Paw Licking

Here’s a request from a regular reader:  

“I am wondering if you might be able to address the behavior of frequent (sometimes what appears to be incessant) paw licking.

My dog has been doing this for a while now and as a result the underside of her front paws (the area between her large pad and her toes) is red and irritated.

Is this an anxiety/nervous behavior? Is this a medical issue? Is this an allergy or bacterial infection?

I have spoken to my vets who tell me not to worry unless it becomes a real problem in that she creates a sore. I have researched online, I wipe her paws after our walks, I keep her nails trimmed …

She gets exercise and stimulation and enrichment. Her stress levels appear to be low. Her happiness appears to be high.

Her health is excellent (she just had her semi annual check up) so what am i missing and how can I best help her?” 

I have some experience of this, because Coco was a paw-licker. It took us a long time to eliminate it.

He would lick between the joints till he made a scald. His feet were pink, and the hair went orange and black from all the licking - looked frightful! You can see his pink paws in this image when he was modelling for the book Let’s Go!

First, as our correspondent was right to do, you need a vet check. Whenever you get a behaviour change you need to check the physical side first. There could be a foreign body or parasite, fungus in the nail bed, a yeast invasion, or an allergic reaction. (In general, don’t use floor-cleaning products that when diluted turn the water cloudy.)

I tried a number of things, and it slowly but surely improved (or didn't, as below). It's important to give a few weeks for each thing to see if it works:

1. Interrupting and distracting whenever possible - critical!

2. Washing with clean water after every trip outside

3. Washing with Hibiscrub solution after every trip outside - helped a bit

4. Removing chicken from his diet (I picked chicken because raw chicken carcases are what my dogs eat most) - worked for a while

5. Trying potions: expensive, and no use at all

6. Covering his feet when indoors, to prevent licking - stopped the scalds developing

7. Gave him CBD Oil - this seemed to work well

8. Slowly re-introduced a little chicken once or twice a month

9. This all took a l-o-o-o-ng time, but it worked. He now has chicken freely, and no CBD drops any more, and his feet are clean and nice!

Here you can see those nice clean feet he was wearing for his next photoshoot - for the book Fetch it!

Just occasionally he'll start nibbling a patch on his leg: saying "Nibbling" stops him - it’s an interrupter. I never use his name for this as keen readers will know that your dog’s name needs to be precious and only associated with good things!

So how much was irritation, and how much it turned into a habit, is difficult to say. 

Could it be anxiety? Possibly, but I'd imagine it began as a soothing response to some kind of physical stimulus or need, like thumb-sucking. And it then continued to become a habit.

So if this is an issue for your dog, try some of these ideas and see what happens. Be sure to give several weeks at least with each thing you try, to be able to see what’s working and what’s not. Doing it all at once would be hard work, and give you no data.

And do let us know what worked for you (because something is absolutely going to work - but you need to track it down!).

Remember I’m not a vet, and this is just what worked, eventually, for us!

Do you walk with your dog or behind him? Learn how to make a lasting change!

First published on positively.com and reprinted with permission 

How many people do you see walking their dogs in comfort?

I find it’s very rare to see an owner walking their dog where the dog is not several feet ahead, the owner’s arm outstretched as they stumble along after their wayward hound.

“He’s so eager to get where we’re going,” they gasp, as they are dragged past.

Why do most people get a dog? Companionship and getting out and about would be among the commonest answers. Is what we’ve just seen in any way a companionable walk? Would that same person tolerate their child hauling them along like this? Or their partner??

How much more enjoyable it is to walk - arm-in-arm or hand-in-hand - with someone who shares your journey? Someone who can look at you and smile. Who can remark on things that you pass, draw attention to things they see, and generally live this piece of your life with you.

Why not have this level of companionship on walks with your dog too?

Start as you mean to continue

In my experience, many people start out wrong with their puppy, who grows into a strong dog - even little dogs can pull horribly - and the die is cast. The owner’s motives are good, but their kindness is misplaced.

Their little puppy wants to pull out to the end of the lead, so their arm goes up as they let him. Then puppy follows his nose and wants to go further, perhaps towards another dog. Now the owner, with outstretched arm, follows behind.

What has this puppy just learnt?

“If I pull they’ll follow. And if I pull harder they’ll follow faster!”

The companionable walks you envisaged when you got your puppy are now doomed.

It takes two to tango …

.. and if one of us stops, then the other will too. Really.

Your puppy simply needs to learn from the start that pulling on the lead is going to get him nowhere. So then he won’t do it. Your job is to keep a loose hold on the end of the lead with just one hand, and to keep that hand close to you all the time. If you find your hand is floating out of its own accord, just tuck your thumb into your belt or pocket to prevent it.

There’s no need to wrap the lead six times round your fist and hang on grimly with both hands, jerking the lead all the while. That is actually guaranteed to get your dog pulling! Why? Because you trigger the opposition reflex.

If someone grabs your arm and pulls, you automatically pull back. Your body knows it needs to stay upright. If they pull harder, you lean away from them to prevent falling over. This is how we get the common image of dog pulling one way, owner leaning back and pulling the other way. If someone cut your lead in half - you’d probably both fall over!

This puts a huge strain on your body - your back and shoulders will probably be complaining most - and a big strain on your dog’s body too. If your dog is pulling into his collar, choking and spluttering, he can be doing some real physical damage to himself - not to mention the impeded blood flow to the brain and the anxiety that anyone feels if there is pressure on the neck. This last is particularly bad news if your dog is fearful or reactive.

You don’t just slap a bridle and saddle on a young horse and say, “Ok, now I’m going to ride you.” It takes time, acclimatising the horse to this new kit, its feel and weight, and how it affects his movement. So I’m not at all sure why people expect to put a collar and lead on a puppy and get perfect walking straight away!

You have to teach your dog first. You have to show him what it is that you want, what it is that will be rewarded. And gradually he’ll learn that life is better when he’s not pulling, and it’s more fun to be sharing his walk with you.

Here’s a starter for you to get your teeth into

1. Have the dog on a longish lead (at least 2m)

2. Stand still and let the dog go to the end of the lead

3. Keep your hand close to your hip - tuck thumb into your belt if necessary

4. WAIT. Wait till the lead slackens the tiniest bit (you may think you'll need to wait forever, but it's usually only 20 seconds at most)

5. Call your dog cheerfully and reward with a tasty treat at your knee

6. It doesn’t matter why the lead gets loose - don’t judge - just reward as soon as it does

7. Repeat till your dog gets that it's up to him to keep the lead loose

So you need to spend time teaching him - the kitchen is where a lot of my training takes place - that when he’s beside you, good things happen. Once he knows where he should be, he has a fighting chance of putting himself there.

We learn by making choices …

.. as does your dog. So you need to give your dog a choice - not by limiting his movement, with your tightly-wound lead - but by giving him enough loose lead for him to move away then choose to move back to you. A six-foot leash is ideal for this, and the only bit you need to hold - gently - is the handle!

If you never give someone a choice, then they can never make a good choice.

You want to give your dog the opportunity to make a choice. You’ll get some poor choices (he pulls forward, you don’t follow) and some good choices (he looks at you and waits beside you, you congratulate him and move forward together).

I can hear the cry going up already: “My dog has been pulling on the lead for years - there’s no hope of changing him now!” Wrong. You can change - once he realises it’s worth his while to stay beside you with the lead loose, he’ll choose to do that.

The mysteries of walking nicely on the lead unravelled! With no nasty gadgets or shouting.

I’ve given you enough to get you started on your new life of pleasant dogwalking. But to get the whole process, broken down into tiny steps, with Troubleshooting sections for all your “What if…?” questions, you’ll enjoy Let’s Go! Enjoy Companionable Walks with your Brilliant Family Dog, the third in the series of Essential Skills for a Brilliant Family Dog, available from Amazon now. Go now, and you can be reading it within minutes!

And in case you missed my first piece “My dog can’t keep still - he’s wild all the time!”  you’ll be pleased to know you can still get the first book in the series free at all outlets!

Struggling to housetrain your puppy?

There are still, sadly, plenty of old wives’ tales out there, on how to housetrain a puppy. 

Most of them involve being nasty to the little mite.

And none of them works.  

Housetraining for babies

Now, we don’t seem to have the same hang-ups over housetraining our own species?

We don’t rant and rave at a baby who has little to no control over his bladder and bowels!

We dress our babies in nappies or diapers until such time as they exhibit understanding and control of their bodily functions. And the whole process is accompanied with much praise!

We know that it’s up to us, as we tip food in the top end, to deal with what emerges at the bottom end. We don’t expect miracles from a toddler! It’s not the baby’s responsibility!

You can download my Cheatsheet to Errorless Housetraining right here!

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So why do people struggle to understand how to do this with their puppy?

You can download my Cheatsheet to Errorless Housetraining right here.

It tells you exactly what to do, and in what order to do it.

It works! Fast! And it works for older dogs too.

Follow the steps EXACTLY. All you need to add is love, patience, and encouragement. Oh, and a spray bottle of biological washing powder solution is a must!

And let us know how fast that worked.

Why is my dog growling at me?

You drop something. 

You reach down to pick it up - only to find it already in the jaws of your dog.

And - your dog is lifting his lip and growling at you!

What is going on?!

What is going on is that your dog has claimed something that looks interesting to him. It could be anything, though it’s commonly food.

And when you go to snatch it off him, he objects! In the only way he knows how. And that’s by saying “Mine!” by growling.

Now the first thing to know is that if you persist in trying to take this thing from him, you are likely to get bitten.

It’s not that your dog is nasty, he’s just saying “I don’t think so.” And you haven’t heeded his warning.

So the first thing to do if this happens to you, is to BACK OFF!

No, you’re not “giving in”. You’re not “letting the dog win”. None of that. You’re just being practical. Far better to defuse the situation and go from there. Why “lead with your chin” as my father used to say?

Do you actually need to get the object back?

Very often the item itself is not worth bothering about. You can wait till your dog has found it boring - and that you clearly don’t want to fight him for it - and pick it up when he’s moved on.

But sometimes you do need to get it back.

1. Is the item dangerous to the dog?

2. Is it valuable to you, and breakable?  

In either of those cases, you do need to have the dog relinquish it.

And the quickest way, as any parent of a toddler knows, is to organise a diversion! Scatter some treats on the floor a little away from the dog. You can scoop up the item as he goes for the treats. Or throw his beloved ball through an open door and close it behind him so you can clear up.

If it’s the Sunday roast and he’s not letting go - then you may have to sacrifice it. You could try getting the lead and heading excitedly for the door. Or you may just have to know that you have some training to do! 

In fact, we all have training to do.

This is a totally natural reaction from the dog - it doesn’t mean he’s bad or nasty. Just not yet trained.

From an early age you need to teach your dog to swap. Doing this with two similar objects is a great way to start: exchange is no robbery.

What you want to remember is ALWAYS to reward your dog for giving something up. Sometimes you can check the item and give it back to him, plus a treat. If you need to remove the item, be sure to offer something of equal or greater value!

“He always growls!”

If your dog is in a well-established pattern of stealing, grabbing, lowering his head over the item, showing the whites of his eyes while he glares up at you, stiff and frozen, then I suggest you contact me direct so that I can help you personally.

And be sure to check out the Brilliant Family Dog Academy, where we take you step by careful step through teaching how to avoid this, and have a biddable dog who is happy to share his finds with you.

And the best way to learn about this amazing program is through this free Workshop with all its lessons.

Doggy expectations!

You’re getting a dog!

All those cries of, “Mummy WHEN can we have a dog?” have been heeded.

It’s going to be your first dog!

Maybe you caved in under pressure. Maybe you’ve always wanted a dog and the time is now right.

But don’t go into this new venture without a hand on your shoulder. You need a roadmap!

First off, are you starting from the right place?

You need to be sure the dog you’re getting is the right one for your family. This article has a lot of advice for the first-time purchaser.

You can follow that article with the first in a series of HOW NOT TO MAKE A GHASTLY MISTAKE with your first dog!

Chosen the right dog?

Great! Now, how realistic are your expectations for your new dog?

Are you expecting your new puppy to slip into the household almost unseen?

Are you expecting the children to know exactly how to behave round a dog?

Are you assuming your rescue dog (who was presumably in the shelter because his previous owners gave up on him) will be the perfect trained, well-mannered, easygoing, dog?  

I find that there are two camps of new dog-owners

1. There are those who expect the very best and are totally unrealistic, expecting the puppy to “train” himself, with never a hair out of place.

2. And there are those who assume it will all be awful.

So some will give their puppy total freedom of the house, then say, “Why do I keep finding puddles? I put him out in the garden every few hours …”

And some will say, “I expected my puppy to bite, but my hands and clothes are shredded by my 5-month-old pup.”

Both of them have got the wrong end of the stick.

Both of them have had faulty expectations.

And neither of them has actually taught their new dog what they’d like of him!

They talk of puddles everywhere, and bitten hands. But you see, neither is inevitable!

Some pups housetrain fast, even without thorough teaching. And many puppies never bite anyone at all.

But you do need to be armed for every eventuality. And the Brilliant Family Dog Academy is the best place for you to learn everything you need to know to make this new relationship a success.

Whether your dog is a puppy or a seasoned campaigner, you’ll need to have some understanding of WHY she’s doing what she does - and ways to kindly divert her into something you find more acceptable.

 You’ll need to understand how to reach your new dog’s mind

And this doesn’t mean shouting SIT ever more loudly in the hope that she’s been swotting up on the English language and knows what you mean!

Did you know you can teach your dog everything she needs to learn without ever putting a hand on her? (Except for cuddles when she wants them, of course! That’s different.)

I love it when people write to tell me how following my guidance has helped make their new dog the Brilliant Family Dog they wanted, as Charlie said about her Busta: “Busta is 10 months now and is a Brilliant Family Dog!”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all new dogs had owners like that?

Here’s where you can start:

 For more about the Brilliant Family Dog Academy I mentioned above, watch our free Workshop and learn all about how you can transform your Li’l Nipper into your Brilliant Family Dog!

Would you love to work with dogs?

Is this a dream of yours? That you’d love to work with dogs in some way?  

All day, every day, just working with dogs?

Many people harbour this secret dream in their heart. And the sad thing is that for most it remains a secret dream.

Why not get it out in the open and get going with it?!

Dogs, all day?

The first thing to know is that whatever area of working with dogs you choose, other things will always impinge. You won’t be “working with dogs, all day, every day”. There will always be reports to write, clients to interview, targets to meet …

At least when it’s your own business, you get to set those targets and decide where you want to focus!

And this is the stumbling-block for many.

“I’m no good at business …”

The thought of actually running a business is too much for them. They’re worried about all the red tape, the financial implications, the responsibility.

Seduced by the regular income of their current job, they’d prefer to stay warm and cosy rather than get out there and help our friend, the dog.

You see, if you’re following Brilliant Family Dog, you are exactly the sort of person who should be out there spreading the word about force-free training! Showing people how it’s done! And showing them how they can transform their lives by following our kind methods.

YOU are valuable! We need your expertise and personality in the mix.

There are far too many people from the Dark Side - browbeating people into thinking they have to do nasty things to their dog to make any progress.

WE know that’s not true.

And once we’ve discovered this harmonious way to live with our companion dogs, we have a duty to show a better way.

🐾 A way which excludes bullying, intimidation, and pain.

🐾 A way which fosters personal choice, freedom, and joy.

I’m working on a new project to get people started in the business they’ve dreamt about for years, and never quite had the opportunity or the belief to start.

It will cover everything you need to do to get your business started fast - so much faster than you can imagine! Business skills, personal skills, people skills, dog skills . . . it’ll all be there for you, along with all the templates you need to get going.

Why can I do this? Because I’ve done it. I had the same concerns you have. And I worked it out.

Want some help with building this unbreakable relationship? Watch our free Workshop on Getting your Dog to Listen, and you may be surprised how much this short video will teach you!