Outwitting Dogs

by Ryan, Terry; Mortensen, Kirsten

• ISBN13: 9781592282432
• ISBN10: 1592282431
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-01
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Training dogs has traditionally been done by using negative reinforcement and brute force (take the choke collar as an example). But the tide is turning, and Terry Ryan, well- known dog trainer, is at the forefront of a revolution. Outwitting Dogs draws on her twenty-five years of hands-on experience helping people understand and train dogs, and solve dog behavior problems using kinder, gentler methods. Outwitting Dogs uses more brain than brawn to motivate dog behavior with positive training techniques, and helps readers truly understand the minds of their canine friends (and even enemies). No sensible dog owner will want to be without a copy.

Author Biography

TERRY RYAN has been a professional trainer since 1968, and has published extensively in the dog training field throughout the world. She lectures internationally and hosts seminars and camps for other leading dog trainers and canine behavior specialists. She is a member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors; Association of Pet Dog Trainers; the Institute of Ethology at the North American Wildlife Foundation at Wolf Park, Delta Society; and an AKC obedience trial judge. She is the director of Animal Fanciers School in Japan. She lives on the Olympic Penninsula in Washington State.

KIRSTEN MORTENSEN is a professional writer. She lives in Rochester, New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xi
1 Outwitting Dogs: It Really Is Possible	1	(16)
For Anyone Thinking of Getting a Dog...
Preparation Step 1: Picking the Right Dog
Preparation Step 2: Getting the Right Stuff
Preparation Step 3: Think About Timing
Preparation Step 4: Getting Ready to Train
2 Sizing Up the Challenge: Why It's Actually Possible to Outwit Dogs	17	(8)
Who's Training Whom?
An Ounce of Prevention
3 Sooooo Cute-And Such a Pain in the Neck! Outwitting Puppies	25	(16)
A Puppy's Developmental Stages
Socialization
The Older Puppy
A Bit More on Puppies and Training
Fun and Games
4 Housetraining: Outwitting the Dog Who Needs to Go	41	(20)
An Outwitting Strategy for Housetraining
Forming Good Pottying Habits
Your Number One Tool: The Crate
Tethering: Another Option
Use Honey, Not Vinegar
Housetraining Made Easy
When Accidents Happen
Excited Urination
Submissive Urination
Cleaning Up
Using Your Noggin
5 My Shoe! My Shoe! Outwitting the Dog Who Loves to Chew	61	(14)
Chewing and Puppies
Training the Chewing Puppy
Boredom, Stress, and Chewing
Bad Habits
Self-Rewarding Behaviors
Directing Chewing Behavior
Reinforcing Positive Chewing
Last But Not Least: It's Just Stuff
6 Please Fence Me In! Guidelines for Making Your Dog's Yard Time Safe	75	(10)
Before the Recall, Start with Management
Fences
Tie-Outs
Leashes
The Lure of an Open Door
Training Door Manners
7 Hey-Get Back Here! Outwitting the Dog Who Won't Come	85	(14)
The Foundation of a Recall
Introducing the Word Come
Practice, Practice, Practice
8 Down! Stop It! Don't Do That! Outwitting the Dog Who Has Baaaad Manners	99	(20)
Setting the Right Expectations
Management
Calm Is Good
Basic Behaviors That Help with Manners: Sit, Down, Stay
Sit
Adding the Cue
Down
Stay
Resource Guarding: Prevention Is Best
When You Need a Little Space
Self-Control
9 Strain, Cough, Lunge: Outwitting the Dog Who Pulls on Leash Walks	119	(18)
What's Walking Nicely Mean, Anyway?
The Walk from a Dog's Perspective
Rewarding a Loose Leash
Special Tools for Leash Training
Puppies and Leash Walking
Training to Heel
10 Please Don't Leave Me! Outwitting the Dog Who Hates Being Left Alone	137	(18)
Know Your Dog
Preventing Future Problems
Other Ideas for Your Home-Alone Training
When Separation Is a Serious Problem...
A Question of Degree
Management
Desensitization
Beware the Unintentional Reward
Other Ideas to Help with Separation Problems
And Finally, A Word About Leaving Dogs Alone
11 BARKBARKBARKBARK: Outwitting the Dog Who Barks Too Much	155	(18)
Hey, Hey, Hey!
Why Bark? Why Now?
The Big Picture
Helping the Anxious or Frightened Barker
Desensitization for Barkers
Last But Not Least: Relax
12 Best-Friend-in-Training: Outwitting the Dog Who Isn't Nice to Other People	173	(18)
Understanding Your Dog's Reactions
Socialization: The First Step
But Even If You Start Late...
How's Your Dog Doing Today?
Easy Does it
Associating People with Good Things
Desensitizing Trips to the Vet
A Little Help from Your Friends
Avoid Creating a Dog Who Bites
If Your Dog Has Already Bitten
13 Why Can't You Be Friends?
Outwitting the Dog Who Isn't Nice to Other Dogs	191	(16)
The Dark Side-Or Is It?
In Dog Terms (Or as Close as We Can Get)
Observing Your Dog
Training: Help for the Reactive Dog
Offensive vs. Defensive
Why Pay Attention?
Communication Between Dog and Dog
Talking to Your Dog
They Don't Necessarily Want to Fight
So What Can We Do?
14 Now for a Real Challenge: Outwitting Kids and Dogs at the Same Time	207	(22)
A Boy and His Dog
Supervision, Supervision, Supervision
Resource Guarding: Special Hot Spot
Management
Hey, Kids: No Misbehavin'
Manners
Happy Practice
Bringing Home Baby
Toddlers + Older Children
Kids and Dogs: Not Impossible After All
15 There Goes the Neighborhood: When the Problem Is Next Door	229	(12)
I Just Love Your Dog, But...
Managing Unwanted Behaviors: Barking, Toileting, and Loose Dogs
Training Someone Else's Dog
Dogs with Bad Manners
Close Encounters with Loose Dogs
Know the Law
When Your Dog Is Leashed-and the Other Dog Isn't
16 Tools, Tricks, and Something Different: When Basic Outwitting Strategies Seem Too Easy	241	(18)
Just a Bit of Theory
Clicker Training
Capturing Behaviors
Shaping: When a Behavior Is Only Close
Adding the Cue
Behavior Chains
A Few More Tips for Effective Clicker Training
Tricks for Treats
17 Outwitting Dog Trainers (And You Thought This Book Wouldn't Help You Outwit Other People)	259	(8)
What You See Is What You'll Get
Old Theory Isn't Always Good Theory
Puppy Classes
Stand Up for What You Believe
So Where'd You Go to School?
Do You Need a Behaviorist?
Appendix	267	(4)
Index	271