ASK THE TRAINER.

Every week, Hounds, our ASK THE TRAINER feature allows you to address your pressing training needs and questions with our very own Nick Miller. Remember - want Nick to answer more of your questions? Contact Nick at nick@urbanhounds.com or leave us your question on Twitter, Facebook, or here at the blog.

This week Nick talks tips! 

Dogs are very social (and can be highly emotional) animals, but yes, there are some steps you can take to ease this separation anxiety for Daisy.  Exercise is key, and I would recommend that you take Daisy for a long walk every morning before you leave for the day.  

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ASK THE TRAINER.

Every week, Hounds, our ASK THE TRAINER feature allows you to address your pressing training needs and questions with our very own Nick Miller. Remember - want Nick to answer more of your questions? Contact Nick at nick@urbanhounds.com or leave us your question on Twitter, Facebook, or here at the blog.

This week Nick answers your questions.

Pam asks: I really need your help with a two year old male poodle that I rescued in February.  He was neutered in mid-April of this year.  I already have two female poodles, ages 15 and 12.  The new guy, Barney, is adorable and affectionate and he loves people.  However, he has some behavior problems that are becoming increasingly impossible.  He has food issues, and becomes uncontrollably hysterical at dinner time, running, barking, whining, until I put his food down.  I had to get him a "go slow" bowl to keep him from choking on his food.  He tries to take food out of the other dogs' bowls too, so I have to hold him while they eat.  He jumps on people and won't listen when I try to make him stay down. 

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ASK THE TRAINER.

Every week, Hounds, our ASK THE TRAINER feature allows you to address your pressing training needs and questions with our very own Nick Miller. Remember - want Nick to answer more of your questions? Contact Nick at nick@urbanhounds.com or leave us your question on Twitter, Facebook, or here at the blog.

This week Nick talks tips!

The emotional life of dogs in training:

"We train with our eyes."

It was said to me early on in my dog training career and it is something that I repeat to almost all of my clients when I am working with them and their dog.  But what does it mean?  Well, in the simplest sense it means that if we are able to read our dog's body language while we are working with them it will speak volumes as to how they are reacting to our praise and corrections.  Is your dog zeroed in on the squirrel  across the street, and no matter what you do she won't break her fixation?  Well, then it's time to try something different, and that's what reading their body language will tell us.

But, just as the eyes are the windows to the soul, so to is not the body?  At least on some level?  I am always wary of putting human emotions on our dogs, anthropomorphizing them if you will, but it would be entirely ignorant of me to say that dogs have no emotional life whatsoever.  And so, I urge you to watch your dog for the emotional cues that they may be giving you while you are training them, or even just in day to day life.  Is it something that we have to necessarily do something about?  Rather I think being aware of the rhythms of our dogs' emotional life is the critical thing here and using that information to fuel our relationship with them.

ASK THE TRAINER.

Every week, Hounds, our ASK THE TRAINER feature allows you to address your pressing training needs and questions with our very own Nick Miller. Remember - want Nick to answer more of your questions? Contact Nick at nick@urbanhounds.com or leave us your question on Twitter, Facebook, or here at the blog.

This week Nick talks tips!

How do I stop my dog from (fill in the blank).  And the dog trainer replies: Don't let him do it.

I know, I know, comedic brilliance AND helpful dog training tips are more than you bargained for when you started reading this, but let's think about this over-simplified response for just a minute.  The simple act of not letting your dog do an undesired behavior and rewarding them when they are doing something you want them to do is a fundamental aspect of training one's dog.  Correction and praise.  Yes!  Yes, good girl! and a simple but firm NO!

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ASK THE TRAINER.

Every week, Hounds, our ASK THE TRAINER feature allows you to address your pressing training needs and questions with our very own Nick Miller. Remember - want Nick to answer more of your questions? Contact Nick at nick@urbanhounds.com or leave us your question on Twitter, Facebook, or here at the blog.

This week Nick answers your questions. Christina asks:

I have a 9 month old retriever mix rescue named Lola.  She is a little sister to 9 year old shep/lab mix Jake, also a rescue.  I am having a few issues with her as of late, namely chewing on everything!  She's chewed through our couch, underwear that's been in a hamper with a lid on it, dog beds, pillows, etc. I bought her bully sticks which keep her busy for a bit.  I also bought her Kong's and stuff them with PB.  Is this doing any good or am i enabling her?  Also,  I do not crate her as I did not do with with Jake.  One person suggested she wear a muzzle during the day while we are out, but that doesn't sit well with me.  She could also use some training in the command department as well as leash training.  She's such a loveable little girl but she's driving us nuts!  Do you have any suggestions to make our house calm and happy again?

Nick says: Thanks so much for your question! 

The tricky thing when it comes to chewing (and many other K9 behavioral issues) is that you need to be able to catch the dog in the act in order to correct the behavior.  

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