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Here's another form of restraint, the suspension. This technique can only be used with young puppies or small dogs. You take them gently around their armpits and suspend them in the air in front of you until they stop wiggling. This for some reason communicates to the dog that you are the one that is physically in control. It can be used to build trust or to correct a dog. You want to make sure you don't let the dog out of the restraint if it's struggling. The only way he's getting free is if he submits to his fate and stops trying to fight you over it. This also teaches the dog self control and to earn freedom by being calm and getting himself together. I should mention that when the dog is calm, you should SLOWLY let him down, preparing for him to go back up to struggle mode. If that does happen, you'd just resume the original position until he comes back down to reality. Sorry I don't have a visual representation for this but my skills as an interpreter will have to suffice.

Bye-bye bones are very special in that they are highly desirable (usually edible), long-lasting pacifiers that your dog gets only when you leave the house. They are typically used for dogs who get nervous or anxious when their owners leave. The idea is to have the dog associate the person's leaving with something "outta this world" great so that the anxiety is overrun by the goodness of the bone. The "bye-bye bone" doesn't have to be an actual bone, but it can be if that's what gets your dog drooling. Here are some good examples of BBB's:

Continue reading... "bye-bye bone"

Your dog panicks when it knows you're leaving the house. It shows anxious behaviors like howling, barking, destroying, accidents, etcetera.

These collars, also known as "limited choke" collars, were originally designed for greyhounds because their heads are so narrow that they can easily escape from the leash by backing out of their collars. With a martigale, when there's any tension on the leash, the collar tightens up so the head can't come out.

aroundthehounds.com

These collars are also great for other breeds because they allow the person to give a correction that is milder and less ballistic than the regular choke chain.

If your dog thinks it is stronger and smarter than another human or dog, it's dominant over that dog or human. It will prove that status by correcting other living things when they "cross a line" established by the dog, i.e. if you touch his food, toys, touch him the wrong way, etc. Usually the correction is a quick snap, growl, flash of the teeth, etc. If this is not stopped early between a dog and a human, the snap could get worse, and end up being a bite. or several.

The alpha roll is a type of restraint designed to communicate dominance over your dog. The human will gently flip the dog over on its back and forces it to stay in that position until it stops wiggling. It's best to do this with young puppies so you can cradle them in your arm like a baby. The bigger they get, the harder it is to physically hold them in one position, so practice when they're weak! Alpha roll establishes you as the "alpha", or leader. You communicate control and strength.

The order of leaders and followers. In a hierarchy, there's one "person" at the top of the totem pole, and there's a definite class distinction between other members, going all the way down to the last, puny person. Dogs know hierarchy for some reason and they will know who's at the top (dominant), who's at the bottom (submissive) and everything in between, so show yourself the leader, and all will be fine. If you don't take the leader role, the dog will.

An empty soda can or plastic bottle, filled with about 10 coins. It's a form of noise correction- when the can is shaken, it makes a loud noise that startles some dogs (not all of them, though). It is best to use the can discreetly so the dog doesn't connect the sound with you. The noise just happens when the dog does something naughty. Some dogs really dig the sound, so don't feel hopeless if your dog is one of them. There are other corrections out there..