 |
| I'll kiss you if you kiss me. No tongue, I "promise." |
If your dog is a compulsive kisser, the #American #Kennel #Club's Canine Good Citizen Director and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Mary Burch offers the following tips on how to help stop this behavior:
- Don't reinforce any licking. Until you solve the problem, don't happily fuss over the dog as it "gives kisses" to greet you. In many cases, the licking problem began with the dog giving you kisses. (BUT WHAT IF YOU ENJOY DOGGY KISSES)
- Teach a new skill. Train your dog to do a new command that does not involve licking, but does involve getting affection and attention from you. (COMMENT: Give an order like: “Lick my wife, not me.” )
- Try redirecting the behavior. If your dog is a serious licker, try directing the behavior somewhere else, like going outside, throwing the ball around, or practicing some obedience skills. It's important to remember timing. You don't want to start a fun game with your dog while she's in the middle of licking - that will simply reinforce the behavior you don't want. (COMMENT: ESPECIALLY IF HE OR SHE IS LICKING YOUR CROTCH… AND YOU ENJOY THAT.)
- Take a time out. In serious cases, consider giving your dog a brief, two-minute time out. If she licks you and won't stop, say "no lick" and take her to the other side of the room. Put her in a down-stay and do not give her attention for the two minutes - having contact with you will reinforce the licking.
OUR PREVIOUS DOG, a Shih Tzu named Beowulf, enjoyed licking. So I devised what I thought was a wonderful game. Knowing that Beo would lick anything anywhere given the chance, I would pretend to train Beo in the etiquette of the first date. I’d pick him up and bring him close to my face, which he loved to lick, while I said, “Beo, if you get a chance to kiss the girl on that first date, never ever use your tongue.” I would then bring him close to my lips, which he would immediately lick, as I said, “No, pretend it is our first date and first kiss. No licking on the first kiss.” Beo, of course, would respond with another lick or three. My wife, Grace, would say that I was confusing the dog by training him to participate in my joke. But my male friends and I would laugh, while the ladies generally looked askance. Beowulf seemed to enjoy it, although he would always shake his coat when returned to the floor.
"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."
Gilda Radner
No comments:
Post a Comment