Creative Training Follows a Simple Formula

Now and then, a dog owner asks me about a quirky problem behavior that they're trying to overcome with their dog and exactly how to solve the issue. They might know my Perfect Dog system inside out, yet somehow they feel stumped on the one particular habit because it's slightly different from common problem behaviors. They suddenly hit a mental roadblock thinking they were never taught how to deal with this one. 

I then reassure the owner that although I've gone to great lengths to try to cover everything in my 70+ lessons, they'll invariably come across something in their lifetime as a dog owner that I haven't addressed specifically. For example, a recent question was, "How do I deal with my dog persistently sniffing and licking my kitchen floors?" Now, my system does address begging and chewing and licking in a number of scenarios, but not kitchen floors per se. Does this mean that unless a kitchen floors lesson is demonstrated, the owner will forever be at a loss as to what to do?

The answer is an encouraging, "Absolutely not." As a dog owner, you're smarter and more clued in than you think, and you're well and truly capable of resolving pretty much any behavior that you might come across regarding your dog. Once you're familiar with the basics of the canine nature and the application of my training tools, you can cross-implement training knowledge and techniques with 'like' situations.

My system teaches dog owners a simple three-step formula of 1) setting boundaries (of acceptable and non-acceptable behavior), 2) repetitive communication of those boundaries until the dog understands what is expected (which generally only takes about 10 times), and then 3) reinforcing those boundaries, as necessary, using situation-relevant corrections (at levels appropriate for the individual dog, and always together with physical rewards - but never food!). It is very simple.

And then, the corrections themselves also fall into a simple handful of things to learn and remember, such as "collar & line" corrections (whether sideways, backward, or downward), snout-based corrections for things like "Drop" or "No licking/nipping," and a few other variations. These always involve a word (command) together with an action.

So, once you get the hang of things, you're well-equipped to get creative and cross-apply a certain technique from one situation to another. For instance, in the kitchen floors scenario, the owner could easily train using the same principles applied for licking or nibbling on a child's hands, or for counter surfing or begging. Exactly what the owner would say and do would depend on the how the dog is behaving and reacting to the owner's command to stop the behavior. One dog might respond well to a simple "No" and a flick of the finger on the snout, whereas another dog might require a firm collar & line correction if he starts to get snarky at being shooed away from the spilled food you're trying to clean up. That second dog might even require muzzle rehabilitation for a certain time if kitchen dominance and food aggression becomes a serious safety issue for you and your family!

Do you see how it's really quite difficult to provide an exact discourse and training demonstration for each and every possible problem behavior? At the end of the day, you as your dog's owner are the best one to assess each situation as it arises and then, based on the knowledge and skills and confidence you gain from my system, implement a command and action that is the most relevant. Sometimes it might take a small amount of trial and error before you work out what works best. After all, dogs can be quite scheming at times, and the depth of a problem might only get revealed as you address the behavorial issue step by step. Success is pretty much guaranteed, however, as long as you remain focused and resolute, and especially as you stick to the "Golden Rules" that I emphasize at the beginning of my system.

So, the bottom line is not to panic when something new seems to come onto the scene regarding your dog's behavior. Stop and think upon the foundations of what you have learned and then open your mind to creatively apply a command and action that seems the most relevant to the situation. Observe and adjust as necessary. Stay calm and confident. Keep your eye on the goal, and always reward with lots of praise, play, and freedom. You can do it!

- Don Sullivan, "The DogFather"