I was quoted in this blog post, Snick tweeted about it and I’m testing a new way to add tweets to my blog. So, there you go.

doggies, u got more winter comin? check out these tips (my mom wrote one!) http://bit.ly/fiumHq WOOF!

March 4, 2011 11:24 am via ÜberSocialReplyRetweetFavorite

@Snick_the_Dog

Snickers, Shiba Inu

Related posts:

1. Dealing with Puppy Biting and Chewing
2. Quick Status Update From Snickers

I’m always a bit dismayed when people give up on integrating a new dog into their home after just a few days. It is UNREAL the number of people I have spoken to who think (1) that they can tell if their dog would be happy living with another dog based on an initial meeting and (2) that it is hopeless if the dogs fight in the beginning.

What A Difference A Few Weeks Makes!

Secret, Snickers and Sophie waiting for treats together

Actually, Snickers has fought with every new dog that has come into our home, other than Secret. He and Shayna (my favorite foster dog EVER) fought like crazy at first but ended up madly in love with each other after a few months. Sure, some dogs will get along right away, and they might even live together well right away, but that’s the exception, not the rule. The good news is that you don’t have to have any special skills – other than patience – to successfully integrate another dog into your family!

It’s all about baby steps. You don’t throw new dogs together in a house, feed them together, give them access to each other 24/7, and expect them to get along perfectly. You crate the new dog when you’re sleeping and when you’re not home. You gate off parts of your home, so they can spend time apart. You feed them where they can see each other from a safe distance, but not get to each other. You gradually increase the time they spend together. You gradually decrease the distance between them at key times.

Three weeks ago, I couldn’t eat with all three dogs on the same side of the baby gates. Food + close proximity = dog fight. Now, however, all three dogs will sit side-by-side waiting for bites while I eat. I still don’t leave them alone together when I’m not home, but I’m perfectly willing to let them roam the house and yard together all day when I AM home – whether I am actually watching them or not. They still fight sometimes, but not often and not as wildly as they did before.

Remember, traveling the path to peace in the pack requires patience and baby steps.

Sorry about the blurry pic. I was trying to hold their attention with treats in one hand and take the photo with the other hand!

Related posts:

1. Doggy Etiquette, Midwest Style
2. The Family Dog Should be Family

Molly, Snickers and Mashi spent an afternoon practicing Rally under the tutelage of Molly Sumner.
Note: No Shibas were endangered (off leash) during this training!

But then people look at Snickers and what is he doing? He’s by my side, working the crowd, giving high fives, getting mobbed by children, having his ears pulled, speaking for treats, and merrily kissing faces. And what’s that hanging on his ID collar? A Delta Society Pet Partner ID tag!

It’s true. Snickers is a certified good dog. He’s a doll. He seems to understand almost everything I say. We go on therapy visits together, mostly with children. He will sit, spin, speak, high five and give kisses on command to amuse kids. But, he also pulls on leash more often than not and can NOT be trusted off leash outside securely fenced areas. He’ll steal a treat bag, jump on the kitchen table, or rummage through the garbage in a heartbeat if he thinks for a second that I’m not watching.

I take him with me when I go out for coffee and he sits at my feet while I read or work on my laptop. He adores most everyone who stops to say hello and most of them say what a well behaved dog he is. On the other hand, if he doesn’t like you, he’ll turn his back to you and no amount of my telling him “say hello” will make a difference.

So, how do you train a Shiba Inu? You think of it as a partnership. And you bring cheese.

Beyond those two important pointers, here are a few others that I think help with intelligent, independent breeds like Shibas.

• Mix it up. Don’t train repetitively. Work on one thing for a little while and then do something else. Don’t pattern train though! If you go in the same order all the time, that’s just as boring as doing the same thing over and over.
• Make it worth it for your Shiba. Reward often with whatever makes your Shiba happy – praise, treats, play time. Hint: bring cheese
• Make it fun for both of you! If you’re enjoying yourself, your Shiba will be more likely enjoy it also.
• SOCIALIZE your Shiba well. No matter how much obedience training you do with your Shiba, if they aren’t well socialized, no one will ever know it but you.
• Check out Behavior Shaping which is a what "clicker training" is all about. This is absolutely the most fun way I’ve discovered to teach Snickers anything because it makes him THINK. We both enjoy it!

Feel free to share any training tips that have worked for you in the comments!

Related posts:

1. The Alpha Roll As A Training Technique
2. One Question Interview with Andrea Arden

About a week ago, Snick posted about how he spends his days and of course he included how much he loves to go to daycare to play. That led to a discussion a couple days later about the pros and cons of doggy daycare. To round out the topic, today we’re interviewing dog trainer, Colleen Safford, of New York Walk & Train.

Jenna: Colleen, you have extensive experience with dogs, including in daycare/boarding environments. Do you feel doggy daycare is recommended for all dogs?

Colleen: While it’s lovely to see more options available for “spoiling” our pups, a responsible owner will take time to consider whether daycare is a healthy and safe option for their dog. Unfortunately, this decision is often made based on a guilty conscience. Often owners feel guilty for leaving their pups home during the work day. Ignoring your pup’s personality however is unfair to both your pup and other guests of the daycare.

Dogs are equipped with a full range of personalities, and not all personalities are suitable for daycare. Shy and fearful dogs may be overwhelmed when left for numerous hours in a stimulating facility. Over excitable and easily agitated dogs may also find this environment hard to settle into without incident. There is a lot of coming and going in daycare facilities and this tends to keep canine adrenaline running high.

As a general rule, if you feel like you are working overtime emotionally or physically each time your dog interacts with other dogs on the street or in the dog run, you should probably think twice.

As much as we love our dogs (quirks and all), if your dog exhibits excessive humping, barking, rough play or extreme shyness it is a bad idea to send him/her off to daycare.

The ideal daycare candidate is a dog who socializes well with dogs of all sizes, breeds and temperaments. This dog can “speak Dog” effectively and without incident. He understands when another dog wants to play and also knows when to back off. In the reverse he is capble of communicating his desire to play and to rest calmly.

---

Jenna The ideal daycare candidate is one who socializes well… Would you suggest sending a puppy to daycare as a socialization tool? What about a shy or aggressive puppy?

Colleen: There is no doubt that early socialization is crucial to a developing a healthy pup. That being said, a responsible puppy parent will want to play a key role in the socialization process. It is up to the owner to expose a puppy to new settings and dogs. A full day at daycare is likely TOO much. Puppies need exercise, but also have high sleep needs (something not easily done in most daycares).

In the younger months, gaining socialization through training classes and play dates is the more advisable route. Most daycares will not except pups under 5.5 months of age.

When getting started with daycare, drop your pup off for only 1-3 hrs.

---

Jenna: What tips do you have for doggy parent’s trying to find the right daycare for Fluffy or Fido?

Colleen:

1. Research – Give yourself time to visit a few facilities. Ask for a tour of the entire facility. Find out where your pup will eat and rest during her/his time there.
2. Assess the Environment -
   • Does the environment seem clean?
   • What are the the sound levels like (lots of barking?),
   • Do the play spaces seem of adequate size (or do they seem crowded?)
   • Is the staff engaging with the animals in a calm and proactive manner? A good daycare attendant gives ample attention, but also keeps the group calm.
3. Ask Questions – What is the human to dog ratio? How is your staff trained? What emergency plans plans do you have in place if my dog becomes sick or injured? How will my dog spend his day here? How do you handle dog fights? What happens if a dog is suspected of being sick?

---

Jenna: What do you see as the top three benefits of sending a dog to daycare?

Colleen:

1. Exercise!
2. Socialization for appropriate dogs.
3. Alleviates scheduling conflict for owners

---

Jenna: I really like how you think – exercise and socialization first, the owner’s convenience after. (LOL) So, what are some possible drawbacks to daycare?

Colleen:

1. Allows an unsuitable dog to practice undesirable behaviors that turn into bad habits!
2. Over stimulating environment may deprive a dog of necessary sleep.
3. Untrained staff may inadvertently reinforce undesired behavior (impulsive behaviors like barking and jumping)

---

Jenna: Colleen, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Colleen: If you decide to send your pup to daycare, I advise a rotational schedule. Two to three days at daycare and two to three at home resting.

If you feel the need to send your pup to daycare daily, I would suggest asking the daycare to give your pup a period or two each day of rest. This will allow your dog to restore for the next big play session.

About Colleen Safford
Colleen Safford is a dedicated dog owner; a formally educated dog trainer; and the owner of New York Walk & Train, a NYC dog walking, boarding and training business. Colleen received a degree in Psychology from The Ohio State University. She is dedicated to using training methods based on the principles of learning theory to ensure that training is simple &amp fun for both dogs and their humans.

Colleen was certified by the Delta Society as a Pet Partners Team Evaluator and Instructor. In addition, she has served as the Chairperson of the Sponsorship Committee for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Colleen teaches puppy classes, private lessons & therapy dog class with Andrea Arden Dog Training. She is committed to raising awareness about animal shelter over population, and is a volunteer with the Animal Haven Adoption Center. Colleen is proudly owned by Luna, a rescued boxer!

Related posts:

1. Discussion: Doggy Daycare Pros and Cons
2. a dog’s day or how i spend my day while mom works

Having grown up in the rural south, the first time one of my New Yorker friends mentioned doggy daycare to me, I was astounded. Why would you pay for such a thing??? Heh. Little did I know that in a few short years I would be doing exactly the same thing! (See Snick’s recent post about how he spends his days for more info on that.)

Shibas being Shibas, I’ve met a lot of people over the last few years who were surprised Snick goes to daycare, but HE LOVES IT! His daycare in Chelsea called him "a party animal" because he would come in the door a bundle of non-stop energy and keep it going till I showed up to get him 11+ hours later. He had just as much fun at his daycare in Indiana as well. I was worried the first day I took him… he’d grown up at the daycare in Chelsea, but I wasn’t 100% sure how he would react to a room full of new dogs in a new place. I shouldn’t have worried. Snickers = PARTY ANIMAL at daycare anywhere apparently. I went out of my way to take him to daycare occasionally there, even though I was home all day, simply because he enjoyed it!

I feel like going to dog runs and to doggy daycare was an important part of Snick’s socialization and part of why he’s so good at handling different situations. On the other hand, I realize what I first thought about “they’re pack animals, they should play in groups” doesn’t necessarily fly. Throwing a bunch of random dogs together in an enclosed space (run or playroom) is about as non-pack-like as you can get. A pack is like a family with a cohesive structure, rules and hierarchy. A playgroup may work out some quick and dirty rules, but nothing long term. I wonder if everyone other than the extremly self-confident dogs must feel very overwhelmed in situations like that. I’m not really sure and it makes me wonder if daycare may be right for a much smaller percentage of dogs than I originally thought. (Case in point: Secret is uneasy at the dog run and would most likely HATE doggy daycare.)

So, what do you guys think about doggy daycare?

• Do you use a daycare?
• Why or why not? How often?
• Do you think your dog enjoys it or do you only do it out of personal necessity?
• How do you deal with the vaccination requirements?
• Do you worry about aggressive dogs at daycare?
• Do you check in on your dog a lot or just let him party?

Do tell!

Related posts:

1. Interview with Dog Trainer Colleen Safford
2. a dog’s day or how i spend my day while mom works

Sometimes a topic for a blog post has to jump up and down in front of me waving its metaphorical arms, before I realize I need to write it. This was apparently one of those times. First, someone on Twitter asked Snickers (@snick_the_dog) about puppy nipping and teething, which we did cover in Dealing with Puppy Biting and Chewing. Then someone on Yahoo Answers, asked How to teach a Shiba Inu Bite Inhibition? Lastly, it came up briefly on my favorite breed-specific mailing list, Shiba-L.

What Exactly Is Bite Inhibition?

Pups usually learn bite inhibition – as it pertains to other dogs – from playing with their litter mates and their mother. They learn from their interactions how much force is too much and they learn to make a conscious decision to limit the force of their bite. They have to learn to translate that desire not to injure others to humans as well.

Bite inhibition in companion dogs is much too important to leave to chance. I am fairly convinced though that many dog owners do exactly that. Of course, they are surprised when the dog eventually bites someone and then it is the dog who pays the price for their negligence. Too many people don’t respect how much damage a dog can do. Even a small dog! If our companions are not raised to have a STRONG inhibition to bite humans, they can inflict serious pain while reacting instinctively.

Two Examples of Inadequate Bite Inhibition

I evaluated a Shiba for rescue last summer who was being given up AFTER SIX YEARS because she bit her owner in the face. The problem was, it was the owner’s fault. The dog was a great dog with a nice temperament and even came from a good background. The owners, however, had not socialized her with other dogs and treated her like a human, not a dog. Consequently they didn’t know anything about dog body language. The owner startled the dog and then leaned over her in a threatening manner. The dog reacted by biting and then looking horrified that she had bitten her beloved owner. The damage was done though – the owner was never comfortable around the dog again and gave her away.

A less drastic, but still frustrating, example of poor bite inhibition happened to me a few days ago. I was at the local dog run near my new apartment. There was a super overweight lab there who kept jumping up on my daughter and me. When I put my arm out to try to block the dog, he grabbed onto my wrist and hand with his mouth. He only barely scratched my skin, but his intention was clearly to hold onto me with his mouth. So COMPLETELY unacceptable. His owner was unfortunately clueless about how bad his dog’s behavior was.

An Example of Excellent Bite Inhibition

Even when Snick is snuggling with me, I’m careful not to startle him awake. I was incredibly grateful for his bite inhibition a couple weeks when he was surprised in his sleep. I walked into my bedroom and he was curled up sleeping on my bed. I bent over to give him a kiss. At exactly the same moment, Secret launched herself onto the bed and LANDED ON HIS TAIL. He jolted awake all fangs and fury only centimeters from my face. Yikes! Luckily, his reaction to seeing me so close to his teeth was as immediate as his displeasure at being stepped on and he stopped himself before accidentally biting me. Nasty facial scar avoided.

Tips on Teaching Bite Inhibition

One of the best pieces of advice anyone gave me when Snick was a puppy was regarding how to teach him not to bite and play so rough with my daughter. He thought of her as a litter mate – an equal instead of a superior – so we used that to teach him. Whenever he played too rough and bit her too hard, she would YELP like a hurt puppy and then turn her back on him and ignore him for about 10 seconds. It worked like a charm. His puppy brain completely understood and he totally stopped biting her in about a week. What I didn’t know at the time was that this great advice was based on the excellent training method of Dr. Ian Dunbar. Dr. Dunbar’s wonderful article, Puppy Biting, explains the reasoning behind the method.

In addition to self control, dogs need to learn self confidence. Many dogs bite to defend territory or because they are afraid. Raise a confident, well-socialized dog and he is a lot less likely to ever feel the need to bite.

Bond with your dog. If your dog sees humans as his key pack members, he is more likely to understand that biting humans is undesirable.

Don’t put your dog in any situation he can’t handle. Protect your dog from having to defend himself. If your dog is confident that you will take care of him, he won’t feel like he needs to protect himself and is less likely to bite out of fear.

Don’t startle your dog – or let anyone else startle him – especially when he is sleeping. If he’s going blind or deaf, pay special attention to how you interact with him.

Read your dog’s signals. Most dogs communicate multiple warnings before biting and will only bite as a last resort. Are you paying attention to what your dog is "saying" when he or she is stressed or in an unusual situation? Have you learned enough about canine communication to send your dog calming signals so he doesn’t worry as much?

Be your dog’s defender, his teacher, his advocate and his friend.

Related posts:

1. To Fix or Not to Fix, It Shouldn’t Be a Question
2. Family Harmony 101: Doggy Style