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Hey, Katie K-9!KatieK9@readthecitizen.comwww.KTK9.com 651-429-5433 |
Hey, Katie K-9!
My dog, Ralf, gets really carried away with chasing the ball. No matter where I am, he brings me the ball to throw it for him. At times when we have company it gets embarrassing. I have to put him in his kennel so we can visit. Any suggestions?
Kelly
Hey, Kelly and Ralf!
Who is training whom here? No dog should get anything if they ask for it. They have to be taught by you to have patience and wait, which is a very hard lesson for both humans and dogs. The next time Ralf brings you his ball, say "thank you!" in a very happy voice and then sit on it or put where he can not see it or get to it. Then you decide when you want to play ball. Then throw the ball no more than three times and quit. At times, throw it once and stop. Always alternate how many times you throw it. You want Ralf to learn to wait and see what is going to happen, not to train you to react when he wants something.
Have fun..but when you want it.
Katie K-9
Hey, Katie K-9!
Is it okay for a dog to chase his tail? Is there such a thing as chasing his tail too much?
Please advise.
Dee Dee
Hey, Dee Dee!
Tail-chasing often starts out bringing owners a chuckle and a smile, and then turns into frustration because it is driving everyone nuts! It becomes a compulsion disorder and may even give the dog a "high" after awhile. Remember spinning around in a circle when we were kids? Then we would stop, and the world felt funny. Then we would do it again. Sometimes this behavior is spurred on by owners at the beginning; then the dog takes over and does it over and over again.
When your dog starts, immediately give him a deep slow growl, "AHHH!" and blast him with a spray bottle filled with water set on stream. When he stops, calmly say "Thank you!" and move him on to something else, like play hide-and-seek, or "Where is your ball?" Do not allow tail-chasing at all.
Sometimes you need to teach them to do it with a verbal command so you can get them to stop it on command. That works for barking and whining. Good luck.
Katie K-9
Send in your dog questions to "Hey, Katie K-9!" by mailing them to The Citizen, P. O. Box 393, Hugo, MN 55038 or e-mailing them to Katie at KatieK-9@ReadTheCitizen.com. Visit Katie's dog obedience school website at www.ktk9.com.