The Language of Dog Growls

By Laurie Luck

Growling is a normal form of doggie communication. Growling, along with body language and other vocalizations, gives us a view into the doggie psyche, into what's going on in a dog's brain. In this article, we're going to dissect a growl - what does it mean, what should you do?

What is A Growl?

Dogs can't use words to communicate, so they rely on body language and vocalizations (growls, barks, and whines, to name a few) to "have conversations." Dogs converse with other dogs, as well as with people with these vocalizations. To really understand your dog, you have to know what growling does - and does not - mean.

Why Do Dogs Growl?

Not all growls are created equal. To decipher the meaning of a growl, we need to find out why the dog is growling. There are many reasons dogs growl - when playing, dreaming, protecting something of value, if they feel threatened, or scared.

What Does A Growl Mean?

Dog-to-Dog Growls

As mentioned earlier, it's important to take into consideration the context in which your dog is growling. Remember, dogs don't have words. They can only use their body language and vocalizations to communicate with their dog friends. Growling is one way dogs communicate with one another. Sometimes dogs growl when they are playing happily with another dog-friend.

Wondering how to tell the difference between a serious and a playful growl? Take a look at the dog's bodies. Do you see the following?

• "Loose" bodies (not rigid and stiff)
• Mutual playing (both dogs are content to play together, neither one looks scared or threatened)
• Willingness to continue playing together (if one gets the chance to leave, does he?)
• Cooperative play (dogs take turns "winning" or pinning each other)

If you see these things, the dogs are most likely engaging in normal dog-play. If either dog looks scared, looks like they are bullying the other dog, or moves stiffly, it's time to interrupt play-time and let them settle down before allowing them to play again.

Dogs also growl to communicate their uneasiness. Your dog may growl at another dog if that dog is:

• Unfamiliar
• Too close to a valued object
• Behaving inappropriately (jumping on your dog, for instance)
• Crowding your dog's space

Dog-to-Human Growls

Much like dog-to-dog growling, dogs have different reasons for growling at humans. Some dogs growl playfully when interacting with humans. Other dogs growl at children, or men with hats, or some other elusive reason. Again, look at the context in which the growling happens - what does the dog's body language tell you? Is he stiff or floppy?

What NOT To Do If Your Dog Growls

Knowing there are different reasons behind your dogs' growls, it's important to pay attention to the situation before deciding what to do with a growl. If the growl is playful, you probably don't have to do anything about it, unless the growling bothers you. If you think the growl is more serious, it's important to proceed with caution.

A growl is a good, clear warning signal and one that we should heed. The dog is clearly telling us that he's not comfortable with the situation. The most important thing to note is that a growl is information. Punishing the dog for growling will not fix the problem. Punishing a growl will only take that form of communication away from your dog. The next time your dog is in the same situation, he will try a different form of communication - this time he may snarl or even snap. If you punish this form of communication, you'll have a dog that bites without warning.

Forcing your dog to tolerate a situation that makes him uncomfortable is a recipe for disaster. By doing this, you are giving the dog no option to get out of the situation. If, for example, your dog is uncomfortable around small children and you hold your dog's collar while allowing children to approach your dog, you aren't helping alleviate your dog's discomfort. You are actually contributing to the discomfort which could lead to a snarl, snap, or a bite. What to Do

If Your Dog Growls

Your first order of business is to determine what makes your dog uncomfortable in the situation. Is it the presence of small children surrounding him, another dog near a prized possession? Is he scared? Does he feel threatened? Once you know why your dog is uncomfortable, you can then do something about hearing his "call of distress" and do something to help him.

Here are some basic steps to follow. Please note that if you are afraid that your dog will bite, consult a professional positive reinforcement dog trainer and do not proceed with the following steps.

In this example let's assume the dog is growling when you approach his food bowl.

1. Begin to hand feed your dog his meals. No more food in the bowl. If there isn't food in the bowl, he's much less likely to "guard" the bowl. Bonus: And it's you that gives the dog the food. Therefore you become an important and welcome link to the food.

2. After your dog is eagerly accepting his food from your hand, begin to re-introduce the food bowl. Put the food bowl in your lap and drop three or four pieces of your dog's food in the bowl. When he finishes those kibbles, drop three or four more in. Continue this until the dog's entire meal has been eaten.

3. Once your dog is looking forward to your hand moving to his empty bowl to add more food, reserve an extra special treat (chicken, steak, fish - something REALLY delicious that he doesn't normally get). Put five to ten pieces of food in his bowl and while he's eating, drop in this delicious morsel. Your dog is learning that really good things happen when your hand moves toward his bowl.

4. If your dog readily accepts your hand approaching his bowl when he has a few kibbles in it, begin putting more kibble

in his bowl and then adding a delicious morsel every few moments.

Note: This process could take days, weeks, or months depending on your dog. Don't rush these steps. If you are afraid that your dog will bite, DO NOT engage in this process. Find a professional positive reinforcement dog trainer.

By following these steps, you are solving the underlying problem (the dog's dislike of approaching people) instead of just getting rid of his warning system. If, instead of implementing the steps above, you punished your dog for growling (by yelling or swatting at him, or taking his food bowl away), you are doing two things: (1) reinforcing his belief that people who approach his food bowl are dangerous and (2) getting rid of a perfectly good warning system. You are not, I repeat NOT, fixing the underlying problem.

Dogs can't use words. It is up to each of us to listen to our dogs and try our best to decipher their language. Not all growls are created equal - know your dog. We expect dogs to listen to us, isn't it time we start listening to them?

Laurie Luck, CPDT
Certified Pet Dog Trainer
Smart Dog University, LLC
Box 1111
Mount Airy, MD 21771
(240) 848-3468
laurie@smartdoguniversity.com
http://www.SmartDogUniversity.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laurie is one of only 1,300 certified pet dog trainers (CPDT) in the world and is the founder of Smart Dog University. She has been helping dogs and their owners for more than a decade. She is passionate about dog-friendly training and eschews punishment.

She works with dog lovers because she understand how frustrating it can be when people want to spend time with their dog, but don't know how to get him to listen.

She loves what she does and has developed many happy friendships, both canine and human, along the way.

Laurie is owned by four dogs: two Labradors, a Great Dane Hound Cross, and an Australian shepherd.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurie_Luck

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Teaching Dog Tricks - The Easy Way

By Andrew Strachan

If you were to ask what the quickest and easiest method was for teaching your dog a new trick, the answer would be - work with the nature of your dog, not against it. What we mean here is that you should look at what tricks your dog naturally does, or look for a dog trick 'in the making', like naturally putting a paw on your knee or rolling over etc.

If you choose a dog trick that naturally occurs, half your work is already done. Your dog will probably be eager to please as most dogs are and should therefore respond well to rewards. You can build on this to reinforce your dogs' natural ability rather than starting an entirely new dog trick.

Which Dog Trick Do You Choose?

Observe your dog and watch out for a potential dog trick. This may be something as simple as crawling along on its belly to, catching a Frisbee or a ball. As soon as your dog 'performs' one of it's natural tricks, associate it with a hand gesture or verbal command and then reward your dog with its favorite treat. It won't be long before your dog learns the procedure.

Eventually over time, you will be able to cut back on the rewards until your dog will perform the dog trick with just the hand gesture or verbal command such as 'fetch' or 'go get'. Now that the new trick is firmly lodged in your dogs' head, you will be able to build on it.

For example, if you have taught your dog to catch a Frisbee, how about increasing the distance that he will catch it from, or throw two Frisbee's one after the other. Get your dog to catch one, drop it and then run for the other!

Popular Dog Tricks

Some of the most popular dog tricks are 'sit' and 'come' etc. These are pretty simple to teach. To teach your dog to sit, with your dog standing firmly press on its hind quarters directly above it's back legs whilst at the same time saying the word 'Sit' quite assertively but NOT shouting. Most dogs will naturally sit. At this point, heap lots of praise on your dog and then give them a treat. After several repetitions of this, your dog will soon learn what 'Sit' means. Do not try this on older dogs that may have arthritis in their hind legs or hips.

If your dog does not sit when told, NEVER scold it. Just ignore it and try again another time. Otherwise your dog will associate 'Sit' with being scolded. If your dog persistently fails to sit, try another trick.

Each dog has different talents.

To teach your dog to come is simple. When your dog is at a distance, say loudly but not shouting 'Come here' or 'Come'. This will usually get your dogs' attention. Repeat the statement 'Come on', 'Come here'. Most untrained dogs at this point will probably look away and carry on with whatever it was doing.

At this point walk up to your dog but keep within around 5 feet away. Say 'Come here'. Your dog will probably now come to you. When he does, it's time for a lot of praise and a treat. Repeat this but increase the distance that your dog has to walk towards you more each time. Eventually, your dog will instinctively come to you whenever it hears you shout 'Come here', from any distance.

Again, if your dog fails to come to you, DO NOT scold it. I once got asked "Why won't my dog come to me?" On further investigation I found out that every time the dog ran away and then failed to come back, the owners would scold the dog when they got hold of it again. WRONG! The dog started to associate the command 'Come here' with a scolding. Totally the opposite. No wonder the dog failed to come to command.

Another dog trick you can try is 'Paw'. This involves saying 'Paw' then gently lifting the dogs paw with your hand followed by lots of praisetreats. After a while saying 'Paw' will cause your dog to raise its paw. You can extend this to two paws where your dog 'Sits pretty' on its haunches.

Another trick is 'Speak'. This usually works best with a naturally vocal dog. Every time your dog howls or makes a funny noise, praise the dog whilst saying the command ' Speak'. Eventually your dog will speak on command.

Teaching your dog a new dog trick should be a fun experience for both of you, and will give you lots of quality time together. Enjoy!

Article by Andrew Strachan. Find out more about dog behavior training and types of dogs at http://www.types-of-dogs.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Strachan

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I Am The Dog Whisperer

By Ami Moore

I am the Dog Whisperer. All too often I see you after a traumatic experience with your dog, when you are scared and upset. You call me to rescue you from chaos and insanity, but it is already too late.

Your life is in shambles, the neighbors hate you, a child is disfigured, the victim is pressing charges, the police are at the door, and your home is at risk. I, however, can't turn back the hands of time and prevent the fatal attack, but I can help you and your family move forward and plan for tomorrow. I am the Dog Whisperer.

When your heart is broken, I'm quickly on the scene. I will repair the lost hope; rekindle the loving feeling that you once had toward your dog. In time, I will help you learn to trust your dog again, and I will help you dog learn to trust in you once more. I am the Dog Whisperer.

Sometimes you are frustrated with the inconvenience and expense of having to hire me. But when you call, I will be right there with the tools and training to resolve your dog training concern so that you, your family and your community can feel safe and secure. I am the Dog Whisperer.

I am available to help you house train your little Christmas puppy. I am there to place the missing obedience training on your out of control, hormonally driven adolescent dog so that he can stop jumping up on Grandma. We can help the shelter or rescue dog fit into your lifestyle easily, safely and sanely. Even though you may have picked a dog that does not fit in with your lifestyle: it's too big, too mean, too hyper, with my training and gentle touch, I can make sure that the dog learns to follow your direction. I am the Dog Whisperer.

In the best of all worlds, you will call me to help you with your new spring time puppy, you'd call me to help you pick the right dog from the shelter and you'd call me to so that I could talk you out of purchasing that puppy from the pet store. I offer products and services to help protect that which is yours. I read magazines, attend seminars and belong to trade groups so that I can increase my knowledge and my ability to help you solve your problems. I am the Dog Whisperer.

I am a Dog Whisperer. I am a psychologist, a teacher, a poet, a shaman, an artist, a preacher, a parent. I deal with people that are upset and dogs that are upset; I calm the savage beast within each one of you. I have been trained to secure and protect your children, your home, your assets and even your life. I have devoted my life to help you have the American Dream; a happy family with a happy dog.

Who Am I? I am an Animal Rights Activist. I believe that animals have the right to be educated so that they can fit into our modern life. I believe that it is inhumane and immoral to have an untrained, uneducated dog that is a danger to the family and the community. Our domestic dog has the right to have the kindest, the best, the most effective, most humane training tools and methods used for their education.

Who Am I? I am a Pro-Choice Activist. People have the right to have all training tools and training methods at their disposal so that they can make an informed choice as to what tools, techniques and tips will work best with their dog, their lifestyle and their personality.

Who Am I? I am a Pro-Life Activist. I believe that murdering dogs for bad behavior when a particular training tool or training technique fails them. If one training tool or technique fails, then the dog and the owner have the right to seek relief and rehabilitation from other dog professionals that may use alternative techniques.

Who Am I? I am Pro-Family Values. Good families deserve to own good dogs. Good dogs are dogs that are well-mannered, tolerate children, are polite to strangers and do not poop, pee or bite where or when it is inappropriate. Good dogs create good families, good families create good neighborhoods, and good neighborhoods create good cities.

Who Am I? I support Breed Tolerance. All breeds can be trained and educated to be good family members, good community members and assets to our modern life. I despise Breed Bigots, the radical elements in American society that claim a dog's breed matters more than his behavior. Punish the deed, don't exterminate the breed.

Who Ami I? I defer to Mother Nature, for she always knows best. The best way to rehabilitate a dog is to treat it like a dog, not like us. The dog is born on to this planet to experience life as a dog, not a person. Mother Nature is always right, always appropriate and never makes mistakes. So if you communicate with a dog in his language respecting the particulars of his dog culture, then a good dog is always the result.

Who Am I? I am a Fido Freedom Fighter: I believe that dogs think and feel much like people do. I do not believe that the dog is a unthinking, unfeeling, "black box" that operates on a simple reward/punishment paradigm. I know that the dog dreams, the dog remembers, the dog thinks and that the dog has a soul, in his own doggie way. I believe that dogs deserve to have as much freedom as good manners and good grooming will allow them in our modern lives, which means well mannered dogs should be allowed everywhere. I believe that good dog training should not be a crime. I am the Dog Whisperer and I support the National Urban Eden Day's "Good Dog" Doctrine.

The Urban Eden "Good Dog" Doctrine

The public has the right to be safe from dog bites. The public has the right to act stupid around dogs, and not get bitten.

The public has a right to clean, healthy, well-groomed, well-behaved, "invisible" dogs.

The public has the right to not step in dog droppings.

The public, when in a public space, has the right to not be pestered by a dog's bad behavior such as: barking, sniffing, being jumped up on, licking, pawing, whining, growling, biting, humping of things, peeing on things. For more information on Urban Eden Day go to http://www.dogdoright.com/urban-eden-day.htm

ALL ABOUT AMI

Her first and true love is canine behavior modification and problem solving. Ami Moore has pioneered the use of electric dog training equipment as positive reinforcement, and combined this groundbreaking innovation with the dog's natural drive to follow a strong leader.

From my point of view, a proper and balanced dog-human relationship is something that every person who has dogs in their life should experience, just as everyone should experience falling in love.

Student's ask me why I train my dogs, I tell them that "From my point of view, I train because I am very, very lazy and I want to to where I want, when I want; and I want to take my dogs with me when I go." And then, I always add, " Training dogs, my personal dogs, equals freedom for for them. I want my dogs to have a beautiful life from a dog's point of view. For a dog that means he has someone to follow and somewhere to go. I want my dogs to be "lucky dogs" not liabilities. http://www.dogdoright.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ami_Moore

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For working dogs, retirement can be challenging

By SUE MANNING
Associated Press

Some working dogs spend their lives outdoors and may not be house trained.

For nine years, Brac has worked like a dog at a private golf club, chasing geese and sparing members the indignity of goose poop in their spikes.

But the 10-year-old black-and-white border collie has arthritis in his legs, cataracts in his eyes and he's lost interest in the birds, so it's time for him to retire.

Larry Jones, assistant superintendent at the Roaring Fork Club in Basalt, Colo., can't keep him and has been trying to find him a good home.

"He loves everybody. He's really a sweet dog. And even though he's losing his working mojo, he still has a lot of pet mojo left," Jones said.

Working dogs like Brac are often forced to retire by age, illness or injury. But finding adoptive homes for retired working dogs can sometimes be challenging if they require medical care or have behavioral issues. Some working dogs like Brac spend their lives outdoors and may not be house trained. Others may have trouble acclimating to basic daily routines like riding in a car or climbing stairs.

Marie Turino, 35, of Freehold, N.J., fostered nearly 30 racing greyhounds before she adopted two.

"All they've ever seen is a track and a crate. They've never been in a home before, never seen a mirror or stairs," she said. She adopted Anna and Jasmine in 2002 and 2003, from different racetracks, when both dogs were 2.

"They don't know normal house sounds. The first morning, I turned on my blow dryer and Jasmine came flying, then stopped on a dime, staring at me." One of her foster dogs "went crazy when she saw a mirror and kept poking it with her nose."

She has cared for dogs with ticks, broken bones, infections and cuts on their noses from muzzles.

But not all aspects of care are difficult. "They are crate-trained so they are easy to housebreak and they don't shed much," she said. "It's easy to brush their teeth, clip their nails and clean their ears."

In some fields, retiring dogs are typically adopted by the people who work with them. About 90 percent of the dogs in the Sacramento K-9 unit retire with their handlers, Sacramento County sheriff's Deputy Brian Amos said. The rest of the deputies find homes for the dogs.

Amos and his dog Jimmy had been together four years when Jimmy was injured in training and forced to retire in 2005. The hardest part for Amos came each morning when he left for work with his new dog, Jesse.

Jimmy would bark and whine. "I felt like I was cheating on him."

Jimmy has since died of old age, but he eventually took to retirement, becoming more relaxed and less anxious, Amos said.

Since 1950, Dalmatians with names like King, Bud, Brewer, Barley and Hops have been working with teams of Clydesdale horses to promote Anheuser-Busch, based in St. Louis, Mo.

Puppies are taught basic skills at the St. Louis stables, then go out with a Clydesdale team to learn from an older dog, said Jeff Knapper, general manager of the company's Clydesdale operations. They usually retire after four or five years on the job and are nearly always adopted by their handlers. If not, there is a high demand for them because Budweiser dogs "spend a lot of time greeting the public, have a great temperament and are very social," Knapper said.

Sled dogs pose a variety of challenges as house pets. Often they walk in circles because they've been tied to posts all their lives. They also need to be house trained and learn how to walk on a leash, climb stairs, walk across slick floors without falling and ride in a car without vomiting, according to Seth Sachson, who's adopted eight sled dogs. Sachson serves as executive director of the Aspen Animal Shelter and the Aspen Boarding Kennel in Aspen, Colo.

Tracy Sargent of Cedartown, Ga., runs K9 Search & Rescue Specialists, Inc., which has responded to hundreds of calls ranging from missing persons to plane crashes to natural disasters. If a dog works for her, it retires with her, she said.

But just like people, some dogs have a tough time adjusting to retirement, Sargent said. She uses rides, mini-training camps in the yard, more ball play, longer walks and extra attention to help them make the transition. Brooke, a German shepherd, worked full-time until she was 10. Then she slowed down, her vision dimmed and she had trouble jumping in and out of a rescue vehicle. Sargent took more than a year to fully retire Brooke, taking her on shorter trips and using her for confined searches. Eventually Brooke seemed happy to stay home and rest. She lived to be nearly 16, Sargent said.

Bailey, a 13-year-old English springer spaniel, has become Christy Judah's couch pal since retiring a few months ago after more than 150 land and water searches with the Brunswick Search and Rescue Team in Brunswick County, N.C.

"He loves to search and it is not a matter of not being able to sniff out the victim, but a matter of lovingly deciding that his aging body needed a rest," Judah said.

These days Bailey gets pampering, people food and access to a bed and couch, Judah said. To keep him sharp, they still play search games, but in smaller spaces with simpler problems.

In some cases, working dogs don't retire — and neither do their owners. Patti Gibson has been running after bloodhounds for 26 years as a founding member of Illinois-Wisconsin Search Dogs, which has gone on 390 searches.

"Retirement is a dirty word," she said. "I have never retired any of my four bloodhounds. The average life span is 8 to 9 years and mine have all lived to 13 to 14 years and worked until the day they died. Bloodhounds don't seem to want to stop working."

Gibson, who is 75 years old, says "everyone needs a passion — running behind a hound is mine. It's more exciting than crocheting."

Article source: seattletimes.nwsource.com


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