Easy Fix for Scary Things

Is your dog frightened by loud noise or thunder? Do you have a dog that seems particularly nervous in certain situations but not others? There may be a simple fix for you - that requires no training! My clients are reporting great results using the Thundershirt (www.Thundershirt.com.)

It took me a while to believe it, but after a colleague at Hound Table (our monthly meet-up of Indianapolis area dog professionals) reported good results, I took the plunge about a year ago and started carrying this product to offer to my clients.

My clients are saying that the Thundershirt works well, not only to calm their fearful dogs during our dramatic mid-west storms, but also during socially difficult situations where their dogs previously might use aggression. In other words, dogs seem to feel safer wearing the Thundershirt! I have worked with dogs that couldn't approach me during a consultation, even when I had food, but after the owner puts the Thundershirt on the dog, the dog bravely comes forward and eats the treat within a few minutes. It's truly remarkable.

If you would like to try a Thundershirt for your dog, you can order directly from their website, www.Thundershirt.com. Or you can ask me to bring one to your next private lesson or class if you are a client.

Train Your Dog to Be Friendly!

I cringe every time I see someone thump a dog on the head. Flat hand pats dog in varying degrees of thump-itude. Dog winces, blinks. Sometimes the dogs don’t mind. I am thinking of a certain Labrador I know who is so happy to have anyone touch him, he doesn’t mind where or how and he’ll thump you back with his tail so hard it’ll nearly break your kneecap. But other dogs… sometimes they are bothered with the thump-approach to greetings.

A polite canine greeting involves lots of body arcs and nose-to-tail inspections. Polite dogs don’t confront each other squarely with direct eye contact. That’s “cruisin’ for a bruisin’” language! However, this is how most people approach our dogs, so we have to help our dogs learn to accept, if not enjoy, these kinds of greetings.

You can teach your dog to accept rough handling, even from strangers. You can start simply, with an easy game I teach children and parents to play with the family dog. It’s called, “I Spy.” Mom says, “I spy Sparky’s shoulder.” Child touches Sparky’s shoulder with a flat hand. Mom feeds Sparky some cheese. “I spy Sparky’s ear.” Child pats Sparky’s ear. Sparky looks at Mom for the cheese and gets some. In this manner, Sparky can be desensitized – made less sensitive – to touches from family members. When Sparky begins to seek out the touch (in order to earn the cheese!), you can begin asking friends to touch Sparky while you reward him.

You can also give Sparky easy tricks to do so that he has a predictable interaction when strangers approach. Usually, if a dog is offering a Sit-Up behavior, people stand back and watch rather than thump him on the head. If Sparky can shake a paw in greeting, this gives those pesky strange hands a predictable place to touch Sparky. Remember to reward Sparky for his good behavior!

A week ago, I watched as about 9 children gathered around my dog to pet her all at once. There was plenty of thumping and patting. Since this isn’t something that happens to her often, I automatically rewarded her with huge chunks of jerky. She was happy to hit such a jackpot and eagerly accepted all the busy hands touching her. I expect that the next time she’s surrounded by children, she’ll wag her tail and tell me that all the thumping in the world is worth it if I pay her well enough! Your dog also deserves a reward for being a good dog. And, if your dog is sensitive, be proactive and train him to accept the affection of a stranger, no matter how thumpily it’s offered.