The Dog Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [59]
Expand her trick repertoire and teach her to do three rollovers in a row or have her circle you three times before you hand out a treat. In addition to walks and day care, let Tasha swim and fetch balls in safe waters when the weather permits. Swimming doesn’t tax the joints, provides a great aerobic workout, and is a natural activity for Labs. Check out Canine Jocks Rule on page 200 for more ideas for active dogs.
SNIFF IT OUT!
A dog’s heart beats between 70 and 120 times a minute, compared with a human heart, which beats 70 to 80 times a minute.
Once you have Tasha more dog-tired, you’re ready to incorporate part two of my game plan — teaching her how to settle on cue. Work on this when she is already tired. The settle signal rewards a dog for exhibiting calmness and quietness. You are reshaping her behavior by giving her frequent praise and an occasional food treat as encouragement. During quiet times, perhaps when you are watching television at night, put Tasha on a long lead. Step on one end. Whenever she plops down or sits quietly, wait a few seconds, then say settle and calmly hand over a treat. If she becomes excited, ignore her. Wait for her to quiet down again before rewarding with a treat. As she learns what is expected, gradually extend the time between your cue and her reward.
As you interact with Tasha, watch your energy response and tone of voice, too. You don’t want to accidentally accelerate her actions. At night, try giving her a purposeful massage while you speak softly and calmly. Gently praise her for toning down her energy level and reward her for moments of quiet and calm behavior. Tasha sounds like a fun dog who definitely will never bore you!
Piddly Puddles
Q My best friend has three young adult miniature pinschers who don’t seem to understand that their bathroom is outside. Her house has wall-to-wall carpet and when I visit, I am taken aback by the smell of urine. The dogs may be small but the smell is strong. My friend always apologizes and dismisses the severity of the problem by saying the puddles are small and cleanup is easy and quick. I’ve had dogs all my life and currently have a large poodle who lets me know when she must go outside. She never makes messes in my house. Any advice on how to help my friend?
A If I were to identify the primary negative trait of miniature pinschers, difficulty in house-training would top the list, though this trait applies to many toy breeds. Part of the problem is that tiny dogs physically just can’t hold their bladders for as long as bigger dogs, but often the issue is that the owners don’t insist on house-training as rigorously as they would with a large dog. Some people with small breeds such as Yorkshire terriers, pugs, min pins, and dachshunds worry about putting their precious pets out in cold or wet weather or may dismiss their messes as minor lapses and overlook them. But small piddles and poops still add up to a big problem that needs to be corrected, and all dogs need to learn that their bathroom is outside.
PAW PRINTS
Chanda-Leah, a toy poodle, put her paw prints in history and made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for being able to perform the most tricks — 469 and counting.
Unlike cats, dogs do not naturally house-train themselves — they all need help to learn proper bathroom habits. In your friend’s case, she has not properly housetrained her min pin trio and her house is suffering the consequences. It’s time for you to level with her about the odor in her home. Other guests