ASK THE EXPERT
Posted by Mark | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 04-08-2009
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America’s Canine Expert Mark German
WANTS TO KNOW:
Do you have questions about your dog’s behavior that you would like answered?
Can’t seem to get anyone to answer your emails or phone calls?
Are you tired of asking your questions to “Trainers” who tell you to contact someone else, yet do not recommend who?
Tired of watching TV or DVD s to find answers about your dog’s behavior? Have you ever heard “you need to be the pack leader”, but no one tells you how?
They said it couldn't be done!
WE ARE HERE TO HELP ANY QUESTION, ANY DOG,
ANY BEHAVIOR
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Important Information
- What state are you from
- Your first name please
- Dog’s breed and age
- Spayed/Neutered
- Dog’s Issues
Feel free to ask any question. We will respond to your question within 24 hours, usually sooner. We will answer your letter IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT. We are not yelling at anyone, it is just easier to read for some people. Your story is important to us and we need to know as much as possible in order to give you the right advice for your dog. We are here to help as many dogs as we can. Your story may help another with the same problems. I recommend purchasing our book There’s Hope! (c) so when we give advice or help you by phone, you will have an understanding of what we are teaching. The proceeds help Merlin’s Kids . Please tell a friend….There’s Hope!
Ray
You have to think a little differently. Remember, Leader, Follower. If you just walk away from your dog she should follow you. Pack leaders
in the wild do not call the pack to come. He just walks away and they will follow. Walk, Rest, Feed. Then she will think you are going hunting
because the last time we walked, we found food! If she does not follow you, I would suggest you do not let her off leash except in fenced areas,
until YOU have become her leader. Leadership, Walks, Rules and Good Nutrition. All puppies at this age want to roam. The further you let her go, the further she will go. Keep her on a leash and then begin doing off leash by dropping the leash on her back while you are walking. If she tries to go off, just grab the leash, bite or shh the dog and keep going. All you are doing is telling her how far she can go away from you.
When meeting other people, you have to teach her rules. DO NOT tell her to sit when approaching others. That just makes things more excited and YOU more
frustrated. Remember, dogs have to SMELL, SEE, HEAR in that order. Tell the people you are greeting to look up at the space shuttle, look at the owl in the tree.
Let the dogs smell each other while you all are looking away. Keep the leashes loose in your hand. The dogs will circle a few times. When YOU are ready start walking together with all the dogs. Now, the people can pet your dog. If she jumps on anyone, BITE HER. If you don’t like it….Bite it! and then walk away. Now she knows the rules when greeting others. Remember, you are always “Teaching” your dog, not training her.
One more thing. DO NOT mix obedience with The Four Essentials. Obedience hasn’t worked yet, right? There will be time for obedience once your dog
receives the Four Essentials. LOVE YOUR DOG ENOUGH TO DO THIS, THEN LOVE YOU DOG ANYWAY YOU WANT.
Please let us know how it goes. Reread chapter 5. The front door rule applies in the street when greeting. Same technique, just a different object.
Mark,
I hope you remember my family. We had a consultation with you in Killeen probably 2 years ago at this point.
I could really use some advise about a dog situation that my husband and I found ourselves in. We pet sat for a friends dog about a week ago. Our dogs had gotten along inside and our of our home, and so I felt confidant that we wouldn’t have any problems.
However, on Saturday evening I had Taffy (my medical alert dog) and the dog we were sitting for in the back yard while I was watering my front yard and chatting with a neighbor and all of a sudden Taffy was screaming. I jumped the fence in time to see the other dog (a german shephard) release her and then start to dive back towards her with her mouth open. I yelled because I was not yet close enough to correct the other dog, and she darted off. (I used my ‘touch her and die yell’)
The other dogs owners paid for the vet bill and have been concerned about Taffy’s recovery, but there have been things that were said that make me feel like they are trying to blame Taffy for the attack.
This was a multiple bite attack. Taffy had to have stitches in her front paw, and has punctures on her hindquarters. I have pictures on my profile. She also has scabs all up and down both of her front paws, and severe tenderness on her back hip.
Although she is a service dog, she is not infallible and does act like a dog when she’s not working. She has never instigated an incident with any other dogs. But she express displeasure and defend herself with unruly or rough and tumble dogs after repeated abuse. At this time that was not the issue. They weren’t playing, there was no rough housing. It was quite, and then there was carnage.
The german shepherd is a fearful or anxious dog, and she was in our house away from her family and home and familiarity. She is generally playful, but does what she wants most of the time. Doesn’t get walks, and doesn’t have much structure.
Is it possible that the structure and unfamiliarity of my home with walks and expected obedience of my home could have incited this dog to attack my dog unprovoked? Or is something else more likely?
I know I am asking for what seemly like conjecture, but I perceive you to be an expert in dog behavior. And I trust your insight implicitly.
Thanks,
Stephanie
Stephanie. Yes I remember you all.
Do not think about why it happened or if it has ever happened before. The fact is: IT HAPPENED! We hear all the time when a dog bites us “that has never happened before!” Well, it just did. German Shepherds are a dominant breed dog to begin with, but it sounds like this dog has “issues” and needs our help. Please have them contact me if they want help with this dog.
In the meantime, remember that dogs live in the moment. It’s how WE react that makes the difference. You need to continue Leadership, Walks, Rules and Good Nutrition (c) and forget about the attack. Obviously, do not get your dog around the GSD again. If you continue to babysit, then I would be sure to walk the dogs together, and set rules for the GSD. If you are not watching the dogs, I would use a muzzle on the GSD. It just keeps everyone safe until the GSD gets rehabilitated. It is a good dog, but it is lacking the Four Essentials to a Stable Dog (c).
If you were in the front yard, how do you know there was no “playing” going on with the dogs. If you say it was unprovoked, were there toys or bones around? More than likely the “play” or butt sniffing got out of control. Remember EXCITEMENT leads to DOMINANCE, which leads to AGGRESSION.
The best thing you could do for both dogs is to get them together and start walking them. See chapter 4 of our book. Dogs can “act up” when away from their environment, BUT, by becoming the leader immediately, any dog will tend to be the follower.
Before bringing any dog into that kind of situation, the dog needs to be walked around the block, then brought into the house on a leash. Then walk the dog around the house on the leash and then into the back yard. Then the leash can come off.
A leader’s job is to Protect and Provide. You are the leader of all dogs. Go Army!