Advice for Pet Owners
Dog Training

Adam Campbell
Dog Trainer, Co-Owner of Campbell's Canine Camp
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 11:00 AM

For more than 10 years, Adam Campbell has helped dogs become obedient and well-behaved pups. He is co-owner of West Virginia's Campbell's Canine Camp, a dog training and boarding business that serves the DC metropolitan area. He was online Wednesday, September 10 to answer questions about teaching dogs to listen and learn.

A transcript follows.

Please join us again Wednesday, September 17, for another discussion on pet care with the Animal Doctor Michael W. Fox. And check out washingtonpost.com's Pets section anytime!

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Adam Campbell: Good Morning,

My name is Adam Campbell of Campbell's Canine Camp. I train dogs through private lessons and Boarding/Training Camps. I look forward to your questions this morning and will answer as many as I can.

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Washington, DC: My 7-year-old rescue hound has gradually become a confident, obedient and loving pet. But I can find no way to keep him from charging the door when the mail arrives. The ferocity is truly frightening. I've tried everything from distracting him with sounds or treats to a citronella collar. Any ideas?

Adam Campbell: This issue is best dealt with through anticipating the event and having the dog on a leash to be able to exhibit your control. Your goal would be to redirect his attention to you and a simple task such as sit or down-stay. Dogs get into habits such as this because it becomes the highlight of their day. Generally speaking you can try to keep him away from the front door until the mail has come or put the mailbox in a different location outside to prevent him from seeing it arrive. Avoidance or direct communication through leash control are your best options.

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West Falls Church: Which breed is the toughest to train?

Adam Campbell: Some breeds are easier to own than others. I don't believe there is one specific breed that can be singled out. Terriers can be high strung, dominant and stubborn which makes it difficult to control them around distractions. Bulldogs can be dominant and stubborn as well and sometimes very uncooperative. However, even Labs and Golden Retrievers who are typically thought to be easiest to train can be very difficult as well at times. I think it is the indvidual dog's personality and temperament which determines how easy or difficult they will be to train as well as the owner's expectations.

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Williamsburg, Va.: We have a 5-month-old Labradoodle puppy. He is a great dog, except for one problem: he has been an extremely dominant dog towards me and my husband (our vet said the worst case of a dominant pup she had seen). With a lot of work showing him we're the alphas, we have put a stop to most his dominant tendencies. However, one problem still remains: sometimes when we give him a command (like going in his crate) that he does not want to obey -- especially when he's having fun -- he will try to bite us. Do we just continue our course of expressing our alpha status, or is there something different we should be doing? Currently, when he tries to assert dominance we pin him to the ground until he stops struggling, then let him back up slowly once he has calmed down. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Adam Campbell: Labradoodles are very active and require a lot of exercise. They can also be very challenging at times because it is difficult for them to focus and stay calm when they are young. Keep up with what you have been doing and remember to work with him on leash in the house as well as outside so that your control is not conditional. You may also want to give him a few more time outs in the crate. Use something like a Kong toy with a small amount of peanut butter inside to keep him occupided and interested in the crate. As he matures he should start to recognize your Alpha role.

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Washington, DC: We have a 15-week-old Scottish Terrier pup who has a terrible biting issue. We have been taking him to puppy training since he was 10 weeks old. About two to three times a day he attacks us, ferociously biting into our feet, legs and ankles and making us bleed. We have tried grabbing his scruff, making him sit and holding him in a submissive pose. All work temporarily, but a minute later he's back at it. Any advice?

Adam Campbell: Puppies in general can be very active and aggressively playful at times. He is in the prime of his teething stage and this can add to his "ferocity". Using a taste detterant such as Bitter Apple by spraying this on your hand and getting it on his tongue can redirect his focus. This is less confrontational than a scruff shake which can sometimes agitate him even more. He needs to also have other outlets for his mouthing and teething such as appropriately sized soft toys and chew sticks to get him through the next few weeks. Do not be afraid to confine him a little more than you may like to limit his opportunities. Generally speaking this is a phase he will mature out of. Lots of focused exercise is also a big help.

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Washington, DC: Did you watch the Dogtown episode on NGO about Michael Vick's dogs? I unfortunately did not get to watch the whole thing, but I was interested in your take on it. I love pit bulls. They have such expressive faces, but I fear for their reputation forever and it will probably keep me from ever owning one. Can they really be rehabilitated to be risk free, or do you think an owner should always be supervising the activities of a pit bull regardless of whether it's playtime in the park or piddling in the backyard?

Adam Campbell: Pit bulls can be wonderful pets and family companions. Many problems arrise due to lack of socialization and/or a dog that has a skiddish or shy personality that then turns defensive. Many dogs can be rehabilitated if they have been simply neglected or untrained. Vick's dogs had been conditioned to being aggressive with other dogs and that will more than likely be always with them. Owning dogs like this requires a strong bond and relationship between dog and owner. A dog with an aggressive history will always be a liability and will need to be constantly monitored and managed by a competent dog owner.

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Annandales, Va.: I'm pregnant with twins (almost due) and have a 2-year-old Cockapoo. He is the sweetest friendliest dog but we worry about his tendency to jump (VERY high). What can we do to ensure he doesn't try to jump onto/into the cribs/bassinets/swings/etc? Also, do we need to be vigilant that we don't momentarily leave one baby on the floor in one room while we tend to another? I know he is gentle and protective and I don't see him as the jealous type but I worry about him sitting on or scratching one of the babies.

Adam Campbell: As a general rule of thumb is to keep the dog out of the baby's room. This will prevent him from having the opportunity to jump into the crib. You will most likely need to re-train him by limiting his access to certain areas to the house. Use of baby gates and closing doors consistently and trying to find something that you to keep him occupied such as a special bone that he can only have when he is left alone. You should also keep him on a leash so that you have something to grab or step on when he is around the children. He should always be supervised and never left alone with the babies until he has proven 100 percent that he is trustworthy. If he seems too curoius and interested in his "new pack members" then he must always be monitored around them.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi. We just adopted a male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from rescue. He has a puppy mill background, but few details available. He's sweet-natured and puppy-like but untrained. We are starting obedience classes with him in a few weeks. In the meantime, we are unsure how to intervene in his interactions with our existing male dog, also a Cavalier, who is a few years older. The new dog is quite physical in his play and nips at the older dog. He also swipes his toys, etc. Are there recommended boundaries and strategies for intervening, or are we supposed to let the dogs sort this out themselves? Any advice or books we should read?

Adam Campbell: He has probably not been very well socialized and may not know how to interact properly with his new pack member. They will work things out between themselves, but you must always be the pack leader to both of them. If you see a behavior that you are not happy with then should react calmly and correct the unwanted behavior. You may want to put the new puppy on a leash to make this easier and to give you more control. Over time he will learn how to interact better with the older dog. Books by the Monks of New Skete are a great resource as well as Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer.

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McLean, Va.: Hello! I have two young Westies (a little more than a year-and-a-half), sister and brother. I have two problems with them. The first is that they have no concept of the road -- they'll follow/chase something anywhere, even if it's in front of a car. How do I correct this? The other problem is that they get really excited and jump up on things, people, even the TV. I know they're just excited, but I live with my grandparents and they get startled when my dogs jump on them. And my grandfather is fearful of them jumping up and scratching the tv.

Adam Campbell: It is often difficult to train two dogs at the same time, especially littermates. They develop pack relationship with each other and constantly distract and feed off of each others excitement. First they need to be leash trained before they can be expected to respond off leash. The jumping behaviors also addressed through on leash control. Teaching them to sit for attention gives them a task to respond to and lets them understand that they are not acting independently when distracted. You may need to be more hands on with them when addressing these issure as well as working with them separately to gain a better working relationship with them. They need to understand what you are asking first, then you can apply what they have learned when you need to.

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St. Louis, Mo.: I hope you can help me. I have a 7-year-old Beagle/Basset mix who has to be coerced to go outside most of the time, though he enjoys walks, especially to the park. When I got another dog, I hoped he would change, but the only time he will stay out (on his own) for any length of time is during the first and last times I let them out, otherwise he goes out, takes care of business (usually at my prompting) and comes right back in. If I try to leave him outside, he squeezes through the gate and goes to the front door.

Adam Campbell: First off, you may want to prevent him from getting to the fence by installing a wire mesh in the areas that he is squeezing through. Preventing this option may force him to accept being outside until you let him back in. Dogs are very social animals and want to spend most of their time with their pack memebers. Unless you have a specific reason for him being outside or you are having housebreaking problems, this may just need to be accepted.

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Falls Church, Va.: My 9-month-old Golden is a digger. My yard looks like the aftermath of a minefield explosion. Is there anything I can do (spray a product? bury my grass in gravel? despair?) to help this situation?

Adam Campbell: Some studies have shown that giving the dog a digging outlet such as a sand box can help. In my experience digging is a product of boredom, lack of exercise and being unsupervised. Options are to give him an outdoor pen to limit the area where he can dig or put the pen on a deck or on a hard surface which he cannot dig up. Digging becomes a habit over time so you may need to limit his unsupervised access to the problem areas until he is a little older. Also finding him some sort of toy or activity that he can focus on outside may also help.

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Westfield, NJ: My 14-year-old Shih Tzu went totally deaf about a year ago. She responded well to voice commands when she could hear; now I'm having trouble teaching her new 'hand' commands, maybe because of her age. Any tips?

Adam Campbell: At this age you are just trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Using a laser pointer to get her attention may help as well as using food rewards to motivate her to looking up for direction.

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Alexandria, Va.: What training can I use to prevent my dog from licking his paws? Is there a preventative measure I can take? If I catch him doing it, I usually snap my fingers, point at him, make eye contact, and say "no lick paw".

Adam Campbell: Paw licking is sometimes due to boredom in which case you can find something else for dog to focus on such as a chew toy or chew stick. You may also be dealing with allergies or a yeast infection in the pads. This would need to be dealt with antihistamines that are prescribed by a vet or canine allergy specialist.

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Barking Mad Schnauzer: How do you teach a dog not to bark? A dog by its nature is a watch dog and hunter of small creatures that barks at people, squirrels, and birds etc.?

Adam Campbell: Redirecting his focus in dividing his attention from distractions back to you can help. You need to teach him that it is not his "job" when you are on a walk to bark at everything. Excessive barking like this becomes a habit very quickly and should be addressed. It will take time, but it can be overcome or greatly improved through obedience training or in some cases use of a bark collar.

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fearful dog: I got a rescue dog when he was about a year-and-a-half. And I have been working with him but he is somewhat fearful around strangers and will do a very low-level growl at men (even while taking treats out of their hands). He seems to be doing lots better with women and other dogs. I have been trying to socialize him by taking him out and exposing him to other dogs and people in low-stress environments, and I scold him and make him sit when he growls but what else should I be doing? And I have a male friend that he absolutely loves but he has growled at him over a bone before. Also he will play growl at me when we play tug of war. Whould I scold him then or just let it go as I have been doing?

Adam Campbell: Fearful dogs are typically submissive as well. Submissive dogs are looking for consistent pack leadership. Although it is hard to determine without meeting the dog. It sounds like he views your control as conditional and inconsistent. If he is not fully respectful of your pack leader status he will think for himself and trust his judgement over yours when he feels insecure or threatened. He should not be allowed to growl at anyone, however, play growling is normally harmless as long as you feel he is not challenging you.

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Mount Vernon, Va.: Are there any local facilities or farms that provide for letting herding dogs do their thing? My Aussie only gets to chase squirrels and wouldn't know what to do with one if he caught it.

Adam Campbell: There are some dog clubs that may have more information than I do. Capital Dog Training in Silver Spring, MD may be a good resource. This past Spring I received a forward about an organization that bought a large piece of land and allows dog owners to sign up for a fee to be able to exercise their dogs. I believe it is somewhere in VA and with a little online research you may be able to come up with it or contact a vet in the Manassas area or animal control in that area and they may be able to tell you.

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Williamsburg, VA: Re: dominant labradoodle puppy.

I have heard that using his crate for time outs is not so good, because he may associate it with negative feelings and not want to go in at night or when we're at work. Have I heard wrong? And what's the best way to make sure he doesn't see the crate as a negative experience?

Adam Campbell: Crates are a great resource for keeping a puppy safe and secure and giving them a den. Certain puppies/dogs love their crates and go in on their own even when they have the option to go elsewhere. Others do not accept confinement and would almost always rather be out. If you correct your puppy and use crate as punishment and scold your puppy while they are in there then a negative association can be created. If your dog is properly exercised and the crate is used as a management tool when you are not able to properly supervise and otherwise untrustworthy puppy or dog then there is no problem with crating your dog. Some people have easy dogs that require no confinement and will tell you that crating any dog is a terrible thing. You can make it a more positive experience also by giving them something special to focus on when they go in the crate. Kong toys stuffed with cookies and a little bit of peanut butter or liverwurst can do the trick.

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Adam Campbell: I have enjoyed answering your questions. I gave the best info I could. It is sometimes difficult to give advice without actually meeting the owner and dog. I am sorry I did not get to all of your questins. Please do not hesitate to e-mail us at www.campbellsk9s.com or call 304-274-9191.

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