Welfare Of Our Furry Friends (WOOFF) 416.995.3304

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?

Your dog dashes out the door, ignoring your calls to come. He jumps up on someone to say hello while you repeatedly call him to come. Finally he does, and you say “Bad dog!”

You suddenly realize how quiet it is and wonder what your dog may be up to, only to find her chewing on a new pair of expensive eyewear, shoes, or a pen. You say, “Drop it.” She does, and you say “Bad dog!”

You let your dog out into the yard. It’s 6 a.m., and he starts to bark. You are in your pyjamas, and you call for him to come. He does, and you say “Bad dog! No barking!”

You take a roast out of the oven and go to answer the phone. Out of the corner of your eye, you see your dog jumping up onto the counter to reach for it. You say “off,” she listens, and you say “Bad dog!”

These are all very common scenarios, and it feels right to want to punish your dog in that moment. Frustration takes over logic. It is imperative to be mindful of those moments, as they are great training and learning opportunities for your dog.

Imagine it from your dog’s point of view. Say you were in the middle
of doing something and someone called you over. You listen only to get punished. Would you go again the next time that person called?

Behaviour is driven by consequences. This is what’s called Thorndike’s Law of Effect. It’s all about what happens right after a behaviour. Good things happen, and your dog will repeat the behaviour. Bad things happen, and your dog will learn to avoid the behaviour.

Reward your dog for doing the right behaviour even if he was doing the wrong behaviour moments before. If your dog comes when called, drops the item when cued, or gets off the counter when asked, then those are the moments that need to be reinforced, rewarded, and praised.

So what can you do to prevent your dog from doing “bad” behaviours?

Teach your dog a reliable recall. That is, to immediately return to you when called. Coming to you should be much more rewarding than whatever he or she is doing.

Keep items out of reach if your dog is not allowed to chew on them. Make sure that your dog has plenty of toys to play with and supervise him to prevent mistakes.

If your dog is “counter surfing,” climbing up on the counters, management is the best option. Don’t let her learn that behaviour in the first place by keeping the counters free of any food. Don’t feed table food while you are preparing it. Teach your dog an alternate behaviour, such as going to her bed and staying put while food is out. If your dog is about to go for that roast and you tell her to get off and she listens, reward her.

If your dog is in the backyard and barking, consider the reasons why. Is he bored? Did he hear a sound or see a squirrel? Accompany your dog outside. Reward him for paying attention to you. Teach him to be quiet when cued. Reward him for silence.

Every moment we have with our dogs is an opportunity to affect their behaviour. Dogs want to know what’s in it for them and need motivation, just like we do. Make sure the behaviours you want are generously and consistently reinforced and the behaviours you don’t like are prevented through diligent management rather than punishment.

Treat your dog as a learner and not your adversary and always be mindful of the moment.

Marlo Hiltz, CPDT-KA

Why I prefer to feed meals:
 
1.
I use mealtime as a barometer of how my dog is feeling. My pug, Wilson, inhales his food and has never missed a meal. If he did that would be a red flag he may not be feeling well.
2.
For puppies especially, input equals output. This helps with house training. Puppies usually need a trip to their toilet area within an hour of eating a meal.This greatly increases your chances of predicting when your puppy will go therefore giving you the opportunity to take your dog to the appropriate area for elimination and setting you and them up for success.
3.
An opportunity to reinforce behaviour you like. Take advantage of mealtime and use a portion of their food to practice training and reinforce behaviours you like.
4.
Boarding your puppy will be a lot easier if they eat meals. If the boarding facility is 'cage-free', it is unlikely that the facility will be able to leave your dogs food out all day as another dog may eat it first.  
5.
Would you like to take your dog out for the day? It's easier to know that they ate breakfast than worry about them being hungry throughout the day.
6.
If your dogs food is always available and you have given your dog a little bit of this and that, then it is more likely your dog will learn to hold out for something yummier. This can create a finicky eater. It's important that your dogs diet consists primarily of their dog food as it is the most nutritionally balanced part of their diet.
7.
OBESITY! The never ending bowl of food or the doggie buffet. Just like us, dogs need portion control otherwise, they will become obese and unhealthy. If you are filling up the bowl every time it is empty then you may end up with an obese dog. Follow the guidelines that come with each bag of food.

Teaching your dog to eat meals is easy to do. First figure out how much food your dog eats in a day. Then depending on your dogs age divide that amount into two or three meals. Puppies up to 6 months eat three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). After 6 months, it is ok to switch to two meals per day (breakfast and dinner). Put a measured portion down for each meal. Leave the food down for 30 minutes and then take it away. If your dog is used to 'free feeding' then make sure you let them know the food is down and encourage them to eat. If it is kibble, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water to it. Sometimes this makes the food more palatable. Remove the food after 30 minutes and then put it down at the next scheduled meal time.

Please only feed meals with a healthy puppy / dog. If your veterinarian has recommended free feeding due to a medical condition then follow your vet's advice.


Marlo Hiltz, CPDT-KA