PREVIOUS BARK ON THE STREET COLUMNS!

September 28th, 2005

I just adopted a new puppy who is only 10 weeks old. I'm hearing all these different opinions about when I can start training him - after a certain age, once he's had all his vaccinations... What's the scoop??
-New Pup in Naperville

NPiN,
In a word - Immediately!!
Back when only punishment based training was used it was thought that the dog had to "mature" to a certain age (usually six months) before they could handle training. Now we know that most dogs can't handle those harsh methods at any age. Since Collins Canine uses reward-based training there are no harmful side effects so training can start even when the pup is still with the breeder.
A second reason you may hear regarding waiting to train a dog is that they should be fully immunized. This is not necessary either. Far more dogs are put down due to behavioral problems stemming from lack of early socialization than die from an immunizable disease caught during puppy class. So start training now!

September 16th, 2005
I see all these different training collars on dogs all over the city. What is your opinion on them and what one is the best for me?
- Pulling on Paulina Street

Congrats, POPS you are my first letter in a while! Things have been really busy around here with the new addition and all. Lisa has been driving me crazy asking for advice about raising children. How can one be that hard? We have five or six at a time and we don't even have opposable thumbs!
Anyway, in response to your question, here is some info that you can use -

When to use a training collar
There are two different aspects to getting your dog to walk politely on leash. Training your dog to walk politely on leash and using a training collar as a management technique to allow you to physically walk your dog while you train your dog to walk politely. If you choose to use a training collar they should ONLY be worn while walking. They should NEVER be on the dog when he or she is unsupervised.

Different types of training collars: Pros & Cons of each

Head Halter
Pros:
1. Almost impossible for a dog to pull when using this collar.
2. Puts no pressure on throat which can cause tracheal problems in strong pullers.
Cons:
1. Usually takes approximately two weeks for dog to adjust to wearing the collar. In addition handler must play a very active part to get dog adjusted to collar.
2. Many owners do not like the look of this collar although if fitted properly it is competely humane. People often think this collar is a muzzle though again if fitted properly will not inhibit any mouth movement.

Front Hook Body Harness
Pros:
1. Inhibits pulling more than any other collar except head halter.
2. Puts no pressure on throat which can cause tracheal problems in strong pullers.
Cons:
1. More expensive and harder to find normally. Only one facility in Chicago sells this type of harness otherwise must be purchased online.

Traditional Body Harness
Pros:
1. Puts no pressure on throat which can cause tracheal problems in strong pullers.
Cons:
1. Does nothing to inhibit pulling. Actually is harnessing the strongest part of your dog so they can get the most muscle behind their pulling.

Premier
Pros:
1. Can put on the dog right away. There is no adjustment period for the dog.
Cons:
1. Does almost nothing to restrict a dog from pulling.

Prong
Pros:
1. Can inhibit dogs from pulling.
Cons:
1. Can escalate or start reactive/aggression issues.
2. Can cause irritation to skin around neck if dog has shorter hair or if improperly fitted.
3. Used in punishment based training which Collins Canine does not employ.

Choke
Cons:
1. Almost all the time this collar is used, it is being used improperly. The correction from this collar should be in the sound the links make, not in the choking. If used properly, it should not choke the dog.
2. All pressure is on the front of the neck which can cause trachea damage or collapse.
3. Used in punishment based training which Collins Canine does not employ.

Shock
Cons:
1. Used only in punishment based training which Collins Canine does not employ

October 18th, 2004
I have a seven month old Labrador Retriever that won't stop jumping.We didn't mind so much when he was smaller but now he's going on 60 pounds and really packs a punch.I am also going to visit my family over Thanksgiving so there will be everyone from toddlers to grandparents there.We were planning on bringing him with us but we don't want to risk the bruises and potential broken hips that he could cause.Is there anything we can do in time??
- Jumping in Joliet

This is one of the tougher issues us dogs have to deal with in adjusting to human life. We mostly jump on people to get attention and say Hi. The problem is that when we first started meeting people as a little puppy they all let us jump up so we thought it was ok. Then suddenly some people started getting upset about it. I couldn't tell what had changed so I figured I'd just keep trying since some people didn't mind and I sure loved the petting. That didn't seem to fly with my Mom so she taught me a few things. First she showed me how all fun things happened when I sat down. If I sat down when she was making my food they put it down for me to eat. If I sat down in front of them while they were watching TV they would pet me. Even while we were out for walks. I would see someone that I wanted to pet me and I learned that if I sat down they would say Hi. If I wouldn't sit we would just walk on by them. I figured this sitting thing was pretty good so I started doing it for everything. That taught me how to get attention properly. But to show me that jumping wasn't a good idea they did another thing called tethering. They connected my leash to a immovable object so they controlled when I had access to them. Then they would step near me and if I jumped they would step away, but if I would sit they would pet me. I learned pretty quickly not to jump on them. Then they had lots of friends come over and do the same. I love meeting new people so I figured out the only way to get love from them was to sit while they were petting me. All in all it was a tough learning process with all the confusing signals at first but now I understand that jumping up is never the right answer. It sometimes takes a while for dogs to relearn how to greet people but if you get as many people to help you before you leave, you will have a good start. You can also recruit family to help with the training. Just to be safe I'd keep him on a leash so you can step on it to prevent him from jumping and know that younger kids that move quickly and make a lot of noise are going to be more exciting so keep a closer eye on him then. I hope that helps with your pup!

September 27th, 2004
Lately my adult dog (3 years old) has been having accidents in the house. We've had her since she was a puppy and she hasn't had any issues since then but suddenly we are finding wet spots and stains around the house. What is going on?
- Wet Feet in Winnetka

First of all, thanks for being our first letter on "The Bark on the Street"! I'm so excited to get the chance to help out all those dog and dog owners out there! But back to Wet Feet. There could be a few things going on here. First, did you make any major changes to your life? Did you move, change marital status, have someone just move in or out (roommates, children, parents...)? All of these life changing events put a lot of stress on us dogs. We like our regular schedule - don't rock the boat is the doggie motto. If any of these things did occur then the accidents are most likely just to relieve stress. We can't have high blood pressure so we make ourselves feel better by three things - barking, chewing and, you guessed it, going to the bathroom. So if one of these events did happen just go back to what you did when you were originally potty training. Take us out often, praise like crazy when we go in the appropriate spot, don't give us the chance to go in the house. When we're not outside keep us on a leash tied to you or in a crate that isn't big enough for us to go and then sit on the other side.
Also regulate our food and water. Remember the things that makes us have to go are eating, drinking, playing hard and sleeping. So right after we do any of those things, take us out. We probably have to go. If we could flush we would!
If none of those things work, consider if it is a medical issue. Sometimes we get infections. Even though a lot of us don't like it, take us to the vet. Remind us that we will feel better in the long run!