Management...How to set yourself (and your dog!) up for Success
Management is a key component in your goal of achieving a
well-mannered dog. Management, not
training, can be the difference between a chewed couch, stolen food off the
counters, numerous holes in the backyard and complaints from neighbors for
barking. Good management
essentially means setting you and your dog up for success. That is to say, understand that your
dog is not a furry person but an animal that possesses a set of instincts which
guide her behaviors. In order to
successfully communicate with your dog, it’s important to understand what these
instincts are and how you can use them to your advantage. For example, dogs are den animals that
enjoy and relax in tight, enclosed places. Being den animals, their instincts usually tell them to keep
their den clean. Crate training
uses the dog’s natural instincts to help you with destructive behavior as well
as housetraining.
There are four management tools which are essential to a
healthy, happy and appropriate relationship between dog and owner. These tools include crate training, tie
downs, dragging leash and exercise.
1. Crate
Training
The crate is a safe place for your
dog to be when you are gone. The
length of time a dog should spend in a crate varies depending on the dog’s age
and temperament. Most dogs that
are crate trained properly love their crates. A dog’s crate is like her own bedroom where she can go to
get away from everything. Remember
that for young dogs, or dogs new to a family, more space and freedom can be a
catalyst to destructive behavior.
The more space a dog has, the more anxiety they feel and anxiety is a
major contributor to chewing, digging and barking. Set the crate up in a room in the house where the dog is
used to spending time and put the dog in it when you leave. Although most dogs will sleep in their
crates, it’s always a good idea to give them an appropriate chewy or activity
toy to keep them busy while you are gone.
If you need help getting your dog used to the crate, refer to the crate
training handout.
2. Tie
Down
A tie-down is a leash or cable that is 2 to 3 feet long
and is attached to an immovable object (like a piece of furniture, or an
eyebolt that is placed in the wall) and to your dog’s buckle collar. A tie down is to be used only when someone
is home and supervising the dog. A
tie-down helps teach your dog to relax.
It keeps her out of mischief and can also be a wonderful housetraining
tool. The tie down teaches your
dog that she can’t be a part of every interaction that she wants to be a part
of. It teaches her self control
and reminds her that freedom of territory is a privilege in your house.
Housetraining-- If you are working on housetraining, the tie down can
be a “safe zone” for you. For
instance, if you think your puppy has to potty and you take her out and she
doesn’t go, bring her in and put her on her tie down. This is not a punishment, like the crate, it just restricts
her space and teaches her to hold it.
After 5-10 minutes, take her out to go. If she goes potty outside, then she’s earned free time in
the house, if she doesn’t go again, take her back to the tie down and
repeat.
Settling Exercise-Although most dogs don’t like
their tie down at first, they do get used to it and realize they are just stuck
there and they might as well sleep or chew quietly on their toy. The time to use the tie down is
whenever you are busy at home and need to know the puppy is safe and not
getting into mischief. For
instance, put your dog on a tie down while the family sits down for dinner, or
when you read to the kids at night or sit down to watch a movie. If it’s her first time on a tie down,
sit with her and help her to learn that although she is stuck there, she is
safe and barking, whining and mouthing won’t help.
Use of tie down as a consequence- Although
the tie down is not usually used as a consequence, it certainly can be. For example, if your puppy is being
extremely mouthy and you’ve asked her to stop with a specific command of your
choice, like “no bite,” and she continues, then take her to her tie down, clip
her up and walk away. She just
lost the privilege of being with you by using you as her chew toy. This is a better option than just
putting her outside because you want her to see that you will go about your
business while she is stuck there.
You also don’t want to inadvertently reinforce the behavior if she would
rather be outside or if she charges outside and starts chasing birds or barking
at neighbors, etc.
3.
Dragging leash- The dragging leash as a management tool is essential for those dogs
who have mastered the “catch me if you can game.” You know the game, where your dog takes off with your new
leather shoe and plays keep away around the dining room table. Well, consider this; that is the best
game going as far as your dog is concerned. So, every time she does it, she is getting reinforced for
the behavior because it is so much fun!
And, any behavior that is intrinsically reinforced will continue to
build. By attaching a 6ft light
nylon puppy leash to her buckle collar and having her drag it around the house,
you are ready and able to catch her when she makes a bad decision. Punishment is not necessary because the
behavior will naturally extinguish if it’s not reinforced. So, if your dog tries to goat you into
chasing him, simply say “uh-uh” and step on the drag leash. Remove the object from his mouth and go
about your business. On the flip
side, it’s very important to notice and reinforce your dog when he has an
appropriate toy in his mouth. We
usually forget this part!
4.
Exercise- Exercise is your dog’s
best friend. A TIRED DOG
IS A WELL-BEHAVED DOG! The
importance of exercise cannot be understated! Most young dogs need a tremendous amount of exercise. Although a walk around the block is
better than nothing, most young athletic dogs need a minimum of 45min of hard,
cardio exercise per day. You
absolutely cannot expect your young lab, for instance, to be home in the yard
all day and be well-mannered when you get home if he hasn’t had any exercise.
Most owners
find success by implementing all four management tools, but you need to pick
and choose what combination works best for your dog and your family.
