Raising a Well Mannered Mutt

By Sallie Palmer

Living with an over EXUBERANT dog.

Do you have one of those dogs that seem to be spring loaded?  You know what type of dog I'm talking about, the dog that always seems to be in hyper drive mode. She has attention deficit dog disorder (ADDD).  She has so much energy and is always in constant motion.  You have to get into a wrestling match just to get a leash on her, She jumps on you, pulls on leash and moves faster than lightning. This dog is usually very vocal with a lot of whining and whimpering accompanying the constant motion. She is the type of dog that drives you to distraction and exasperation because you don't know how to harness this furry frenzy.

Well I might have some words of encouragement for you. Get this dog as much exercise you safely can. A walk may not be enough for this gal. A run may be more realistic. If you have a bicycle there are two devices that can help. One is called a Canine Cruiser. It is a device that attaches to the back of a bicycle and then attaches to your dog. You peddle at a slow to moderate speed and your dog trots along behind you. The other devise is called a Springer and it attaches to the side of your bicycle and your dog travels at the side of your bike. I have a friend in Willits who takes five dogs out on a run behind her quad runner. They travel for several miles each morning. These are not ordinary dogs. These are dogs that have been considered un-adoptable at the Humane Society because of behavior problems. When these dogs get back home after their morning run they are tired! They are also content and don't display any behavioral
problems. In short a tired dog is a happy dog.

Another way to exercise your dog is hide her food or toys and make her find them.  This gives your dog a job, it makes her use her nose and her brain draining the excess energy that's stored up.

The next piece of advice I have for you will require you to exercise patience and persistence. This is using a dog training technique called tethering. Tethering is where you restrict your dog from moving around until she has calmed down. In short, you are using movement as a reward. You are asking your dog to learn impulse control. Emotions are contagious with people and with animals.  Here's an example. If one
person in a crowd starts to panic, people around that person will start to panic. The opposite is also true.  If your dog is hyper and excited you will not relax. So try this.  When your dog is hyper, become very, very calm, step on your dogs leash so he can't move around very much and just WAIT. Don't talk to your dog, don't pet your dog, just wait until he calms down. This may take awhile so be very patient and very persistant.

When she has shown improvement by calming down, mark the behavior by saying 'yes' (This is a marker word or you can use a clicker)  then drop a treat by her feet. If she stays calm then let her up so she can move around. If she becomes hyper again, tether her again. Over time you should see her controlling her impulse to move around frantically.

This technique can be used for greeting people, or starting a walk. You don't move forward until Fifi is calm.  Make a habit of insisting that your dog calm down before you do anything.  As another friend stated, "You must put on your Zen hat and be calm first." Practice patience Grasshopper.

Sallie Palmer
Wellmanneredmutts.net

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