Housebound Dogs (5 page)

Likewise, profuse greetings when you return home will seem like a huge payoff for time spent alone. While you may intend to make up for being gone with extra attention, doing so when you first come in the door gives him the wrong message. It tells him, “Whew! We made it through a really difficult time. What a relief that's over!” Instead, you want him to accept his time alone as just a normal part of an ordinary day, so establish a routine for leaving and coming home.

When you get home, try to limit your first interaction with your dog to a cheerful hello. Take the time to put away your coat, put down your things, unpack your lunch bag, or go through the mail. It's okay if your dog waits, tail slowly wagging, for your attention. It is not okay if your dog is leaping about, yapping, or whining. You want to ignore such behavior and show by
your
behavior that it will not get the dog the attention he wants. This may be hard to do, but it's important. Don't try to calm him or scold him for misbehaving. After all, those interactions are attention, too. Instead, ignore him until he has calmed down, then pat him on the head, say hello, and go about your business. After about 15 minutes you can give him a more involved greeting with petting and hugs and belly rubs or ear scratching. The time lag will disassociate this display of affection from your arrival home.

As for saying good-bye, if you want to give your dog a big hug or a big dose of petting and stroking before you leave for the day, do so at least 15 minutes before your departure. You don't want the two events linked in his mind. Maybe you can give him this attention when you come in from exercise time, or perhaps before you shower. Generally, in the last 10 to 15 minutes before you leave the house, you have a few things you usually do. Perhaps you pack a lunch or put dishes in the dishwasher. Don't rush through these activities. Do them deliberately and methodically. These activities will become a soothing pattern for your dog. To help ease the transition, add a treat for the dog to this routine. It will be much easier for him to let you go if he has a goodie to occupy him. And if he knows that a treat is part of the leave-taking routine,
that's
what he'll have on his mind as he watches you preparing to leave.

To gradually accustom your dog to your absence from home, try separation training. This gives your dog controlled practice in being alone. By controlled I mean that you set the parameters for the amount of time your dog is left alone — in small increments initially, then gradually longer periods of time. During training you do not leave the dog because you are going to work or out to dinner, but for the express purpose of helping him learn to tolerate being alone.

1. To help get your dog in a calm, relaxed frame of mind, go out and play some games with him, then spend some quiet time in the house. When your dog is mellow, calmly and quietly, without saying anything, leave the room.

2. Pick up your keys or jacket, or whatever normally indicates that you are leaving the house, and leave. You can go for a walk or a drive around the block. Stay out for 5 minutes.

3. Return to the house without fanfare. Don't greet your dog for a few minutes after you come in, even though he may be frantic upon your return. Put down your keys, take off your jacket, pretend you are looking
through the mail or reorganizing the coats on the coat-rack. The point is, look busy. If possible, don't make eye contact with your dog for several minutes.

4. After a few minutes, your dog will calm down. Once he does, lean over, pat his head, and greet him by name. Be calm, quiet, and matter-of-fact. Then immediately turn your attention to something else, making an effort not to let your dog's behavior or anxiety engage you. Gradually, he will mellow out again.

5. After about half an hour, spend about 10 minutes playing quietly with your dog. Perhaps go through some of the obedience commands with him. Reward him with treats for compliance. When the play session is over, get busy with something else. Let your dog wander off to find something else to do.

6. Let another half hour pass, then once again go through your leaving-the-house routine. Do not announce to your dog that you are leaving (but don't try to sneak out, either), and do not go to him to say goodbye. Just calmly leave the house for 10 minutes.

7. Repeat steps 3 through 5.

8. Continue practicing over the next few days, gradually increasing the length of time you are gone. Take some short trips and some long ones each day to accustom your dog to spending varied amounts of time alone.

One problem that can crop up for stay-at-home dogs is getting adequate exercise. We all have the best intentions with our dogs, but juggling work, school, family, friends, and other responsibilities can overwhelm us sometimes. When that happens, we tend to skim some time from wherever we can. However, cutting back on the amount of time your dog has to exercise and play should not be an option. Once in a great while won't hurt, of course, but doing so often or consistently will cause your dog to feel neglected and may instigate behavior problems.

Exercise is a constructive outlet for a dog's energy and helps head
off some of the problem behaviors that can develop in stay-at-home dogs, such as chewing and digging. And the one-on-one interaction you have with your dog during the exercise period helps build his self-confidence and his sense of security in the family pack. If you think of this time as a chance to give your dog some undivided attention, you're much more likely to make it a priority. Plus, playing with your dog is a great way to get a little exercise and fun into your own day.

Exercise allows your dog to stretch his muscles and burn up some energy. This is especially important if he is a young dog or a big, high-energy dog. If your dog tends to be high-strung or suffers from separation anxiety, aerobic exercise at the start of the day can help him feel calm and relaxed and alleviate some of his fears.

Most dogs need aerobic exercise at least once every day. Thirty to 45 minutes of exercise and play for your dog is ideal. Fifteen to 20 minutes is the minimum.

To keep your dog wildly enthusiastic about his exercise period, keep your routine varied. Walk, jog, bike, and skate. Build up your biceps by throwing balls, Frisbees, or sticks for him to catch or retrieve. If you have a pool and a dog who likes water, let him swim laps with you. In the winter, encourage your dog to run, jump, and tunnel in the snow. My black Lab, for example, thinks shoveling the driveway is a game I invented just for him. He loves to hurtle himself into the air to catch the snow as I toss it off the shovel.

Teaching your dog some tricks or special skills is another way you can enrich your dog's exercise and his relationship with you. Learning something new is good mental stimulation for your dog. Most dogs relish the opportunity. A little exercise for the brain and the satisfaction that comes from developing new skills will help your dog feel more relaxed and confident during his time alone. My two dogs'three favorite games are described below.

If your dog loves to play catch, teach her to throw the ball back to you. At first her “throws” will barely resemble a real throw. But as she catches on to what you want, she'll actually try to fling the ball with her mouth. Reward her with praise and treats, and she'll keep trying to do better. Eventually she'll get pretty good at it.

1. Start by throwing the ball for your dog to retrieve and bring back to
you. Do this many times.

2. At some point when she drops the ball at your feet, she'll unwittingly give it a bit of a spin or a fling. When she does so, praise her using the phrase “throw the ball.” For example, say with enthusiasm, “Good throw the ball!”

3. Do some more throwing and retrieving until she “throws” it again. When she does so, praise her as in step 2.

4. Practice the throwing and retrieving routine each day, asking her to throw the ball every time she brings it to you. Before long you'll be able to play a real game of catch.

You and your dog can both get plenty of exercise running up and down a basketball “court” and “dunking” a small ball.

1. Set a basketball hoop low to the ground. (You can use an official-size basketball hoop or a child-size one.)

2. Give your dog a ball (one small enough to fit in his mouth). Walk him up to the hoop so that his head is over the rim. Tell him to “dunk the ball.” He may surprise you and drop the ball through the hoop. If he does, reward him with praise and a small treat.

3. If he doesn't drop the ball, gently remove the ball from his mouth and drop it through the center of the hoop. Then cheer as if you are at a basketball game, using the phrase “dunk the ball.” Tell him what a champion he is and give him a small treat.

4. Pick up the ball, throw it for him to go after, then stand by the hoop. When he brings the ball to you, tell him, “Dunk the ball!” You may have to demonstrate what you want a few more times, but if you continue to reward him with a treat, he'll quickly get the idea.

5. Once your dog has the hang of dunking the ball, set up an area to use as a basketball court. Position your dog at one end and the hoop at the other. Have him run with you down the court with the ball in his mouth. When he reaches the hoop give him the “dunk the ball” command. After a few more runs down the court with you, he'll know just what to do.

Some dogs just love to jump and will take every opportunity to jump up on or over things. If this describes your dog, tap this enthusiasm to train her in broad jumping. Setting up broad-jump practice for your dog is a great way to give her a stimulating and challenging task to learn.

1. Choose an open area without any obstacles (trees, fences, posts, or buildings) for the jump site.

2. Use two markers — towels, plastic strips, boards — laid parallel to each other to mark the beginning and end of the jump. Make it an easy distance initially (a distance you can jump easily, too). You first must acquaint her with the concept of broad jumping on command. You'll do this by jumping with her a few times. Once she is accustomed to the command, you can work on making the distances more challenging.

3. With the dog on a leash beside you, choose a starting point 6 to 8 feet from the jump marker. Say “Jump,” and then run toward the marker with the dog at your side. When you reach the marker give the “jump” command again and jump across it yourself. On the first try, your dog may run over rather than jump over the marker. That's okay, because she won't know what to expect. Now that she has the idea, go back to the starting line. Keep her on the leash and run and jump over the marker several more times.

4. Reward her with a treat whenever she jumps the marker, even if she doesn't completely clear it. Match the size of the treat to the size of her attempt to jump. If she barely tries, give her just a smidgen. If she does better the next time, give her a larger piece of treat. Most dogs make the connection between treats and performance pretty quickly. Don't scold her if she doesn't do well. Remember, this is supposed to be fun.

5. Once your dog understands that she is to jump over the marker, position her at the starting line, take off her leash, and give her the “stand and stay” command. Go to the far side of the markers and give the “jump” command. Your dog should run, jump the marker, and come up
to you. If she does, reward her with a treat and a pat on the head. Don't praise her too enthusiastically; you want her satisfaction to come from the thrill of accomplishment of the jump itself.

6. Once your dog has mastered the initial jump, you can begin to increase the distance, little by little. Watch your dog closely on each jump. You do not want to make the distance more than she can handle. There's no challenge in that for her, only frustration, and she can get injured. Instead, for variety, you can set up a series of jumps of different distances. Make the course fun and stimulating but not exhausting or overwhelming.

Most dog breeds were bred for specific qualities suitable for work, such as herding, tracking, hunting, and retrieving. Today's dogs don't have much opportunity to use their special instincts. But you can capitalize on these inbred traits and tendencies by teaching your dog to help around the house. Choose tasks that are suited to his nature and you'll most likely find him an eager student and enthusiastic helper. Here's a sample of household chores that dogs can do.