Certified
Aranda Dog Training

WHY DO DOGS GUARD THEIR FOOD?
People want to know why their dogs may growl at them if they try to approach while they're eating. And they want to know how they can "fix" their "attitude"?

There are many reasons and theories why dogs feel the need to guard their food. It could be genetics, instinct or learned behavior. Scientists believe it’s part genetic (nature) and part environmental (nurture). No one knows the exact reason some dog’s guard and others don’t. However, we do know that some of it is residual natural instinct from their wolf ancestors.

Lets see what wolf ethologist Dave Mech; a wolf expert has to say about food guarding. Dave Mech has studied the wolf in its natural habitat for well over thirty years.
Here are some of Mech's quotes about wolf behavior. This may shed some light into why your dog may have food aggression.

“Among wolves, an otherwise submissive individual may actively defend the possession of food against higher-ranking pack members. Mech, 1970. Mech suggest that possession within an ownership zone of approximately one foot from the wolves nose gives the possessor rights to defend and control the object against intrusion”.

‘”In an experiment in which an otherwise submissive wolf was given possession of a large piece of meat, the subordinate was able to defend it’s right of possession aggressively against higher ranking pack members that have been starved for 72 hours”.

“A leader wolf protects its rights and privileges but does not casually intrude on the rights and privileges of a subordinates. Even the lowest ranking subordinate will defend a bone or piece of food that it has secured for itself.
Only a rather incompetent leader would go about challenging and agitating deferential subordinates”.

“This event clearly shows that possessive aggression may operate under the influences of motivation other than the assertion of social dominance or rank. Possessive aggression may be more properly understood in terms of defensive motivations rather than offensive ones”.

IS FOOD BOWL GUARDING INSTINCT OR LEARNED?
Experts believe its still “left over” wolf’s instinct that drives some dog’s to guard food!
Food bowl guarding behavior does not necessarily mean he will be aggressive in any other situation. Food guarding is a natural engraved fear motivation in animals and has not changed even after years of domestication.

FOOD BOWL GUARDING IS FEAR MOTIVATED
“It is recognized by leading authorities in canine behavior that guarding food is a fear-based behavior that some dogs exhibit.

“Fear is the underlying cause of most forms of canine aggression. It is triggered by a stimulus that is threatening to the dog. When the aggression is a direct response to a challenge or confrontation, it might be referred to as defensive aggression”. – Merck Veterinary Manual”

Most dogs get a little stressed and anxious when you go near them when they are eating, but most don’t act out. Has anyone ever noticed if you, or another dog, goes near their food, they will start eating faster. Or they stop eating and freeze. These are signs the dog is getting stressed when you go near them. If you go closer some may growl. Again, these are signs that the dog is getting extremely uncomfortable and could lash out and bite.

Punishing Food Bowl Aggression?
Often people think a dog is displaying food bowl aggression because he is trying to “dominate” you. He wants to show that he’s the “Alpha” No, the dog is not trying to dominate you, he is afraid you are going to take he food away. Because people often misunderstand why their dogs guard their food many owners of resource guarders often get angry and punish their dog to show them who’s alpha. That is crazy nonsense!
I have said it over and over again that punishing a dog for fear-based behavior does not remove the motivation for the behavior. In fact it makes the problem worse because punishment conditions even more fear to the situation.

LEARNED FOOD BOWL AGRESSION
Here is how food guarding, as Learned Behavior (nurture) may evolve.
In so many cases someone will try to teach the puppy that it’s okay to go near them while they are eating. Many people will take the food bowl away right in the middle of his/her meal to try to teach the dog that “It’s okay”. Does anyone really think the dog gets any pleasure when you take their food away after they have started eating it? Of course not! This will only stress the puppy and make him anxious anytime anyone goes near as he is eating.

Or they may want to teach the puppy that they can take it away if they want to because they are the "Alpha". In other words, “I can do it if I want to and you can’t stop me”. How stupid is that? You are only making the dog very stressed and anxious. And keep in mind that the emotions that fuel reactivity and aggression are fear, stress, anxiety, frustration and anger. If the puppy growls it is usually punished. It may work on the little puppy but wait until you try this with a mature adult dog.

Yes, you can condition your dog to have food aggression. I can’t believe how many people do that by just trying to teach the puppy that it s “okay” or I can do it if I want to because I am the "Alpha".
How would you like it or feel if you sat down to a hot meal, you start eating, then someone takes your dinner away because they are bigger and they can do it? You just might retaliate. Well let me tell you, the dog feels and may respond the same way.

Again, most dogs tolerate it when their humans go near them when they are eating, but most dogs do not like it. They fear you are going to take it away and they growl to protect their food and drive you away to reduce their fear.

TREATMENT STEPS FOR FOOD BOWL AGGRESSION
1. Manage Your Dog’s Environment
This means no one goes near the dog while it is eating. Once you put the food bowl down keep as much distance as possible untill you start working on the issue.
It is also better, if possible, to feed him in a wide-open space. Dogs in general are more stressed and anxious in hallways and foyers so those areas are at higher risk for aggression.

2. Desensitize & Counter-Condition your dog’s fear-based food aggression
The goal is to change your dog’s fear when people approach his food bowl to pleasure and relaxation.
* Start the desensitizing by using extra high value treats such as pieces of hot dogs, chicken etc. Usually some kind of meat works best.

* Walk towards your dogs while they’re eating. Stop far enough away so that they are aware of you, but before they start to show signs of stress such as stiffening up or eating faster. Toss some treats near his food bowl.

* While the dog is still looking at you toss a few more treats their way while you’re still at a safe distance, then walk away.

* Repeat this step for the first few days anytime your dog is eating.

* After a few days start tossing a few treats their way from a slightly closer distance and walk away.

* Slowly, systematically start decreasing the distance between you and your dog. Repeat this step at that distance a few more times while they’re eating.

* If your dog stiffens up, growls or starts to show any signs of discomfort you’ll need to move back a step or two and toss treats from there. Remember where your dog’s threshold is, and only work on moving one step closer at a time.
If you are careful and you don’t push too fast you might eventually be able to get next to your dogs food bowl while they remains fairly relaxed.

Would you continue until you can pet your dog while they are still eating? Me personally, I wouldn’t. For some dogs you can progress so that your dog will let you pet them while they’re eating. However, for some dogs you might be asking too much and they could snap at you and now you are back to square one.

The goal of the desensitization training is to change your dog’s emotion from fear and stress, to pleasure and relaxation when they are eating and you have to go near them. You want them to associate you coming towards their food as a pleasant experience, rather than something to be afraid of. But keep in mind it takes time to change your dog’s emotional psychology towards something they’re afraid or stressed about. The longer the food bowl guarding has been going on the more difficult it will be to change their emotional state that is fueling the reactive behavior. Keep in mind, as with anything you are trying to desensitize your dog to, moving too fast can set back any progress you’ve made. Hopefully after awhile your dog will begin looking forward to you coming near, “Will you hurry up with my desert”.

TED ARANDA
CPDT-KA Certified
ARANDA DOG TRAINING

ALPHA ROLL & DOMINANCE
Many people still think you have to "Roll" a dog to show who is the Alpha. I don't think so!! Can't imagine Alpha Rolling my dogs!
I have posted about this subject before but I think it needs revisiting.

The “alpha roll”, a controversial dog training technique, is still used by some dog trainers and dog owners. The theory behind this training method is to teach the dog that the dog owner-handler is the pack leader. When a dog has a behavior problem or when people think the dog is being “dominant” they are pinned on their back and held in that position, sometimes by the throat until they are submissive. “You need to show them who’s the “pack leader”. Nonsense!!!

Why you should not use the Alpha Roll and Dominance Theory.
First of all, the alpha roll technique has no scientific merit. And more important the alpha roll is dangerous because it has been shown to increase a dog's aggressive behaviors and can result in a serious bite.

Dogs, like any other animal, have the Flight-Fight instincts. When you take a dog down into an "alpha roll" the dog can feel very vulnerable with no escape option (Flight) and may lash out and bite their owner (Fight). The dogs may feel they have no choice than to react aggressively and bite to protect themselves, Yes, in working with dogs for many years I have known clients that used the “alpha roll” and were severely bitten in the face and consequently the dog euthanized. Whose fault was it the dog bit and was then euthanized? The misinformed, misguided dog owner.

I've had people tell me how dominant their dog is when in reality their dog is usually confused, afraid, stressed and anxious. Aversive methods will only increase the dog's underlying fear and anxiety that will actually make the problem behavior much worse.

People may often think the dog is being stubborn and won’t listen to commands because he is “dominant”. The problem usually is a lack of true clear canine communication. By that I mean poor communication because of non-clear training techniques..
The alpha roll won’t teach the dog anything to get him to respond to your request and accomplish your training goals.

Where did Alpha Theory originate? David Mech.
David Mech, a wolf biologist-ethologist, studied a group of captive wolves and asserted that they organize themselves through a dominance hierarchy.
Mech later found out that the reason these wolves were using dominance and aggression to organize their pack structure was because the wolves were brought in from separate packs! They were not family. In other words they did not know each other.

Many years later he retracted his theory after studying wild wolves in their natural habitat. He realized that the leaders of their packs were merely the parents. They organized through structured roles and positions. He said you rarely see a wolf pin down another pack member in a bid to dominate them. More commonly, when there is tension within a group, you may observe a member voluntarily roll over into a passive submissive position. Dogs may also volunteer to lie down on their back and use other appeasement behaviors to show they are no threat. An "Alpha Roll", pinning another on their back by force, is not a natural behavior with wolves or dogs.

And one last thing, your dog is not a wolf.
Training a dog should be about formulating a relationship built on trust, respect, cooperation and good canine communication that they understand. You won’t have to “dominate” your dog if you apply the Scientific Principles of Animal Learning, Training and Motivation.

After all that being said, if your goal is to want the dog to know who’s in charge and who the authority figure is, try training self-control exercises. Before you feed your dog ask for a ten second stay and when he complies release him to his meal. Do a sit-stay before allowing her to go outside and play. Ask your dog to do basic “obedience” exercises like the sit, lie down and recall for things such as treats or other things he values and will work for (Positive Reinforcement). If your dog will “work” for the things you provide then he is “working” for you and you are in charge, the leader and the authority figure.

By asking your dog to give you what you want first, then give him what he want’s you have a win-win situation and you won’t have to “Dominate” or “Alpha Roll’ your dog.

Ted Aranda
CPDT-KA Certified
Aranda Dog Training

Aranda Dog Training Problem Behavior Specialist: Aggression - Barking - Chewing-Housetraining - Jumping - Separation A