Dogs are considered the most loyal and friendly animals as they love their owners, or shall we say their legs. In most of the cases, the act of a dog humping someone’s leg, or another dog, or a pillow, could be really annoying, especially if the situation gets out of control. Sometimes it may cause fighting between dogs and could create an embarrassing situation for you when other people are around. In short, dogs and humans who are a victim of dog’s humping, may be antagonized, terrorized, and even injured by this act. As a dog owner, you will need to stop the humping behavior but before you do that, you will need to understand the cause of it as it is often misunderstood.

Why do dogs hump?

Humping or mounting is a normal mating behavior in both male and female dogs. However, they do not always do it for sexual reasons; in fact there are many reasons for this behavior. Female dogs do this less frequently as compared to the male dogs. So, it is in their DNA to behave like this, but understanding the reasons can make you stop them from creating an embarrassing situation. The following are the reasons why dogs hump:

Sexual:

This is one of the most common reasons that dogs hump and masturbate because of sexual reasons. Even if the dog is neutered or spayed, it does not matter because it will mount or hump whenever it wants to. The neutered dogs also hump and the people around think that the dog is being flirty or physically close. So, the major reason of this behavior of a dog is related to sex or reproduction. A dog may mount on humans, other dogs, toys, and other objects to satisfy its sexual desires.

Excitement or anxiousness:

Dogs that are prone to anxiousness or excitement may also do humping because they think that things are getting out of their control. So, the second most common reason of humping behavior is excitement, stress, anxiousness, or anxiety. Dogs get stressful or excited when they meet other dogs and this is the reason you can see many dogs mounting or humping in parks. However, mounting or humping that leads to dog fights should not be acceptable as it can cause serious injuries. So, when a dog is extremely stressful or excited, it may direct its attention toward you, other dogs, a toy, a pillow, or any other object around.

Social:

Dogs also exhibit this kind of behavior to show their power and control over other dogs. It is a dog’s way to show the other dog that it is more powerful or belongs to a better class than the one which is being humped. Just like humans, dogs also have social status and ranks which are evident from their breeds. Mostly the large breed of dogs feels themselves as superior to others and they start humping another dog to show its supremacy.

Playing or attention-seeking:

It is said that the dogs seek your attention out of boredom. So, dogs do humping and mounting when they are bored and want to show their playfulness, in other words they want to seek your attention. If your dog is lonely and has no activity, it will develop a habit of humping to seek your attention. Sometimes, dogs get overexcited while performing an activity or playing, and thus they start mounting or humping. But if your dog does that often, it could be annoying for other dogs especially the puppies because they feel bullied.

Compulsion:

Sometimes, dogs get too used to this behavior and they start doing it out of compulsion. Many dogs make it a routine if not stopped, and they find it as a way to relax and release their stress or anxiety. If this habit of humping often gets too far, it could even harm the dog and stop it from performing normally.

Underlying medical issues:

There may also be some medical reasons associated to humping. The medical issues may include allergies, itching of sensitive body parts, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and other types of discomfort. Priapism is another medical condition in which a dog may have painful and persistent erections. In these cases, the dogs want to relieve the painful and uncomfortable situation to relax them and relieve the muscles.

What should be considered normal humping?

According to many vets, humping is a normal behavior. However, it is not; and not all the humping behaviors should be considered normal. If your dog is playful, and is in a good mood while humping, it is not anything to worry about. You dog may often hump other dogs and also be humped by them, and that is a normal behavior. The thing to worry about is the frequency and thus you should not let your dog hump as a habit. If your dog starts humping you, you should immediately stop it from doing as this behavior is not at all accepted. The best thing to do is to discourage it by walking away.

Can dogs be taught to stop humping?

The answer to this question is yes. Dogs can be trained to stop humping and mounting and the best way to stop them is by discouraging them when they have just started doing it. Most of the people think that humping or mounting looks cute when puppies do it, but this thing may become a habit and turn into embarrassment when they turn into young dogs. So, if you do not want your dog to behave this way, you would have to stop it from humping from the start. According to vets, neutering a dog can decrease the habit of mounting but that does not mean you can completely eliminate this habit from a neutered dog. So if your dog’s humping behavior embarrasses you, you should try to stop it right from the start, otherwise it will become a habit.

The embarrassment of mounting or humping

When a dog gets into a habit of humping, it mounts other dogs and humans and creates an embarrassing situation for you, its owner. The problem arises when your dog does not understand that you do not like this behavior and keeps on mounting on to your legs or other toys even when guests are there. In such cases, distraction works but only for few minutes and the dog is back to humping. Along with being embarrassing, this act may also cause discomfort and nuisance and the dog owners mostly end up yelling and chaining the dog.

Which type of humping behavior is difficult to deal with?

Some types of humping behaviors are different from others because all the behaviors have a different reason. If a dog humps a person, it is easier to stop because the person can just walk away or pick the dog up and put in a different place. When the dog mounts on other dog for humping, you can easily separate them and shift them to separate places. However, if the dog has a habit of mounting and humping an object, it gets very difficult to break this habit. This is because the dog finds anything to hump such as pillows, toys, or any other object and it is impossible to hide everything. The following are the different types of humping behaviors explained:

Dog humping another dog:

To stop dog humping another dog, you will need to work harder if your dog is adult as compared to a puppy which has just reached its puberty. This is because a puppy or young dog has lesser experience of mounting on other dogs as compared to the adult ones. To behave properly with other dogs, you will need to teach your dogs some social skills. When you feel that your dog is about to mount the other dog, start the trick of body blocking by removing your dog away from the other dog. If your dog does not stop by body blocking, try and announce that the time is over and that the dogs do not need to play anymore. If you do not notice any sign of mounting, let them play and have fun together. To stop the dog humping another dog, you must take your dog for a play date with other dogs. If you have multiple dogs at your house, training them would get easier.

Dog humping human:

This behavior is also handled almost the same way as dog humping another dog is dealt. If your dog starts humping your guests or family members, educate them about how to deal with the dog in this situation. Some dogs may become aggressive if you will try to remove them from legs. So, it is better to train your guests and other family members to respond promptly to this situation. If your dog becomes angry, growled, and shows teeth when you try to stop it from mounting, it is necessary that you consult a professional to treat it accordingly. Also, make sure to keep your dog away from people so that you are safe from the embarrassment.

Dog humping object:

Dog owners often come across annoying situations when their dogs start humping an object, be it a toy, a pillow, or any other object. If your dog does not develop a habit of humping objects, then there is no harm in letting it do this once in a while. However, if it wants to hump objects most of the time, you will need to intervene as this habit is embarrassing as well as harmful to health too. Notice the objects which your dog loves to hump, and try to remove the objects from your dog’s sight. Behavior modification and training techniques can also help in this regard. This humping behavior is the most stubborn and for preventing it, serious measures such as neutering and spaying should be practiced.

Preventing your dog from humping

There are many methods to prevent your dog from humping or mounting. No doubt, the humping behavior of dogs is actually originated from the desire to mate, but if this behavior is not discouraged and stopped, it could turn into an embarrassing habit and even cause threat to other dogs and people. The large breed of dogs could cause severe injuries to humans and other dogs and this could result in serious actions against the dog owners too. There are many effective steps that a dog owner can take to prevent this behavior of their dogs. However, pet owners should also bear in mind that this behavior is a natural thing and should be stopped in a gradual and wise manner. You can try these tips and techniques to stop your dog from humping.

Spay & neuter your dog:

The best solution to break the humping habit of your dog is to spay and neuter it. This will not only decrease the dog population, but will also decrease its urge to mate. According to studies, neutering stops the humping behavior in almost 60-70% dogs. It is recommended to neuter a dog as early as possible to prevent humping. This is because humping behavior develops when the puppy reaches puberty and if you neuter your dog before this, it is expected that it will never exhibit the humping behavior. If your dog has already reached puberty and has developed the habit of humping, neutering will minimize the habit of humping and within some months it will calm down.

Physical exercise:

Daily exercise is important to boost a dog’s energy level and has positive effects on the dog’s body. Due to exercise, your dog will also get rid of other unwanted habits and medical issues. So, make sure your dog is getting enough exercise daily such as playing and going for walks. Some dogs may want to mount your leg when they are full of energy, but they will stop doing it soon because they will be so exhausted and tired after doing lots of physical exercises. Make a routine and take your dog daily to the park for exercise or long walks. You can also do a research and find different types of playful exercise for it.

Corrective training:

Always remember that you are the owner of your dog and you can play the role of an alpha dog. As soon as your dog starts to hump or show signs of humping, sound a loud voice and say no in an angry tone. Your style should be assertive but not very angry because sometimes dogs may get stressful and start humping. If you think you would not be able to control the anger in your voice, you can try some other source of sound such as blowing a whistle or ringing a bell. If you are using a very large source of sound, make sure that you are far away from the dog, otherwise it may damage its ears. Also remember that making noise is effective when the dog just starts humping or is in middle of it, not afterward. A firm ‘stop’ or ‘no’ will make your dog realize that this behavior is not appropriate.

Distraction:

Some dogs, as mentioned above, do humping because they seek attention or feel excited and playful. If you think your dog is behaving like this to seek attention or just out of boredom, try distracting it by offering it something to eat or play. You can also distract it by offering a boomerang or any object that your dog loves to play with. Also notice that dogs display certain type of behavior such as rubbing, pawing, panting, and licking. If your dog displays such behavior, start distracting it by asking it to perform a trick or act.

Ignore:

Sometimes, ignoring the humping behavior also does magic. If your dog starts humping, try and leave the room immediately or move your head away. When you will ignore your dog’s behavior, it would silently convey your message that you are not interested in this act. At last, your dog will get a signal that its humping behavior will not get your attention and gain your approval. Most probably, your dog will stop this humping behavior and understand that you do not accept this.

Checkup for medical issues:

When humping is still present even after trying all the techniques, you should take your dog for a complete checkup by a vet or professional. The vet will figure out whether this humping or mounting behavior is because of stress, anxiety, or because of some underlying medical condition. To relieve stress and anxiety, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are given to improve dog’s physical and mental health. However, medication should be considered as the last option as it may have some side effects too. If the dog is having an allergy, infection, or some other medical issue, the vet will give medication and treat it accordingly.

How to Stop a Barking Dog

Animals vocalize in different ways: birds chirp, cats meow, and dogs bark. No doubt, we get to acknowledge, tolerate, and sometimes, appreciate how our dogs communicate naturally.

But:

Tolerance has a breaking point and if Rover is barking too often or too long or at inappropriate times, it can be nerve wracking for you, friends and family around, and neighbors. Heaven forbid he starts one of his episodes late at night and triggers other dogs in the neighborhood.

The lack of sleep would prolly be the last thing you’d have to worry about as it’s almost certain a neighbor would want to have a word with you at dawn.

It can be tough to prevent excessive barking and even tougher to put a kibosh on it after your dog starts barking.

However, it is not impossible to do either. Regardless of size, age, or breed, you can effect a change in obsessive barkers and put an end to their barking nuisance.

Common reasons why dogs bark

Dogs bark to communicate with humans, other animals, and to express themselves. Thus, dogs bark for several understandable reasons (and not simply because they can or for spite).

In general, the pitch of your canine’s barking would depend on the trigger. If you keep your ear to the ground, you’d be able to make out the different bark types and associate them with specific causes.

The common causes of dog barking include:

1. To warn, alert, protect, or exhibit territoriality

Dogs typically aren’t big fans of strangers and intruders, and they do not hesitate to make that abundantly clear. When many dogs sense something fishy or that poses some type of threat, they’ll instinctively bark.

This form of barking is often high-pitched, loud, and authoritative. It serves the dual purpose of alerting you (if you are around) whilst warning the intruder. This type of barking is desirable to help protect your home and family.

2. Anxiety or distress

Between the two, distress is milder and more manageable. It reflects in the form of barking, as anxious barking is often high-pitched and sometimes coupled with whining.

The difference is even more significant between separation anxiety and separation distress.

3. Alarm

When we are startled, we vocalize the sudden surprise with a scream. Dogs would typically bark in this situation. This form of barking is often brief.

4. Fear

Dogs have different types of phobia (although the diversity of phobias is not as extensive as human phobias). Certain objects, some people, other animals, or loud noises like thunder are the most common.

A dog barking out of fear may actually sound menacing, and might be misunderstood. But fear barking is often accompanied by non-verbal fear cues such as its posture and behavior. Usually, the dog’s ears would be extremely pinned (in a back position) and the tail is lowered.

5. Frustration

This type of barking signals powerlessness or irritation, such as when a ball rolls under the couch and getting to it is not possible for the dog.

6. Boredom

Dogs can get bored, and when they do, they would self-soothe or self-entertain by barking. This form of barking sounds repetitive and the dog is mainly trying to exude pent up energy from being lonely or under-stimulated.

7. Excitement or playfulness

Young dogs and puppies typically engage in this type of barking more often compared to older dogs. It could be in anticipation of going for a walk or car ride. Or it could be a running commentary when your canine is playing with people or other dogs.

This form of barking often sounds upbeat.

8. To seek attention or make a demand

Barking is the primary form of communication for dogs, and it’s how they let you know that they want something that you could help with whether it’s access to the outdoors or a toy. It could also just be a means to get your attention for some petting strokes.

You’d almost always know when your dog is engaging in attention-seeking barking. Sometimes, whining may also accompany this form of barking.

9. In response to other dogs

It may sound like an anthem when the whole block responds to one dog barking, and your dog joins in. At other times, it could sound like an unintelligible conversation when your dog meets or is hanging out with his pal(s).

• Health Issues

Sometimes, your dog many be barking because all isn’t well. Certain pooch health issues could be the underlying reasons for barking. Some of them are Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, age-related dementia, or deafness.

Your vet should help offer tips on how to cope with health-related barking as well as medications. You would also have to be patient with your dog and not make frequent changes.

You may also have to be creative while training your dog. For instance, rather than vocalizing a “hush” or “quiet” command to your dog, you may have to resort to non-verbal cues such as hand signals, a vibrating collar, or a flash of light.

Now that you understand the varied reasons for dog barking, you know it is unreasonable to stop your dog from barking entirely. Chances are you really do not want that because of select benefits.

Still, while you understand that your dog communicates by barking, you want it to be moderate and for you to be able to exercise control. The first step to take is to identify why your dog barks, then address this trigger with a customized training solution.

The common triggers are listed above, but the hard part could be the identifying the trigger for your canine’s barking. As you may have to become an ad hoc spy or do some clever detective work, especially if excessive barking occurs while you are out.

You may have to

• inquire from neighbors as to what they observe,
• listen and watch from around the block, or
• start a video camera or tape recorder on leaving the house

How you can control dog barking

After identifying the causative factor of your dog’s incessant barking, you can mix and match the following seven management solutions, with varying levels of difficulty, to put together a customized training solution that would limit your dog’s barking and put you in firm control.

1. Eliminate the trigger

Your dog barks for a reason. He gets some kind of reward; otherwise, he wouldn’t be bothered to bark. You’re in luck if the trigger is something that you can control access to.

Say, the trigger is a passerby or animal walking by the window or noise from outside activity. Then the first course of action is to axe visual access or mask the noise.

You could do this by for example:

• Closing curtains or blinds,
• Installing a temporary privacy window film (and gradually adjusting its height over time until your dog loses substantial interest in staring),
• Moving your dog to another room, if your dog is visually motivated to bark

OR

• Using a white noise machine to mask outside noise, if that is the motivation

Unfortunately, if your dog’s reason for barking is more abstract like fear or separation distress, you may be better poised to control the trigger by using pheromone-based treatment.

What you do is to plug in a diffuser, which gives off substances that mimic “calming chemicals” that female dogs exude with the desirable effect of soothing your dog.

2. Keep Fido happy

This technique is perfect for barkers whose triggers are attention seeking, boredom, or separation distress. You want to keep your dog busy and happy while you are going about your day or leaving the house.

A great way to do this is to give your dog hard rubber toys that dispense treats. But just about any toy would do.

3. Shut your ears to the barking

Use this technique if your dog is an attention seeking, play, or frustration barker. It would be uncomfortable, but you’d have to tough it out and not give in to your dog, by turning away, walking out of the room, or doing anything but look at your dog. Until he stops!

That means you do not even yell at him or give him stern reprimands, as that counts as attention. At least, until you teach your dog the “hush” command, he’d take your shouting “quiet” or a synonym at him to mean you joining the barking game.

This is important, as giving him attention when he is barking reiterates that it is a successful strategy and gives him the incentive to do it next time.

Now, how well this technique works depends on your discipline and consistency. Do not give in at any time once he starts barking, whether it takes your dog fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, or even an hour to stop barking. Because, if you respond out of frustration, say after 40 minutes, he’d take that as a cue to mean that if he barks long enough, you’d eventually respond. As such, the next time he barks, he would go on for more than 40 minutes if you do not respond.

What you should do when he stops

When you ignore, eventually he’d stop. When he stops, you want him to foster the habit of stopping on his own volition and quicker. A reliable way to foster this habit is to reward him when he stops. This reward may be in the form of a treat, praise, or a pat; or getting your attention or you getting him what he wants.

Once he starts receiving rewards after he stops barking, steadily lengthen how much time he must remain quiet before he receives a reward. Start small; say after a few seconds, and then work up to longer periods of quiet. You do not have to be rigid, you could vary the time he has to stay quiet; say 15 seconds one time, then 31 seconds, then 22 seconds…

4. Accustom your canine to the stimulus

If your dog’s barking stimulus is tangible, say other dogs. You want to condition him to the stimulus, so he doesn’t bark because of the trigger. This process is slow and methodological.

• First place the trigger (you could have a friend with a dog stand) far enough way that your dog would not bark at the stimulus (the other dog)
• Then move the trigger a tad closer, by a few inches or feet to start, to come into view of your dog and feed yummy treats
• After wards, move the trigger back out of sight and stop feeding treats; you want your dog to relate the appearance of the trigger to something rewarding (treat) rather than an urge to bark
• Repeat this three-step progress multiple times and endeavor not to progress (bring the trigger closer) too quickly

Furthermore, if you notice that your dog did not bark in a typical situation when he would, do not brush it aside. Make a big deal out of it and acknowledge the behavior. You do not only have to correct bad behavior, you also have to positively reinforce good behavior.

For example, if your dog plays with his pal without barking, which he would typically do, give him a treat and/or praise him. If he sits and wait for you when his ball rolls under the couch when he’d typically bark in frustration, reward his patience with a pat and fetch him his ball. The bottom line is to reward actions/behaviors you want your dog to repeat.

5. Teach the “quiet” command to your dog

To have ultimate control over your dog’s barking, you should be able to get him to stop barking on your command. After all, you aren’t opposed to the dog barking at all, you only want it to be controlled and not excessive.

Steps to follow

• Get your dog to bark on command. No, this is not counter-intuitive. The point is that you want your dog to associate barking to your command as a precursor to teaching the “quiet” command, you want to exert more control, and you want to teach the “quiet” command at your own pace without having to wait for your dog to bark first.
• Say your verbal command is “speak,” say the word and wait for your dog to bark for two or three times. Then tempt him with a tasty treat by placing the treat in front of his nose.
• Typically, he’d stop barking to sniff the treat. When he does so, praise him and give him the treat directly or toss the treat a few steps away from him.
• Repeat this three-step process multiple times until he is accustomed to barking as soon as you say, “speak.”
• Once that is set, you can then use the “quiet” or “hush” command and repeat step two and three to get him to stop barking on command.

6. Demand an incompatible behavior while barking

Earlier on, you learned that yelling at your dog while he is barking is not a good idea as he could misinterpret it as a sign of encouragement. This technique thrives on the same principle but for a different effect.

You want to introduce an activity/action that inhibits your dog while he is barking.

For instance, if your dog’s stimulus is a person at the door, you may want to ask him to go to his mat when he starts barking. You can sweeten the request by tossing a treat on the mat.

Once he can reliably head to his mat to earn a treat, you could move on to opening the door while he is on his mat. Close the door immediately if he gets up. Keep at it until he stays on his mat while the door opens.

You can increase the difficulty further by getting someone to ring the doorbell while he is on his mat. If he stays in his place, reward him.

7. Keep Fido active

You want your dog to have sufficient physical and mental exercise daily, especially for boredom, frustration, and attention seeking barkers.

A good physical exercise is a game of fetch or walks, while a good mind teaser is hide-and-seek or “find the toy.”

Noteworthy tips

• This has been reiterated twice, but it deserves a repeat—do not yell at or hit your dog when they bark.
• Be positive, upbeat, and patient during training sessions.
• Consistency is the key to get desirable results. Inconsistency breeds confusion and would impede the efficiency of your training solution.

Are you the proud owner of an adorable dog? If so, it is best for you to assume the role of your dog’s pack leader to ensure that it always listens to you.

If you have ever had an opportunity to see feral dogs, you would have noticed that they always hang around in packs, often led by an alpha dog who is mainly a mentor to the rest. Such a social hierarchy is deeply embedded in a dog’s nature, so it is integral to establish yourself as the alpha right from the start so that your dog takes you seriously. If it gathers the idea that it is the leader, it will never follow you and you will be stuck with an animal version of a troublesome teenager.

We are here to guide you on how to be your dog’s pack leader. Even if your beloved pet has already established itself as the leader, don’t worry as there is still hope. Here are some of the key steps and features you should adopt to establish authority and, thereby, boundaries.

Get to know your dog

Before you can start assuming the role of the pack leader, you must get to know your dog first. Every dog has a different personality and distinct self-image. You need to be aware of both these factors before you proceed.

For example, if your dog is dominant and perceives itself to be the alpha, you are in for a harsh ride. The techniques needed to establish dominance with such a dog are drastically different from the steps you are to take to become an alpha leader of a dog who views itself to be a follower.

Right from the moment a puppy is born, the mother dog controls its access to food to make sure its pups are trained and know who the boss is. If you also train your dog to listen to you from the early stages of its life, i.e., before its personality is fully developed, you won’t need to worry about truly understanding the nature of your pet. However, if it is already in the adult stage of its life, this step becomes the most important of all, especially if you wish to avoid dog bites.

Start Slowly

Starting at a slow pace is integral if your dog already considers itself to be alpha. If your dog is aggressive and dominant in nature, you should take baby steps to make sure you don’t pose yourself as a threat to the power of your dog. An abrupt transition could lead your dog becoming more aggressive. For example, if you punish it by taking its food or toy away, it may retaliate by biting you. Starting gradually will help you avoid such incidents.

If you feel like your dog has the temperament and attitude of an alpha, it is best to consult a dog trainer or approach the matter after being well-versed on how to tackle different situations. Do not make the mistake of thinking that your dog will not cause you harm. If it views itself as the authority, it will do anything to retain its power.

Be Composed Yet Firm

When you think of a leader, you imagine a person who has their emotions together. You envision them to be calm and the source of reason and problem-solving when things go south. Such qualities are also required in a pack leader. You can say that a leader is a leader regardless of whom it is leading.

Therefore, make sure you do not give off any nervous energy. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think you have the situation under control; what is important is that you do not let your pack pick up on your fear and nervousness. For your pets, you are the lead who has it all figured out. You have the power to be assertive.

Hence, you should ensure that you are calm yet assertive. Your presence should be a powerful enough influence to make your pack do as you command without being blatantly dominating.

Set Clear Boundaries

A way that a dog marks itself as the leader is by letting the pack know who owns the territory. In human interaction, an individual assumes the role of a leader by marking their territory and establishing authority via their body language and approach toward a goal.

To be the pack leader, you need to do the same thing. You have to make your dog understand that the space it lives in is yours and you are the only authoritative figure in the equation. Just like in human interactions, you don’t do so bluntly. Instead, you establish it by subtly making it clear via body language. Such actions will include maintaining eye contact when ordering your dog to do something.

Once your pet understands that the space it lives in belongs to you, it will automatically start respecting you and follow your orders.

Teach It to Wait

One way to assert your power is to instill in your pups the concept of waiting for your affirmation before doing individual acts. As you know, dogs can be trained to respond to certain gestures and words. An essential concept you need to engrain in their mind is the concept of waiting.

This act will fuel into your authority because it shows that you can control when they receive food or are allowed to travel or pee. Start by giving your dog persistent orders related to the idea of waiting and then giving it a reward when it complies. This action-reward combo always works in training basic dog commandments to your pet.

The mere act of understanding this commandment helps in the establishment of you as the pack leader.

Ask Your Dog to Work

Another feature of a leader is how they distribute work and responsibilities to their followers. You can’t expect anyone to follow you if the situation doesn’t demand a leader. For example, if you provide your dog with a constant supply of food and toys and don’t take either of these things away, there is no reason for it to do the assigned chore in the first place.

Therefore, you should always ensure that your dog earns its food. Take it out on walks and give it food only once it has done so. Make sure you don’t cuddle with your dog unless it has toned down its hyper behavior. Do not give it a treat if it jumps around trying to get it from you without your permission. A minor task of sitting when you ask your dog to can be considered as enough work done to garner a reward.

More Effective Techniques

Here are some of the methods you can adopt if you wish to become the pack leader of your dog.

Power Walks

Embarking on daily power walks is the best way to become the alpha in the equation. Moreover, such an activity, which should range from 30 to 45 minutes, guarantees that your pup remains physically as well as mentally fit.

It is integral that you walk beside your dog rather than behind it. This is because if you let your dog walk in front of you and let it lead the way, it assumes that it has control of the situation. Making sure your dog walks beside you will help you in combating such a perception. However, this task is not easy since dogs love to explore and tend to get overexcited when out on walks. It is a difficult task to teach them not to pull on the leash, let alone to make them learn to walk calmly by your side.

However, if you manage to assert your power, this task is not unachievable.

Establish and Enforce Rules

When you think of a figure of authority, you imagine a person who has the power to make and enforce rules and obligations. It is not just you who is wired to think in such a way. Your pets have a similar thinking pattern as well. Therefore, they associate rule enforcers to be their leaders.

Hence, a fruitful technique is to think of rules you want your pet to follow. These could be universal like calming down before being given a treat as mentioned above or a particular one like restricting your pup from sitting on a specific piece of furniture.

Love and affection should follow these mental exercises and set limitations as a reward. Such an act parallels how a mother dog takes care of its pup and, hence, allows your pets to relate your role as the alpha.

Choose Breeds Carefully

Different breeds of dogs have different requirements. Some are more energetic, while some are more lethargic. Some are naturally predisposed to crave dominance, while others are team players. Selecting the breed of your dog allows you to evaluate and decide how much time you can and want to spend in training them.

If you don’t have enough time, it is better to choose a breed that demands less of you. Such a way of approaching things allows you to be the pack leader without physically or mentally exhausting yourself.

Make Your Dog do Exercises

Just like humans, dogs need to exercise daily to stay fit. These maneuvers, apart from making sure that your pup stays mentally and physically fit, also play an integral part in making sure your dog accepts your role as the pack leader.

Exercises which may help your dog include sitting down commands, ringing a bell, playing fetch, and jumping up and down the sofa. While such workouts may seem trivial to you, they are enough to train your dog, especially if you follow it with a reward.

Move Your Dog Out of Your Way

An alpha dog never walks around its pack. It always directs its follower’s action according to its needs. If you want to establish yourself as the leader, make your pup move out of the way daily. How should you go about doing so? Well, all you have to do is gently shuffle your feet until your dog realizes that it is in your way and moves on its own.

By making your beloved pet move out of your way, it will start viewing you as a parent. Such subtle gestures are more effective than verbal commandments if you don’t want to be blatantly dominant.

Do Not Allow Your Dog to be Spatially Above You

A dog has a different sense of establishing hierarchy compared to humans. If it is above you spatially, it feels as if it is the dominant one in the situation. Combat this literal sense of hierarchy by ensuring that you are always at the height of your dog.

Ending Remarks

If you follow the above advice, you have a better chance of being the pack leader of your dogs. Remember that your dog wants you to be the pack leader. This is because a leader is there for its pack. Such considerate attitude and responsibility are what makes a leader a leader and it is something that all animals crave. They need you to be the leader, so provide them with a hierarchy which mimics that of their natural habitat. They need someone to direct them; be that someone.

As a pack leader, you should be equipped with the natural instinct to protect and direct your pets. Be unselfish and instinctive. Earn your dog’s trust and respect.

Get a dog and start training it early on to achieve favorable results. Don’t let your dogs perceive themselves as the leader. If you do so, be prepared to experience a lack of compliance from your pups. Effectively avoid such a situation from rearing its head by taking proactive action from the start.

Lead. Don’t follow. Take care of your beloved companion, as your dog deserves the best treatment that you can give it.

How to Relieve Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

One of the most common issues dog owners face is something known as separation anxiety. As the name so clearly suggests, it refers to your dog getting anxious when he’s left alone.

Separation anxiety can be a really serious problem, and hence something no good owner would want to ignore. Treating it can be a little complicated, but it can probably be done with a good amount of effort and a lot of patience.

So without further ado, let’s explain you the treatment process in detail.

Treating Mild Separation Anxiety

Cases of mild separation anxiety are seemingly much easier to treat. The simple but usually fairly effective technique through which they are treated is known as counterconditioning.

Basically, it’s a process that tries to influence your dog’s thinking and makes him associate things that it perceives negatively with something positive or pleasant. In other words, it involves manipulating the way your dog responds to things, especially the ones he doesn’t like, to make them like-able for him.

So, in this case, it should turn your dog’s typical response to negative situations – from feelings such as aggression, anxiety or fear – into something pleasant or relaxed. Your task would be to surprise your dog in situations that it otherwise finds unpleasant and reacts with said negative feelings, by making him associate them to something he really loves.

Over time, this will help your dog realize that what it sees as a negative situation actually brings something good and pleasant for him, something that he really likes. Now, coming to using counterconditioning to treat mild separation anxiety, it would basically involve making your dog associate the otherwise negative feeling of being alone with something good, such as treats that it goes crazy for.

Dog puzzle toys are probably going to turn out to be a great tool here. Whenever you’re leaving your home, you can make your dog engage with a puzzle toy stuffed with a treat he loves. You would also want to make sure that it takes at least 20 to 30 minutes for your dog to solve the puzzle and retrieve the treat, or the process may not turn out to be effective enough.

The KONG puzzle toys are apparently the preferred choice for many dog owners, so maybe you would want to consider using them for this purpose. However, something to keep in mind is that these puzzle toys and the special food treats are only supposed to be with your dog when you’re away and he is on his own. If he has access to them all the time, then they will probably lose their special appeal to him, which can again make the process ineffective.

Finally, we also need to address a limitation of this method, which is the reason it’s only useful in cases of mild separation anxiety, and in nothing beyond that. This is simply because dogs that are more than just a little anxious tend to avoid food altogether in the absence of their guardians, so counterconditioning is obviously not going to work for them.

Treating Moderate to Severe Separation Anxiety

A moderate or severe case of separation anxiety calls for a much more complex version of the counterconditioning method, something that can also be termed as desensitization. The underlying idea here is to make your dog accustomed to short periods of separation that don’t get to the point where the dog starts getting anxious. You’re supposed to gradually increase the time of these separation periods, but over a long period of time, usually many weeks, in order to not let the anxiety set in.

We will now walk you through the important basics of this process. However, please note that this is going to be more of a general, brief idea of the process than an exact blueprint of what you need to do.

This is because it would probably be almost impossible to offer an “absolute” solution here that’s going to suit your needs perfectly, as it usually comes down to things that may be specific to you, and these things are obviously going to be different for every dog owner. With that said, let’s get to it now.

First things first, desensitization or advanced counterconditioning is in no way an easy process to prevent your dog from encountering separation anxiety. The feeling of fear has to be avoided completely, which requires a great deal of caution. Even a single encounter of your dog with fear may lead to the process backfiring, leading to issues worse than what you were dealing with in the first place.

Another important aspect of this process is going to be professional help. This is because the changes in your dog’s behavior are going to need a change in your strategy, and you’re certainly not trained or experienced enough to interpret those changes.

You would want an expert to help you right from the beginning, with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB) or a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB) coming up with a desensitization and counterconditioning plan for you. In case you fail to find either of these professionals, you can even consider a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), though it will require more effort on your part, especially for ensuring that he or she is qualified enough for the job.

 

Step One: Dealing with Predeparture Anxiety

Some dogs start showing signs of anxiety as soon as they get a hint that their guardian is about to leave. These signs typically include pacing, panting and even whining. And the “hints” usually include you getting ready to leave for work, such as putting on makeup, or a coat or shoes. If your dog doesn’t get anxious before you leave, though, you can consider skipping to the step two instead.

However, if these things do make him anxious, you’re probably in for some serious hard work. Such a dog may get extremely anxious even when subjected to a few seconds of their guardian’s absence, which is certainly a serious issue to say the least.

To deal with it, however, you would want to make your dog confuse these things with a general activity, and no longer see them as predeparture cues. For example, you can put on your shoes or coat even when you’re not heading to work, and just sit on the dining table for a while. This may help make your dog feel less anxious when you’re leaving for work, as he won’t simply associate these things with your absence.

That being said, this is going to be no easy task, of course, given your dog might have years of experience of interpreting the predeparture cues, and may very well be knowing what they mean for him. So it’s likely going to require following the fake cues several times a day, over a considerably long period of time.

Once you reach the point where your dog no longer gets anxious when you’re leaving, you will probably be ready to get started with step two.

 

Step two: Introducing Graduated Departures

Once your dog can handle the predeparture cues without losing his calm, or if he never used to get bothered over them, it would probably be time to take things to the next level. This step is basically going to be about introducing shorter departures without letting your dog get to the point of anxiety.

The most crucial thing in this step is going to be keeping the departures shorter than the time your dog can stay alone without succumbing to anxiety. You can start the out-of-sight training by an inside door, such as a bathroom. You can make the dog “stay” outside by using commands such as “sit” or “down,” while you get out of his sight, to the other side of the door. You would ideally want a Certified Professional Dog Trainer to assist you with this process, though.

You can then gradually start increasing the time you stay out of your dog’s sight. If you think your dog is getting fairly comfortable with it, you can also throw in some training to take on the predeparture cues, by putting on a coat and taking your purse with you when going to the other side of the bathroom’s door.

Once things are looking well, you can shift the location to your bedroom door, and then an exit door. However, don’t go for the usual exit door first. The back door would be a better option at first if you use to the front door to leave every time. When you start doing these exercises at the exit doors your dog must have reached a point where he doesn’t get anxious when you leave through them.

And this is when the absences can come in. Although, they need to be extremely short at the beginning, ideally only one to two seconds. You can gradually take it from there and get to absences that last five to seven seconds. Once you do get there, you can let in some serious counterconditioning by simply leaving your dog with a stuffed food toy before an absence. The toy may act as kind of a buffer, helping make the dog feel that it’s a “safe” separation.

However, it’s crucial to have very long “breaks” during these sessions. When you’re doing the absence exercises, you should stay with your dog for a few minutes after an absence. If the time gaps are not enough, it’s likely to make your dog difficult to handle your next absence. This can obviously lead to making things worse rather than better for you.

Being calm and quiet is going to be important, too, in order to not make your dog look at your absences as something clearly out of the ordinary. Similarly, a common mistake to avoid is increasing the absence duration faster than you should be. Many pet owners end up doing this mistake – as they want things to progress faster – resulting in making the dog more anxious and thus worsening the problem.

Instead, you would want to keep watching out for signs of stress during these absences. They commonly include salivating, yawning, pacing, panting, trembling, exuberant greeting as well as dilated pupils. If you see any of these signs, or even any other signs of stress in your dog, you should immediately slow things down and decrease the duration of the absences. Once you’re sure your dog is feeling relaxed with your absences, you can start increasing the duration of your absences again, albeit very slowly.

Now, perhaps one of the most important things of this process that may very well make it a success or a terrible failure is your patience, or the lack thereof. This is because it may take really long to get to 40-minute absences, as a dog tends to be extremely likely to get anxious during the first 40 minutes of your absence. So you will probably just find yourself increasing the absence duration by a mere few seconds every session or two, depending on how well your dog manages to handle the absences. And this will most certainly go on for a few weeks.

However, once you get to the 40-minute breakthrough, the increments can get significantly longer, starting with 5-minute ones and then jumping to 15-minute absences. It’s believed that when you get to a point where your dog can tolerate 90 minutes of separation, he becomes capable of being alone for four to eight hours as well. But you would want to have separations lasting four hours first, before going for eight hours, just to be on the safe side.

With sufficient hard work and consistence, you may be able to successfully complete this unique training process in a few weeks. This would basically require several daily sessions on the weekends, and at least two daily sessions each on the workdays, preferably one before leaving for work and the other later in the evening.

 

An Integral Component of the Process

Finally, let us also tell you that you may never have success with counterconditioning or desensitization without completely preventing a full-blown version of the “cause” of your dog’s anxiety or fear. You would want him to only experience a mild or low-intensity version at the most.

This means that you won’t be able to leave the dog alone during the counterconditioning treatment, except when doing it as part of the process. Some of the alternatives you can consider include:

• Taking your dog to work
• Having a family member, friend or dog sitter look after him when you’re away (separation anxiety can be avoided by simply having someone with the dog; it doesn’t necessary require your presence in particular)
• Doggy daycare or a dog sitter’s house