Why we (mostly) stopped teaching the "Place" command.

“It will fix jumping.”

Begging. Chewing. Pottying in the house. All sorts of bad habits.

That’s what we used to tell dog owners that we worked with. Thankfully… we don’t do that anymore.

Because it’s largely not true.

The “Place” command is a popular command, essentially telling a dog to go sit or lie down on a dog bed or cot until they are told that they can get up.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with it… except the fact that for *most owners* it’s a massive waste of time.

Because teaching the place command does not teach your dog to greet your guests politely.

It does not teach them to stop begging, or to ask you to go potty outside. It doesn’t fix aggression, and it doesn’t teach them to stop stealing household items.

It does teach a dog to go to a spot and stay in a spot (if they are trained well enough to get that good at it!).

What we found though, is that largely, the command is often used to keep a dog in one place, and doesn’t directly teach them how to actually make good choices at liberty (meaning, they’ll still do the bad behavior when they are off of the “place”). We’ve seen it happen over and over again. A dog, waiting eagerly on their bed to be released from it… only to run up and jump all over a guest immediately once they are free. Often, it turns into a frustrating game of chasing the dog down to put them back on the bed after they’ve shown that they don’t actually know how to behave at all unless they are stuck there.

Part of our job is making dog training as easy as possible for dog owners to be successful with… and it turns out… it takes less time to teach a dog to greet guests politely while loose, than it does to teach them “Place” well enough to ignore the temptation of saying hello to their favorite visitor.

Instead of teaching a dog to ignore temptation and stay on a bed… and also teach a dog how to behave when off the bed… we figured… won’t it take less time to just ditch one of those things entirely and teach the dog to behave so that they don’t even need the bed? So that dog owners don’t have to worry about putting their dog back on the bed a thousand times and still have their dog getting into trouble anytime they are free from the bed?

So that’s exactly what we did. We (mostly) ditched the “Place” command. We still teach it to about 10% of the dog owners we work with, but most of the time, we don’t find that it actually helps the dog owners we work with reach their goals faster.

Here are some things that we don’t use the “Place” command for anymore:

  • Teaching a dog to stop jumping or being mouthy with guests

  • Potty training

  • Chewing household items

  • Countersurfing or begging

  • Door darting or escaping the house

Here are some things we might use the “Place” command for:

  • Teaching patience to a dog who struggles to relax

  • A tool to help manage household aggression between two dogs

  • A “safe zone” for dogs who might be shy or anxious about guests being in their space

  • Building confidence in a dog who needs help feeling comfortable stepping up onto raised surfaces.

While we don’t believe there is anything “wrong” with using or teaching this command… we also don’t believe it’s a real solution so some of the challenges that dog owners face every day.

So… if you decide that you don’t care and don’t want to go teach your dog to lay on a bed… the good news is that absolutely nothing bad will happen as a result of that choice. You can see great results in changing your dog’s behavior without it.

Does my dogs DNA make them crazy? 4 reasons I think you should DNA test your dog.

Is my dog the way they are because of their breed?

No…. well…. yes.

It’s complicated.

It’s widely accepted knowledge that DNA determines what you look like. The same is true for dogs, of course. The color of their eyes, the length of their hair, the size of their paws. Every tiny physical detail is a combination of the DNA combination they inherit from their parents.

But… does DNA also determine the way someone behaves? I think so.

Look. I’m not a scientist. I love science, behavior, and have long been fascinated by genetics and all things related. I’m not a scientist, but I am a full blown nerd about the topic.

That being said… I am absolutely convinced that our furry friends of the feline variety are genetically wired to yeet whatever they can off of high surfaces. Convinced until someone proves me otherwise.

For dogs and humans alike though… there is a lot of solid science already on the subject, and I’m sure that new details will continue to be discovered with new research.

It is scientifically proven that DNA impacts behavior.

The debate often comes with the amount that DNA impacts behavior. How much of our own behavior (or our dog’s), is influenced by our DNA, instead of the environmental experiences that occur throughout our lives?

Then when you throw the idea that your DNA might be able to change as a result of outside influences…. like the experiences a mother dog has while pregnant with her puppies. There is evidence to suggest that those experiences can alter or “activate” DNA in the body for generations.

It all just becomes even more complicated.

That being said… there is still a lot we don’t know about the impact genetics have on our dogs behavior.

Behavior in dogs who are siblings

Nature vs. nurture… which one is more important? I’m not going to give you a definitive answer on that, because again, I am not a scientist. Science seems to be up in the air on this one anyway.

What I can do is tell you a story… of a litter of orphan puppies I helped raise years ago. They were the tiniest, most adorable puppies. Little chihuahua mixes, who unfortunately lost their mother and had to be hand raised.

To make the burden of puppy raising a bit easier… the litter of puppies was split between multiple homes and caretakers. I had a few of the puppies, while other volunteers raised the other half of the litter.

From the moment I got them at just a few days old, I did handling and socialization exercises with them. Starting with ENS (early neurological stimulation), and then a series of introductions to new surfaces, obstacles, sounds, and experiences as they got older.

By the time they were 9 weeks old they had experienced water, fireworks and thunder sounds, the vacuum cleaner, the household cat, the blow dryer on low, nail trims, navigating obstacles on the floor, car rides, the Starbucks drive through, umbrellas and trash bags being waved around, learning how to navigate stairs, met several (human) neighbors, and dozens of other brand new experiences

Every single day I found something new for them to do, to see, or to experience. We played games with their food, and challenged them to solve problems and overcome small challenges as soon as they could get their feet under them.

My little puppy warriors were brave, confident, enthusiastic, and social. They were chihuahua mixes… but I often joked that they were “miniature labradors”.

This was the experience that put the power of socialization and exposing puppies to novel experiences right in front of my eyes, in a way that was impossible to ignore.

When they were about 2.5 months old, the time came for them to have their big debut…. their first adoption event. Where the rescue showed off all the adoptable dogs and puppies they had… including my little foster puppies.

It was also their first reunion with the other half of the litter, which they had not seen since they were days old.

So the entire litter of puppies were placed into a puppy pen inside the busy brewery so that they could take in all the sights, sounds, and be snuggled by passing people.

There was a dramatic difference in the way the two sets of puppies were behaving. Even though they were all siblings from the same litter.

One half of the litter was sitting in the far corner of the puppy pen, hiding. They were snuggled up in a little pile of puppies, trying to avoid everything around them. They skittered away when visitors reached for them, and acted nervous and unsure. They weren’t exploring much, and when they did, they stretched their entire body out like a rubber band to carefully sniff something… ready to spring back to the safety of their siblings at any moment.

The other half? The half that I had been raising for the last several weeks? They were being absolutely insane. They were grabbing onto leashes hanging off the side of the pen to play tug of war. They were jumping on the sides of the gate to try to say hello to every new person they saw, with their tails wagging furiously. They were wrestling with each other, exploring, and even trying to play with the other puppies. Every time someone picked them up, they licked faces and wiggled excitedly.

The biggest difference I saw in this litter of puppies… is that one half of them was confident, exploring, and optimistic about the world around them.

The other half was suspicious. Cautious. Unsure. They did not feel good. They were incredibly overwhelmed and did not know how to handle the new experience.

It’s important that I say that the nervous half of the litter were not mistreated. They were raised by a wonderful volunteer, who did not limit the amount of love they received. They were cuddled, fed, given toys, and raised with care.

The difference in the results of the socialization that was provided was very apparent in the puppies… and was one of the most obvious examples of how dogs with the same DNA and parents… could act so drastically different based on the nurture side of the coin.

So…. both. Nature (DNA)… and nurture (socialization, experiences, & training) are both important. Dogs with the same DNA can have completely different outcomes based on the things they experience during their most crucial developmental periods (0-16 weeks).

Behavior In Dogs Who are the same breed

So far I think I’ve done a good job convincing you that socialization experiences will drastically alter the behavior of a dog… so where does the DNA influence come in?

Remember… it’s both. Most people in the community believe that both nature and nurture play a role in the eventual adult behavior of a dog.

So now I’m going to mention some patterns that have surfaced over the last 10 years I have worked closely with dogs of all breeds and mixes.

A majority of herding breeds that I have worked with (Cattle Dogs, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, German Shepherds) are intense with their eyes. They target and stare at movement, and usually want to control it. That’s what can makes them so good at sports… and herding. I’m almost always called about them wanting to chase cars, kids, bikes, scooters… and anything else that moves.

Bully breeds (think pit bulls, boxers, and the like), tend to go from 0-100 in arousal level at the drop of a hat. They are some of the most over the top, easily adrenalized dogs I have ever met. They are quick to amp up, and often slow to come down and relax.

Great Pyrenees and other livestock guardian breeds are notorious for wanting to protect their resources. When someone calls me to help train a breed in this group, it’s almost always related to being protective over food, bones, toys, a person, their house, yard, or something else they find valuable.

And German Shepherds. Let’s talk about how they love to talk. They talk about everything!

Siberian Huskies who holler and yell at you.

The list goes on.

Different breeds are known for different things for a reason. These behaviors and quirks are so common in the breed that it’s normal to expect it.

So…. yes. DNA does help determine how your dog behaves. Some breeds are naturally more cautious or more aloof. Some are naturally more social, and some are naturally hard workers who never want to quit whatever job you give them.

Some of that is influenced in the way you raise them. Some of that is influenced by the way their DNA comes together from their parents.

Why I think it’s a good idea To dna test your dog

  1. Because science, of course! The more data scientists collect, the better the science becomes. Not only the breed research, but the genetically related behavior research too. The more samples they have to reference, the better the results.

  2. Because it’s fun. You might gain new insight about your dog that you never thought you would. Realizing how they got their weird beard hairs, or why they have two weird back toes on their feet.

  3. Because you can better prepare to care for their health if you have a bigger picture of the DNA that they inherited. The Embark DNA + Health Test checks for copies of genetically inherited disease risk, so that you can know what your dog might be impacted by. This is how I learned my Shih-Tzu mix was part Australian Shepherd and carries the MDR1 Gene… which impacts what kind of medications he can safely have.

  4. As I always say… with better understanding comes better results. If you want to better understand why your dog is the way that they are… knowing what breed influences they have can help you get a bigger picture of who they are. DNA tests are never 100% accurate, but I test all of my dogs with Embark because of the increased level of research they do compared to other companies.

in conclusion……

Yes. Your dogs DNA does impact the way that they behave. Getting them a DNA test can help you understand them better.

How they are socialized and how they are trained also impacts their behavior. In my opinion, supporting them from all angles is the best way to take a big picture approach to helping our dogs be their best selves and celebrating them for who they are.

Got puppy?

5 Must-Have Essentials for New Puppy Owners - From someone who has raised over 100 puppies.

It’s a good thing puppies are cute…. because they are a full time job on 4 legs. Thankfully, with the right tools, it can be made a hundred times easier. I’ve had to learn how to effectively…. and more easily… raise puppies over the years. At one point I had over 20 puppies to raise at one time (a combination of two alarmingly large litters of foster puppies). When you take care of that many puppies… you quickly learn what works and what doesn’t.

Every single puppy is different, but many things are the same across the board.

I’m condensing my trial and error into a list for you… to make raising your puppy even easier.

1. Toys! Puppies need to play.

Play is important in training for all dogs, but even more important for puppies. It’s one of the ways they learn about boundaries, social cues, and the world around them. One of the best things you can do with your puppies is play with them! Puppies love to tug, tear, chase, and bite. Channel those natural behaviors into short play sessions so that they can learn to do all f those things safely and with boundaries.

Here are some of my favorite toys for puppies:
1. The lambchop toy - of course!
2. These floppy long stuffies (with no stuffing) - for chasing and tugging!
3. These rubber balls - puppies love the textures, and you can squeeze treats into them!

2. Treat Pouch for Training - Trust me.

A treat pouch is a game-changer when it comes to training your puppy. It keeps treats handy and easily accessible, allowing for quick rewards when you notice good behavior. My favorite treat pouches are easy to clean, and easy to use. Like these silicone clip on treat pouches. Alternatively, I’ll use something more like this if I want extra storage for my phone or dog poop bags.

Almost all puppies I raise end up eating a good chunk of their daily kibble from my treat pouch. Like a human pez dispenser. By doing this, I accomplish so many wonderful things with puppies at a young age including:

1. Building an incredible work ethic
2. Teaching puppies to enthusiastically give me their attention
3. Getting puppies coming when called from a very young age
4. Having puppies learning to offer good manners right way so they can “win” a prize.

Will this make them dependent on treats the rest of their lives? Absolutely not. Into adulthood, my dogs might receive a combination of freedom, praise, affection, and food as a reward. When they are puppies, there is almost no downfall to using their food in a more engaging way to help them learn every day.

3. Chew Bones for those sharp puppy teeth

Puppies are going to chew. There’s almost nothing you can do to stop it. Even human infants put everything in their mouths. Puppies just have (sharper) teeth. Chewing is such a natural and beneficial behavior for dogs (that helps them decompress and relax too!), that you shouldn’t stop it. Instead, encourage it in ways that are healthy. Puppies have more sensitive gums than an adult dog typically does, so opting for softer chew options is my go to.

These bully sticks are one of my favorite go to options for both puppies and adult dogs. Give one to your puppy when you set them up for naptime, and it will help them settle from play and rest more easily too!

4. Small, High-Value Training Treats

Although I typically will use some of my pups kibble for engaging games and training, using small high value rewards is also beneficial. I often mix the two together to make it a surprise for them, and opt for higher value rewards like these during more challenging training experiences for the puppy to incentivize them even more. Tricky Trainers treats have proven to be reliably tasty, easy to use, and high quality.

5. Lightweight Leash for Indoor Exploration

This is essential!! Not only does it help your puppy quickly learn to feel comfortable with a leash, collar, and/or harness, but it is a fabulous way to help prevent them from failing. They are babies. Infants with teeth who are exploring the world around them. The age between 2 weeks and 16 weeks are the most crucial. This time is when they are learning how the world works. To allow them to fail as babies, will increase their failure as adult dogs navigating a human world.

Having them drag a leash around the house (or holding onto it and having them tag along around the house with you), also immensely improves their head start on leash training, and potty training.

You can grab a leash from your local pet store or dollar store to be their “house leash”, I typically use something like this leash.

Conclusion:

Welcoming a new puppy into your life is an adventure filled with love and companionship. Equipping yourself with these essentials sets the foundation for a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted dog. They may be babies for now, but before you know it they will be a full grown dog, and the impact of the care you provide during their most crucial time will make living with your dog even more rewarding.