Thank you for this opportunity for dog people to receive current, scientifically-based information regarding dog training. So much education is needed for humans— to develop that bond with their dog that we so desire.

When working with a dog with a bite history, safety precautions should be in place. It is also important that no punishment be used in an aggressive situation (or during any type of training or behavior modification for that matter) – violence begets violence. I recommend the use of a Gentle Leader headcollar for control and added safety along with an indoor drag line.

Dogs do need benevolent leaders. If left to their own devices, often times inappropriate behavior results. Something that can be done right away is putting Onyx on a “No Free Lunch” program – Onyx needs to “sit” for meals, “sit” before going outside and coming in (it doesn’t matter who goes first – Onyx needs to “sit” until released), “sit” before petting, “sit” to have his leash put on and taken off, “sit” before throwing a toy, “sit” before being invited up on the couch – “sit” for everything!

While every family member is to be viewed as a leader, the husband needs to be the focus first and working with Onyx. When working with clients, I also recommend handfeeding by family members. Because food is a high value resource, it can be a powerful tool when working with behavior issues. The human controls the resource and the dog needs to work for it by responding to cues – “sit”, “down”, “stand”, etc.

Regarding thunderstorm phobias, consult your veterinarian again. Perhaps there is a different drug available or the dosage can be adjusted. A couple of other things to try would be a DAP (dog appeasing pheromones) diffuser (also known as Comfort Zone) or try putting a snug t-shirt on your dog during thunderstorms – there has been some success with this method – it’s similar to swaddling a baby - and can be calming for the dog.

Regarding coprophagia (feces eating) – there are scientists who have been working on this issue trying to come up with a remedy that makes the dog sick enough to be effective, but not so sick as to kill them! There are many theories as to why this occurs and just as many food additives that mostly do not work. One of the ways to handle this issue is to immediately clean up any feces to eliminate the dog’s opportunity to eat it. While it is a disgusting behavior to us humans (especially if they then want to give us kisses!), it is not abnormal dog behavior. Be aware of your reaction to the situation, as sometimes this behavior is inadvertently reinforced because of the attention the owners give the behavior.

Perhaps the paper would be willing to consider changing the category from “Dog Obedience” to “Dog Training” which is the more modern terminology.

Finally, I would like to recommend a great website for behavior information – www.abrionline.com (Animal Behavior Resources Institute).

Julie Jackson
Certified Pet Dog Trainer
Machesney Park, IL

I whish you and SueAnn Fincke could have know the original dogwhisperer C.W. Meisterfeld. His books Jelly Bean versus Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Psychological Dog Training are still better than anything published today for people with dog behavior problems.

Too bad for dogs and owners that such a personality as Ceser Millan was accepted as an expert.

We are so very excited to have the one & only Dog Whisperer come to Rockford. Any Dog Whisperer fan has seen how Cesar can manage up to 20 to 30 dogs in his cage-free facility.

Now, we at Happy Camper Pet Resort NEVER claim to be a facility for rehabilitating aggressive dogs (we screen out aggressive dogs from the start); we do; however, use Cesar’s philosophy on leadership in the pack.

Some ask us how we manage groups of dogs in a cage-free setting without dog-fights, I tell them we use Cesar’s methods, as well as those of other experts’ in the cage-free setting.

Our doggie-guests are completely satisfied and so are their parents. Any guest who becomes a risk for the group is put on probation, and this dog is referred to our dog-trainer. Many, many parents do not want to lose the opportunity of our cage-free daycare or boarding.

Any questions or comments about this post, please contact me directly at 985-6611 or info@HappyCamperResort.com

Thanks,
Sherri & The Happy Dogs of Happy Camper