Accept your dog

Nov 25 2014 : Mirror (Bangalore)

I wish was the person my dog thinks I am!“ is a quote I see quite often. So what do our dog think we are?

Successful? Conscientious?Beautiful? Generous? Honestly, it does not matter. Our dog loves us no matter who we are.But are we just as accepting of our dog?

Clients often have requests like “Can my dog behave like THAT dog“. This is even more pronounced in multi-dog households where people constantly want to know why one dog is not like their other one.Dogs do have innate qualities and they quite need us to be accepting. A dog's innate quality is partly breed characteristics, part history and part individual personality. Labradors are often overtly friendly and sometimes a bit too much at that. INDogs (street dogs) can be a bit suspicious. Boxers can be obsessive with toys and play. Beagles can be far too focused on their sniffing. Cocker Spaniels can be a bit aloof.Huskies can be asocial at times. To be understanding pet parents, we need to identify what a dog is really about and graciously accept them for what they are.

This does not mean we don't train dogs. But training home-dogs should not focus on getting a factory line of dogs that is completely agnostic of the spirit of the individual. A lot of training can play up to the strength of the dog. Sometimes it can be just about management.

A Labrador, for example does not have to be trained to be mellow.Instead, when the exuberance of the dog gets too much to handle, the dog can be restrained for a short while and kept busy with something to occupy the dog's mind, till that burst of energy passes.

An INDog could be given his space and allowed to approach strangers at his own space. When the dog approaches a stranger, he could be rewarded with a treat or two and then spoken to in a soothing voice.Avoid physical contact with the dog all together. A Boxer could be given plenty of toys, even simple objects fashioned from everyday objects at home like socks and boxes. A good way to make a Beagle very happy is to lay out interesting trails and put rewards at the end of the trail.The trail could be laid out of all kinds of interesting new smells ­ flowers, twigs, a dab of curry, a bit of paneer dragged across the rooms in a trail etc. Cockers hate being hugged. Instead, they prefer long conversations and staring into space with you. Introspective people might love the company of such dogs. Huskies could be given things to tear apart to strike a chord with their ancient hunting instinct.

Walt Disney perhaps did a number on us a disfavour by painting all dogs in a single light. These Disney dogs seem to have no unique personality, all of them seem to understand the native language of the pet parents without any training, seem to have a strong moral radar, instinctively understanding the rights and wrongs of the human household and even seem to understand human machinery without a manual. Even I feel stupid at the pace at which these dogs get gadgets and cars.

As a trainer, my aim is to remove the expectation that all dogs look and behave similar to each other. When my trainer hat is on, I look to identify what a dog loves doing and to build on it. I encourage pet parents to drop expectations of their dogs and instead identify specifically what is a problem behavior. The more specific pet parents get, the easier it is to train or manage the situation with little or no impact on the personality of a dog. A dog loves us irrespective of who we truly are. Would it be too much for us to love and respect our dogs for who they are?

What's in a dog's name

Nov 11 2014 : Mirror (Bangalore)

I lazily rubbed Nishi's belly with my foot, as she slept curled up near my foot. “Nishi“, I whispered. She cocked her ears. “Tigger“ I said and Tiggy looked at me with one eye open and went back to bed. So...they know who was who. I mean, they knew their names. Their names were just that ­ a way to address them. They were not commands. Just a way of addressing them and it's important to keep it that way.

Name recall is very different from name recognition.Name recall aims to convert the name of a dog to a command that means “come here and sit down“. When done that way, who would feel good when their name is called?
For this reason, I rely on sound recall instead. A sound recall is building recall to a unique sound that your dog responds to. It's an emotional-less sound.

Name recognition, on the other hand, is a way to address your dog in a very pleasant way. When you say his name, he should feel joy that he is being addressed. So the first thing to do is to do away with expectations of what the dog should do when his name is called. The question is, what can we do to build positive associations with his name.

Of course, the standard first step is to use your dog's favourite treats and say the dog's name and . But over time, it can be used in several fun situations. It can be used to tell a night-time story to the dog. Just find many many ways of saying the dog's name in a positive situation.

The biggest roadblock to this is nicknames. We tend to give nicknames to dogs. That's okay. Nishi's nickname is Barbie and Tigger's is Blue. It's quite natural to use a dog's nickname when we are happy with them and shower them with love. But when there is a transgression of any kind, it's natural to use their actual name. Over time, the dog comes to realise that when called by their real name, they are in trouble. That's ok too if we maintain consistency. After having taught the dog that his real name means trouble, you cannot take your dog to a social gathering and introduce him by his real name. He is likely to be on edge the whole evening, wondering what he did wrong.

The best way to handle this is avoid teaching name recall and stick to name recognition. Secondly, avoid yelling at your dog. If your dog is doing something naughty, just go calmly up to the dog and take away what is keeping him busy and just ignore him. Have fun with nicknames, but after you have taught your dog his real name and it's well ingrained in him. Don't convert his name to a command.Let it just be his name. It's his one thing. A source of joy when called, when he knows someone is thinking of him and that there could be something fun coming up for him.

A final word of warning. Please don't go straight from home to a crowded place and call his name out and expect him to bound back. No such thing is going to happen. Using name to recall a dog requires separate training and even then should be rarely used in crowded places. Let the notion of the perfect recall go and work on management, use of good equipment like the right leash for the right place and a harness.

Be a cool pet parent

Nov 04 2014 : Mirror (Bangalore)

I often talk about the responsibility involved in pet parent . And it is a huge responsibility. But often, we get so overwhelmed by this responsibility that we forget to just have fun with our dogs. Today, I want to remind all you pet parents there on some fun ways to spend time with your dog, without getting overwhelmed.

Take very slow walks, to a point where it's barely a stroll.Walk at quiet times and on quiet streets. Don't feel pressured to walk in a certain way, at a certain pace or cover a certain distance. A healthy adult dog of most breeds can do with two 15-minute walks in a day and the walk can be as slow as the dog wants. If your dog is walking too fast, it's perhaps because he has not learned to stop and sniff around. Encourage sniffing by slowing down yourself and getting some professional help with leash training. Walks should be relaxing to both dog and walker.

Talk a lot to your dog. When he follows you around, he does not always want play. He is quite happy with conversation.When you are cooking, you can talk your recipe aloud to him and pretend to be a chef on TV. Or you could read your book aloud to him. Children can find it very helpful to open up to dogs and read to them. Pet your dog or brush your dog in slow long strokes.Unwind this way, talking about the day's events. Repetitive actions release endorphin in the body and body contact releases oxycontin. The former helps you and your dog feel better while the latter helps you bond.

If you observe, you will notice that sometimes in the evening, your dog gets into a great mood. Celebrate that mood.Giggle like a child. Tell stupid jokes to your dog and to each other. It's a great family bonding exercise. And your dog will remind you of this like clockwork, every single day.

If you like cooking, forget the readymade food for your dog.Cook instead. Chicken and rice is a healthy bet. In addition, you can add fruits and vegetables. Stick to fruits like banana, papaya, apple and pear. Avoid seeds and pits. Veggies like spinach, pumpkin, carrot and beans are great for dogs. Sesame oil is fantastic. Avoid acidic fruits and vegetables like tomato, citrus fruits, grapes and chocolate. Experiment with herbs, based on your dog's taste. My husband likes to cook for my dogs and he shows them a few herbs and asks them what they want.They select the herbs that go into the food. They all listen to music as he explains to them what he is cooking for them. And it's OK to let your dog into the kitchen, if you don't mind it.He will not take over your world and rule you. Give yourself that luxury.

Another luxury that I am unabashed about giving myself is letting my dogs on the bed. Unlike earlier held beliefs, letting dogs on furniture does not make them dominate you. Au contraire, it's one of the best ways to bond with your dog. Dogs love the feeling of having bed and sofa access and as long as you don't mind the fur on the sofa and bed, it's perfectly fine to let them have that access. Of course, it will require you to clean their paws and brush them more frequently. But it's absolutely worth it in terms of the joy they get and the joy you get when your dog lays his head on your lap as you watch your favorite movie.

When it comes to having a dog, I say make pet parenting as fun as possible. Relinquish all other self-imposed constraints. The more relaxed and enjoyable pet parenting gets, the less likely pet abandonment gets.