Basic Training

All pet dogs can benefit from basic training! Not only does it help your dog be a more enjoyable companion, but you can also potentially prevent many other behavior issues from occurring later on. If you are mindful of what you do and don’t want from your dog from the beginning of puppyhood or from the beginning of adoption, then you are starting off on the right paw and creating clear boundaries from the get go and are less likely to allow problem behaviors to pop up.

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Training is a great way to build and maintain a solid relationship between human and canine. Working together and learning together allows you to develop effective communication skills, impulse control, frustration tolerance, and emotional regulation.

Basic training can include but is not limited to:

Leash walking
Crate Training
House Training
Sit
Down
Stay
Come
Wait
Leave it
Drop it
Settle/Relax
Trick Training
Public manners
Canine Good Citizen Testing
Canine Good Citizen Advanced Testing
Canine Good Citizen Urban Testing
Setting new dogs up for success

You don’t have to wait for problem behaviors to appear before you start training. Every single interaction you have with your dog from the moment you wake up in the morning until the moment you go to sleep at night, is an opportunity for them to learn what is desired from you and what is not.

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PRO TIP

A great way to begin basic training is to take a known behavior that’s easy (such as “sit”) and ask for that behavior before giving your dog something that they want - such as coming out of the crate, getting the leash put on, having a toy thrown, getting attention, etc. This begins to utilize “life rewards” for the dog.

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Clients and their dogs become much more than just business transactions over the years, especially when you get to know someone over such a long period of time.

For over 8 years, I had been working on and off with Duke and his owners. We worked through leash reactivity, resource guarding, defensiveness at the vet, and public manners. When his *owners* wanted to do more with him, we trained him to receive his Canine Good Citizen title, Canine Good Citizen Advanced title, and Canine Good Citizen Urban title. When *Duke* wanted more, we trained him to receive the AKC Trick Dog Novice title, Trick Dog Intermediate title, and Trick Dog Advanced title.

Duke LOVED his training sessions and we were still training for the AKC Trick Dog Performer title when he got a diagnosis for a large cranial lump and underwent radiation treatment. He went into remission for a year and we kept training. But despite fighting for so long, today his battle ended.

I’m grateful I got to see him a couple of weeks ago and I’m grateful for all the fun we’ve been able to have over the years. Every time we had a season, Duke would wait at the window for me to arrive. I will miss those days.

Enjoy this video we took in our last session where he was still learning and practicing his performer tricks.

RIP Duke 🌈

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

MUZZLE MONDAY

When choosing an appropriate muzzle for your adventures, one of the many things to consider is how easily they can be cleaned if they become dirty.

For example, these Dean & Tyler Freedom muzzles can easily have sand rinsed off of them, but the padded nose piece will take a while to dry if it becomes wet.

There’s always a lot to consider when making your choice!

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite #muzzlemonday

THE DOG IS NOT THE ONLY JUDGE OF IMPROVEMENT

The attitude of the owners in regard to the relationship with their dog is a huge factor when measuring progress or the lack thereof. Specifically and most importantly in cases involving aggression.

Saide is owned by a couple who found their way to me through a string of other dog trainers. A few months ago, she started displaying increasing amounts of aggression within the home and attacking her owners. It got so bad that they were paying to have her stay at a board and train facility because they were afraid to bring her home.

Over the last few months of working together, things have been going really well. And at each point where we’re ready to move to the next step to make things more challenging and to push the envelope, one of the owners would usually respond with hesitation when I would make that suggestion. They were still concerned and worried about the dog resorting back to displaying aggression towards them.

This week at our most recent appointment, when I made the suggestion to move on to the next step, they were actually very excited instead of uneasy about it. This owner‘s reaction is a marked indicator of success when working with a case like this. For an owner who was once mostly fearful of interacting with their dog to now be excited to interact with their dog even more is absolutely a testament to success in progress in the program. That is why we can’t always just rely on looking at the dog’s behavior to gauge success. It is also the human’s behavior as well.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

I always ask my new clients where or how they were referred to me. This is the first time I’ve seen ChatGTP mentioned and I’m not mad!

The internet, for all its headaches, can really be a wonder sometimes in helping people connect.

The world of options for dog trainers is vast and heavily saturated. Every week I hear of another new dog trainer in the area. While that’s fine, it does make it harder and harder for people dealing with aggression, fear, and anxiety in their dogs (especially when it’s moderate to severe in intensity) to find appropriate, real life help.

I’m grateful for my niche that paves the path to supporting dogs and people who really need the assistance.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

The benefits of crate training and giving a dog their own non shared safe space are abundant. Blog post incoming on this…

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

The lens with which a dog owner perceives their dog can change drastically one way or another based off of the dog’s behavior (and therefore based off of training and behavior modification).

When I first met Max and his owner, she was incredibly frustrated with him and was clearly struggling with a lot of his behaviors. Consequently, I didn’t really hear her say anything “nice” about him on that first visit.

On my third visit, things were really going well and there were many improvements in his behavior. His owner casually made the comment, “I love this dog so much.” And I replied, “I’m glad to hear you say that because you certainly didn’t say that during our initial session!”

Sometimes frustration overwhelms us and we forget to acknowledge the things we enjoy or the things we like. How quickly that lens can change when our challenges begin to dissipate.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

DOG TALK TUESDAY: Avoidance

Choosing to not interact or be near others is still a behavior being chosen. And it’s an important behavior to take note of as it’s often the last behavior a dog engages in before getting on “the ladder of aggression.” It’s the point where the dog opts to increase distance on their own instead of communicating to the OTHER to create distance. It’s a behavior many people don’t acknowledge and yet it’s probably the most important and most in need of dire recognition.

In this photo you have the small dog at the open back door, choosing to not come inside and therefore avoiding the large dog. The large dog in this household is young and energetic and constantly tries to play with the small dog. When the large dog approaches (and doesn’t give distance) the small dog displays aggression. If the small dog has a choice, he chooses avoidance.

Dogs choosing avoidance for social interactions that make them uncomfortable should be honored. They shouldn’t be forced into interactions (outside of extreme exceptions) and should be allowed to maintain distance. They are voluntarily making an appropriate decision in the face of discomfort. And that’s a GOOD thing.

As always, when reading body language we have to remember to read it like we would read a sentence. Understand that it’s all the words together that create the meaning of a sentence, not one word alone. Thereby we also need to take all of the dog’s body language signals combined to create a meaning, and not focus on one single body part by itself.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite #dogtalktuesday

When you’re only 10 pounds, named Yeti, and really do think you’re as big as the abominable snowman…

Yeti’s household was a classic example of an owner who was reaching out for help with one dog, but come to find out, the other dog (Yeti) played a significant role in the behavior issues as well. That means we MUST work with both dogs, not just one.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

We love that greysonclothiers is dog friendly! Hendrix had to get a picture with their mascot, of course.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training

You know you’ve trained your client well when they train not only their own reactive dog, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD’s REACTIVE DOGS TOO!

Jetty (the white bully mix) use to be very reactive to other dogs on leash. Her mom, Stacey, would utilize the neighborhood dogs barking behind fences for a lot of their training opportunities. That somehow turned into Stacey beginning to train the dogs behind the fences, as well! Talk about multi tasking!

Of course you want to make sure that you speak with the owners of the dog behind the fence first, before doing so, but what a great way to help everyone involved.

I love this video she sent me of one of their encounters on a walk. Definitely an impressive feat!

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

Over 15 years ago I was offering puppy classes at a veterinary hospital. Theo’s (pictured) predecessor was one of my first participants in those classes.

Theo is now the 3rd poodle mix that I’ve worked with in the same family!

I love when my long time clients come back again and again with their new companions. To be trusted to “stay in the family” means the world to me.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training

Positioning yourself so that you are between both of your dogs (either while sitting or standing) is a great way to maintain the rule and boundary of “no interception” while one or the other is getting attention.

When one dog in a household is getting attention and the other approaches and “intercepts” by inserting themselves between that dog and the owner, it’s a behavior that can become a bad habit and have unwanted consequences.

Allowing one dog to continually push the other out of the way encourages bullying behavior, resource guarding, lack of impulse control, and the potential for conflict within the dogs’ relationship with each other.

On the other hand, making sure that each dog stays to the side and doesn’t body block the other encourages polite behavior, the ability to share, patience, and the potential to maintain a good relationship between the dogs.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

DOG TALK TUESDAY: Leaning

Where a dog’s body weight is leaning during an interaction can tell you a lot. Are they leaning away from who they’re interacting with? Or towards them?

Leaning away is going to be a distance increasing signal - which occurs during attempts to avoid an interaction and can also occur during submissive displays.

The dog on the left in the picture is clearly creating distance and leaning away from the dog on the right who’s closing in on the distance. The dog on the left is attempting to avoid an interaction with the dog on the right (who was a puppy, here) while also giving several other distance increasing signals at the same time (averted gaze, eye whites, closed mouth, puckering of the lips, + a paw raise).

Where the dog is leaning can give you a good indication of what their intentions are!

As always, when reading body language we have to remember to read it like we would read a sentence. Understand that it’s all the words together that create the meaning of a sentence, not one word alone. Thereby we also need to take all of the dog’s body language signals combined to create a meaning, and not focus on one single body part by itself.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite #dogtalktuesday

MUZZLE MONDAY

Benefits of BioThane muzzles include:

💛 Lightweight
💛 Waterproof
💛 Easy to wash
💛 They can look cute
💛 Good ventilation
💛 Great option for brachycephalic dogs
💛 Infinite customizable options

The biggest con of BioThane muzzles is that they are not a good option for dogs with extensive/severe bite histories since they are not entirely bite proof.

There’s plenty of dogs who need muzzles and plenty of scenarios where BioThane will work well as an option.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite #muzzlemonday

No, I don’t just see “scary dogs” as clients. I see all breeds and all sizes.

Yes, most of my clientele is larger breeds, and that’s because most people can’t afford to neglect their larger breed’s behavior challenges. It’s easier to ignore in smaller dogs (but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored).

But I do see and work with small dogs, too!

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training

Facing Fears vs Fleeing

Little Theo is only 4 months old. His owner does a lot of work with him but noticed that he started getting fearful of garbage trucks. So much so that he would panic, she would pick him up, and he would remain visibly upset in her arms.

While it’s true that puppies can go through fear periods, we still wanted to make sure that we taught Theo that the garbage trucks isn’t something to get so upset about.

After a little time pairing the garbage trucks with food rewards and then rewarding for disengagement from eye balling it, he’s able to stay on the ground and not get upset while the garbage truck passes by.

And you can see his owner give him a party at the end!

Facing fears can be so empowering for everyone.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training

DOGS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS DESERVE TRAINING, TOO

Over my two + decades of working with dogs and their owners, I’ve seen so many dogs and puppies with special medical needs not get the training that they need. The fact that they have some physical challenges sometimes makes owners feel bad or feel too overwhelmed to get training help. I’ve also occasionally heard of some veterinarians who said that perfect capable “handicapped” dogs couldn’t be trained! That’s crazy.

The reality is that as long a the dog’s medical needs are stabilized and managed, and the dog is not affected cognitively, you can still train! Because EVERY interaction with your dog is training. A medically special needs dog shouldn’t have behavior problems just because they are medically special needs. It’s not an excuse.

While of course we always take into consideration what the specific dog’s limitations are, we can still create a plan that works for the dog and the family.

Some examples of medical special needs dogs that I’ve worked with include:

- amputees
- deaf dogs
- blind dogs
- deaf and blind dogs
- dogs with mega-esophagus
- dogs in wheelchairs
- paralyzed dogs
- cleft palate issues
- dogs missing their tongue
- dogs with joint issues
- dogs with a PEG tube
- + more

Pictured here is Luke, a young Bullmastiff puppy with ongoing palate issues. Even though he’s awaiting yet another surgery, I’m grateful that his veterinarian recommended training to start asap and that his owners were on board for it.

Just because your dog or puppy is dealing with medical issues, doesn’t mean they can’t receive training!

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs

Muzzle Monday: One of the biggest mistakes that people make with muzzle training is forgetting to practice maintenance in between situations and circumstances where they are actually needed. If muzzles are initially conditioned, but then eventually are only used during potentially stressful or unpleasant situations and circumstances, then all of the muzzle conditioning that you’ve done can quickly be erased.

For maintenance I always recommend at least 1 to 3 times a week to put the muzzle on during regular every day life for about 30 minutes or so. This way, the muzzle isn’t inherently always associated with some big event. Sometimes it gets worn when literally nothing is happening. Thereby, having a better chance at maintaining a good or at minimum neutral association with it.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite #muzzlemonday

Can’t get much more in sync than Hendrix and Dakota here!

Doing frequent, structured walks together is so beneficial in building and maintaining a good relationship between housemates.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

It’s incredible to think that Betty (left) and Peter (right) started off with Betty leashed and muzzled and Peter avoiding her. What began as a long road of training, management, and dedication with an unknown future prognosis has now ended in a very unconventional kinship that surpasses just basic tolerance of one another. Every picture and video I get of these two makes my heart smile.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

“You’ve made more sense to us and gave us so much more useful information in this short period of time over the phone than that other trainer gave us in two weeks and with $3,000.”

This was recently said to me by a client I worked with remotely. A family member was actually a previous client of mine and gifted them a remote session after their dog, who was displaying aggression towards her owners and had bitten both of them several times, was sent to a two week board and train program in their area and then the dog came back worse.

Why? Because when a dog is displaying aggression towards their owners, in their home, in their daily life, removing the dog from their owners, from their home, and from their daily life rarely resolves the issues. And obedience alone does not fix moderate - severe aggression cases.

I’m passionate about aggression, especially owner directed aggression. And it’s actually one of the things that is easy to work with remotely. I’m grateful for clients who are open to unconventional methods of help, until they become more conventional!

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

NEIGHBOR WARS

Sharing a fence with a neighbor when either your dog or their dog has a history of displaying aggression can be a nightmare. While we can always attempt to be friendly and cordial with our neighbors and try to get them to fix their own fencing, not everyone is receptive to the conversation.

It’s important that we always take the initiative in securing our own yards. Whether that’s putting up additional barriers, creating buffer zones, fixing the fence from our side, adding things to the fence to make it impossible to break through, or actually putting up our own new fence… conflict between neighbors and their dogs usually don’t end well unless we take steps to resolve the issue to the best of our ability.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

Muzzle Monday: When fitting muzzles, sometimes the holes that come pre punched aren’t always the best fit. Sometimes we need something in between if they are spaced too far apart and sometimes we need to make the muzzle even smaller than what it already can go to. And since a lot of muzzles have rubber or leather neck straps, carrying a leather hole puncher is a must for me. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it offers the opportunity to further customize your dog’s muzzle.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite #muzzlemonday

As it reaches record lows in temps today in south Florida, remember that these weather changes affect our dogs as well. The drop in temperature, the high winds, the discrepancies in our own routines and behaviors, are all noticed by them.

Maybe they’re a little more hyper, maybe they’re a little more anxious, maybe they’re a little more fearful, or maybe they don’t seem like they’re listening as well as they normally do. And that’s all because the world as they perceive it is very different today than how it is typically.

So this is just a matter of maintaining your routines and your training in order to practice with this additional (and maybe new) variable, parameter, and distraction.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

When you open up your Chewy auto-shipment and the flyer inside is of your client, Annie!

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training

I had a recent client that came to me saying her dog displayed resource guarding and that they needed help because the place where they boarded their dog refused to take the dog back until the issue was resolved.

Upon further investigation, it turns out that the “facility” where the dog was being boarded at, was a person’s home and it was a “cageless” set up. This person was feeding multiple dogs that she was petsitting in her home, at the same time, in her kitchen.

My client’s dog was guarding her food from the other dogs and also trying to eat the other dog’s food. The “pet sitter” attempted to reprimand the dog and got growled at.

What was my solution to this specific problem?

Get a real f*cking boarding facility.

No dogs, especially dogs who don’t know each other, should be fed out with one another in the same area. It’s stressful, it’s unfair, and in all honesty it is a huge liability risk for that person to be doing. Creating intentional competition between dogs over their sustenance rather than peaceful, safe, down time during meals is unprofessional. Normal, responsible, boarding facilities feed the dogs in their designated kennels/suites as they should be.

For this particular client, it wasn’t that the dog had a problem in this one situation. It’s that the situation was incredibly irresponsible. The whole time my client thought something was wrong with the dog, when really something was wrong with the pet sitter!

Sometimes specific problems have a very easy resolution when we just normalize dog behavior and stop treating them like humans.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt

WHY I DISLIKE PLAYPENS FOR PUPPIES

So many puppy owners want to give their puppy “more space” and think that a pen is better than the crate, especially for when they are left home alone.

I get it, they want the puppy to be comfortable.

But playpens are not the answer.

First, they allow more space for the puppy to easily go to the bathroom and that can do a disservice to your house training,

Second, it’s so incredibly easy for the puppies to learn how to climb the pen and escape. They can be at risk to injure themselves when they fall over the side and then they can potentially get into something dangerous once loose if you’re gone.

Third, with more room to walk around, pace, play, etc they may be less likely to settle down and go to sleep.

Last, because the top is open and freedom is *right there* they tend to fixate on the frustration of being confined/restrained more than if they were in the crate. It seems like they are “so close” to getting out vs the enclosed crate just allows them to give up and relax more easily.

Sometimes it’s absolutely necessary to do a combination of a crate and a playpen together if the puppy is going to be left for much longer than they are physically able to hold it for. But in my opinion, the playpen should not be the main option for puppy confinement.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite

Dog Talk Tuesday: Belly Up, Scent Rolling vs Submission

In this video you see two dogs, Monte and Arlo. For identification, Arlo is the one attached to the yellow leash.

I love this video because it gives a clear side by side example of two different reasons why dogs may roll over onto their backs and expose their bellies.

Monte, had smelled something in the grass, and then proceeded to roll on it (a natural instinctive behavior). He is actively rubbing his face back and forth in the grass, flipping from left side to right side, and rubbing his back in the grass while kicking out and away from him. His movement is fast, sporadic, and almost constant. The direction of his face changes until he gets up, looks at Arlo for a moment (with a raised paw), sniffs him briefly, and then turns his attention away from Arlo in appropriate avoidance of conflict.

Arlo, on the other hand, begins the interaction by approaching Monte as he is scent rolling, looking directly at him, and then lying down and exposing his stomach to him (a sign of submission). He continues to face Monte and lays pretty still for the most part, other than moving slightly when Monte starts kicking towards him. He never takes his gaze off of Monte unit Monte stands over him, and in response to that hovering behavior, Arlo appropriately looks away and lip licks four times as a distance increasing signal. When Monte avoids him in response, he begins to get up.

The context here is Monte is the older dog who historically was displaying aggression to Arlo, the new puppy addition to the household. Arlo frequently seeks Monte out to display submissive behaviors and at this point, Monte usually disengages and avoids him. We continue to work on Arlo responding appropriately to Monte’s voluntarily avoidance.

Rolling onto the back for scent rolling looks much different than rolling onto the back as a sign of submission as observed here in a perfect side by side example.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #dogswhobite #dogtalktuesday

Muzzle Monday: We are only as good as our equipment. If our muzzles aren’t fitted correctly and if they are not comfortable for the dog, then we risk not being able to reap the benefits of their use.

#RotNDog #RotNDogTraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogbehavior #soflo #palmbeach #broward #puppies #puppytraining #gooddog #goodpuppy #obedience #aggression #fear #anxiety #behavior #training #muzzle #adopt #rescue #shelterdogs #dogswhobite #muzzlemonday

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