Dog Behavior Training - Home Dog Training In Phoenix, Arizona

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At Phoenix Valley Dog Training, our dog training methods include positive reinforcement and humane,
dog-friendly exercises to teach your dog proper and acceptable manners and behavior. We can address all
of the problems that you are experiencing with your dog, including everything from raising a well
developed puppy to controlling fear and aggression.

Obedience Training Commands
Correction Training Commands
Recall / Coming When Called
Leash Control and Manners
Aggression Over Resources
Housebreaking Problems
Crate / Kennel Training
Nervousness/Timidness
Destruction of Property
Jumping and Mouthing
Marking and Mounting
Biting and Chewing
Control at the Door
Dog Aggression
Puppy Training
Pack Structure
Doorbell Manners
Separation Anxiety
Stealing From Counters/Tables
And Any Other General Dog Manners

By training your dog to respect the pack structure within your home we expect to have them under control
and looking to you for their cues on how to behave within three sessions. If more sessions are needed, you
will receive them at no additional cost. Our programs provide unlimited sessions without additional fees.

Understanding your dog's behavior is the first hurdle to addressing and resolving their behavioral problems.
All of the following dog behaviors can be controlled and even eliminated with proper training.

If you recognize any of these behaviors in your puppy or dog, please contact us to
discuss how we can assist you.

"There are several types of aggression: defensive or induced by
fear, pain, or punishment; dominant; possessive; territorial;
intra-sexual (male-to-male or female-to-female); predatory; or
parental. A dog may exhibit more than one type of aggression.

(courtesy of "The Dog Owner's Guide")

Defensive-
aggressive
dogs are
much more
ambivalent in their behavior. They display
submissive body language (ears back, often
flat against the head; avoidance of direct eye
contact; lowering of the head and body; tucking
tail between the legs; submissive urination) and
they lick hands and roll over to expose their bellies.
They resist handling, hate to have their feet
touched, don't like to be groomed, and often
shy away from human hands. These are the
fear-biters; they may snap if cornered and will
often bite at people who turn and walk away.

Treating aggressive behavior is best handled by a professional,
reputable animal trainer. There are a number of individuals who call
themselves animal trainers who are poorly qualified. They often
resort to brutal and sadistic methods such as "hanging" and shock
collars to correct aggressive dogs. Excessive force and punishment
are their main tools."

When seeking a professional trainer, carefully
interview trainers to find the one who uses the least
amount of force necessary.

The late Dr. Harvey Braaf VMD listed the following
symptoms of dog aggression. None of these symptoms
should be ignored; each can be a predictor of serious aggressive
behavior. A professional trainer should be contacted if the owner
cannot deal with the problem.

In no case should the animal be abandoned to a shelter or rescue
organization for adoption by an unsuspecting new owner.
If you think your dog is aggressive check the following symptoms:

- Excessive barking;
- A tendency to snarl, growl, or snap to protect food;
- Overprotectiveness of possessions;
- Fearfulness in new situations or around strangers;
- Severe attacks on other animals, such as cats or
livestock;
- Attempts to mount people's legs;
- Snapping and snarling when petted, groomed,
or lifted;
- Frequent attempts to chase moving objects such
as bicycles,
skateboards, cars and trucks;
- Repeated escapes from home and long periods
spent roaming free.

each member of the group, based on the outcomes of interactions
between themselves and the other pack members. The more
dominant animals can control access to valued items such as
food, den sites and mates. For domestic dogs, valued
items might be food, toys, sleeping or resting places,
as well as attention from an owner.

(courtesy of the SPCA)

In order for your home to be a safe and
happy place for pets and people,
it's best that the humans in the
household assume the highest
positions in the dominance
hierarchy. Most dogs assume
a neutral or submissive role
toward people, but some dogs
will challenge their owners for
dominance. A dominant dog may
stare, bark, growl, snap or
even bite when you give him a
command or ask him to give
up a toy, treat or resting place.
Sometimes even hugging, petting or
grooming can be interpreted as
gestures of dominance and, therefore,
provoke a growl or snap because of
the similarity of these actions to behaviors
that are displayed by dominant dogs.
Nevertheless, a dominant dog may still
be very affectionate and may even
solicit petting and attention from you.

You may have a dominance issue
with your dog if:

- He resists obeying commands that
he knows well.
- He won't move out of your way when
required.
- He nudges your hand, takes you're arm in
his mouth or insists on being petted or played
with (in other words, ordering you to obey him).
- He defends his food bowl, toys or other objects
from you.
- He growls or bares his teeth at you under any
circumstances.
- He won't let anyone (you, the vet, the groomer) give him
medication or handle him.
- He gets up on furniture without permission and won't get
down.
- He snaps at you.

Dominance aggression problems are unlikely to go away without
your taking steps to resolve them. Treatment of dominance
aggression problems should always be supervised by an animal
behavior professional, since dominant aggressive dogs can be
potentially dangerous."

A Note About Children and Dogs:

From your dog's point of view, children, too, have a place in the
pack hierarchy. Because children are smaller and get down on the
dog's level to play, dogs often consider them to be littermates, rather
than leaders. Small children and dogs should not be left alone
together without adult supervision. Older children should be taught
how to play and interact appropriately and safely with dogs;
however, no child should be left alone with a dog who has
displayed signs of aggression.

"Thanks for the timely follow
up. I was going to write last
night to tell you that Dudley and
I had two of the best walks
yesterday. They were in fact
the best walks I have ever had
with a dog companion. Dudley
was well mannered and
focused the entire time. He
responded well to "heel" and
we worked on his "sit " when I
stopped. We need more work
on that!.."
Second Email:
"Dudley and I just got back
from a great walk. We met
three women, mother,
daughter, grandmother. We
were heeling along, we
stopped, Dudley sat, waited
while they passed and went
on. The mother commented on
how well mannered Dudley
was and the grandmother
thanked us for stopping to let
them pass. IT WAS FREAKIN
GREAT!!!!!!!!"

Kirsten
Paradise Valley, Arizona

Dominant-aggressive dogs are characterized as confident, macho,
and "on the muscle." They stand tall, up on their toes, with their ears
up and forward. They carry their tails high and wag it slowly and
stiffly from side to side. They often have their hackles up, stare
menacingly, and emit a low growl with lips pursed and teeth
exposed. They will place a paw on the shoulder
of another dog, mount people's legs, and push
children aside when going through a door.
Dominant-aggressive dogs are demanding
of attention. They demand to go
outside, demand excessive
affection, are possessive of
their sleeping areas, and stop
eating commands (such as "down"
or "wait"). Males lift their legs on
everything, even in the house, even
if their bladder is empty. Most
dominant-aggressive dogs are purebred
males.

"In order to understand why your dog is acting "dominant," it's
important to know some things about canine social systems.
Animals who live in social groups, including domestic dogs and
wolves, establish a social structure called a dominance hierarchy
within their group. This hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce
conflict and promote cooperation among group members. A
position within the dominance hierarchy is established by

"Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit behavior problems when they're left alone. Typically, they'll have a dramatic anxiety response within
a short time (20-45 minutes) after their owners leave them. The most common of these behaviors are:

- Digging, chewing and scratching at doors or windows in an attempt to escape and
reunite with their owners.
- Howling, barking and crying in an attempt to get their owner to return.
- Urination and defecation (even with housetrained dogs) as a result of distress.

We don't fully understand exactly why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety
and, under similar circumstances, others don't. It's important to realize, however,
that the destruction and house soiling that often occur with separation anxiety
are not the dog's attempt to punish or seek revenge on his owner for
leaving him alone, but are actually part of a panic response.

Separation anxiety sometimes occurs when:

- A dog has never or rarely been left alone.
- Following a long interval, such as a vacation, during which the owner
and dog are constantly together.
- After a traumatic event (from the dog's point of view) such as a
period of time spent at a shelter or boarding kennel.

Because there are many reasons for the behaviors associated with
separation anxiety, it's essential to correctly diagnose the reason for the
behavior before proceeding with treatment. If most, or all, of the following
statements are true about your dog, he may have a separation anxiety
problem:

- The behavior occurs exclusively or primarily when he's left alone.
- The behavior always occurs when he's left alone, whether for a short or
long period of time.
- He follows you from room to room whenever you're home.
- He reacts with excitement, depression or anxiety to your preparations to
leave the house.
- He displays effusive, frantic greeting behaviors.
- He dislikes spending time outdoors by himself."

(courtesy of the SPCA)

- After a change in the family's routine or structure (a child leaving for
college, a change in work schedule, a move to a new home, a new pet
or person in the home).

If you find that your dog is exhibiting any of these behaviors and you would like
help in resolving them, please contact us.

"I just wanted to write today to
tell you how impressed we are
with the results we've seen
from the dogs. We're getting
the barking under our control
and Bailey's marking has
stopped completely. It's
honestly a joy to be around our
dogs now. Your teachings
were very informative and
helpful and, just to let you
know, we both thought you
were very fun to work with.
Your sense of humor added a
level of enjoyment to the
sessions that we weren't
expecting. I told you this
before but I'm still surprised at
how much information you
were able to pass along to us
and how knowledgeable you
are about the dogs' behavior.
There were so many things
that you were right on about.
As you know, when we
tried that other service and
they had us getting down and
barking at our dog, I didn't have
a lot of confidence and I was
really just embarrassed. Your
methods taught us so much
about leadership and pack
structure - things that they
never even discussed with us.
You've helped us into a
position where we can
actually brag about our dogs
and how good they are. I've
already told many of my
friends about you and your
service. Thank You!"