No matter what type of pet dog training you chose, whether it’s in-kennel training, private lessons, in-home training, or even group classes, you have your home work cut out for you! In-kennel clients should understand that just because the dog does all the commands for our dog trainer’s doesn’t mean that will automatically apply to you. Let’s say, for example your dog has had the run of the house the last 2 years, he comes and goes as he pleases, chews up things in your home, lunges at people on a walk, and maybe a little rough when playing with new dogs. You as the pet owner, have allowed that to go on the last 2 years, and that is no big deal, we see it all the time, but when your dog returns home you have to get with the program and apply the rules instantly. This can take several days or even weeks for your dog to realize that “Mom is not putting up with my bad behavior anymore!” And my group class, private lessons, and in-home training clients you are not off the hook either! You will be assigned things to work on between sessions, it’s your job as the pet owner to follow through, and it’s so worth it!

Protection dog clients maybe the worst as far as expectations! They often times purchase a dog that is picked from a vendor in Europe, we ship the dog to our facility, and the owner may or may not even come visit before training begins. We work with the dog for several months in obedience and bite work and deliver the dog to the client’s home. This dog doesn’t know you from Adam; it takes several weeks and sometimes months depending on the dog, for a bond or relationship to take effect. Clients want good social dogs that can do well with kids that perform bite work, then call the first week and say it’s not mean enough! Once the dog understands his home he will guard it to the fullest! This goes back to patience and consistency in training once the dog is in your home! We have a protection dog in the Charlotte area, the owner called after week two and said that his wife has spoiled her so much he didn’t think she would bite a flea! Jason went down to the home did a little decoy work with her and she still had it! Jason explained that she was still settling in to be patient and stick with working obedience daily (this helps with the liability issue that come with a protection dog to work on nice solid obedience). A few weeks later, the owner called and said he had to leave work early and go home, because the cleaning lady had stepped out of the house and their dog would not let her back in! Since then this family has had other positive experiences when the dog performed their job, you just have to give it a chance!

Our Autism Assistance Dog clients probably have the most work do to once the dog arrives. For this simple reason is why we generally stay five days upon delivery of the dog to make sure the transition goes well with the children! Our families already have a tight schedule with school, therapies, and doctor appointments and so on, now they have to learn how to utilize a dog in this chaos! We prepare our clients for the responsibilities that are added with a dog and how they still have to work daily with the child and dog on obedience and structure. Like our protection dog clients we often purchase a dog to fit the family’s needs and they may visit the dog a few times upon delivery, so again it takes a little bit for the dog to settle and bond with your family so be patient it will pay off in the end!

So when asked “What are your expectations of the dogs training?” Your answer should be I understand that your job is to lay the foundation work for my dog, but it’s up to me and my family to properly nurture and mold the finished product with training my dog! Keep expectations realistic, understand that these dogs will not be push button in the beginning, it takes time, with consistency and structure you will get there, and we guarantee it! We are only a phone call away and any of our dog trainer’s will be happy to assist with advice and/or a visit if needed!

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When everyone comes to a decision on what breed, size and energy level you think would be best the next step is finding a breeder that interests you. A few things that might help you decide which breeder to pick can be if the parents are on site, how long he/she has been in business for and ask them questions on the info that you found on the breed that you have decided to go with. Ask them if you can come to their house or kennel to see the parents and the condition they keep them in. If for some reason they say no, that is a clue you don’t want to do business with them and that they are trying to hide something.

Once you bring your puppy home it is very important to make sure that you have all of the things they need before you bring them home. Puppies can start training depending on the breed anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks old. At a young age the more socialization the better. Introducing them to something new should be a gradual thing. Your goal is to set everything up so your puppy gets something good out of that experience. Some of the things that is important to introduce them to is men, women, children, different sounds and walking on a leash. It is important that the training is a positive and fun experience so they look forward to learning new things. Never hit your puppy when they are having a bad day or when they do something that you are not happy with. Put them in their crate and try it again the next day.

Moving on to training. Whether you go to group classes or get a trainer to work with you and your family it is important for the dogs stability to have boundaries that everyone follows. For example, one person can’t tell the puppy that they can come on the bed and then the next person yells at the puppy when it gets on the bed. Everything has to come across clear so he/she doesn’t start to get confused and then they don’t know what is being asked of them which will set you back in the training. Taking your puppy out to practice training should always be when you are in a good mood. When you are having a bad day the puppy will pick up on this. In turn that session will be a waste of time and will get you nowhere.

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This seminar is a great opportunity for dog owners, veterinarians, rescue volunteers, petsitters, groomers and others to learn about canine communication, canine cognition as well as answers to some common myths and questions about dog behavior. The seminar will last for about 3 hours and will include about an hour question and answer session with our training staff.

The seminar will include such topics as:
How Dogs Learn
Canine Body Language
Behavior Problems
How to be a Better Dog Owner
Bite Prevention
Working with Dogs and Children
…and much, much more!

This seminar is free of charge and is open to anyone who would like to attend. Space is limited and registration for the seminar is required. If you would like to attend the seminar, please email us at training@highlandcanine.com. Please include your name and phone number in your email. Our recent seminar posting for Charlotte filled in about a week. If you have questions about the seminar, feel free to call us at 704.728.9494.

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The puppies name is Sammy and he is a 6 month old Dalmatian. Not only did he have no obedience, he was resource guarding his food and water, biting at people and extremely under socialized with people and other animals. This combination could have led to a terrible outcome for the owners and the dog if they had not taken the initiative to get the dog help right away.

To start, this process is long, frustrating and by no means easy. Sammy has been here for about a week now and is coming along great. We are introducing him to more and more people every day, letting him play and get his energy out with other puppies, and teaching him that there is plenty of food for him to eat and he does not have to get aggressive and guard it anymore.

It is more frustrating than anything trying to teach a deaf dog. Many people get frustrated because they cannot yell at the dog for doing inappropriate things. I found it more frustrating that I could not praise the dog for doing things that we like! Imagine being told that you need to drive a close friend to a state you had never been before. Problem is, you cannot use a map or GPS and your friend can not tell you if you are going in the right direction or not. If…and only if you ever made your destination how frustrated do you think you would be by that time? This is how a deaf dog feels when it has no direction.

It’s hard to understand how often we use verbal disapproval and verbal praise in our daily lives with our furry companions. Take a deaf dog for a day and you will begin to understand. Now, how about we change the situation I gave you before. You are driving your friend and every time you make a correct turn that person gives you a dollar, but every time you make a wrong turn they take one away. This will make you a little more motivated to go the right way, no? This may also make the process a little less stressful and more enjoyable, wouldn’t you think?

With Sammy what we began doing is using non verbal cues to show approval and disapproval. Sammy is beginning to learn that eye contact is key to understanding whether he is doing the right or wrong thing. Touch is the dogs first sense that it is capable of using. Without being able to hear, his other senses have been heightened. For this reason we tend to use touch to show approval. A gentle pet when the dog is relieving itself outside while housebreaking it, a pat on the head when we are baiting a sit/stay or down/stay. As much as we take these for granted, these are the cues that Sammy needs to understand he is doing well and we are happy.

At Highland Canine Training we have the proven track record to work with dogs of all breeds and sizes, whether they have a disability or not. Please remember, although it may be frustrating having a dog with a disability, a dog must still have guidance in order to prevent it from being destructive and possibly dangerous. If you or someone you know has a dog that may have issues with resource guarding, biting, or may be under socialized with animals or people give us a call. We offer free evaluations so we can map out a plan of action to better your relationship with you and your dog.

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I think the most important aspect of dog selecting is being honest with yourself regarding the type of life style you have.

The standard poodle is an old breed whose name comes from the German word pudel, meaning “to splash in waster”. The county of origin is France and was originally used as a water retriever. These dogs made good hunters into the nineteenth century then later became popular companion dogs. Because of their intelligence they often excel in training especially obedience training. The standard poodle is an active breed and requires daily exercise, both physical and mental exercise. The best living environment is suburban or rural living. With this in mind, this is a good breed for you if you enjoy going for walks and have time and desire to train your dog.

Their coat is hypoallergenic and often people who are allergic to dogs may have less of an allergic reaction to a poodle. However, their coat requires maintenance and routine grooming.

An important note when becoming a dog owner…always get the dog from a reputable breeder, understanding the temperament and purpose of particular dog, and make sure your life style is compatible with the dog you select.

Highland Canine Training, LLC is currently training a Standard Poodle for their Autism Program. The Poodle is good with kids, affectionate with family members and friends but can be aloof towards strangers, making her a perfect candidate for the Autistic boy who will receive her in 6 months. Because this Poodle is highly intelligent, we are also able to train her for the specific needs of our customer.

The Autism Assistance Dog program has provided hope for a family that has exhausted all their resources. A family living with an autistic family member, not only has the pressure of everyday living but the added responsibility of routine doctor visits, school visits, other therapy visits, and dealing with a number a specific issues. Our particular customer struggles with anxiety, sleeping, repetitive behaviors, making friends and wondering to name a few. By working closely with this family we will train their dog to meet the specific needs of their child. We just recently received a letter from these customers saying “I cannot even begin to tell you what a pleasure this process has been for us! You have made one of our New Year wishes come true and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

We at Highland Canine Training are grateful to be able to provide a service that will make a difference in someone life. Learn more about our Autism Program by visiting www.autismassistancedog.com.

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This seminar is a great opportunity for dog owners, veterinarians, rescue volunteers, petsitters, groomers and others to learn about canine communication, canine cognition as well as answers to some common myths and questions about dog behavior. The seminar will last for about 3 hours and will include a question and answer session with our training staff.

The seminar will include:
How Dogs Learn
Canine Body Language
Behavior Problems
How to be a Better Dog Owner
Bite Prevention
Working with Dogs and Children
…and much, much more!

This seminar is free of charge and is open to anyone who would like to attend. Space is limited and registration for the seminar is required. If you would like to attend the seminar, please email us at training@highlandcanine.com. Please include your name and phone number in your email. If you have questions about the seminar, feel free to call us at 704.728.9494.

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Desensitization often works by gradually exposing the dog to the fearful stimulus. As an example, we would take our dog to the vet for short periods of time without any negative stimuli, i.e. nail trimming, vaccinations, exam, etc. until the dog began to relax when taken to the vet.

Desensitization is often accomplished by utilizing a process known as counter conditioning. Counter conditioning is when we change the association that the dog has already made with the stimulus so that the outcome is always a positive one as opposed to a negative one. When using counter conditioning we must understand that it will require a great deal of repetitions with our new association in order for the dog to automatically assume that the new association will always be the end result of the stimulus.

For example, I have recently been working with a young Australian Shepherd that belongs to one of our clients that is a NASCAR driver. This is important because the dog often travels with him to the races and other events on weekends during race season. The young Aussie had developed a fear of loud noises including the National Anthem. He would become extremely nervous, shake and attempt to hide when he heard the song play.

Let’s take a look at the associations that this dog made based on the patterns and routines that he had experienced. He would often travel to the race track on the weekends. Prior to each race, he would experience the invocation, the National Anthem, a flyover by military jets, fireworks and then the firing of forty-three very loud engines. Again, his fear was generally of loud noises, but he quickly made the connection that when the National Anthem began that the loud fireworks, flyover and race cars soon would start. Therefore, he began to get nervous, shake and begin to hide as soon as he heard the anthem begin.

This is a perfect example of how counter conditioning can break the associations that the dog had previously made. In the dogs mind, he thinks that when the anthem begins, something very bad is soon to come. So it is our job to teach him that any time the National Anthem plays, good things will happen. The young pup was highly food motivated, loved to chase a ball and do agility. So, we would play the anthem and immediately begin feeding him, playing ball or doing agility. This would help to refocus his brain and gradually teach him that the association that he had previously made with the anthem had now changed.

I am pleased to say that this Aussie pup has made tremendous strides in overcoming his fear of noises. He continues to improve each week. It is also important to understand that counter conditioning does not always work for every dog and can at times, have negative effects. Before you attempt desensitization and counter conditioning with your dog, be sure to contact a professional trainer to talk about your dogs behavior and develop a plan of rehabilitating it. If you have questions about phobias, desensitization or dog training programs, feel free to contact us for advice or information.

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Dog training obedience is the first step toward gaining structure and control back into your home and lifestyle. However not every dog is satisfied with 30 minutes of training a few times a week or most often I hear the old standby ” having the dog sit or down while I have my snack on the couch and throw them a piece or two! ” Some dogs need a little more interaction and so just need a job to do. The trainers at Highland Canine Training can offer you tips and suggestions for your lifestyle so that you can get more from your dog and your obedience training.

One alternative method of releasing in energy is what we call “Tracking for Fun” with your dog. Now, not every dog or pet owner is cut out for this exercise, we would have to test your dog out during our free evaluation to make sure that both you and the dog are up to speed! Tracking is a great we to get the whole family involved and make your puppy tired. We often times get the older kids in the family to run a short track in the wooded area or the park (some even take walkie talkie’s to make it even more fun) and then the rest of the family can run behind the dog while they are tracking. It’s great exercise for everyone!

Another alternative method is agility courses. This too will require a free evaluation from our trainers to make sure you and your dog are enjoying what you do. Some of our clients go to group classes or have private lessons for agility training or you can make your own agility equipment at home. This again is a fun hobby for the entire family. Some of our more creative clients come up with neat agility courses that they have made out of things lying around the yard or garage.

We often times see pet owners who have bought or ended up with extremely drivey working dog lines in their home, which can be a recipe for disaster if you’re not careful! Protection training is often a good outlet for those high energy dogs. Many people are under the asumption that dogs that do bitework are mean and cannot be socialized or controlled. That is not the case, if your dog has ambition you could simply conduct bitework sessions as a game or sport with very little civil agitation. Dogs can understand when the bite sleeve or suit is out…we get to play. This is a great work out for the dog as well as the handler and lets not forget the decoy. If you do not have access to the equipment we would be happy to provide you with private lessons for protection work.

Herding is another great way to provide your dog with both physical exercise as well as mental stimulation. Herding training is obviously not for every dog and owner, but is often a great way to burn off energy for pastoral breeds. Contrary to popular belief, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds and German Shepherds do not automatically know how to instinctively herd. These and many other dogs will have some natural herding instincts, but do not know how to herd. This activity is something that must be taught and can be learned by dogs both young and old. If you are interested in herding training feel free to call or email us to set up a free herding evaluation.

Tugging can also be a great game to play with your dog to exert mental and physical stimulation. This activity does not illicit aggressive behavior! A dog that is well-rounded and balanced will often find this game both challlenging and fun. The important thing to understand with playing tug is that you always control the game.

Utilizing a backpack during a walk or run can also be a great way of burning some excess energy. Physical exercise is not always enough and we would encourage mental stimulation along with any physical activity. Adding a backpack to your routine can sometimes be enough to tire out your dog.

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His owners brought him in wearing a small leather muzzle and described him as having “social anxiety”. Tayo would jump on people, fight with other dogs, bark, bite, and even run away if given the opportunity. He even barked and growled at unfamiliar objects as if he wanted to kill them.

We worked with Tayo for several days and observed his behaviors. I noticed that all that was required for him to bark and growl at someone was that they be standing, sitting or breathing. He was actually pretty indiscriminate about his displays of aggression. After some testing and observation we determined that he wasn’t very dominant, fear aggressive and did not suffer from dog aggression. His behaviors really didn’t fit well into any common dog behavior category. After a couple of days we were able to determine that he was reactive and very easily stimulated. This often caused him frustration, therefore, he would simply sink his teeth into whatever and too often, whomever was nearby.

So, we began to give Tayo plenty of exercise, mental stimulation, direction and an outlet for his frustrations and soon we saw that his behavior was improving drastically. So we continued to work perfecting his obedience commands and teaching him a little “self control”.

Tayo was particularly fond of trying to bite joggers and others who passed by him too quickly or closely. So after working with him for some time, I felt as though he was ready to be challenged with some “joggers”. We had several new people run, jog and pass by Tayo swiftly, all the while I was keeping his attention and focus on me. To my pleasant surprise, Tayo was able to keep his attention on me and not fixate on the people jogging by.

Tayo was not an aggressive dog at all. He was simply understimulated and needed more direction in his life. His owners had worked hard to try to rehabilitate him themselves, but they simply didn’t have the tools or the understanding of what Tayo needed.

Tayo’s owner recently sent us an update which said:

“I am so pleased with what your training has done for my dog. You really gave him a second chance at hopefully living a long life. He listens to us now and seems to actually be more content.”

-Kristen K., Baltimore, MD

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Often times, dog owners deal with frustrating issues and behavioral problems because they don’t have the understanding or resources to fix them. These behaviors can be as simple as jumping on people, barging out the door, pulling on the leash or chasing a cat. At times these behaviors are more serious and include; biting, fighting, nipping, guarding, fear of people, fear of dogs, dominance and territorial aggression.

Most owners will employ the help of a dog trainer to assist in rehabilitating these more serious behavior problems. At times, this behavior modification is unsuccessful and can even makes the problems worse. Lately, we have rehabilitated a number of dogs that have been seen by other trainers. We have realized that their behaviors have escalated because there was a misdiagnosis of their problem by the other trainer. Therefore, the trainer and owner have been utilizing methods of rehabilitation and treatment that conflict with the behavior problem that the dog actually has.

Proper behavior analysis is critical in order to successfully rehabilitate a problem dog. In order to decide on a plan of rehabilitation, we must first take the time to understand the root cause of the problem or problems. In order to understand the problem completely, the trainer should take the time to interview the owner(s) of the dog, ask questions about the dogs behavior and any previous incidents with the dog and then observe the dog under the same circumstances where it has displayed the problem behaviors in the past. This should only be the beginning of the evaluation. The trainer will often have to test theories about the trigger(s) for the behavior in order to accurately determine the root cause of the problem behavior.

If we are working with a dog that we have determined is fear aggressive (biting because they are fearful of something or someone), it is not acceptable to simply say the the dog is fearful and they will bite when put into a situation where they are scared. We must first dissect the problem so that we can treat it properly. For example, we may find that this particular dog is fearful and this causes them to bite. By dissecting the problem, we may find that the dog is only fearful in situations with other dogs. If we further evaluate the problem, we may learn that the dog is only fearful of large dogs that are brown. By taking the evaluation further we may often find that the dog is only fearful with males of this type.

So, our original assessment was that the dog was fearful and that the dog would display aggression when placed in fearful situations. But by taking the assessment further, we have found that the dog is fear aggressive when placed in situations with large, brown, male dogs. Our course of rehabilitation would require inclusion of training and exposure with large, brown, male dogs in order to be successful.

This example is only one of many combinations that is possible in a behavioral analysis examination. These problems can be less or more specific than the example that I listed above. What is important to understand is that we cannot successfully rehabilitate a problem or undesired behavior unless we fully understand what the problem truly is.

Once we have determined the cause of the behavior, only then can we efficiently begin to treat it. Fortunately, the majority of behavioral problems are treatable with a consistent training and rehabilitation program.

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