WoofGang LLC

11/15/2024

11/15/2024

Red is such a good boy! When the humans were flapping their gums, this is what he did... in one case, he even brought the bed with him and lay, at least partly, on it and waited. He didn't bark or jump or otherwise make a nuisance of himself.

This is not hard to train! The best way to decrease the bad behaviors and increase the good ones is to simply pay all sorts of attention to the good ones. All too often, we pay too much attention to the bad ones, forgetting that even negative attention is attention, but then we pay NO attention to the good behaviors because those are the quiet ones that don't attract our attention. Red reminds us of the advantages to paying attention to those good behaviors... he is the perfect companion!

11/13/2024

Look at the ears on Lana! She can probably hear a pin drop in China ;)

This sweet, smart girl is pretty reactive to everything... people passing, dogs passing, noises. Once she gets up to them, she is friendly and social, but she's a bit of a bear on leash. Perhaps she's frustrated that she wants to meet all those people and dogs but a leash is holding her back. Or it could be that there are so many stressful things in her life that she's a raw nerve, ready to go off at the slightest instigation. Shepherds are known for being pretty sensitive and high-strung, especially when they aren't working or getting enough exercise.

For Lana, this will be a multi-pronged approach. Give her work to do and exercise, teach her impulse control, decrease the things in her life that cause her stress, and teach her that the sight of dogs and people are not a cause for frustration.

11/12/2024

Tilly rekindled an old friendship with Mike, who she'd met when he was a puppy. Mike was afraid of getting into the car. Tilly to the rescue -- it can help to see another dog jump happily and without pause into a car, so the two played a game of follow the leader, with Tilly jumping in, Mike following. Though tentative at first, he gradually got more comfortable with jumping in.

Of course, the work didn't stop there. Mike still had to learn to be comfortable with engine noises and car movement, But his parents worked slowly and patiently, building his tolerance to the car bit by little bit. It can also help for those first trips to be very, very short, and to result in a fun activity, like driving to his BFF dog's yard just down the street for a playdate.

Mike is now a happy traveler

11/08/2024

We've met Scarlet, the Aussie BernaDoodle, before. You might remember her playdate with Tilly when she had started out pretty shy but was finally able to sniff Tilly nose to nose when Tilly was lying down. Here she is making new friends! The two are sharing a moment and getting some tasty treats near each other.

For a shy, under-socialized dog like Scarlet, making playdates with really laid-back, low-key players will help her learn the ropes and build some play skills. Then gradually expand the net, allowing her to practice her new skills with different dogs. Perhaps those dogs are a little more playful but still fairly small in size, or larger but calm and respectful. We want Scarlet to grow her friendships from two to ten to twenty, and so on and so on. When she has met 100 dogs, one bad experience will have less of a detrimental effect on her than it will now when she's had so few interactions, so doing this carefully is crucial to her social development.

Good job, little Scarlet! You're a brave girl

11/06/2024

This is Charlie, big "bro" to Nelson, who we met yesterday. He was always a pretty laid back, well-behaved little dude so he never really needed much training. His jumping on people was not really too disruptive when it was only one dog jumping. But with Nelson having joined the family, his puppy energy has increased Charlie's jumping tendencies, so now they are two consummate jumping beans!

Because he had always been so easy to live with, it seemed like Charlie would be the easier to train, but in fact he took a little more convincing to affect behavior change. Because, if you think about it, he's been doing the jumping behavior for longer than Nelson has... his habit is more ingrained.

In fact, old dogs (and Charlie is by no means old) CAN learn new tricks, but it is even more important to be consistent when training them because they have been practicing their habits for longer. Charlie is proof positive that polite behavior is just a few (hundred) repetitions away!

11/05/2024

This cute little tyke is Nelson, the Frenchy, and he and his brother, Charlie (who we'll meet tomorrow) are getting some training together. They both need work on impulse control and decreasing their jumping. Nelson, being the younger and more energetic, seemed like he might be the harder to train and the more in need of it. But he's very food motivated and learned very quickly that good things happened for good, polite behavior. Within minutes, he was no longer jumping at all and instead he stayed glued to the floor with his t***y! Of course, he also knew it was a training session when treats were so clearly available. It will take consistency to make these new skills turn into habits. And the behavior will need to be "proofed" in every situation, meaning that it is expected in every room of the house, out in the yard, on walks... anywhere and everywhere!

10/31/2024

Tilly made friends with Helga, the mini Schnauzer, at the dog park. These two are having a lovely, low-key interaction. Helga prefers toy play; Tilly likes games of chase, which are too intense for Helga, especially with such a big dog. But here they are finding an indirect way of sharing time and space. Parallel activities, such as sniffing and going for walks together, can offer indirect interactions which can suit both dogs, even when their play styles are vastly different.

10/30/2024

This is Annie, the Golden Doodle (in the background) with Joy, a "cousin" dog from the extended family (in the foreground). When Joy visits, she can get a little anxious and unsettled and she has difficulty relaxing. This, in turn, tends to make Annie uncomfortable and unsettled. Here, the two girls are practicing being relaxed and polite together. Further, they are associating each other with tasty treats, which further builds positive feelings between them.

When dogs are uncomfortable or stressed, we can help them by building skills and habits that help them better cope situations that make them feel uncertain.

Further, when dogs have uneasy relationships with each other, we will better serve them by teaching them skills to coexist with one another rather than forcing them into direct interactions. In so doing, they may enjoy each other's company more in the long run.

10/29/2024

There are some problems with this picture. First, this dog is in an off-leash dog park, ON LEASH. How frustrating for him to be without his own freedom among so many others with theirs. It can even cause defensive behavior for a dog who feels trapped by his leash when approached by an off-leash dog.

By the way, the opposite problem is allowing dogs to be off-leash in on-leash areas because now dogs off-leash have the ability to race up to leash-limited dogs who, again, can feel trapped and defensive.

So the lesson here is... dogs should be OFF leash in off-leash areas and ON leash everywhere else.

Further, these vest-y harnesses are never effective for dogs who pull. Though they have the leash attachment at the chest, look at how bunched up it gets. This can cause chafing and it's ineffective for decreasing pulling. My favorite device is the 3 Hounds Design Freedom harness.

But still, NOT in the dog park!

10/28/2024

We see teeth and we get worried. The first pic is a close-up of just Tilly's face. Does it help to see the bigger picture to see that this is just play?

Dogs use their mouths much the way we use our hands, to grasp things. Of course, it can be a threatening grasp done in anger or fear, but it can also be a playful grasp, a game of jaw hockey, as it is here. Tilly's ears are softly back and her eyes are playful and almond shaped. If she were serious, there would be tension in her brows, not smooth as they are here, her eyes would be hard, and her ears would be plastered back. The wrinkling in her muzzle is to draw her lips back and out of the way because, even in play, she doesn't want to bite her own lip.

Of course, biting in play can become problematic. Remember that play is a rehearsal of skills, so if a dog repeatedly bites around the neck in play, imagine where she will bite if she gets angry. Yup, the neck. That's why habits are important, even in benign contexts. WoofGang can help! Contact us at (646) 345-5116 to set up a session. Like this page for daily posts about all things dog! And sign up for the WoofGang emailing list... with tips, tricks, special offers and Mutt Morsels -- training tips that solve everyday problems. Simply click on http://eepurl.com/gQDqLX to subscribe and join! (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

10/24/2024

This is Red practicing wearing a muzzle. He's having a grand time putting it on because he's getting a boatload of treats in the process.

EVERY dog should learn to wear a muzzle because, should a dog be scared or injured during a vet visit, he may need to tolerate one. A dog in pain can bite even when he's never bitten before. As a vet visit is already a stressful event, we don't want the introduction of a muzzle to the mix to make it even moreso. So, if we teach Red to be perfectly comfortable in a muzzle, he will have only positive feelings about it if it ever needs to be used.

For practicing muzzle exercises, I like to use an adjustable nylon muzzle, That way, it can be large and roomy during the practice phases so that treats can be easily eaten. Then it can be adjusted to a smaller size when it actually needs to be used. The other alternative is the Baskerville basket muzzle, which accommodates easy treat delivery through the openings.

Muzzles keep people AND dogs safe

10/23/2024

Look at Dunkin using his puzzle toy! Under the sliding blocks are hidden treats and he's having a ball finding them! This is a toy especially suited for a pawsy dog.

Using puzzle toys like this with our dogs to get their meals and snacks gives them mental stimulation, an important component to any dog's life. Further, it helps slow down fast eaters. And, for some dogs who are a little reticent about eating at all, playing a game to get their food can actually encourage more interest in mealtime.

People often complain that they just don't have the time to work with their dogs. Feeding your dog out of a bowl is an absolute waste of an important resource that could be giving your dog a fun and mentally stimulating activity that he can do independently.

10/22/2024

Tilly is visiting with Scarlet, the Aussie BernaDoodle puppy. Scarlet is shy with other dogs and she avoids them at all costs. She's really quite curious and socially interested but she doesn't know what to do with herself to communicate that properly. She just doesn't know how to play!

On a walk with Tilly, Scarlet gradually got more comfortable. She drifted close enough to sniff Tilly's butt but skittered away any time Tilly turned in her direction. Once inside the house, Scarlet continued her investigations of Tilly, but always fleeing any time Tilly tried to elicit play with a play bow. When Tilly lay down, though, Scarlet was finally brave enough to try a closer facial greeting. Here, Tilly has almond eyes and neutral ears, all soft, non-threatening gestures.

Introductions like this, with low-key dogs, will help Scarlet gain more confidence. Then perhaps she'll be ready to learn some play gestures in some more playful interactions. Scarlet did paw-some on her first play date!

10/21/2024

This sweetheart is Phoebe