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Q1. Leslie what are your top tips for raising a happy and well balanced
dog?
1.Treat your dog respectfully and as part of your family.
They’re social animals who thrive on – along with
physical and mental stimulation – the attention they receive
from you.
2. Train your dog using positive reinforcement techniques –
it enables and fosters great two-way communication.
3. Set boundaries and be consistent. Knowing exactly what the rules
are, and what is expected, is a very settling feeling for a dog.
Q2.
We
get many questions regarding destructive behavior including chewing,
digging etc what is your advice for a dog owner who has a dog that
chews furniture or keeps digging up the garden?
So
much of destructive behavior is born out of boredom or stress, so
reducing the potential for either/both is key. Make sure your pup gets
plenty of physical and mental exercise – several walks or
runs a day if needed, and food puzzles or other games to stimulate his
mind. Many dogs feel an instinctive need to chew (the act of doing so
often relieves stress), so regularly rotating new chew toys into his
repertoire is a good idea.
If the dog is a born digger – does it for the sheer joy
– setting up a “designated digging area,”
away from your rose bushes, is your best bet.
For information on how to set up such a digging area, check this out.
Q3.
What is your advice regarding a puppy that keeps whining when placed in
his/her crate?
Your
goal is for your pup to view the crate as his special den. Send him in
with his favorite toy and a Kong (or treat) so that he has something
enjoyable to occupy him while he’s in there. And at first,
keep the stints short. Make sure he’s gotten plenty of
exercise and the crate is lined with blankets and pillows so that
napping, or just relaxing, is a very inviting idea.
Q4.
What is your advice and any tips that you have regarding a successful
puppy crate training regime?
My
main piece of advice is to remember that the crate should never ever be
used for punishment. Your pup should see the crate as her own little
home – a comfy lair she doesn’t want to soil.
Q5.
What is your best advice to cure a puppy or older dog from having
accidents in the House?
If the puppy or dog is housetrained but is suddenly having accidents in
the house, see your vet as soon as possible, as there could be a
serious medical issue behind the behavior. Or, your dog could be
dealing with anxiety – in which case, you’d need to
consult a behaviorist right away.
But
if the accidents are due to sloppy house training the first time
around, your best bet is to start a crate training regime right away.
And since dogs tend to “go” in the place that
already smells like a toilet, be sure to thoroughly clean any spot in
the house where Spot has already left his mark.
Q6.
We hear lots of terrible stories of puppy farms, could you tell our
readers your views about them, how they work, what they do and you
experience with owners who have purchased their puppy from them?
Where do I start? Puppy mills (or farms) are horribly inhumane
operations in which breeders care only about making a profit. An all
too typical situation: The dogs receive little or no medical care, even
when they're clearly sick or in pain.
They’re kept in tiny wire crates, stacked on top of each
other several stories high. There's barely room to stand, let alone
turn around, and urine and feces leak through the mesh flooring to the
crates below. The dogs live year round in warehouses with no heating or
cooling, even though temperatures can reach below zero in the winter
and over a hundred degrees in the summer. Buyers beware: The
Internet has been a gift to puppy millers. They can post photos of
happy dogs running through grassy meadows or snuggled up indoors on the
couch. But investigation after investigation has proven that even the
most very basic care is rarely, if ever, provided.
Q7.
Could you explain the differences between a pure breed and mixed breed
(temperament, training etc) and your preferred choice if you have one?
All breeds were developed for specific reasons, so there’s
often a degree of truth to the reputations they carry. Terriers can
have a ferocious prey drive; hounds are led by their nose, etc. And
because their gene pool is limited, purebreds can be at increased risk
for medical issues. As a rule, mixed breeds are considered to be
physically healthier and often less anxious and more easy going. But in
my experience, the differences among individual dogs vary much more
greatly than the differences between breeds.
For
example, I’ve seen mellow Jack Russell Terriers, grumpy
Labradors, and lazy Border Collies. That said, I have to admit
I’m drawn to the “bully breeds.” I
developed a soft spot for Pit Bulls after working with so many through
the San Francisco and Santa Fe shelter systems – beautiful,
sensitive dogs who’ve been subjected to unspeakable abuse. As
a rule, though, I would never adopt a dog based solely on his or her
breed – even a Pit Bull. The individual dog is what matters
to me, above all.
Q8.
What advice would you give a new owner and the family when they bring
their new puppy home?
Be kind, compassionate, and attentive to your new addition. Keep
boundaries consistent and expectations low (at first). Start a
positive-reinforcement training program immediately and expose your pup
to as many different sights, sounds, and situations as possible. Act as
a benevolent leader and treat your dog the way you would want to be
treated if you were suddenly placed in a strange world with people
you’d never met before.
Q9.
Leslie what are your views on Cesar Millan, his techniques and success
etc…
Cesar Millan does several things very right, namely advising a calm,
confident attitude around your dog and providing your dog plenty of
exercise. Clearly, he loves his animals, and I admire his dedication to
the rehabilitation of my favorite breed: Pit Bulls, who are completely
misunderstood and suffer the most heinous abuse.
But
Cesar, in my opinion, gets it dangerously wrong in a few key areas. His
philosophy is based on the idea that dogs retain the same
“dominance-seeking” characteristics that wolves
raised in captivity display. In actuality, dogs behave much more like
wolves living in the wild. Parents raise the young, becoming natural
leaders to their offspring – similar to human families. A
“high rank” is not achieved through physical
confrontation.
So I’m not a fan of his use of physical corrections as a
training technique for the typical family dog. Alpha rolls, finger
jabs, and the like are more likely to elicit a bite than they are
long-term good behavior. Positive reinforcement is not only more fun
and less hazardous, for the vast majority of dogs, it’s more
effective.
Q10.
How should an owner cure their dog from constantly barking at anything
and everything when left in the House?
Trainers often say, “A tired dog is
a well-behaved dog.” And
it’s true. Make sure yours gets plenty of exercise, both
mental and physical, every single day. And maybe most importantly,
teach your dog how to enjoy being alone. Like humans, canines are
social creatures and are most happy when around others.
But by making their alone time fun – providing special
treats, favorite toys, and a comfy resting place – and by
keeping the solo stretches fairly short, you can teach your dog
it’s not such a bad thing.
For more information on Leslie Smith take a look at her fantastic
website www.dogtime.com
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