Posts Tagged ‘Dale Stravroff’

Small Dog Headaches

Monday, August 3rd, 2009
photo courtesy of frankjuarez@flickr.com*

photo courtesy of frankjuarez@flickr.com*

Here is a situation described by a reader in response to my article on Anti-Bark Collars. As you will see, she is experiencing multiple problems with her pack of small dogs. There are a lot of object lessons in this story. My reply comes after her story.

Reader’s Comment:

“I have tried the shock collar and also have mixed feelings, as well as mixed results. The collar does not even phase my Shi Tzu, it may be that he has too much hair in the way, not sure, only know that it didn’t slow him down at all. Given how expensive they are, I returned it to the pet store for a refund. A previous collar did have a positive affect on one of my yorkies. After he wore it for approx 1 month, he never had to wear it again; he learned to stop barking. Unfortunately, the first chance he had to chew it to pieces, he did and I had to through it away. I have 4 dogs (2 Yorkies, 1 Shi Tzu and 1 Bullmastif) The 2 I mentioned are horrible barkers (after 6 months without the collar the Yorkie is barking again). I am very sensitive to how my neighbors feel, I believe we are all entitled to peace and quiet in out own homes. I am so upset about not being able to change their behavior, I have considered trying to find them new homes, but I just can’t do it. I can not keep them in the house while I am gone because the Yorkies are rotten and pee on everything. (more…)

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Leash Aggression

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

Small dogs have a higher tendency towards leash aggression because their small stature makes everything seem large and threatening.

Small dogs have a higher tendency towards leash aggression because their small stature makes everything seem large and threatening. This is Royce.


Tamara J. a reader of this column commented:
“Love your articles on small dog syndrome. How about some information and helpful tips on handling leash aggression. I believe this is part of my boy’s small dog issues.”

Have I got a story for you. Back when we first opened Kelsey’s Dog House, and I thought I knew everything there is to know about dog behavior, I learned the hard way there is always something new to learn.

It was the end of our first week in business. Without blowing our own horn too loudly, apparently Kelsey’s Dog House was something people in our community had eagerly anticipated. Our daycare area was already very busy with happy dogs. Our boarding area had five dogs in residence. Our grooming schedule was full, which isn’t saying much when we only had one groomer–my wife. We had not anticipated this instant run-up in business, so it was just Dawn and I running the entire operation. Talk about looking like chickens with our heads cut off. We were running around like maniacs to keep up with the sudden and unanticipated demand. (more…)

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Housetraining a Small Dog

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
Little Dogs: Training Your Pint-Sized Companion

Little Dogs: Training Your Pint-Sized Companion

I do not want to send mixed messages to you. Let the Dog Decide: The Revolutionary 15-Minute-a-Day Program to Train Your Dog – Gently and Reliably is still the best reference on how to train your dog, period. When I discuss another book in this article, please, please do not construe that to mean I am waffling on my original recommendation. Let the Dog Decide is the go-to source. Having said that, I would like to add another tool to your toolkit that complements Let the Dog Decide. Please take a look at Little Dogs: Training Your Pint-Sized Companion. This book is worth your time because Ms. Wood addresses the specific training needs of small dogs. I have said elsewhere, and especially in this previous article, that small dogs are different. Deborah Wood understands that difference. Let me give you an example by quoting her introduction to housetraining a small dog. (more…)

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Let the Dog Decide–A Great Training Method for Shy Dogs

Saturday, January 10th, 2009

“Borscht was ranked number 1 in his obedience classes. He did everything perfectly. That was two months ago. Now, it’s like he never went to class. I don’t understand what happened.”

“Do you know a good trainer? We tried this place, and they seemed pretty good, but now Snickerdoodle acts like he’s deaf. He just won’t respond to me.”

“I’ve tried everything. Everything. I think Silvadius is mentally challenged.”

If I earned one Quetzal for every time I heard statements such as these, I could buy a pretty decent meal in Guatemala. (They make a very good pupusa in that country, by the way.)

Otis the Puggle has an "Aha!" moment.

Otis the Puggle has an 'Aha!' moment.

There are as many dog training methods as there are dog trainers out there, and while all seem to work to some degree, very few methods transfer well to the dog owner. By that I mean most dogs seem to respond correctly to trainers or to their owner within a training environment, but the lessons learned do not carry over at home. Even in-home training does not always stick. I knew there had to be a common weakness in all the dog training methods used by our customers, but until recently I did not know what that weakness was. (more…)

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The Nose Knows, Part 1

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

“Finster, come.”

“Finster, come!”

“C’mon Finster!”

“Finster, come here. NOW!”

“I said come! Come Finster! C’mon, that’s right. Good Bo–. . . Holy Mother of . . . Finster! Get over here!!”

The nose knows.

The nose knows.

Does this sound familiar? The tendency for dogs to come when called is known as “recall.” Many dogs have great recall inside the house. When outside, your dog’s recall may be, in a word, non-existent. No doubt your dog is distracted when he/she is outside, but by what? Answer: everything. Unless your dog spends the majority of the time outside, the outdoor environment offers rewards and stimulation far greater than your praise or your companionship. I’ll give you a moment to sulk about this. When you are done, meet me at the next paragraph. (more…)

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