The Dog Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [61]
As for your chowhound duo, it’s never too late to break the begging habit. When you start your retraining regime, it may be easiest to usher them into another room when you have company, so you and your guests can dine in peace. Turn on a radio and give them treat balls with holes that they must nose around to make kibble and other goodies fall out. This makes them work for their treats and keeps them occupied while you enjoy your dinner.
BREED BYTE
The AKC accepts four specific colors for cocker spaniels: black, black with tan points, particolored, and ASCOB (Any Solid Color Other than Black).
When it’s just the family, start new habits immediately by not giving food from your plate to Billy and Bessie. Completely ignore their pleas for food (after all, you know they are not starving). Expect their begging behavior to become worse before it improves, because they will think that if it worked before, more of the same will work again. Everyone at the table needs to ignore both dogs completely. Don’t even look at them or tell them “no begging!” They need to learn that dogs should be neither seen nor heard at the table. If Billy and Bessie persist, then teach them to down and stay while the family is eating. This gives them something to do while you finish enjoying your meal.
You cannot succeed without enlisting the aid of your friends and family members. Explain that you do not wish to have Billy and Bessie fed from the table. Let them know that you’re doing this out of concern for the health of your dogs and the comfort of your guests. If everyone at the table ignores the dogs (no eye contact, no talking, no petting — nothing!), they will eventually learn that begging no longer yields a reward and that the proper place for treats is in their bowls after the people leave the table.
Putting the Brakes on Chasing
Q I must keep a leash on Boomer, my terrier mix, when we take walks in the neighborhood and in our local park. Otherwise, if he spots a cat or squirrel, he takes off and no matter what I do, he doesn’t stop. He does everything he can to catch these animals. So far, they’ve all managed to escape down a hole or up a tree before Boomer can reach them, but I’m afraid he will kill anything he catches. He not only runs away on our walks, he sometimes scoots out the front door when I answer the doorbell and chases a stray cat he sees through the picture window. How can I make him pay attention to me and leave other animals alone?
A Ah, the art of the chase. Most dogs will chase anything that runs, and terriers are particularly tuned to the hunt. Some animal behaviorists believe there is a genetic component to chasing. Once certain dogs detect movement, their eyes lock in, their predatory nature kicks in, and they charge. While many canines can’t resist dogging cats or shadowing squirrels, others take on bigger prey and will scurry after skateboarders, run after runners, or chase cars, which can be embarrassing to the owner and dangerous for the dog.
Since cats and squirrels are Boomer’s preferred prey, let’s look at what’s happening with him. Some dogs chase small animals for fun; others chase to kill. From both instinct and practice, many dogs know how to grab and shake a small animal all in one motion and break its spine. Identifying a playful chase as opposed to pure predatory instinct is not easy, and you definitely don’t want to find out the hard way if Boomer is out for a romp or in for the kill. You need to stop his chasing behavior before he hurts a neighbor’s pet or chases a squirrel right in front of a moving car.
Identify as many specifics as possible when Boomer bursts into chase mode. Pay attention to the time of day, the location, the object being chased, and his specific physical and verbal actions. The more details, the better you will be able to predict his reactions and intercede