Blame improper training for dog’s disobedience
Q: Our dog obeys but only if he can see us. For example, when we tell him to sit and stay, he will do just that until we walk away. He must know it’s wrong. How do we get our sneaky dog to understand “stay” means stay, even when we aren’t watching?
A: Lack of compliance rarely has anything to do with civil disobedience. Often, it involves a missed step in the training process. The dog fails to understand the expectations well enough, or misunderstands the command entirely.
Dogs behave better when owners are watching, according to research by Christine Schwab and Ludwig Huber in the Journal of Comparative Psychology. However, they found that when people watch television, read a book or leave the room, dogs misbehave more quickly.
This makes sense. Dogs are exceptionally proficient at reading minute changes in facial expressions and hand movements. Owners feed into this by training with exaggerated gestures.
For example, when teaching the stay, many owners face the animal, make eye contact and extend an arm. They say “stay” while slowly backing away, periodically repeating the command as a reminder.
Dogs become dependent on these movements and repeated commands. That becomes problematic when owners move naturally or leave the room. In the absence of visual reminders, the dog assumes the exercise is finished, or may even follow their owners to continue watching.
Owners should carefully analyze their own body language to ensure they are not creating a dog that relies on reminders. Initially, standing in dog training posture — bending toward the dog and looking at it — is not a problem.
But as soon as the basics are mastered, owners need to begin moving naturally. They need to teach the dog to obey, even if out of sight.
Create mock sessions where you ask the dog to stay, then fake being distracted. Pretend to read a book for a second and then put the book down. You can also try leaving the room and immediately returning. Remember to move naturally.
In either case, reward the dog if they stay. If not, ask them to sit and try again. Gradually practise having the dog stay for longer periods.
By removing all the extraneous gestures, dogs learn that the word “stay” means stay, and not some contrived and unnatural movement. More importantly, it teaches pets how to obey under realistic and practical situations, even if the owner is busy doing something else.
We just got our first puppy. When we cuddle on the couch, he scratches at his face. He does not seem ill or in pain. I do not see any rashes. I am concerned that something is bothering him and I am scared he will accidentally scratch his eyes with his nails. Is something wrong with him? And how do I stop him from scratching his face?
Scratching can indicate a medical problem. If there are any signs of illness, a veterinarian can help rule out physical ailments.
However, if the puppy is only scratching when cuddling, he is likely expressing genuine contentment. Dogs often use both their front paws to scratch down the length of their muzzle when happy, secure and relaxed.
Many will roll over, exposing their stomach. This is a vulnerable position, indicating that they feel very safe indeed.
If your dog trusts you enough to show this vulnerable side, smile and just leave it alone.