Dog Behavior Q&A #120
you
what’s up everyone is Jeremy majors here
with majors Academy dog training kind of
Green Bay Wisconsin and you are live on
YouTube Facebook and Instagram if you
can hear me please let me know if you
can’t please let me know I think you
guys should be able to hear me though
wait I got the headphones in the wrong
thing there we go hello hello maybe
right here there we go all right all
right we’re live from Green Bay
Wisconsin and this is dog behavior Q&A
episode 120 and we’ll give you guys an
hour of just talking with me so you guys
want to have us conversation or start a
conversation ask a question or put up a
topic that you would like to talk about
but we try and do these every week every
week we don’t get to him last Wednesday
was my actual birthday
and yeah we didn’t have one of those we
didn’t have a dog behavior Q&A on my
birthday but that’s okay we’re back
today and we’ve got some questions to
answer and we hope to help some people
out I do get some pretty good feedback
from these so on I will continue these
because they seem to hell and I want to
give not only my past clients another
another resource to sort of reach me or
reach out to but for people who may be
struggling with other things this is a
good resource for them – all right all
righty let’s get started okay
first question comes from Chris Chris
says what is the youngest and oldest
dogs that you have trained with is one
age easier than the other thank you
you keep up the great work that you do
thank you Kristen I appreciate it um the
youngest dog that I will work with will
be a dog that is young enough to have
their third round of shots
that’s probably obviously if the dog is
going to be around other dogs I want to
make sure that the dog is able to be
around other dogs so this we usually
tell people the third round of shots is
probably the youngest and I don’t know
that’s probably around that about three
or four months maybe I’m not sure on
that I could be completely wrong but
that’s the youngest will go just for
health reasons and the oldest there’s no
age I trained a 16 year old dog that’s
probably the oldest dog that I’ve
actually trained so 16 years old was the
oldest dog that trained but it doesn’t
matter because those dogs can still be
trained as well it was actually a dog
aggressive dog – all right thanks for
your question I remember folks we are
live on Instagram and YouTube Facebook
as well so if you like one platform more
than the other just – so you know we’re
on all three of them alright and also
don’t be shy to ask as many questions as
you like we’re gonna ask multiple
questions and the more the better okay
Elizabeth Murray says looking for advice
on working with dogs at a dog daycare
I’ve been there for a year now and it’s
a small town one that doesn’t require
any behavioral tests before coming into
dog daycare
we have many dogs that have no manners
so help with basic manners high-energy
jumping and – biting at me and other
works and also attacking other dogs at
the gate outside when you go get the
dogs at the end of the day thank you
okay so great question I used to work at
a dog daycare along the long time ago so
the thing that dog daycare that you have
to have is first of all you want to make
sure you know your numbers not to have
too many people
excuse me too many dogs per person I
think the standards like 15 dogs for one
Handler it may even be less than that
but no more than that
and then if there’s more than that there
has to be two people in the are and then
when it comes to basic manners the thing
that I would enforce is gate control so
when dogs come in and out of gates I’d
have the dogs back up so that’s a dog
can become can come in and then and then
to let the dogs from yard to yard I’d
have the dogs back up and call them name
call them one by one and so gate control
is really helpful when it comes to
fights and obviously the number of dogs
that you have for yard is is important
when it comes to fight when it comes to
when it comes to manners or something
like that also when it comes to jumping
and biting you want to have something
that is adversive so I think you know
what a lot of daycares have it are
squirt bottles it’s probably the you
know the roughest you can get otherwise
you can have air horns to break up
fights that usually does well when it
comes to breaking up fights
air horn works really well there’s a lot
of things but high energy when it comes
to dogs that are high-energy you find
the one who is the highest energy and
you put them on leash for a while and
make them calm down walk them around the
yard Par make them sit wherever you are
but and then that usually maybe will
will probably bring down the energy of
your group
all right so there’s a lot of things you
can do but those just a few things I can
get into detail and I can go on and on
and on about it but I won’t but those
are few things that I would do and also
you know again leashes are your best
friends when it comes to just basic
manners all right thanks for your
question feel free to ask another okay I
did want to talk about I think I’ve
mentioned the sort of topic that I
wanted to talk about and that had to do
with concentration and how that helps
when it comes to aggression when it
comes to reactivity and when it comes to
insecurity and building trust
all those things really pay a big role
in rehabilitation concentration okay so
concentration fights all those things I
just mentioned how well when you when
your dog has to concentrate on a task or
something that you give it to do it not
only builds trust but again it leaves
less room for bad behavior it leaves
less room for insecurity it leaves less
room for bratty behavior every dog
should have a certain amount of time
that they that they have to concentrate
it is very healthy for them one of the
biggest tools that I can use to sort of
gauge how not not not insecure but
bratty like how much how much the dog
was allowed to get away with things at
their home was if I put a dog on a
treadmill when I put a dog on a
treadmill there the amount of times they
try and get off shows me
that they have a big lack of structure
at the house now those things on the
surface seem very unrelated right how do
you tell if a dog is walking on a
treadmill how they act at home well it’s
really quite simple again if a dog is so
used to getting what they want by
asserting themselves over and over again
like their mindset is if I do this I get
this if I do this I get this if I do
this I get this if I do this I get this
and and so they’re gonna continue that
mindset wherever they go
until they have been been met with a
boundary that is very strong enough to
make them reconsider that pattern that
thought that okay and so again so when
the dogs on the treadmill and they’re
continuing to get off trying to get off
trying to get off trying to get off
that’s there they’re lacking the ability
to concentrate they’re lacking the
ability to settle and calm their nerves
it happens a lot in German Shepherds and
it happens a lot in pit bulls it happens
a lot in dogs who just have strong prey
Drive or who are who have strong
compulsive behaviors a lot of a lot in
hounds okay so it’s very powerful though
I see it every day
it’s very very powerful to be able to
have a dog that will stay um
and allow those allow its mind to break
that pattern of all right I’m impatient
I’m gonna do this cuz I get what I want
and I want it that’s what we’re seeing
here in my in the rehabilitation process
that’s exactly the key to getting the
dog to learn
okay good it has little to do with
aggression the aggression is the side
effect to there but you know you can
call it ADHD they have do not have the
ability to concentrate be calm and do
nothing they can’t stand steel when they
don’t want to stand still they don’t and
it’s up to them whenever they’re ready
to do something they do it whenever they
want something they can get it but so
this is how we sort of show them love to
this is how the American household shows
dogs love whatever you want you can get
it what do you want you can have it
that’s what we think
building a happy dog is but it’s
building a reactive dog for a lot of
people it’s it’s not even allowing the
dog to use their brain for a lot of dogs
a lot of dogs I can live in such a
reactive state of being that they do
become unpredictable because they’re
allowed to be unpredictable they’re
allowed to not respect their owner so
they can do what they want jumping on
who they want barking it what they want
pulling going wherever they want and so
if you can sort of get your dog to stop
one of those behaviors pulling only
barking jumping then you’ll get a dog
who can become calm I’m teaching dogs
how to be calm I’m teaching dogs how to
control their impulse
they’re impulsive they’re irritable and
they think that using their teeth
can get them places I want what I want
so bad that I’m gonna put my teeth on
you that’s what they’re thinking now
this is the majority of the dogs that I
work with okay it’s not all dogs but the
majority and that is their there they’re
quite dangerous to be honest with you
guys it’s not it’s not something that is
easy it takes it’s very time-consuming
and it’s quite draining but I’m not
complaining this is not a complaint this
is my job I love my job
but I just want you guys to know sort of
what we’re dealing with here all right
all right
cheers to whoever is having a beer with
me okay Chris asked what would cause a
dog to kill another dog that it lives
with there’s many things jealousy
[Music]
dominance hierarchy hierarchy the dog
wanting to become dominant of that other
dog a weakness in one dog like if a dog
is sick or weak and there’s a dog that
doesn’t like it in living in the
household then sometimes the dog will
kill off the other dog but it also has a
lot to do with the breed
yeah and maybe a disregard of any sort
of you know respect you know a total
disregard for any respect but I’d have
to know about the situation more to be
able to give you a more definitive
definitive answer but those are just
those are just kind of generalities I
mean you know it doesn’t happen often
but it does happen unfortunately happens
a lot in wolf packs as well well not a
lot but it does happen
all right thanks for your question
all right mmm next question Stephanie
says what about a schnauzer that wants
to jump on everyone that jumps in our
pool we don’t know if she thinks people
are drowning she just jumps in after
them yeah dogs kind of do that don’t
think they’re just kind of impulsive
when it comes to that I think it’s more
of a controlling thing though
in my estimation I think I don’t think
they think they’re drowning at all I
think it’s more of a this seems like an
out-of-control situation because when
you’re in a pool you’re splashing you’re
swimming you’re moving and you know it’s
not as easy to for the dog to decide to
just walk up to them because you’re not
in Lander and you’re in the water and so
it’s sort of an impulsive thing because
they’re on the edge maybe tensing up
right getting excited and then they can
finally jump in because again you’re in
the pool or people are in the pool and
they’re kind of splashing around having
a good time and they’re maybe making a
lot of noise and this and that and so I
do think it’s sort of an impulsive thing
in India and maybe a controlling thing
in my opinion you know dogs will even
try and do that with other dogs as well
and again it’s not necessarily them
saving each other for drowning more so
than you know then trying to maybe
address address something that they
probably think is out of control you
know what I mean
so so yeah that’s kind of my thoughts on
it all right thanks for your question
okay next question comes from Becky
rescue dog is in a large kennel with two
other dogs during the day when the owner
comes home the rescue dog is aggressive
at the kennel until the gate is open to
let them out once opening the gate he’s
super happy and very loved
um yeah yeah I mean that’s many dogs
that’s a lot of dog especially ones that
I see you know you can do one of two
things or a little bit of both first
thing you can do if the dog is new to
you is give it time so you can continue
to let the dog get aggressive at the
gate and just deal with it as long as it
doesn’t result in anything further
negative you know what I’m saying or you
could tell the dog to sit down first of
all what you want to do is make sure
that you can sort of dissipate the
anticipation the excitement because when
you walk in the door and you go straight
to them they’re gonna be excited so you
may not want to try that you may not
want to do that
one way that would help her think or
help the dog think a little clearer and
be able to sit is to ignore the dogs
before you until their comment before
you let them out and then once you left
and then once they’re calm then you can
go over there tell the dog to sit and
then be able to open that door fully
without the dog coming out that’s gonna
stop it once the dog knows you’re gonna
some dogs they’re aggressive until you
go for the latch you’re on them saying
and and or open the door and once you
open the door then some dogs are some
dogs aren’t they turn into chickens so
but this
the great aggression let’s first kind of
dissolve the excitement of being let out
so if you’re making them their first
priority then I would sort of reverse
that and then when you go and let them
out
just ask for Oh obedience before letting
them out and that will help it alright
thanks for your question
feel free to ask another next question
is from Shiloh hello I have almost five
year old have a for almost five-year-old
wine get started acting aggressive and
has bitten three different neighbors
friends when they come to our door
this behavior started out about three
months ago and only when someone knocks
or ring the doorbell any recommendations
on how to control what we should do has
been to the vet and is in good health
thank you in advance okay show um so
let’s just break that down a little bit
for more people because I know that
maybe some people watching them will
have similar challenges so that’s a
common problem it is weird that your dog
all of a sudden that he’s five years old
or almost four
let me excuse me almost five and just
started doing it that’s kind of weird
because that’s kind of old but anyway
either way well you have to focus on is
getting the dog to listen to you
despite listening to itself the dog when
that doorbell rings goes into reactive
mode non listening mode the dog is like
this means this and so I need to do this
okay so we have to interject we have to
get the dog to think you don’t need to
do this because I’m in charge and I’m
going to handle the situation the dog
needs to be able to respect what you
what you’re what you want and what
you’re trying to display to the dog okay
has bitten people too now it’s very very
important that you are able to reach the
dog okay so how do you reach the dog um
alright first and foremost you have to
get the dog to start respecting you guys
in the house a lot more if the dog can
listen to you in the house then you’ll
have a much better chance okay so you
have to start if the dog is on any sort
of furniture and that dog should lose
furniture privileges for a while again
you’ll have to start getting a dog to
listen to similar are more things until
this problem is solved and it ain’t
gonna be it’s gonna maybe take a while
okay you may need to use an inverter
tool you may need to keep the dog on
leash you may need to use a prong collar
an e-collar
or a dog II don’t one of those three
tools in order to get in order to reach
the dog in that situation but but more
importantly again the dog has to listen
to you without the doorbell ringing
first let’s get that let’s get that
let’s get a dog best when you say go lay
down that it actually does that okay and
when you train that you should train
that with the leash in the phone call I
have videos on my youtube on if you’re
not familiar with the prong collar I
have a video on how to introduce that
correctly how to walk the dog correctly
and how to put the dog on its bed or
teach the dog to go to it’s been
correctly and then I have videos on the
exact problem that you’re talking about
all right so I would go ahead and check
those videos out no one else needs to
get bit if you want to take an extra
step get a Baskerville muzzle with Abby
Baskar Vale muzzle and okay so here’s
the other thing that I would do right
away to is is when you have friends or
neighbors come over put the dog
somewhere else
on for 10 minutes
because maybe the dog after that ten
minutes will be pretty it will be okay
you know with your guests maybe once
that excitement comes off you know wears
off but here’s another thing you should
do that and then I’ll move on cuz this
is I can go on and on about this subject
but but but when you come home and you
open that door
that dog should not be meeting you at
the door okay that’s gonna be a very
good first step in getting the dog to
realize that the dog should be doing
something when that door is being opened
as opposed to allowing the dog to do
what it wants the door means something
to the dog excitement and or aggression
and so you have to start that’s another
little thing you can do to get the dog
to realize that when that door opens it
doesn’t mean excitement so what I do is
when I come in the door I tell my dogs
to go lay down immediately
alright because I want them to be sort
of the secondary priority and I also
want to reinforce calm behavior you get
what you want when you’re calm okay so
any further help you know feel free to
reach out to me PM me or DM me yeah
private message direct message whatever
because if your dog is biting someone
you you’ll probably need some
professional help but feel free to reach
out and I can give you some more advice
and details all right thanks for your
question so I don’t have any questions
on Instagram okay I so regret enough
bringing her to you for training it’s
all right that’s all good looks like the
dog has gotten adopted huh so that’s
good the kids hate it so we would love
for her not to do it yeah you’re just
gonna have to control her too you know
you’re gonna have to teach her how to
control that impulse it’s just like
anything just like kind of how that I
explained that door thing you just have
to kind of um you know really get her to
realize that she she shouldn’t be doing
that you know what I’m saying so she can
kind of control it or you can deal with
it and maybe wait until the novelty
wears off
okay that question was are that
statement was first Stephanie answer all
right next question is for Jin we have a
90-pound ten month old American Bulldog
who is as sweet as can be but has tons
of energy and doesn’t realize how big he
is he always wants to be in our laps and
wants to snuggle I don’t want him to
feel punished but it’s a lot how do you
know where to draw the line crank
question great question it really is a
good question how do you know when to
draw the line draw the line when they
when you when it gets on your nerves I
mean if you know I’ll just go ahead and
say if you know that you’re a decent
person you’re a fair person
you’ve given the dog what its needs what
then you’ve given the dog what it needs
then you can ask for a lot from the dog
no furniture if you don’t want no
jumping on you if you don’t want that
you should want that anyway no jumping
and no attention if you don’t want the
attention your attention should be when
you guys take a walk for our outside
playing
that’s your attention you know what I’m
saying and so if you don’t want to do
something just make it known to him you
know because that again that road leads
down some dark places and so you just
want to remember that if you’re not
giving the dog what it needs then the
dog is sort of justified in being
pushing but you do have to give the dog
what it needs and exercise is number one
affection excuse me discipline is number
two and then affection is after that
okay so with exercise and then after
that you’ll be much easier to discipline
because the dog will listen to you
because its energy is out and then
affection afterwards so also remember
you get what you pet pet that calm dog
wait until it’s calm to pet it before
you don’t pet the dog who again is maybe
hyper and jumping on you definitely
don’t pet the dog that’s jumping on you
okay don’t let the dog jump on you
that’s just them you know that’s very
disrespectful
so you should display that you should
sort of portray that to your dog all
right Jim thanks for your question feel
free to ask another ok uh I wouldn’t
make too oh I wouldn’t necessarily
ignore him because I don’t know if it
normally works in the kennel it does to
a certain point okay so people always
say well let’s just ignore the dog when
you walk in the door ignoring you won’t
jump on you if you ignore him
well that doesn’t really work for some
dog some dogs or don’t care if you
ignore they’re still gonna jump on you
they’re still gonna bark at you they’re
still gonna do those things you will
need to give the dog something to do you
will need to sort of have that level of
respect between you and the dog in order
for the dog to get so sometimes you will
have to go over there and tell the dog
to sit and then um ignore the dog you
know but I wouldn’t allow the dog to
bark bark bark bark bark bark bark
that’s gonna be that’s tough to ignore
against maybe certain some circumstances
that would be warranted but not most of
the time I’m saying that’s all come on
okay now he says can the fear of thunder
or fireworks be trained out of a dome
one dog is terrified and the other could
care less
we don’t baby her when she’s nervous
over them we just try to carry on as
normal
um yeah I can although some dogs Verret
it’s a very challenging you know what I
mean I wouldn’t beat yourself up about
it there are some dogs who are just
going to be scared of those things
genetically loud things there’s tons of
hunting dogs that end up in the pound or
in the shelter because they are gunshot
as a puppy Jenna sometimes dogs
genetically their nerves cannot handle
it so it depends on the dog my dog I
have a dog named Tobias he is still
nervous about thunder and fireworks he
doesn’t run away anymore he runs to me
which is nice but yeah doesn’t like loud
noises but he is a nervous dog in
general so it depends on the dog all
right I’m not one of these trainers
that’s gonna sail you on everything that
can be trained out of the dog I don’t
know I think that’s being unrealistic
through my experience there are dogs who
are again really difficult to train out
of what they are coming from a genetic
standpoint so that’s that all right next
question James one of my closest friends
hey April how are you
I’m glad Jen asked that question you
guys like American Bulldogs don’t you
hey crazy okay let’s check YouTube okay
so like I was saying guys concentration
is a very I guess new term I’m calling
it concentration because I think that’s
what it is I think that again dog needs
a concert when I’m taking a dog on a
walk I don’t want the dog to sniff it
especially if they’re very insecure I
don’t want the dog to do a lot of
sniffing I just wanted to walk and walk
loose leash and that does take some
level of concentration I want them to be
focused focused on just walking not
squirrels not Pete
not dogs all right I have to have them
sort of walk with me nice and easy and
focus and in concentrate but what that
does again is leaves less room for
reactive behavior aggressive behavior
fearful behavior and then you start to
build trust all right and trust builds
confidence in the dog so people always
ask me how can I build confidence in a
dog well you can feel confidence by
training your dog just basic obedience
will give the dog some confidence if the
dog is not confident it means its
fearful okay
well how do you work with fear well you
first and foremost build trust by
getting the dome to do a job that it
must do and that’s how you get over a
lot of things so for example let’s just
talk about the walk again
I have many dogs that come in they’re
scared of cars they don’t know what they
are maybe that maybe they do and they’re
coming at them pretty quickly and they
try and lunge at them they try and lunge
at the car why well because to the dog
it may be something that’s big moving
fast and coming towards them and then
goes away with from them very quickly
and that may provoke their their prey
Drive that comes from their need to
control this is very prominent in
herding breeds like the Rottweiler
Australian Shepherd Cattle Dog German
Shepherd any dog who you know has well
the border collie for sure any
who has had to do a job to control you
know those are all controlling dogs
because they have been hurting one and
one point in their genetic history so
they’re used to maybe control them big
things
Rottweilers for sure anybody had any
experience out there with a Rottweiler
that’s been car reactive assemble size
every single one on terrain seems like
the their car reactive but yeah
concentration does is very important the
treadmill is is that is a pretty good
tool it’s one that you know you don’t
want to overuse it but it’s a pretty
good tool it helps dogs concentrate they
do have to concentrate they have to stay
in a groove you know they don’t they
can’t slip off they sort of have to
concentrate and just walk nice and slow
just like we’re taking a walk ah the
crab meal is a good thing I have a
how-to video on that as well
alright let me make sure I got
everybody’s question excuse me
all right guys I think I got them all if
you guys have any burning questions that
you have just remember that make
somebody else is struggling with your
same questions so please feel free to
pull feel free to ask I’m here until my
battery runs out looks like it’s getting
there so we’ll have our Peck walk next
week everybody always ask how they can
get in the pack walk you have to go
through some training with me to go
through the back walk I need at least
two or three private lesson
the reason for that is I don’t work with
easy dogs and I can’t have someone a
total stranger come into the pack law
that doesn’t have control over their
dogs you do have to have certain level
of skill to come into the pack walk
because you will know what to do when
something goes wrong all right
I’ve never had an accident never had a
dog fight never had anybody get bit had
dogs lunge at another dog but the owners
know exactly what to do when those
things happen and so to keep everybody
safe we will have to have you know some
things and have some basic skills in
order to to to come into the pack walk
that’s just how it is I’m sorry I really
do wish I could have everyone come in
and just party but unfortunately that’s
just not how it is there are still some
dogs who need a lot of improvement and
that’s where the they can get it okay so
it’s a nice controlled pack walk where
people can continue to work on their
skills especially dogs who are dog
reactive on leash or human reactive only
we walk in through we walk through a
neighborhood in Green Bank that’s really
been friendly and great to us and to
really been a good situation so if you
guys are interested in our pack walk you
will have to have some private lessons
with me or it at the least Franklin’s
lessons with me all board and trained
dogs obviously are RK to attend aboard
the pack walk Lauren and we do those
every other Saturday we’re not there
this Saturday but I think this Saturday
is raining anyway but we’ll be there
next Saturday so
you guys well let’s see a check one last
time I think we’re good to go
on questions yeah looks like we’re good
to go guys
well I appreciate you guys watching
we’ll be here next week please give me a
thumbs up if you liked it if you’re
watching from you to give me a like or
subscribe or whatever that is and we’ll
be here next week for episode 121 I hope
to see you guys there
thanks for watching see you next time
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