Marjorie Daley - Naughty Dogs: Identifying, Diagnosing, Understanding, and Correcting Your Dogs Unwanted Behaviors

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Publication Data

Marjorie Daley

Naughty Dogs ---- First edition.

Summary: Identifying, Diagnosing, Understanding, and Correcting Your Dogs Unwanted Behaviors --- Pr ovided by publisher.

ISB N: 978-1-952069-04-8

[1.Naughty Dogs --- Non-Fiction] I. Title.This book has been written with the published intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter included. While every reasonable precaution has been taken in preparation of this book the author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained inside. The techniques and suggestions are to be used at the readers discretion and are not to be considered a substitute for professional veterinary care. If you suspect a medical problem with your dog, consult your veterinarian.

Desig n by Sorin Rdulescu

First pap erback edition, 2020

Naughty Dogs

Marjorie Daley

Thank You to

Ian Stone, Tom Davis, Joann Neve, Jason Lake, and Cori Ludemann for graciously sharing their knowledge with me and for making some in valuable suggestions

Jessica, Jennie, Robin, Ellen, and Laura for being brave enough to share their naughty dog stories

Jennie Lawrence, Robin Posey-Blue, and Robin Daley for proofrea ding and suggestions

Jennifer Holroyd and Irina Weese D VM, PhD for comments

Will Daley-Green being my photography model

And Bob Green, for unconditional support no matter how many a nimals I bring home!

INTRODUCTION

A Personal Note

I have always been the family dog trainer. Those childhood dogs were generally well behaved to start with and easy to train. It was not until I reached adulthood and adopted my own dogs that behavioral issues started. I seemed to get dogs who needed me because they were primitive or undomesticated canines with unique behaviors like Dax, mentally troubled dogs like Shep, and hardheaded secondha nd dogs like Diesel.

I had not really grasped the whole psychology behind dog training, and I frequently had problems both with training and understanding why I was being taught certain techniques that did not seem to work. I was frustrated, the trainer was frustrated, and the dogs were confused.

This book originally was going to be a cookbook for fixing your dogs naughty behavior. The more research I did and the more experts I talked to, the more I realized that this approach was not going to work. One of the trainers, Jason Lake, suggested that my focus be on the psychology behind dog training and what people need to know to be successful in a dog class, especially with a challenging dog. He felt that this approach would help not only owners, but trainers who only have six weeks to get across information in a loud and dist racting environment.

So here we are. In this book, you will find dog (and human) psychology, training methods, how to break down and solve the most common behavioral issues, and how to socialize both puppies and adult dogs. Whether you are preparing for a dog class or want to work through behavioral issues, this book should help you understand the whys and wherefores that you need to kn ow to be successful.

Diesel and Shep are the stars in this book because of their behavioral issues. So lets mee t the test subjects.

My Naughty Dog Stories

Diesel, Dog in Motion

In October 2018, my family adopted Diesel from a local shelter. He was an 18-month-old brindled black American Pit Bull Terrier that showed up at two a.m. in the night-drop kennel with no accompanying paperwork. Though he did not even have a name, he proved himself to be adoptable, and we fell in love with his goofy nature. We named him Diesel because his fur pattern is the color of diesel fuel. Little did we realize what a common name Dies el is for Pit Bulls!

As a Terrier, Diesel is high energy, tenacious, and has a laser focus on what he is interested in. Since he is a Pit Bull, he is reactive to other dogs, loves to be laughed at, and will clown around to earn laughs. He also needs a lot of affection and secur ity from his humans.

My guess is that Diesels original people adopted a cute puppy to live in an apartment and discovered instead that this dog was actually the Tasmanian Devil on steroids. We think that he was dropped off after either another escape or destroying something yet again. His former owners taught him to sit politely to get a treat, to love every person he met, and also that he could evade grabs by frustrated people as he galloped past. After a month in a noisy shelter, he was also rea ctive to other dogs.

My family and I have experienced inappropriate chewing, barking (fence fighting), dog/livestock aggression, digging, separation anxiety, running away, jumping up, improper elimination, begging, nipping, pulling, rough play, and counter surfing. So, yes, I am, unfortunately, very knowledgeable on the naughty dog! However, I am still learning how to guide this dog into becoming a formerly naughty dog. With consistent effort and a lot of advice, we have stopped a few of Diesels behaviors, but several are s till causing issues.

Throughout the book, I will talk about Diesel getting on his kennel. This is not a misprint. We have an extra-large kennel covered with a heavy blanket situated in front of a sunny window where he can watch life go by. He gets on top of his kennel as well as g oing in his kennel!

Shep, a Dog with Mental Problems

In 2006, we adopted an older female puppy that my four-year-old insisted on calling Shepherd because he thought she was a Shepherd. She was a pretty dog who resembled a Black Mouthed Cur, although a DNA test indicated Shepherd, Chow, Pit, and a drop of Labrador in her family tree. Unbeknownst to us, Shep had a lot of mental issues. According to our trainer who had rehabbed fighting dogs in Illinois, Shep was probably a former bait puppy. She learned by mirroring Dax yet hated Dax and tried at least four times to kill her. During one of these episodes, I ended up in the ER for stitches after being badly bitten.

For six years, our house was divided into two armed camps, separated by gates and doors. We considered having Shep put down but felt that this was not an acceptable solution. Shep was young, healthy, and her issues were the fault of people. We believed that she was not re-homeable because of her issues. Our family ethics were that we had taken her into our home and thus owed her a safe place to live.

Sheps fear of other dogs was so great that she attacked instantly, rather than doing any form of greeting or threat. She was terrified of everythingwater hoses, hats, sunglasses, men, loud noises, lawn ornaments, laundry baskets; the list was endless. She approached people with the hope that they would be kind but held the expectation that they would hurt her. We discovered much later that there was a specific accent that she hated and would not tolerate in our house. We had to keep her in a locked room when anyone with tha t accent visited us.