ATTACK-TRAINED vs. NATURAL PROTECTOR

Cheer up! Even if you are convinced that the classification of
attack-trained" could make a dog into quite a liability, you can still
have the right guard dog whether you need a reliable alarm or a physical
protector. Whatever little protection you require from a dog, you will
profit from comparing two classifications of dogs at the highest level
of guard work, which is man-stopping. One of these is the
attack-trained dog who has been expertly agitated to a point where he
identifies persons who act in a certain way, or enter certain places, as
human varmints whom he should attack. The second kind is the natural
guard dog who is motivated by inherent temperament traits to accept
responsibility for the protection of persons and property and to use the
proper amount of force to do that job.

The advantages of an attack-trained dog are:

1. Agitation can sometimes put suspicion into an overly trusting dog,
stiffen up an indecisive dog, or break the "taboo" a dog might have
against biting a person, thus making possible varying degrees of
usefulness in dogs who could not otherwise qualify for guard dog work.

2. Attack training makes it easy to set up test situations in which a
dog can demonstrate his readiness to bite a person who acts in a certain
way.

3. An attack-trained dog may make an all-out assault more certainly in
some situations than would a natural guard dog.

4. His reputation of being attack-trained may discourage intruders.


The disadvantages of an attack-trained dog are:

1. In the event of law suits, his classification of "attack-trained"
would prejudice a court.

2. He can be stimulated to attack under the most regrettable
circumstances by a person who may innocently act like an agitator.

3. The patterns of reaction that trigger him will often override his
discernment and good judgment.

4. Although the suspicious moves of an agitator can be purposefully
related to trespassing, the theft of garden tools, or threats to a
person, and can result in a dog clobbering people who "make the wrong
moves," they can never provide the fine discrimination that is based on
a sense of responsibility.

5. The impression made by attack training will often give undeserved
accreditation to an inferior dog.

6. A dog that needs to be shut away for the protection of the innocent
will probably not be close at hand when he is needed.

7. He can be teased into a booby trap much easier than a natural guard.

8. If lightly agitated in the apparent hope that he will "bite
lightly," he will have a half-hearted attitude that will soon fade to
nothing.


The advantages of a natural guard dog are:

1. Motivated by a responsibility for what is his, he won't leave his
own property to bite someone who happens to act in a certain way.

2. He is more completely aware of his surroundings and less subject to
distraction than an attack-trained dog would be.

3. His judgment is better: He won't leave the baby and run out toward
the road to investigate the waving motions of a surveyor.

4. He is discriminating in his enforcement as well as in his decisions.
It is not uncommon for him merely to warn friends who try to come near
his baby but attack a stranger who takes the same liberties.

5. In the case of a bad bite under doubtful circumstances he will be
regarded in court as a dog who did "what came naturally" instead of as a
dog "trained to attack human beings."


The disadvantages of a natural guard dog are:

1. He is much more difficult to obtain.

2. Because he is motivated to protect something by "what he feels"
rather than to fight something because certain patterns tell him to do
so, he is harder to test and demonstrate.

3. He may have less psychological effect than a dog reputed to be
attack-trained.

4. In some situations he may only warn or threaten, where the agitated
dog would make an all-out attack.

If, after reading these comparisons, you decide you want a dog to make
an all-out attack each time he is stimulated, and you are going to be
with him every moment he is on duty, as with the police dog, you will
find instructions for that type of training in the Police Dog Section.
You may decide that, since you are without acquaintances who would ever
call on you, the dog most useful to you would be one who uses force on
everyone who enters his premises. The section on plant-protection dogs
will take you to such a goal. Talk to your lawyer before you decide on
either of these two types of dogs for personal protection, and get costs
from an agent on how much liability insurance you should carry.
In the name of sweet reason, do not try to reduce the risk of having an
attack-trained dog by giving "light agitation" with the thought that
your dog will only bite lightly. As for that smooth-sounding asininity,
"attacks only on command," what sort of a nut would want a dog who would
not defend him when he was asleep or voiceless from a case of
laryngitis?
You may conclude, after weighing the foregoing caveat, that some kind of
a natural guard dog would be the best kind for you.

Training Program for Dog & Children in a Family

THE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN
Even if you don’t have a dog in your home, there are plenty of them
outside your door. If your child is frustrated in trying to get a dog
into the household, he or she will be that much more eager to meet
any dogs that present themselves. Teaching the child how to meet
dogs is both essential to safety and a good indication of the child’s
level of control.
If a dog is in the company of humans, children should first
politely ask permission to pet the dog. If the human says no for
whatever reason, that’s the end of the matter. (The dog may not get
along with children, the owner may be afraid of liability issues or the
dog may just have been brushed for the show ring.)
If the human says yes, the child should extend a hand for the dog
to sniff. This is a friendly gesture, akin to a human handshake, and
avoids startling the dog with a sudden pat on the head.
Once the dog has sniffed the hand, the child may pet the dog. The
front of the chest or anywhere along the sides of the body will generally
meet with the dog’s favor. Some dogs feel intimidated by a hand going
over their heads, so the top of the head is best left alone. (Children seem
to have a tendency to want to pound rather than to pet here anyway—
another reason to teach them not the touch the dog’s head.)
Unknown dogs should not be hugged. While you can desensitize
your own dog into accepting, even enjoying, this gesture, other dogs
may not tolerate it well. Being restrained in such a fashion may raise
the automatic “fight or flight” response in the dog.
Children should not stare at dogs. Though this may be natural
behavior in human children, it is impolite and potentially challenging
in canine parlance. Stable, well-behaved dogs will recognize the lack
of ill intentions, but other dogs may not. Teach children to play a
game of looking at dogs out of the corners of their eyes.
Impress upon children that they should move more slowly around
dogs and should speak more quietly. Tell them that wild dogs have to hunt to eat and that the easiest things for them to hunt are injured
animals, which is what kids look like to dogs when they jerk their
arms around and move in fits and starts. The child needs to help the
dog recognize him or her as a small human.
When encountering unaccompanied dogs, a child’s behavior is
even more critical. Children should never initiate contact with dogs on
their own, even if they know the dogs. A dog behind a fence in her
yard may act quite differently from one out for a walk with a member
of the household. Or the dog may be suffering an ear mite infestation
and be very reactive to being touched on the head. For any
number of reasons, dogs alone are best left alone.
If an unsupervised dog approaches a child, the child should stand
still, avoid eye contact and in a whisper, as if telling a secret to a good
friend, recite a nursery rhyme or a song or anything that comes to
mind. Quiet rhythmic talking can have a calming effect on both the
child and the dog. This is not a natural reaction for an adult human in
such a situation, let alone a child, so the idea must be planted deeply.
You can practice when you’re out with a child and you see someone
walking a dog. Have the child demonstrate the aforementioned stranger dog safety response, and reward him or her with being allowed
to pet the dog (with the dog owner’s permission, of course).
When on her own, a child should stay in the safety posture for a
few moments, then if the unsupervised dog is not approaching, back
slowly away. Children should never run within sight of a strange dog.
The first dog bite I ever received, at the age of seven or eight, was in
the back of the leg from a very nice young dog who simply couldn’t
resist chasing and grabbing when I ran.
If the dog does approach and seems aggressive or is growling or
barking, trying to edge away may inspire an attack. If adults are in the
area, a single shout for help may bring some assistance without setting
off the dog. Shouting brings its own risks, however, and should
be reserved for serious situations. Holding something as seemingly
insignificant as a sheet of paper or a notebook between you and the
dog may direct the dog’s attention to the object rather than to you.
Back away while holding the object out in front of you.
Children must understand not to bother dogs that are eating or
in possession of some object they may not want to relinquish. While
the rules for dogs (in the next section) within the household are that
no objects, including food bowls, are guarded, outside dogs aren’t
subject to these rules. Children also should not disturb dogs who are
sleeping. The phrase “let sleeping dogs lie” has good safety sense
behind it, because a dog who is awakened suddenly may be startled
into defensive behavior.
Under no circumstances should a child hit, poke or prod a dog.
Those looking for trouble are likely to find it.
If you approach all of this in a calm, matter-of-fact manner and
present these techniques as the proper way to converse with canines,
you can educate a child without going overboard and making him or
her afraid of dogs.

THE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR DOGS
Just like everyone else in the family, the dog should have a place where
she can go when she doesn’t want to be disturbed. This might be a
roomy open-door crate or a laundry room. Whatever area you use,must not be bothered. Relate the dog’s special space to the children’s
own rooms, and remind them that they don’t want people just bursting
into their private space all the time. If you see the dog starting to
get stressed, take the dog to her place, offer a toy or a chew and leave
her there to calm down (but free to come out when she wants). The
dog will soon learn she can go there on her own.
If the dog has access to the yard, make sure that she won’t be at
the mercy of passing children. Dogs behind fences tend to be a little
more guarded about who can come near them, and some children,
usually boys, can’t seem to resist trying to get the dog to bark and
lunge at the fence. By fencing a dog yard within the outer fence, you
provide a buffer zone for the dog and remove most of the temptation.
Do not tie a dog in an unfenced yard. That frustrates the dog and
leaves her an unprotected target for teasing. If you must restrain a dog
without a fence, at least use an overhead cable runner so that the dog
has more freedom of movement. Bear in mind, however, that a great
percentage of dog bites to children are inflicted by tied-out dogs.
It doesn’t matter whether you adopt a puppy or an adult dog; you
must gently and gradually accustom the dog to as many people, places
and situations as possible. Being used to children is certainly a major
socialization issue. Even if you don’t have children in your household,
you should still take the time to introduce children to your dog. Not
all parents teach their children to approach dogs slowly and ask permission
before petting. Sooner or later you will probably see a child
running toward your dog yelling, “Puppy, puppy!” and flailing and
grabbing at the dog. If your dog has had no experience with such
behavior, there’s no telling what her reaction will be. All dogs should
be accustomed to being handled in ways typical of children—hugs
around the neck and tugs on ears and tails—and the sights and
sounds of children at large.
After your new dog has had a few days to settle into your household,
start inviting people over. Don’t have a party for a hundred
guests, but have two to five people at a time. Try for as much variety
as possible—men, women, children, tall, short, boisterous, refined,
with beards, hats or glasses. Enlist the services of your mail carrier or
package delivery person if you can. If they take time now to introduce
themselves and provide a few treats and pats, it could prevent the dog from barking at these people for the next 10 or 15 years! This
also allows your dog to get used to seeing people in uniform, a subtle
nicety that dogs recognize quite readily.
It’s best not to force people on your dog, but simply have the dog
in the room and let her make the approach. Give your guests treats
they can use to reward the dog when she initiates friendly contact.
Gradually let kids behave more like kids so that the dog gets used to
shrill voices and spastic movement.
If you find that your dog does not react well to children and
doesn’t seem to be improving over time, you will need to manage such
encounters for the life of the dog. My newest dog, Nestle, a shelter
adoption, showed me almost immediately that young boys drove him
wild. Just seeing boys running and playing in the distance was enough
to start him leaping in the air and screaming. I enlisted my nephews
to start on desensitization, and we got Nestle calmed down, but he
still does not trust or accept the advances of boys he doesn’t know.
I’ve taught him to come to me and let me handle the matter if a boy
approaches him. Part of our pet therapy visits consists of doing tricks
for the children in day care at the convalescent center we visit, with
the children safely behind a fence.
Nestle will probably never like young male children—he may
have reason, given that most of his facial whiskers were cut off and
one ear bore the imprint of human teeth when I got him. As long as
I’m with him, his response is safe and reliable, and I’ll never put him
in the position of being around children without me present.
Even these kinds of problems can be managed, but it’s best to see
that they don’t arise in the first place.
Puppies need to stay with their mothers and littermates until at
least 8 weeks and preferably 12 weeks of age. They receive nearly all
of their training in how to communicate with and act around other
dogs during this period of life. Dog trainers are discovering a connection
between puppies leaving their litters too soon and all sorts of
behavioral problems later in life. The breeder of the litter should be
taking care of early socialization during these first dozen weeks, too,
so that puppies are eager to explore the world when they go to their
new homes.
This is the ideal situation, of course, and not always the one
with which you’ll be dealing. Even without this excellent start in life,though, you can help your dog to learn the three basic skills that will
see her safely through life—be slow to react, be quick to recover and
inhibit any bite.

PROMOTING SAFETY FOR CHILDREN AROUND DOGS

Regardless of all the positive aspects of owning a dog, parents should
not give in to requests for a dog, no matter how urgent, without carefully
thinking the matter through. While children can toss aside a
game or toy a month later with nothing more than a monetary sense of loss, a dog cannot be likewise discarded. Even if a child swears to
be totally responsible for the dog, it won’t happen. Parents will need
to see to veterinary care, licensing and training, even if the child is as
diligent as promised about feeding, exercising and playing with the
dog. Often, even feeding and walking the dog will soon become the
parent’s tasks as the child loses interest. So it’s essential that the entire
family wants a dog. Anything less will likely result in strife over dogrelated
chores. The dog will often be relegated to the backyard, where
she will be lonely, neglected and miserable.
Having a child and a dog in the family definitely requires more
work. Trainer Mandy Book characterized the adult responsibility as
“Supervise. Supervise. Supervise. Oh, did I mention supervise? And
don’t forget to supervise. Work on possession and food bowl exercises.
Teach the dog to enjoy rough handling and screaming, really like
it. Give the dog a place to go, when it gets too much, where the child
can’t follow. Don’t ever assume there won’t be a problem. Don’t ever
assume the dog will grow out of a problem. And oh yeah, supervise.”
Book is facetious to make a point: Lack of supervision can result
in a dog bite. Nearly all those reports of family dogs who “bite without
warning” are actually reports of families who failed to observe the
warning signs. So, the first safety tip is that the family must be ready
to welcome a dog into its midst, and willing to give the time to make
the dog a worthwhile family member.
Choice of dog may be important, depending somewhat on the
child’s age. Keep in mind that generalizations are just that, and that
no matter what breed characteristics you may read, each dog is an
individual. A breed noted for even temper and gentleness can still
include aggressive individuals, just as a highly reactive feisty breed can
have calm and laid-back members. Keep in mind that the following
observations are general in nature and should neither condemn nor
sanctify a breed.
Although Cocker Spaniels have been popular family dogs for
many years, in many studies they are the number one breed for dog
bites, and nearly always bite family members. Other studies rank
Chihuahuas as number one. Terriers in general can be active and easily
aroused and may bite without any ill intent. Herding dogs may nip
in an attempt to corral children into a manageable flock.

Many of the breeds recommended for families are part of the
Hound and Sporting Groups. Golden Retrievers have often been
called the perfect dog for children, but as they became more popular,
incidents of aggression have risen. Labrador Retrievers are often
touted as good family dogs, although some familiar with the breed say
to stay away from the chocolate variety and others caution to avoid
hunting lines. Newfoundlands and Old English Sheepdogs have been
popularized as “nannies,” and can be considered generally reliable
(but large enough to knock over small children merely by turning
around). Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds and Bulldogs are all recommended
for their equanimity. And don’t discount mixed breeds.
While you may not be able to predict exactly what the coat will look
like or precisely how much she’ll weigh when fully grown, you can
conduct the same sort of temperament check with a mixed breed that
you can with a purebred.
Whatever dog you bring into the home (we’ll talk about how to
make your selection later in this chapter), you need to do all you can
to accustom her to the sometimes annoying attentions of children.
Many problems arise around food bowls, so you should work to
avoid them. Make a game out of dropping little tasty tidbits into the
bowl while the dog is eating. If it’s not an issue, pick the bowl up, add
some extra treats and give it back to the dog. When you have done
some obedience work, have the dog sit and stay while you put the
bowl down. Children should not bother dogs while they are eating,
but in case they do, you don’t want the dog to turn instantly into a
slavering beast bent on defending her meal.
Families with children can become quite loud at times. While it’s
certainly understandable for dogs to react to sudden loud noises, they
shouldn’t take it out on the noisemaker or whoever happens to be
standing closest to them at the time. The best family dogs can sleep
right through the usual family background noise. If yelling is your
family’s style, have family members shout back and forth to each other
while you feed the dog some cookies.
Children also move in short jerky bursts and often flail their arms
around. This is a tough one for dogs. Such erratic movement triggers
their prey instinct and makes them want to chase and grab. Acting on
such impulses can be the last mistake a dog will be allowed to make.
Kids Speaking Canine 165
You can tell young people not to behave like this around dogs, and
perhaps your own children might even listen, but their friends probably
won’t, so you need to teach the dog how to behave in such
circumstances.
The urge to chase can be very strong, and you probably won’t be
able to banish it entirely. Instead, provide the dog with an acceptable
outlet. Teach the dog to chase and fetch tennis balls. Control access
to these toys and only bring them out to play the chase game. Then
start having your children play nearby while you play with the dog.
Next, have the chase toy out on the ground when your youngsters
start running and jumping around, and encourage the dog to get the
toy so that you can play the game. The association should become
automatic, so that when things start getting wild, the dog looks for a toy to grab. A dog with a toy in her mouth can’t be biting anything
else. You are responsible for ensuring that the toy is available to the
dog in circumstances where she may need it.
Most police dogs are rewarded at the end of drug searches or
criminal apprehensions with the chance to play with their ball or
a rolled-up towel. It’s a potent motivator and can avoid otherwise
deadly problems.
Teach your children how to behave when meeting dogs (which
we’ll cover in the next section), then take them somewhere that will
provide encounters with plenty of dogs, such as an obedience trial.
Watching how closely your children adhere to what they’ve been
taught will give you a good idea of their level of control. Seeing all
those dogs is pretty exciting—don’t be surprised if everything you
thought they’d learned falls by the wayside. It just means they’re not
ready yet and you have more training to do.
If there’s already a dog in the home when children arrive, then it
is up to you to make that dog as “bombproof ” as possible (meaning that nothing within the bounds of reason will set the dog off). It also
falls to you to manage circumstances at all times so that neither child
nor dog is put in a situation of potentially losing control.

THE ADVANTAGES OF DOG-OWNING CHILDREN

A dog confers many instant advantages on a child. Dogs are attractive
to most children, so a child who has a dog becomes more attractive
by association. In the often-cruel world of childhood, such an icebreaker
can be invaluable. Those active in the realm of the physically
challenged know well that while a child in a wheelchair may seem
“different,” unapproachable and even slightly scary, a child in a wheelchair
with a canine companion is seen by other kids as a sort of different
kid who has a dog. The possibilities for social interaction
increase, so much so that some dogs who accompany such children
are not service dogs in the usual sense—they don’t pick up dropped
items or pull the wheelchair from place to place. They’re social facilitator
dogs, there simply to make the “different” child more socially
acceptable to his or her peers.
This phenomenon isn’t confined to the disabled. Children in general
with dogs in the home tend to have more visits from classmates
and to be more popular. In fact, some classrooms have taken to keeping
a canine mascot in the room, often the teacher’s own dog. One
study found that when a pet was part of the class setting, self-esteem
scores increased significantly over one school year. Even more encouragingly,
those children who initially had the lowest scores showed the
most substantial improvement.
A dog also offers a kind and nonjudgmental ear that’s always
available to listen to problems and heartaches, and a warm furry body
to snuggle up to. The advantages conferred on a child by a dog not
only help make the turbulent years of youth more pleasant, but last
well into adulthoood. Remember the Fortune 500 CEOs I mentioned
in the last chapter? They credit their childhood pets with teaching them the responsibility and discipline required in their highpowered
adult lives. A measure of their self-confidence probably
derived from their pets as well. Nearly all of them continue to be dog
owners in their adult lives.
In fact, the benefits of pet ownership extend to the entire family.
A survey found that 70 percent of pet-owning families reported an
increased sense of fun and even greater happiness as a direct result of
getting a pet. Interaction among family members increased, and both
adults and children felt that the pets were sensitive to their moods and
emotional well-being.
A dog rarely has anything more important to do than play with a
child. In this often hectic world, this can be a godsend, but it can also
be a problem, depending on the age and maturity of the child.
Remember those dog bite statistics. The vast majority result from
family or neighborhood pets, not from strange dogs roaming loose.

Communicating with your dog

We do not recommend using the word “no” in training your dog. Just yelling
“No!” at the poor dog for everything and anything will only confuse him and
make him neurotic. There is no exercise called “No.” Instead, be specific when
training your dog. Tell him what you want him to do rather than what you don’t
want him to do. If you don’t want him to jump on you, for example, tell him
to “Sit.”
Similarly, avoid (get out of the habit of ) using your dog’s name as a reprimand
or as a substitute for a command, because this just leaves the poor dog to try and
figure out what you want. Use the name of your dog to get his attention and then
follow with a command, such as “Felix, sit.” When you call your dog’s name, he
should consider it a pleasant experience.
Communicate with your dog in a positive manner. Listen to yourself when you
interact with your dog. Do you sound pleasant and positive, or unpleasant and
negative?
Instead of telling your dog what you
don’t want him to do, train him to
respond to specific commands so that
you can tell him what you want him to
do. Put him in a position where you
can praise him and tell him how good
he is.

Your dog is a dog
Your efforts to train your dog are
doomed to failure if you think he has human standards and reasoning abilities. He
certainly does not experience guilt. Blaming the dog because “he ought to know
better” or “he shouldn’t have done it” or “how could he do this to me” will not
improve his behavior. He also does not “understand every word you say”—if he
did, he would not need training.

How Your Dog Thinks

Of course, dogs think. They can also problem solve. Unlike people, however,
they are unable to reason. And just like people, some are smarter
than others. In this chapter, you’ll explore how your dog thinks and how
you can tell what he is thinking about.
CAN YOUR DOG READ YOUR MIND?
Dogs often give the appearance of being able to read your mind. What happens
in actuality is that by observing you, and studying your habits and movements,
they learn to anticipate your actions. Since dogs communicate with each other
through body language, they quickly become experts at reading yours.
For example, before leaving for work, Marcia always put Bella in her crate. It
wasn’t long before Bella went into her crate on her own when Marcia was about
to leave. “What a clever puppy,” thought Marcia. “She knows I’m going to work.”
What Bella observed was that just before leaving for work, Marcia put on her
makeup and then crated her. Bella’s cue to go into her crate was Marcia’s putting
on her makeup. Then one evening, before dinner guests were to arrive, Marcia
started putting on makeup. When Bella immediately went into her crate, Marcia
realized her dog had not been reading her mind, but had learned her routine
through observation.
“READING” YOUR DOG
Just as your dog Felix takes his cues from watching you, so can you learn to interpret
what he is thinking by watching him. The more time you spend observing
your dog, the better you get at interpreting what’s on his mind.
From prior observation, you know Felix has the habit of counter surfing—putting
his front feet on the counter to see whether there is anything edible up there he can
steal. Since he has done this a number of times before, you recognize his intentions
by the look on his face—head and ears are up, whiskers pointed forward, intent
stare—and the way he moves in the direction of the counter—deliberately, with his
tail wagging in happy anticipation.
At that precise point you should interrupt Felix’s thoughts. When he is thinking
about something you don’t want him to do is the ideal time to intervene.
In a stern voice say, “Not so fast young man,” or “Stop,” or “Ah, ah,” or sharply
clap your hands. Then give him a command incompatible with “counter surfing,”
such as “Sit” or “Down” .
If you catch Felix in the act of trying to steal food—he already has his front
paws planted on the counter—firmly tell him to stop, take him by his collar, and
physically remove his paws from the counter.
Oops—too late!
Visualize yourself preparing a piece of meat for dinner. You leave the counter to
answer the phone and upon your return, the meat is gone. You know Felix ate it.
Your first reaction is anger. Immediately Felix looks guilty, and you assume it is
because he knows he has done wrong.
In fact, Felix knows no such thing. He is reacting to your anger and wonders
why you are angry, and, perhaps based on prior experience, expects to be the target
of your wrath.
Do not attempt any discipline after the offending deed has been accomplished.
Your dog cannot make the connection between the discipline and what he just
did. Your dog may look guilty, but not because he understands what he has done;
he looks guilty only because he understands you are upset.
Unless you can catch him in the act, or, ideally, while he is thinking about stealing
the meat, reprimands are too late. If he has the meat in his mouth, take it away
from him. If he has already eaten the meat, it’s too late to do anything on your
part—the meat is gone, and you should do nothing after the fait accompli. (Moral
of the story: Don’t leave meat unattended on the counter!)