Q. I have a 4 1/2 month old puppy; he's a pit bull mix (I think boxer, my friend thinks Rhodesian ridgeback).  He went through a biting phase when he was younger, but it started to pick up again. What is the best way to handle this?  I was told to stand up and ignore the action or give a chew toy, but I found out when I'm at work, my roommates have been holding his mouth shut for a few seconds or sending him to his bed and making him sit there.  Will he learn with everyone doing different things and what is the best way to handle the biting?

A. First thing's first: physical exercise, (once again), is your best friend! Puppies have energy in bursts, and if they don't have a proper outlet, they express it with negative repercussions: chewing, biting, digging, hyper-activity, etc. I would suggest that when you are interacting with him, try to have a toy handy so you can play with him with the toy. Don't use your hands as toys. The second he puts teeth on skin, this is what I used to do: stand up, throw my arms up, and say "game over!" and walk away. It usually leaves the pup being like, "what the hell?" lol. Give him a sec to calm down, and come on back.

There is also a product called Bitter Apple Spray that I used to use on my ankles and wrists (because those were Spark - yes, Spark's! - targeted areas when he was in his Shark Mouth phase). I wouldn't suggest holding his mouth shut; most dogs, it ends up making it worse, although not always. I'd err on the side of caution and not use that method. Provided you are covering your bases with his physical exercise - and I mean more than just a ten minute walk in the yard - if you've done the "game over" thing like three times in a row, it's perfectly acceptable to give him a little time out. I think it's ok to use the crate for this, AS LONG AS YOU ARE SIMPLY PUTTING HIM CALMLY IN A TIME OUT, and not using it as punishment, i.e. "BAD boy, GET IN THERE!" and that type of attitude. I would also suggest keep his leash and collar on (under supervision, of course) in the house, so you have access to puppy without using your hands to grab his body. Just pick up the leash, and calmly bring him over to his crate (or a bathroom, or whatever), give him a few minutes to calm down, and let him right back out into the same situation. Again, your attitude is super important with this, because if all you use a crate for is punishment, he will likely start hating it. Crate = calm. That's the message we're trying to send here.

Another FUN thing to do to teach an alternative behavior is to teach "kisses!"  Put a little butter on your hand, present your hand to the puppy, and when he licks the little bit of butter, say "kisses! kisses! Good boy" in your sweetest voice :) It's easy, and with consistency he'll get it, and when he starts to put teach on you, then you can cue "kisses!" instead!  Fun one to do with the kids.

Hopefully, this was helpful, and come on back for Q&A Wednesday on our facebook page. You can message us questions here on Higher Expectations Dog Training & Behavior Modification any time during the week. Feel free to share, and thanks for participating! Happy Halloween & be safe! -Cassie-Leigh Stock, Owner, HEX Dog Training

Training Q&A!  "The Come When Called Dilemma"

Well, there are a few common mistakes that people make with recalls that make a reliable recall next to impossible. 1) Not truly teaching it in the first place. 2) Only calling the dog when it's for something negative (i.e. coming in from outside, putting him in the crate, clipping his toenails, ending fun in general). 3) Repeating the cue over & over with no result, henceforth teaching the dog to IGNORE IT.

Let's discuss #1.  First things first, you have to actually teach your dog what "come" ("here!" "front!" choose your word) means.  Here is a start: put your dog on a leash, so she can't wander or blow you off.  Have a surprise treat on you, (treat doesn't have to = food.  There is nothing better to my dog than a tug toy!). Wait until your dog is looking away from you, then call "[Dog's name], here!" and trot (yes, I said trot!) excitedly backwards while holding the leash.  As soon as your dog commits to coming toward you, "GOOD GIRL!! YAY for you!!" and BIG party when she gets to you, including giving her the reward.  Repeat this exercise over and over again with your dog on a longer lead, go outside, add distractions, always rewarding her for coming to you. **Hint** Try to SURPRISE her with the reward, and vary them.  IF your dog doesn't come to you when you call, trot backwards while holding the leash so she has no choice but to come into you.  Reward her when she gets there, even if you had to help in the beginning.

.... and #2. People have this habit of not teaching the cue in the first place, or teaching it 50%, and then only calling the dog when it's a convenience to the human, but sucky for the dog, i.e. if the only time you call your dog is when you want him to come in from playing outside, he's eventually going to equate that call with the ending of a good time WITH the added bonus that he's off leash and you can't enforce what you're saying.  I call my dogs periodically when they're outside, give them an AWESOME treat, and send 'em back out again. Only 1 out of every maybe 10 times am I calling them to end the fun for good, and even then, I try to reward their compliance with something when we get back in the house. I want to keep their recalls enthusiastic!  If you have to do something like trim his nails, put him in the tub, pick a tick off him, or any other unpleasant task, get up and GO GET HIM.  If you call him for things that suck, eventually he is NOT (at the very least) going to be in a hurry to get to you, (and at worst, he's going to start running the other way when you call him).

#3: Repeating, repeating, repeating... There is a somewhat unwritten rule around here that you shouldn't GIVE a cue that you CANNOT or ARE NOT WILLING to enforce.  For example, I had an ex-boyfriend who used to stand on the porch and call Spark Plug over and over, while standing on the porch nonetheless, while Spark was gallivanting off leash in the backyard.  He called him repeatedly so many times that eventually Spark didn't respond to the word "come" anymore at all. He had effectively been trained to ignore it. (I call this phenomenon "anti-trained!") So what did I do?  Started all the way back at step one and retrained my recall with a NEW cue; (now it's "here!"). If you recognize yourself here and have effectively trained your dog to ignore you calling him with "come," start over with a different cue like I did.

**Your dog should be wearing a long lead to practice this (supervised only with the leads, please) even in his own backyard until you are feeling SUPER confident and getting lightening-fast responses.  What I did with my first dog, Caruso, was go from the 20 foot lead, to the 10, to the 6, to the 2, to the... you get the idea.  If you call your dog to you someday AFTER YOU'VE SPENT A BUNCH OF TIME actually teaching him what "here" means before using the cue off leash, that is, and he doesn't respond, RESIST the urge to call him again.  I've caught loose dogs by picking up a stick (or even an imaginary object) and waltz off acting like I'm having the time of my life with it, paying NO attention to the dog, except for out of the corner of my eye. Dog comes up to see what you're having so much fun with, and wa-la! There he is.  Easiest way to get a loose dog to come to you is to get his attention and dash off in the opposite direction.  They almost always follow.

**Continue to reward a good recall throughout your dog's life. I'm always saying, just because you KNOW how to do your job doesn't mean you're going to work for free. PAY the kid! Keep the reinforcement level high.

**HINT** Do NOT ask your dog to sit BEFORE you call him. You don't want to make his recall contingent on a sit (or a down) first. Simply wait for him to be doing something else (typically doesn't take too long!) and then spring it on 'im!

**This is by no means a completely comprehensive description of teaching a reliable come when called. Dogs vary a LOT in their motivations and what works and what doesn't and how difficult it is.  Reach out to a fabulous professional trainer in your area to help you get a handle on the specifics, as this is a safety cue that could save your dog's life someday!

**One final thing, not for nothin', but I truly believe a good recall has a lot more to do with your RELATIONSHIP than it does a conditioned response to a cue ("come"). My dogs would never run away from me because they totally don't want to... We're best friends, we spend a ton of time together, they trust in my leadership, and they WANT to be with me.. I sure want to be with them ;)

THANK YOU for this great question, Nev!  Tune in next Wednesday for our Training Q&A on www.facebook.com/hexdogs!  Submit your question and it could be answered here next week!  Feel free to share, and reach out to Higher Expectations Dog Training & Behavior Modification anytime at hexdogs@gmail.com.  Also visit our ACTUAL webpage at www.hexdogs.com.  Thanks for reading! 

Cassie-Leigh Stock, ABCDT, CTDI, AKC-CGC, CDT

The following is a (fictional?) and loose description of the members of a multi-dog household!  Can you recognize a canine or two of your own? ;)

The Boyfriend Dog

The Boyfriend Dog is full of endless affection & humor.  Always up on you and loving toward the human pack members as well as the other dogs.  He always wants everything to be okay, very happy and funny and sometimes appears overly sensitive.  If there is an inter-pack fight (human or canine), this dog will be the one in the corner shaking.  If you are upset, he’s the dog to come throw his arms around you & give you a great big hug regardless of whether you asked for one or not.  He is very aware of the pack dynamics and very content with an owner who shows leadership as well as compassion and caters to his incredibly brilliant participation in training.  This dog may not “require” it, but given the opportunity, will stun you with his brilliance and enthusiasm for education!

The Red-Headed Step Child

This is the dog that was already there when you got into your dog-owning relationship with someone else.  It is likely that this dog annoys the sh*t out of you on some fronts & melts your heart on others!  This dog may have an incredible relationship with a resident dog that makes it impossible for you to be completely annoyed.  Usually very sweet & a people-pleaser, would have been well trained had they got their sh*t in line before you came along.  “Handsome,” “gorgeous” and “beautiful” are common words associated with the Red-Headed Step Child, as at times, this can appear to be their most redeeming quality.  A “naughty,” not “bad” dog who, despite everything, will steal your heart.

Mr. President

Mr. President exudes a natural quality that indicates “I am the man.”  They give off an heir of confidences that screams “I got this.”  Other dogs in the household are naturally attracted to the security in this and seem to give respect to the position regardless of their individual history, whether or not it includes “dog-aggression.”  Mr. President is very happy & adapted to his role, calm & content, perfectly willing to correct other dogs, reward them with peace or submission, and selective in his outward affections.  Mr. President loves to work; needs a job to do to be satisfied in life & excels across multiple sports & activities.

The Buddy Dog

The Buddy Dog is a big goof, a companion in the truest sense of the word!  The Buddy Dog is completely innocent in his objectives, and can sometimes get himself into trouble because of that quality.  Read: a dog that does not get it when another dog growls at him, regardless of how clear the other dog is in his intentions.  “Whaddaya mean?” is frequently the expression on his face.  Unusually simple in his motivations, food is usually high on his list.  Very sensitive, this dog responds well to positive reinforcement and legitimately enjoys the company of all, human or canine.

The Misfit

There’s one in every pack: that dog that, regardless of your best intentions, requires constant vigilance and skilled handling for life.  Usually has some nuisance-type problem you’ve been working on for years: maybe doesn’t like the mailman, other dogs, loud noises...  Has allergies or some other ailment requiring constant attention.  And yet... There's just something about him!  Whether that quality is irresistible goofiness, thoughtful intelligence, that ability to just know what you need when you need it... This dog holds a special quality that could never be denied, and that celebration is what will always keep The Misfit in his home!

~~~

If you recognize your dog in one of these descriptions, beautiful, we can relate to each other and we had a good laugh!!  If not, recognize that this is a fictional article – goofy humor from someone who loves loves loves dogs and relates to them on a level where they can make me laugh – and we’ll call it good! ;)

As always, love it or hate it, thank you for reading, and reach out anytime!  Visit us here on facebook!  And also, check out our actual page and see what we're about at www.hexdogs.com.

Cassie-Leigh Stock