Llewellyn Security - Dog FAQ's by Llewellyn Security

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This page will always be under construction as we build The
Great Canadian
Dog Encyclopedia.
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What's YOUR take on these FAQ's

In 29 years of breeding, raising and training dogs, we at Llewellyn, have learned that we still have a lot to learn.

Hundreds of people call us with questions about dogs. and we do our best to answer them all. BUT we know there is often more than one RIGHT answer, and we want to cover all the bases.

We're going to build the "Great Canadian Dog Encyclopedia" ... right here on The Web and we want YOU to be part of it.

We'll ask visitors to our kennel and our web site for their questions, then we'll list the most often asked questions.

We want you to give us your answer, then we'll break the answers into the different approaches and publish them on this site .

That way, we hop that people will find the solution that suits their pet, and their situation in one place, rather than searching a thousand sources.

Suspicious?? don't be! ... Llewellyn has nothing to gain, because we don't sell dogs, we don't offer obedience classes, we don't train people's dogs. Our only business is security. (see the business section of this site) so why do we do it??? ... Well, about 150 people work here, and every one of them is a dog lover. Our dogs have done so much for us, we hope that we can help dogs by helping their owners understand them better, and help to dispel some of the myths.

NOTE: we will not publish any method that we feel will cause undue psychological or physical pain to the dog.
Llewellyn's suggestions are methods that have worked with our dogs in our situation. No guarantees are expressed or implied.

Frequently Asked Dog Questions
Submit your answers, comments, or questions
..... submit your question

Aggression problem? ---read this first! Click here

Destructive Chewing:

My 6 month old male Golden Retriever completely destroys the place when we’re gone. He has chewed my fur hat, my couch , my shoes, his leash, the kids’ toys, his dish, and the curtains. We provide him with many chew toys and lots of exercise. We have enrolled him in obedience classes but they haven’t helped. How can I get him to stop? submit your answer

Llewellyn says -- Puppies naturally chew and adult dogs often chew because of separation anxiety. Start out right by conditioning the animal to chew only his own toys, ... and to handle separation.
Place the pup's chew-toys, along with expendable "targets" in a room with the puppy. Pretend to leave the house. Sneak back and watch what the puppy does. When he starts to chew, suddenly appear and reprimand him in a loud, commanding voice; "NO!", then take it away from him and entice him to play with his own toy.
Leave again. It is important to also return while the puppy is behaving, and lavish him with praise. Repeat the process, gradually extending the periods of absence. Through this method the pup learns what items he is allowed to chew, as well as learning that when you leave, he is not "abandoned". NOTE: never give a forbidden item to the dog, even if he has destroyed it, that item should remain in the room and remain an "off-limits" target.
-------------------------- other suggestions from the net ---------------------
He is not chewing because he needs to chew. He is relieving anxiety because he is separated from you. He should be crated when you are not there so that he can not destroy any more of your place! Make him a comfortable crate that can be filled with blankets and toys. Don’t forget to leave water with him at all times. Get him used to the crate by feeding him or giving him treats in it. Make a rule that when he is unsupervised, he goes in the crate. He will get used to it, but at first he may bark (do you have close neighbours?) Don’t give up on the crate, he will eventually learn to like it.
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Don’t punish your dog for chewing when you come home. This will add to his anxiety while you are gone and he’ll chew even more the next time. You may be leaving your dog alone for too long. Arrange for someone to come through the day and look in on your pets while you are gone.
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Garbage Ripper

My 4 year old Collie still gets into the garbage at every opportunity. She doesn’t chew or destroy anything, but can’t resist ripping garbage bags wide open and making a mess all over the place. Is there anything I can do to keep her out of the garbage?. ....... submit your answer

Llewellyn says ... Correct the dog from stealing garbage by making the garbage the source of the correction. You can do this by placing a set mousetrap just inside the garbage can. The mousetrap will startle the dog and he will think twice about getting into the garbage next time. Use mousetraps to keep the dog off furniture. (Cover the trap with a sheet of paper, it increases the noise and startle effect, and it will eliminate the possibility of injury to a smaller dog.)

Here's a weird one that actually works if you can do it right. .... Put normal garbage in a garbage pail. Be sure it contains something interesting to your dog. Tell the dog he can have it, and when his head is inside the can. Whack the can with a stick -- make a big noise! (don't let the dog see you do it, let him think that this is what garbage pails do to dogs.). Don't scold, just smile, look normal, and say "Ok, go ahead, have some more". The cure should take only a few repeats.

---------------------- other suggestions from the net --------------------------
Always keep your garbage locked away safely. Garbage is dangerous to a dog (chicken bones, poisons, broken glass, etc.) and is much too tempting to trust even the best trained dog around it.
Keeping garbage within reach of my Dalmatian is like putting a plate of my favourite chocolates in front of me and then asking me not to have one!
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Biting / mouthing

How do you stop an 8 week old puppy from biting too hard when playing? ....... submit your answer

Llewellyn says: ..... Puppies learn to control their bite while playing with their mother or litter mates, so use dog language. When the pup bites too hard, you don't want him to stop playing, so DON'T stop playing and scold the pup. Keep playing, but "bite" the pup by digging your fingers into his nose, just hard enough to make him back off. Keep the game going. This way he learns that HE causes the discomfort by biting too hard.
--------------------------- other suggestions from the net -----------------------
Scream OUCH!! and establish firm eye contact every time the pup bites. Praise gentle play behaviour.
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Yelp and replace your hand with a chew toy. The pup will learn that human hands are not for chewing. Praise the pup when he chews the toy. If the biting persists, stop playing with him. Initiate play again at a later time and repeat the procedure if necessary.
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Adult dog mouths and bites in exuberant greeting, and when excited in play. When you speak sternly, the dog cowers and slinks away. ....... submit your answer

----------------------------- suggestions from the net ------------------------
First, teach the dog to SIT and STAY on command. Demand that it SIT and STAY when greeting someone, and when it wants to be petted. Once the dog is sitting quietly, it can be gently patted. Any sign of restlessness, getting up, jumping, nipping or ANY other activity results in all attention stopping immediately. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Jumping up / over-exuberance

My Dog jumps up when he's excited. He's a big Shepherd, so when he hits you, you go down. ... another writes .....Every time a member of my family comes home from work or school our 7 month old male Black Labrador jumps all over us at the door. He is so exuberant, he knocks down my 8 year old son. We are going to obedience classes but we can’t get him to listen when he’s too excited to see us. After a while, he calms down and will obey. How can I get through to him while he is in this excited state?....... submit your answer

Llewellyn says: ... Train him to sit and stay when you come home from work or school. Open the door and say "Sit " and then wait for him to sit. Only say it once, but make sure he could hear you, if he is barking, this could be difficult. Fold your arms and look away from the dog until he is sitting. The moment he sits, praise him and give him calm attention. As soon as he gets up again, stop petting him and tell him to sit. You can only talk to him or praise him when he is sitting. Once you think he is calm, release him. If he becomes excited again, tell him to sit. It is very important to get all members of the household to do the same, even your son.
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If you are quick enough, lift your knee so that the dog strikes your knee with his chest. DO NOT KICK HIM. Don't stop greeting the dog, keep a happy face, but make sure that every time the dog jumps up, he causes discomfort to himself. YOU don't cause the discomfort, HE does, as his chest strikes your knee. This way he'll learn that it's more comfortable to keep four-on-the-floor.
----------------------------- Other suggestions from the web ----------------------------
Start when they're young, and hold their paws away from while telling them "off", very firmly. The pup gets uncomfortable and tries to release your hold on his front paws. Press him into a sit while still holding his front paws. When he's quiet, praise him quietly for sitting. It only takes a few times.
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For a small dog, step back, or put your hand in front of his face so he hits it on the way up. For a large dog, grab him by the skin below the ears and pull him down.
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I keep the leash on the dog, and when people approach, I step on the leash so he can't jump up.
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Food guarding

As I was placing food in our family dog’s bowl, he snapped at my 18 month old daughter and his tooth caught her forehead. Luckily, she did not need stitches. We have had this dog for 6 months and he is now 3 years old. He has never done anything like this before or since and is otherwise a calm, loving dog. I really don’t want to give him up. Is there anything I can do to ensure that this does not happen again?....... submit your answer

Llewellyn says: ... Don’t take chances with your children! Get rid of the dog. Ensure he finds a home with no children.
If you are determined to keep the dog, and put in the time, then you must realize that your dog is showing signs of dominance and sees the child as an equal or subordinate. Unfortunately, your child doesn't understand, and will ignore the dog’s attempts at communicating his dominance, resulting in another bite situation. Involve your child in some food training with your dog. With your child safely at your side, teach the dog to come and sit and give him his food from your hand. Say "GENTLE!". Then when you are comfortable with his manners, allow your child to feed the dog his treat. Call your dog to his food and make him sit and wait for it. As your child grows older, the dog will probably accept her as dominant as long as she stays involved with the training. Meanwhile, supervise all interactions between the child and the dog.

--------------------------- Other suggestions from the net ---------------------
Once the dog has bitten , he is likely to bite again, given the same circumstances. Take the dog away from the toddler to feed him. Don’t allow the child access to the dog’s toys or food.
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Dogs and children, even quite young children, can and do live quite happily together BUT it requires a huge commitment on your part.
You must directly supervise all interactions; the rule of thumb needs to be if you cannot directly supervise, children and dogs are separated.

Here are a few ideas to make things go more smoothly:
Contrary to what many people believe, a good quality, adequately sized, crate with toys and a sleeping pad will not only make your life easier, but your dog's as well. His crate is his space; the child NEVER enters it so your dog always has a safe, comfortable place to be, and you have a safe place for him to be when you can't supervise.

Neither your dog, nor your child are ever too young for obedience training. Puppies learn most quickly at about seven weeks of age. Children can learn to participate in training ALONGSIDE YOU virtually as soon as your dog is responding CONSISTENTLY to your commands. You start by having the child dole out the reward when you've given the command and the dog complies, then move to having the child give the command and the reward; at this stage, you may need to ensure the dog complies, rewarding only efforts you didn't need to assist with. With consistently, the dog will listen to your child.
Remember, for people and dogs alike, NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE. You work for a living and your dog needs to as well. In our home, until obedience was learned, nothing came without compliance. Not food, not treats, not water, not going outside, not getting petted. Nothing. The dog got attention when it performed, not earth-shattering tricks, but "come" or "sit" or "down" or "wait"...you get the idea. ALWAYS require something of your dog before you give him attention or treats. You'll find over time, you'll soften your ways a little, but in the beginning, nothing is ever free.

Teach your dog that ALL HUMANS ARE SUPERIOR. The dog doesn't share your sofa, your bed, your chair or anything that puts him on the same level as you; again, over time, this will soften as your dog learns the chain of command. That also means things like PEOPLE DO NOT GIVE WAY TO DOGS. If your dog is where you need to walk, he moves, not you. If your dog is walking through a door or up the stairs, YOU GO FIRST and he "waits". You eat your meals before he does (even when it's more convenient to do it the other way around!). He needs to learn that HUMANS, big or little, are the bosses and that all good things come from them. Keep your dog well exercised; a tired dog is a good dog.
Try feeding him a lower protein (but good quality!) dog food; unless your
dog is a working dog, he doesn't likely need high-protein performance feed.

Enjoy you dog. Play with him. Have your children play with him -- appropriately. Fetch or another non-competitive game is appropriate, but tug of war is not; a child will most often lose a game of tug of war to anything but the smallest dog and that only feeds the dog's idea that he can be superior to your child.
---From D.Vanson
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Dog aggression

When I walk my 15 month old Male German Shepherd Dog, he lunges after other dogs, trying to fight them. It doesn’t seem to matter what breed or sex the other dog is. This is getting worse even though I am walking him more often. It is so bad, in fact, that I have to walk the little
scrapper at five o’clock in the morning trying to avoid other dogs just so that we can have a half-way enjoyable walk! What can I do about this?....... submit your answer

Llewellyn says: ... As you approach another dog, ensure your guy is on obedience and in control. He must learn to obey you, no matter if the world is falling down around him. Distract him from the other dog using obedience commands, abrupt turns and faster pace. You may need to keep him a good distance from the other dog until you can gain control at closer range. Meanwhile, you should try to socialize him with a young and gentle female of the same breed. Allow the dogs to play on leash somewhere unfamiliar to your dog, with as little human interference as possible until they can be trusted off leash together to play.

------------------------- Other suggestions from the web -----------------------------
You must not tolerate this behaviour. If your dog gets a hold of another dog, you could be looking at a law suit or the very least vet bills. A prong collar will help you to gain better control of your dog, and focus his attention on to you and off of the other dog. Until your dog is trained not to lunge after other dogs, you should use a muzzle.
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Take him to obedience school. Tell the instructor of his problem. Soon enough, he will be used to the presence of the other dogs and won’t be so jealous.
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Correct the dog the moment he "postures" his aggression as you meet another dog. Don’t wait for him to lunge. Correct your dog for looking at another dog with intent to do harm. Use a leash correction, voice correction, or combination of both. Do not praise your dog if he chooses to ignore another dog, because he may take it as praise for his intended aggression..
back to Questions

Aggression toward people

My 2 year old male Golden Labrador hates my brother. Every time by brother visits, he goes berserk! My brother now refuses to visit unless I get rid of my dog. Help!....... submit your answer

Llewellyn says: ... Unless you want your brother bitten, train your dog to settle around him. Get your brother to greet your dog with treats. Keep your dog on leash and get him to sit and stay. Let him see your brother put a treat on the floor in front of him, then eventually feed him his treat by hand or in his bowl. Eventually the dog will regain trust enough for your brother to take him for a walk or play with him with his favourite toy.
------------------------------- suggestions from the net --------------------------------
Your dog may fear men in general, and your brother may be especially large, or dominant. His aggression is like a false front. If your brother approached him, the dog would likely back away unless he was cornered. Get your brother to approach your dog slowly, side stepping and "humble", without eye contact, and smiling if possible. Make sure that your brother does not reach out or down directly to him. Once the dog accepts him in this "submissive" position, the visits should be more peaceful. Your brother can play games with him, allowing the dog to win, such as tug of war, or throwing a ball or toy around.
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Fearfulness is genetically linked, and can generalize to include more than one source, i.e.: the dog can become fearful of all people who visit you. Fear can translate into aggression if not checked. The key to overcoming fear is socialization. Starting with small numbers of people in quiet places, expose your dog to stimuli. As he becomes comfortable with that level of stimulation, you can increase to the next level. Use obedience commands during exposure. The handler of the dog should be the person he is most comfortable with. Socialization is especially important in young pups but this method will improve your dog’s behaviour over time.
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Dogs can sense things about people that we, as humans, cannot. The dog could think there is something disturbing about your brother that your dog can sense. Animals can sense our true feelings about them. Your brother may not like your dog or he may be afraid of him. Have you ever had a bad day and your dog senses your mood even though other people cannot? Dogs, like people, have many different personalities, and not all get along together. You may just have to accept that your brother and your dog do not get along. Just don’t ask him to dog-sit for you when you go out of town!
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Your brother probably did something to him to provoke this action. It is probably best to keep your dog and your brother separated. If you want to see your brother, meet him at a coffee-shop or go to his place without your dog.
back to Questions

Digging
Alex writes: What can I do to stop my golden retriever from digging? My garden is a mess.

Llewellyn says: ... .
Dogs dig for many different reasons. Digging is a self-rewarding behaviour. It only becomes a problem when the place doggy digs is unacceptable to his master. Provide a spot acceptable to you for the dog to dig, (preferably shaded). Take him outside and dig with him in this spot, and place treats such as tidbits and toys in this digging spot. Watch your dog while he is outside at all times. As soon as he digs where he shouldn't, spray him with a hose. As soon as he digs in his appropriate spot, go outside and play with him, praising him and digging with him. Don't dig too enthusiastically, only so he understands where to dig.
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(From Koehler) Fill the hole with water and stick the dog's head under the water for a few seconds. Repeat at each hole and every time the dog digs.
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Here's a wierd one, but it worked! My three Dobies were digging all over my yard. They would dig deeper and deeper. Before they had a chance to get to China, I snuck out there and placed their own feces into the holes. They stopped digging after that!
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Put a mousetrap into the hole he is digging. Make sure that you are nearby so that your dog doesn't get it stuck on his foot.
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He may be digging to bury his toys and bones. If so, you can allow him to play with his toys and bones inside, but don't allow him to take them outside with him, and then he won't feel a need to bury them.
back to Questions

Two dogs in the same household ... Fighting!

So many of your questions involve fighting between two dogs in the same household, that we decided to devote more space to the problem.

First, If you haven’t done so yet, DO NOT RAISE TWO DOGS OF THE SAME SEX IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD!! ... you will be asking for trouble!

Back in the old days, when we sold dogs, we would never sell a dog of the same sex as one owned by the buyer.

While some of you will say "I have two males and they get along fine.", they are the lucky ones.

Often, two females will cohabit with no problem, but seldom will two males live together in lasting peace. (Some breeds are more dog aggressive than others)

People are constantly telling us that their two males got along very well; then one day there was a fight, now every time they see each other, a fight breaks out!

If you are lucky enough to have one dominant, and one very submissive dog, you could probably avoid bloodshed by not interfering at all, or by taking the side of the aggressor. THAT’S RIGHT!, you back up the bully, and shun the "victim"!

Size is irrelevant, a small dog of either sex with a strong personality can dominate another of the same or opposite sex with a weaker personality. They do it with posturing, growls, snaps, and bites that do not injure. It sounds like a war, but it’s just a family quarrel.

This, of course is difficult, because in human terms it seems very unfair; but in terms of dog behavior, it is completely normal. The original "pack" instincts have never left the domestic dog. It demands that there be a pack leader and his/her subjects. As long as this is understood by all involved, there will be peace. There could well be scraps and squabbles, because it is necessary for the boss to periodically exert his authority, and equally important the other(s) submit. The lesser dog must scream, or roll over, or drop to the floor, and he’ll not likely be hurt. If he does not submit, he will be considered a challenger for the top position, and will be severely trounced.

In pack behavior, the submissive dog lives comfortably, BUT ... if he will not keep his place, and challenges for leadership, serious fights will ensue, and the loser must leave the pack.

In your situation, he cannot leave the "pack" because he’s forced to live in your house; therefore the fights will never cease.

With some pairs, you can control the situation if you have both dogs under control or on leash, but you can’t be there 24 hours a day, so you’ll have to be sure to keep them separate at all times. ... or (you didn’t want to hear this); find a really great home for one of them.

back to Questions

AGGRESSION

The most common complaint according to numerous surveys, and according to the calls for help to our trainers, is aggression. Aggression problems are always serious because they can often lead to injury and/or loss of ownership of the dog.

There are many different types of aggression. The most common form of aggression is called "dominance" aggression, followed by "territorial" aggression. Other types of aggression are: learned aggression (trained intentionally or unintentionally), small animal aggression, large animal aggression, fearful aggression, dog to dog aggression, and combinations of the above.

Many solutions are offered, but should NOT be attempted unless you can convince your dog that you are not apprehensive, and that any other party involved is not fearful of the dog's reactions

If you tense up, your dog will know it immediately and take it as a signal that he too, should get ready for action. If you are trying to convince your dog that another party is "OK", then the other party must act completely normal, otherwise their actions will communicate that something is wrong, and the dog may respond by displaying aggressive behaviour.

Territory often plays a role in aggressive behaviour, so solutions are generally best applied other than in the dog's own territory. It is often easier to start out the corrective training on a neutral territory with a fence between you and the target of your dog's aggression. This will allow you to be more relaxed so as not to alert your dog.

If you are unable to relax and act as if nothing is wrong, then you would be well advised to enlist the help of a qualified professional trainer.

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Dog "marking" fire hydrant
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