The truth about wolves and dogs - Dispelling the myths of dog training by Toni Shelbourne

Author:Toni Shelbourne [Shelbourne, Toni]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781845845537
Publisher: Hubble and Hattie
Published: 2012-11-11T05:00:00+00:00

Simply raising a tail can assert authority, and control the behaviour of

another wolf ... (Courtesy Patrick Melton)

... as can an intent stare. (Courtesy Monty Sloan)

Scientific proof exists that dogs can ‘read’ our faces, which give so many clues to what we want, expect or feel. They also can react to the slightest change in our body posture, emotions or thoughts. A wolf I know is so perceptive that even a change in breath rate will tell her something is up, and she will refuse to be caught.

A soft growl or stern word from you is all that most dogs will usually require; there is absolutely no need to shout at, physically strike, or isolate your dog. Keep in mind the qualities of a strong breeding pair – calmness, control and slight aloofness – and the ways in which they administer discipline with a look, or discreet change in body language, which might be as subtle as raising their tail. Strategies I have found useful for wolf discipline are standing my ground, or even walking forward to meet the animal as he jumps up at you, both of which prevent you from appearing vulnerable. I have also placed my hand on the muzzle and gently pushed the head away from me.

A client of mine was being bitten by her young dog as she dragged the unfortunate animal to ‘time out’ sessions in the utility room: what should she do, she asked me? I pointed out that I had been with the pair for two hours, managing her dog with subtle body language and soft, spoken commands, not once needing to use time out. I had also not been bitten and the dog was behaving beautifully.

The crux of the matter was that the dog was simply being a dog and getting punished for it. It was young, under-stimulated and untrained, and was being left with the children without adult supervision. During normal play, the children would scream, which would alarm and agitate the pup, especially as the children would then scream every time he approached them, whereupon his owner would decide that he needed to take time out.

In addition to this, the young dog had no toys of his own, was rarely walked, and not shown how to behave properly: he was frustrated, confused and scared, and who can blame him?

Another client had a young puppy that had suddenly become frightened of men. I discovered that someone else in the household (a man) had grabbed the dog to rub her nose in a mess she had made on the floor earlier that evening, and in the process had dropped the dog on her nose. Sometimes, just one incident can create a massive problem, so be very careful with discipline and how you use it; incidentally, this old training method is unnecessarily unkind and, in any case, is not at all effective.

Very often a telling off will only result in your dog not misbehaving whilst you are around, or being afraid of you.

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