Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

When my grandmother became too ill to take care of her dog dog, Sandra, we took her in. The dog was 15 years old and had spent her entire life on table scraps.

Grandmother fed her directly from the table, and did not even require that the dog eat out of her own dish. As a result, Sandra had developed an absolutely horrible yoddel whenever somebody was sitting at the table.

Sandra also made a beeline out of the gate the minute it was opened. Many of our neighbors blamed the fact that she was a rescued dog (Terrier-Chihuahua mix), and thought it was an incurable dob problem that we would just have to live with.

Not so.

For her first meal at our house, Sandra was served dog food ... in her own dish ... just like our other dog. She ate it.

After only two escape stunts, she quickly learned that "come" meant "come" in this house!

Sandra did receive table scraps as an occasional treat when she was quiet and behaving properly ... placed in her own bowl ... and the yoddeling was no more!

Correcting Dog Behavior Problem - What Does CLAIM Something Mean? How Do I?

"My dog goes after my slippers," a client complained. "Help! How can I solve this dog behavior problem?"

ANSWER: You CLAIM your slippers!

You "claim" an item or an area to assert your authority over it - to let the dog know that it belongs first and foremost to YOU, the leader of the pack. The dog is not supposed to touch your property.

Likewise, if a dog soils an area of the carpet, part of your correction procedure involves "claiming" that spot as your own ... and the dog won't go there again. The dog is not supposed to cross the boundary into your space without your permission. This he understands instinctively, as it is powerful, silent dog pack language - sometimes called "dog whisper".

HOW do you claim something?

By stepping in front of it with your feet spread halfway between the military "Atten-hut!" and "At ease." Have your head and shoulders up confidently the entire time, and also be sure to maintain direct eye contact with your dog throughout this entire procedure.

Make the dog sit or lie down.

You keep standing there authoritatively, staring, until the dog turns away from you or moves away completely. That means she has surrendered. She now recognizes the item or the space as yours - that she is not supposed to go there without your express permission.