I'm writing this to fellow dog trainers who no doubt deal with dominance issues on a fairly regular basis, but also to those clients that feel helpless when they come face to face with dominance issues with dog park attendees, with well meaning dog care employees, or when conversing with a friend of a friend about their feisty fido and are met with unwanted advice. A person with dominance issues is easily identified. It's the type of person that believes that a dog needs to learn how to submit to their all powerful "pack leader." 

If a dog exhibits behavioral issues a person with dominance issues will likely advise that you roll the dog on his side, stare hard into his eyes, grab him by the scruff, poke him with your hand or heel, or use a swift correction on a slip collar, prong collar or remote electronic training collar. 

Here are some tips for how to make it through these conversations without losing your cool, and simultaneously generating a healthy, open dialogue.

Step One: Listen to them. 

I know this sounds unreasonable, our initial impulse is to attempt to correct what we perceive to be a dangerous mindset. Instead, take the time to better understand where they're coming from by generating some easy conversation about your mutual love of dogs.

Step Two: Look for common ground or close approximations.

Once you've listened to them you might find that there are some areas that you can agree on. Maybe the person enjoys hiking or camping with their dog, is impressed by working dogs that have been trained to a high level in scent detection or agility training or they owned a cattle dog once that loved to play fetch for hours on end. If you can relate to any of these things, chime in and start the conversation on common ground.

Step Three: Find their motivation.

Learn more about what makes them so passionate about dogs. Be genuine and ask questions. What motivated them to get a dog? Why did they choose that specific breed? What activities do they enjoy most in living with a dog? These activities are usually reinforcing to both the dog and to the person, so it can become a good talking point.

Step Four: Model exemplary training.

People need to see it work, to believe it. If you are a dog trainer, direct them to videos that you've created that demonstrates the power of positive reinforcement, or call in the artillery. Direct the person to a trainer that might "speak" to their specific training motivators. If they like working dogs - direct them to top notch positive reinforcement (R+) trainers that have reached high levels of training with their Malinois, German Shepherd, Border Collie, Kelpie or sight hound. If they are invested in helping and supporting the rescue community - connect them to a top notch R+ trainers that focus on behavior modification. If its sport work they like, know the trainers that excel in their respective arenas. 

Step Five: It's a process.

You won't change anyone's mindset in a single conversation, it could take years before a person is fully able to comprehend the limitless power of engaging a dog's mind and how it compares to the pitfalls of suppressing unwanted behavior. Don't dole out unwanted advice, or take a superior tone. We're all living and learning and there was probably a time that you shared a similar mindset on the importance of being "pack leader." Be respectful.

Pro Tip: If the conversation goes south and you begin to feel frustrated - bow out of the conversation gracefully. There's no such thing as "winning an argument."

"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well, suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compos mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. He will resent your triumph." - Dale Carnegie

By Alyssa Rose (Lapinel), CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer based in San Diego, California. Alyssa is passionate about behavior modification. She has two dogs: a terrier mix named Beatrix and a hound mix named Fritz. Learn more by visiting Legends' website or connecting through social media:

Website: http://www.legendsdogtraining.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/legendsdogtraining
Instagram: @legendsdogtraining
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legends-Dog-Training-289777544088/

  IMPULSIVE PLAYERS

Tell me if you've ever met a dog like this: A large, strong breed dog, that is social with people, that also happens to have sudden and intense episodes of manic play where they jump and bite at your clothing or arms. It's play, but it feels borderline aggressive. Dogs that exhibit this type of behavior are usually characterized by their strength and tenacity. Owners typically say that when they're calm, they're actually quite snugly. But when the dog exhibits one of these outbursts the owner is usually left feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, angry and in some cases... scared. In the aftermath of one of these episodes, people are left with long red welts, bruises and the occasional swollen lip. 

This is different from typical jumping that occurs during greetings. While an excited greeter can still be frustrating, at least the behavior is predictable: it happens when family, friends or acquaintances walks through the front door and usually stops after about 5 or 10 minutes. The behavior that we're discussing in this post usually catches the owner off guard. The root of the problem is more complicated than it might first appear, the jumping typically occurs when dog becomes over-stimulated (fearful, anxious, aroused) by the environment or by changes in the environment. The dog can go from 0 to 60 in less than a second, and it takes substantially longer for the dog to "come back down" to calm.

I've found a few commonalities in dogs that exhibit this type of behavior:

• These dogs usually spend a significant amount of time "cooped up." Meaning, they spend more than 4 hours in a kennel or crate during the day. Owners usually feel that this is necessitated by the fact that these same dogs are usually impulsive counter-surfers, and if the counters are cleared they will search for something else "to do" when left alone - chew on the couch, raid the garbage, pull threads from your rug. 

• Their outside time is usually filled with high stimulation activity. To counter-balance the amount of time that they spend in-active, the owner might try to "tire the dog out" with long games of fetch, day care or dog park. In essence, these dogs are conditioned to become "adrenaline junkies." They are accustomed to an "all or nothing" approach to living life, they have not spent a significant amount of time learning how to settle in high stimulation settings, and high arousal play is not well regulated. 

• It's common for owners to feel that these dogs need a firm hand. When a dog acts out of line they usually try to roll the dog to their side, give the dog a hard stare, knee the dog in the chest. They might even try using a shock collar, throw chain or shaker can. A dog that is already on an adrenaline high is likely to respond to these challenges (intimidation or pain) by attempting to "match" the person's combative approach. Remember, these dogs are usually the tenacious type: they have that "when the going get tough, the tough get going" mentality. An aversive approach can, in some cases, suppress the behavior for a short period of time. But like a covered pot of boiling water, there is a limited amount of time before the dog blows their lid. 

HERE ARE 6 TRAINING TIPS FOR IMPULSIVE PLAYERS:

Training Tip #1: These dogs need problems to solve. Food puzzles are great, but it's even better if the problem solving becomes a bonding activity between you and your dog. Train them to a high level of fluency on calming behaviors (for example, settling on a training mat or dog bed, sitting or lying down on a variety of surfaces or heeling by your side). Start in a low stress, low distraction environment. Once your dog looks like an obedience super star in your house or backyard, gradually build up to more challenging environments. Remember that learning is an on-going process, there is always room for growth. 

Question: What if my dog would rather jump and bite than engage in training for food?

Training Tip #2: Use your dog's breakfast and dinner for training. Animals spend the majority of their day working to acquire food. Even we spend the majority of our time working to put food on the table. It's how we use the majority of our mental and physical energy. Our domesticated dogs are given free meals. Sometimes we ask them to sit (or for some other trick) before meal time but that takes up the smallest fraction of their total energy. The excess mental and physical energy fuels the most common behavioral issues. If you want to do a better job of utilizing your dog's brain power you should get rid of your dog's food bowl, and start making them work for their food in training sessions. Your dog will thank you, and your relationship will flourish in ways you never thought possible.

Note: You should still opt for higher value (meaty) reinforcement whenever you're challenging your dog to learn a new behavior, or generalize a learned behavior to new distractions or environments.

Training Tip #3: This jumping/mouthing behavior is the result of a mis-directed effort to "play." Some of these dogs find playing with their toys to be less interesting/stimulating than jumping and mouthing at their owner's arm. Other dogs have no clue what to do with a dog toy, they've never learned how to play. We need to teach them. I personally have found that teaching dogs to play tug (click here for a video regarding rules of play for tug) with well outlined rules can be a very constructive way of teaching dogs to issue more impulse control, think through high arousal and learn to become more in tune to their owner's facial expressions and body language. However, many owners feel uncomfortable playing tug because it feels too similar to the very behavior that they're trying to un-train. If this is the case, you can also teach your dog to play structured games of fetch. Some dogs are natural retrievers, some are not. A good trainer can shape and build drive for this type of game if they effectively break down the sequence.

Training Tip #4: Instead of taking this type of dog to daycares or dog parks (where they are likely practicing unregulated, high arousal play) take your dog for hikes. The sights and scents of nature is great therapy. It can help recondition your dog to slow down. It's physical exercise that generally promotes a calm state of mind, and it's good for you too.

Training Tip #5: Consider conditioning your dog to a head halter or a muzzle. While the dog's intention may not be to cause injury, these outbursts can be dangerous and should be managed intelligently. A head halter or muzzle can add additional peace of mind when you're trying to proof or generalize their training in the presence of friends, family, young children, dogs or in high stimulation environments. When head halters and muzzles are properly conditioned they should not create additional stress, frustration or anxiety. A dog that paws incessantly at their halter or muzzle is not properly conditioned to wearing it. 

Training Tip #6: Contact a trainer to help create and implement a solid training plan. If you live in San Diego you can go to sandiegodogtrainers.org, if you live elsewhere in the United States you can go to ccpdt.com to find a certified trainer in your area, and if you live abroad you can find a qualified trainer at imdt.uk.com 

Written by Alyssa Lapinel of Legends Dog Training. Legends Dog Training is based in San Diego, California and offers group classes by Mt. Woodson (border between Poway and Ramona), private lessons and skype consultations. Go to www.legendsdogtraining.com to learn more about training services.

The acquisition of food shapes behavior. Birds, lions, foxes, wolves, bees, ants, bears, deer.. learn and practice behaviors that result in the acquisition of viable food. Their ability to forage, track, chase and hunt are all behaviors that are constantly being fine tuned by daily successes and failures. Not only does the acquisition of food shape behavior, but it also regulates emotional responses, strengthens bonds for those species that live within social constructs and enhances problem solving skills. In essence it is what makes them mentally and physically fit for survival.

Taking all this into account, it's easy to see why feeding dogs in a dog bowl leaves a lot of empty space for bad habits to develop. The mental and physical energy that would normally be utilized by the dog's brain and body, fuels the most common behavioral issues: reactivity, fear, anxiety, aggression and hyper-activity. Using food for training and enrichment should be an everyday occurrence. Training with food is an enriching activity that gives your dog something to think about, problems to solve and fortifies the human-canine bond. It nourishes them mentally, physically and emotionally. 

Written by Alyssa Lapinel, CPDT-KA

Related Article:

• An Article for Owners of "Dogs That Aren't Food Motivated."

Upcoming Articles:

• Toys in Training
• Bribing Your Dog vs. Reinforcing Your Dog

First things first: if your dog has a pulse then your dog is indeed food motivated. There are three possible reasons for a dog that is not excited about food.

1. The dog is overfed. Small breeds are probably most prone to being overfed. They have tiny tummies. The dehydrated food that most people feed is packed with calories and expands in a dog's stomach. Regardless of dog's size; use a lined measuring cup to ascertain the correct quantity of food. Pick up any food not eaten within 10 minutes. If your dog regularly walks away from their food, then the amount that you are offering is probably more than their daily caloric need. Reduce the quantity accordingly.

2. Your dog is stressed. Chronic stress can suppress a dog's appetite. This leads most people to leave food out throughout the day, which can exacerbate the problem. Keep your dog on a feeding schedule. If your dog walks away from their food bowl, be sure to pick it up. Talk to a professional trainer that will help teach you how to build your dog's confidence, and minimize his or her day to day stress. 

3. Your dog is sick. A sudden loss of appetite or change in eating habits could be an indication that your dog should be brought to the vet. This will be easier to spot in a dog that is already on a healthy feeding schedule. 

There are studies that show that small quantities of food are more effective at stimulating an animal's appetite than a larger quantity of the same food. Biologically, brains are programmed to be suspicious of foods that are offered in abundance. With this in mind, here's a tip that will get your dog excited about meal time: measure out the ideal quantity of food for the day based on your dog's weight, age and activity, and offer it in smaller portions throughout the day.

Written by Alyssa Lapinel, CPDT-KA 

Alyssa is founder and head trainer of Legends Dog Training, based in San Diego, CA. She offers private sessions and group classes in San Diego, as well as, skype consultations. Go to www.legendsdogtraining.com for more information about training services. 

I love stories. It's one of the reasons that I decided to call my dog training business "Legends Dog Training." It comes from Paulo Coelho's book, The Alchemist, and supports the idea that training opens doors for dogs, helping them to fulfill their legend by making them a bigger part of our day to day life. Every dog has a legend to be fulfilled and a story to be told.

My dogs (past and present) have come from very different backgrounds. Each has a very different personality. Each have brought immeasurable happiness into my life for different reasons, and each one has presented their own specific challenges. Embracing their personalities, and working through challenges has built lasting, unbreakable bonds. 

Written by Alyssa Lapinel, a certified professional dog trainer that owns and operates Legends Dog Training based in San Diego, California. Alyssa specializes in behavior modification programs for dogs that exhibit anxious, fearful, impulsive or aggressive behavior. Alyssa also conducts puppy classes to make sure that puppies get off to the strongest start possible. Go to http://www.legendsdogtraining.com to learn more about private lessons, group classes, skype sessions and board and trains.

 Here are a few hard and fast rules to an effective behavior modification plan for any dog that exhibits fearful, anxious, impulsive, or aggressive tendencies.

#1 Tracking Progress: Track progress in months, not days or weeks. Don't get carried away by day to day, or week to week, successes or failures - both can interfere with the consistency with which we follow training protocol. Keep a behavior log so that you can objectively analyze changes in behavior long term.

#2 Symptomatic Behavior: Barking is one way that a dog can express frustration, fear or anxiety, but it's not the only way. Look at body language, facial expressions and other more subtle behavioral patterns to develop a better understanding of your dog's underlying stress level. A quiet dog is not necessarily experiencing less stress than a barking dog.

#3 Accumulation of Stress: One trigger vs. many triggers. Sometimes our dog's reactive behavior is easily linked to one specific environmental trigger and sometimes, it's not. Stress accumulates. The better you are at reading and responding to subtle signs of stress, the more effective you will be in training. You don't always have to know what causes the stress in order to help your dog work through it.

#4 Have A Good Management Plan: A good management plan is just as important as a good training plan. The more often your dog practices certain undesirable behaviors, the more habitual those behaviors will become. Changing the environment or your dog's daily routine is sometimes 100% necessary in setting the stage for successful behavior modification. 

#5 Fight or Flight Responses: There are two ways that a dog can respond to a stressful situation; they can either behave in an active manner or a passive manner. Their response might change depending on the context of the situation. Dogs that have a tendency to actively respond to stress triggers (barking, growling, charging) are more likely to receive training attention, while passive stress responses (those dogs that shut down or exhibit more subtle stress signals) usually go unnoticed or are dismissed as being "just fine." Both require the same level of attention and understanding.

#6 Working "Under-Threshold": Excessive barking, sudden loss of appetite, ADHD type behavior, stress whining, clinginess (wanting to be picked up, demand barking, jumping or pawing for attention) are just some of the symptoms that your dog has hit their stress threshold. Giving your dog more space away from the stress trigger, or removing your dog from a stressful environment, is the best way to help meet your dog's needs and prevent regression in training.

#7 Predict, Prevent, Practice: Assess your dog's behavioral responses and then use that information to predict and prevent undesirable behavior. Once the initial assessment is conducted you should no longer be testing your dog, you should be training your dog. This means that you should be setting them up to practice the behaviors that you do want to see, while minimizing the probability that they will fall back to less desirable tendencies.

#8 Capture Calm: Don't let your dogs good behavior go unnoticed, reinforce it. 
(see rules #9 and #10)

#9 Be Prepared: You don't always know when a teachable moment will present itself, don't be caught off guard. Have the necessary tools at hand to help set the stage for success: high value treats, harness, leash and training pouch are a few functional training tools to have at hand in a moment's notice.

#10 Choose Your Reinforcement Wisely: The value of the reinforcement you use, relative to the level of distraction in your training environment, will determine the efficacy of your training program. Consistent, reliable responses require a high value reinforcer. You'll get the most traction from a training food that is moist, meaty, aromatic, and easy to break into small pieces without crumbling. A tennis ball or a good tug toy might be worth its weight in gold if your dog has high toy drive. Conversely, giving a dog a dry biscuit,  a pat on the head or a "good boy" is generally not significant enough to yield solid, reliable training results.


Article written by Alyssa Lapinel, CPDT-KA. Alyssa is the founder and head trainer at Legends Dog Training based in San Diego, CA. Alyssa works creates and implements customized behavior modification plans for dogs that exhibit fearful, anxious, impulsive or aggressive behavior. 

Demanding Attention: How Does it Start?
Most bad habits start off seemingly benign. Your dog whimpers and you ask him if he wants to go for a walk. Your dog barks and you ask him "what's wrong?" Your dog lifts his paw on you to ask for a pet .. so you pet him. Some people even encourage it: they want their puppy to paw at the door when he wants to go outside. It's hard to imagine that these behaviors could become problematic down the road.

The Problem Snowballs
The problem starts to build when you are on the phone, or watching a movie, eating dinner or sleeping in. The behavior is the same, but the context has changed. Your dog whimpers, barks, paws at your leg or at the door - but you're busy - so you ignore him. He doesn't get what he's accustomed to getting, so he persists. The whining becomes louder, the barking becomes more demanding, the pawing becomes more insistent. Rinse and repeat over several months and the intensity of the problem behavior can reach Himalayan proportions. As a dog trainer I see many dogs throw fits of frustration; barking for 5, 10, 15 minutes straight or leaving long red welts down the owners leg from incessant pawing. This does not make for a happy dog or a happy owner.

Common Mistakes
All you really want is to relax and watch a movie, eat your dinner in peace, get some extra sleep or finish your phone call without the sound of your dog's bark echoing through the house. What do you do? Most people attempt one of three scenarios: Scenario 1: Appeasement. The owner finds something, anything, to appease their dog's demands Scenario 2: Verbal Reprimands. The owner yells "no!"  or "quiet!" or pushes their dog away. Scenario 3: Physical Punishment. The owner attempts to punish the behavior by using "time outs," shaker cans, citronella sprays, water spray bottles, and correction collars - and both the dog and owner suffer from the unintended side-effects.

The Fallout

Scenario #1: Appeasement - reinforces your dog's demanding behavior.
Scenario #2: Verbal reprimands - amplifies your dog's frustration and reinforces your dog's demanding behavior (negative attention is still attention). 
Scenario #3: Punishment - your dog develops a callous to the punishment, your relationship suffers and the problem worsens or manifests into other more serious behavioral issues.

The idea that a dog has been " fully trained" always raises an eyebrow for me, training (in my opinion) is more like having a healthy diet, or working out routinely. Saying your dog is "trained" is kind of like throwing your sneakers in the trash bin and saying "I'm exercised." There's no definitive end to training, it is a daily process that nourishes your dog's need to solve problems and be presented with new challenges. 

There are so many wrong perceptions of training. Many people think that training is simply about teaching dogs to respond to words like "sit" or "down" or "leave-it." But it's so much more. Other people think that it means sending a dog to a four week boot camp, where dogs learn to submit to human authority. That's definitely not it. Some think training is about creating a robot - programming the "perfect dog" that will never dig where they shouldn't dig, bark when they shouldn't bark, jump when they shouldn't jump, and chew where they shouldn't chew. But that's not right either. (Though I think they might sell one of those at Sharper Image.)

Authentic training is about acknowledging the fact that every dog (just like every human) has their own set of challenges. Some dogs become fearful of loud noises, others become anxious when they're left alone, others become hyper-territorial of their space or their valued resources. Training is just another word for teaching. It is about improving communication, it is about strengthening your bond. Mostly, it's about helping your dog to become happier and healthier and better adjusted to the world around them so that they can get out and do more. How are you helping your dog unleash their full potential?

Written by Alyssa Lapinel of Legends Dog Training, based in San Diego, California.

legendsdogtraining.com

Many people experience the worry or frustration of behavioral issues that begin to spin out of control. They may have read articles or watched training videos, but nothing worked so they google local training and find a facility that accepts dogs with serious behavioral issues and guarantees results. They think:

"A one month board and train is $4,000. It's expensive, but I'm desperate and I'll do anything, so long as it works. And oh look, they offer loans AND payment plans."

Here are five reasons why people should think twice before they move forward with that decision to board and train their dog.

#1 Know Your Trainer

Most board and train facilities are all about the bottom line. It's a business. The bigger the training business the less likely you will have a knowledgeable trainer working your dog. Most of these kennels will hire "trainers" that are doing a lot of "on the job learning." Are you really going to spend all that money so that someone else can get a hands on learning experience? That smooth talker that made all those big promises and sold you that 4,000 dollar training package, you remember that guy? He may never train your dog. 

#2 Understand Their Methods

Your dog is aggressive, so they need a corrections based training approach. Right? Wrong. Many corrections based trainers knowingly (or unknowingly) suppress aggressive behavior. Which looks fabulous in the short-term and can create dire consequences in the long-term. It's like putting a top on a boiling pot of water, you can only hold that steam in for so long before it blows. Many of the bigger training facilities use choke chains, throw chains, prong collars, and electronic shock collars to create quick fix solutions. Have you ever heard someone say "The dog bit without warning!" The dog was most likely corrected for giving warning signs. Corrections based training "solutions" will manifest into more serious behavioral issues before you've finished paying off your payment plan. 

#3 The Kennel Experience

The insurmountable stress of being confined to a kennel for 2 -4 weeks is not going to bode well for any dog's mental or emotional well being. You're looking for training because your dog is aggressive? fearful? anxious? Living in a kennel for any length of time will not work in favor of your dog's behavioral training plan. End of story.

#4 The Training Environment

Will the training transfer? You may have asked about this on the phone, and you were probably pacified by the answer. But this is a REAL concern. Even if the dog learns to behave beautifully at the training facility. Who cares? Is the dog still going to go wild and bark when someone rings the bell in your home? Probably. Is your dog still going to switch into beast mode when you pass the neighbor dog's fence line? Probably. Is your dog still going to mark his territory on the rug. Yeah, probably! These are behaviors that are conditioned into your dog's repertoire and won't change until you learn how to get to the root of the problem. 

#5 You and Your Dog Are a Team

Real changes will only occur when you realize that you and your dog are a team. Don't send your dog off to "boot camp," call in someone that will coach you through the training process. When choosing a trainer, choose wisely. Your dog is depending on you. Start by looking for people that are Certified Professional Dog Trainers. Look to see if they have a blog or Facebook page that will give you a better indication of their approach to training and behavior modification. If you see references to systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning, that's a good start. If they are casually throwing around words like "alpha" or "dominance"- they probably learned most of what they know from dog training television ... and you should keep searching.


The small print: Be skeptical if you are considering one of these "deluxe resorts" with "intensive behavioral training" - too many dogs pay the price because owners are lured in by promises that are too good to be true. There are honest, skilled, positive reinforcement trainers that are offering board and trains, that are both transparent in their approach to training and realistic when setting expectations. These trainers probably aren't paying the big bucks for massive advertising campaigns, so do your research well.


About me: My name is Alyssa Lapinel and I am a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant based in San Diego, California. I own and operate Legends Dog Training and work primarily with dogs that exhibit fearful, anxious, aggressive or highly impulsive behavior. Take a look at some of my training videos for a better understanding of what I do and how I do it: https://www.youtube.com/user/legendsdogtraining