dog psychology Archives - All About Bichon Frise Dogs

Last Updated on July 24, 2021 by Linda Brinser Leave a Comment

Stop Submissive Urination in its Tracks

Submissive urination or submissive peeing is not a potty training issue. Both male and female dogs urinate submissively and some dogs even have a genetic tendency to do so.

We see submissive urination in both puppies and older dogs, as well. Puppies have an undeveloped bladder and most will eventually grow out of the problem. But some won’t.

To understand how to fix this behavior problem, we need to look at why your dog is peeing submissively in the first place.

When you correct a dog with submissive urination, you just make the problem worse!

In this article we will look at:

Why Does My Dog Pee Submissively?
From A Dog’s Point of View
Is it Really Submissive Urination?
Solving the Submissive Urination Problem

Why Does My Dog Pee Submissively?

There are a number of reasons that this could be happening in your home. And, if you adopted a dog from a rescue or shelter, the chances that your dog urinates submissively are much greater.

Shelter dogs tend to be more insecure, at least when you first get them. Their insecurity leads to behavior issues that you will need to address. Primarily, it is important to build your rescue dog’s confidence.

Dogs urinate submissively when:

They have been abused or punished severely – If you have a shelter dog, the owner before you may have abused your dog.
A dog has been hit – Dogs really don’t need to be hit or yelled at. Discipline should be firm and gentle at the same time. You want to correct the dog’s behavior, not break his spirit.
When scolded – Dogs who are very submissive, urinate when they are disciplined.
Excitement – Some dogs pee when they get excited and happy.
When company comes or when you come home
Inheritance – Some dogs actually inherit the tendency to urinate submissively. American Cocker Spaniels are an example.

From a Dog’s Point of View

If we look at this issue from a dog’s point of view, the way to handle the peeing becomes more clear.

Dogs who pee submissively generally lack self-confidence. They can be shy dogs who are communicating to you that they are submissive to the alpha or leader, which is you.

In the dog’s world, when the alpha dog comes home from a “hunt” (in your case, it could be from the store or after work), the underlings greet the leader submissively. They are communicating that the alpha remains in the top position in the pack. The leader has returned safely.

An alpha male or female dog will simply ignore the submissive dogs, reinforcing that the alphas are still in the leadership position. This is normal behavior in the pack.

No offense is taken, and no one is vying for the leadership position. The underlings are quite happy where they are. The alpha leader guards and protects them and keeps other pack members in their place. It makes everyone feel secure and happy.

Getting back to your dog’s submissive urination, your dog is showing you that she is submissive to you. We’ll talk about that a little later.

Your dog is not peeing on the floor on purpose. It is involuntary and she is not even conscious that she is doing it.

How you handle this, determines whether the situation gets better or worse.

Is it Really Submissive Urination?

There are a few instances where your dog might be peeing because of something else. If your dog is house trained and suddenly starts to have accidents inside, it may not be submissive peeing.

Sometimes a medical condition is to blame. Some rescue organizations estimate that as much as 15-20% of rescue animals have house training problems that are health related. If your dog is a rescue dog, you might consider consulting with your vet about your dog’s accidents in your home.

If your dog suddenly develops urinary issues, consider whether she might have:

A urinary tract infection
Bladder stones
Cushing’s syndrome – tumor on pituitary gland or adrenal gland that causes a hormonal imbalance
Kidney failure
Incontinence – Older dogs sometimes develop incontinence, which needs to be addressed differently

If you suspect a medical problem is causing the urinary control accidents, your vet can help you sort this out.

Above all, keep in mind that your dog should never be punished for having a medical condition. Simply clean up the mess without reprimanding him.

Solving the Submissive Urination Problem

One way to tell if you are really dealing with submissive urination is to observe when the accidents occur.

Vet patting a white dog under its chin. — Patting a dog under her chin is non-threatening, even to a submissive dog.

True submissive peeing happens when:

You come home after being away for a while – Your dog does not have accidents when you are at home.
Company comes into your home – Interestingly, most friends will greet your dog before greeting you. This puts your dog at the top of the pack hierarchy. That is very uncomfortable for a dog who feels that his place is lower in the pack.
A person who is loud or excited approaches your dog – This is frightening to a submissive dog.
Your dog is patted on top of her head – This can be interpreted by a dog as an aggressive move, especially if the person does not know the dog.
Someone in your family intimidates your dog

What Usually Happens

Unfortunately too many people have tried to solve this issue by correcting their dog verbally or, worse, by hitting a dog who pees on the floor when they come home.

Giving your dog ANY attention (positive or negative) makes the problem worse.

Here’s why. Remember that your dog is communicating with you. When she acts submissively upon your arrival home, she is saying, “Welcome back. I know that you are the alpha in our family. I am submitting to you.”

Let’s go through the usual scenarios…

Verbal corrections – When your dog pees and you correct him verbally, you become more threatening. A frightened dog may pee.
Bending over – When you bend over to pick up your dog or to discipline your dog, you are using a dominant or intimidating gesture. You are a lot bigger than your puppy! This may cause her to pee again.
Getting excited – Dogs pick up on our emotions. If you get excited when your dog pees on the floor, she will become more excited, as well. A submissive dog who is excited may pee.
Consoling the dog – Some people understand that the dog has not peed on purpose and so they pat the dog and console him. Your dog doesn’t understand this. Her interpretation is that you like the submissive behavior. So if you console your dog, you are reinforcing the submissive urination problem. Not what you want to do!

Simple Solutions

I understand how frustrating this can be. It is no fun to have a dog that piddles on the floor when you come home. And less fun to clean it up! But you must be patient with your puppy or dog.

If you step back and think about this for a moment from your dog’s point of view, you will understand how to approach this.

As simple as it seems, you need to ignore your dog when you first come home. That means that you don’t talk to your dog, you don’t look at your dog, you don’t bend down and you don’t touch your dog. As hard as it will be, do this for 10 minutes, or until your dog has completely calmed down.
Then, call your dog over to you, and you can show affection. Scratch your dog’s chest or pet him under his chin. Pats on the head are sometimes perceived as a threat.
When you do this, you are communicating to your dog that you are the pack leader and everything is in order. Nothing to get excited about. Everything is normal.

Do not punish or correct your dog’s peeing, as this will make the situation worse. If she thinks you were not happy with her, she will decide that she needs to be more submissive to please you. And the problem will get worse.

Practical Considerations

Since this may take a few weeks to resolve, enter your home where there is a floor that can be washed easily—not on your best carpet.

Do speak with guests, so that they help reinforce your training. Guests should greet you, not the dog, first. If your dog is really excited, guests should ignore him until he settles down. Then they can call your dog over for pats.

When a dog lies on its side, it is assuming a submissive position. No one should pet the dog unless he is sitting or standing. This is so that you don’t encourage a submissive dog without confidence to become more submissive.

Petting the dog in the lying down position communicates that you approve of his submission and want more submissive acts.

To learn more about how to handle dog behavior problems, consider taking advantage of the huge library of dog training videos by Doggy Dan in New Zealand. His approach to dog training is simple, and it really works!

Gain access to Doggy Dan’s video course for 3 days for just $1 now.

Last Updated on July 24, 2021 by Linda Brinser Leave a Comment

Alpha Dog Training

How to Become the Pack Leader

Alpha dog training is important for every dog, not just an alpha male or female dog because you need to establish yourself as the leader of the pack in your home.

Most dog behavior problems start when there is confusion about who is actually in charge. Or, worse yet, when the dog is in charge!

3 gray wolves demonstrate alpha dog training — Believe it or not, your dog’s ancestors were wolves. And they still have a lot in common when you consider their pack mentality.

Fortunately, this is easily remedied. When you have made it clear to your dog that you are the alpha male or female in the pack, dog behavior problems are easy to resolve.

This article will discuss:

The Dog-Wolf Connection
Alpha Dog Training and Pack Rules
How Dog Packs Work
Signs That Your Dog is in Charge
How to Become the Pack Leader
The 5 Golden Rules You Need to Follow

The Dog-Wolf Connection

Wolf pack — Your dog is most comfortable in a pack, just like his wolf ancestors.

Dogs are direct descendants of wolves and, even though we have tamed them and domesticated them, they still have wolf instincts.

In fact, all dogs originated with a single species of wolf that lived more than 10,000 years ago in Europe.

Even though dog breeds look very different from each other, the evidence indicates that they all do come from the same ancestor.

Wolves live in a pack and they have a strong social structure and very strict rules within the pack. Dogs have developed the wolf instincts for social structure and pack rules.

That makes it very easy for them to fit into a human family. That’s also why it is really important to make sure that the leadership of the pack is clear.

Alpha Dog Training and Pack Rules

Your dog still thinks and acts like a wolf even though she is hundreds of generations away from her wolf ancestors. She does not think like you, a human. This is important to keep in mind when training your dog.

Wolves fighting for position in the pack — Wolves fight for position in the pack. If your dog thinks she is the leader, she will fight to maintain her position.

Dogs are comfortable in a pack. The rules are well defined. Each member knows its position in the hierarchy of the pack, and he is fine with it.

Knowing where he fits in the pack pecking order helps a dog to feel safe and comfortable. It helps him feel secure.

Dogs do not have a pressing need to be the alpha dog in a pack. But they do need to know who the leader is. Once in a while, someone will challenge the leader, but a strong alpha always comes out on top.

How Dog Packs Work

angry wolf snarling — If your dog is the pack leader, she may defend her position, like this wolf. This leads to major behavior problems like aggression.

While all pack members defer to the dominant male or alpha, it is very important that you, as a human member of the pack, take that role.

Dogs in a pack respect, obey and follow those above them. They want to please the leader.

From your dog’s point of view, someone needs to be in charge. That needs to be you and your family members!

Leaders have certain privileges. In your home, those privileges include food, toys and the most comfortable bed.

If a lower ranking dog tries to usurp one of those privileges from the leader, he will be disciplined by the alpha.

Signs That Your Dog is in Charge

Dog behavior problems often stem from your dog’s understanding that she is in charge of your family. Without knowing it, we often reinforce that idea.

How can you know if you have a dominance problem? Your little Bichon dog will show you by:

Guarding toys – When you get close, your dog growls, snaps or shows her teeth.
Guarding foods – You see the same kind of behavior when you are near your dog when she is eating.
Furniture guarding – Your dog decides that he likes a certain piece of furniture. When told to get off, the dog refuses.
Demanding attention – Your dog whines, barks or pokes her paw at you and doesn’t stop until you do what she wants. So often we think this is cute, but it is a sign of dominance.
Interrupting dinner – This can be rather annoying. Never feed your dog at the table and remove him from the room if he continues to disturb your dinner.

If you find that you do have a dominance issue, then alpha dog training to establish that you are the pack leader, is in order.

How to Become the Pack Leader

Becoming the pack leader is really quite simple if you know how. Doggy Dan’s Online Dog Trainer system illustrates the principles that he calls the 5 Golden Rules.

I’ll list the rules for you below. But first, take a look at this video. The lady who is talking was having all kinds of behavior problems with her dogs. After a consultation with Dan, she and her husband started using the rules. I’ll let you see how it worked for them.

The 5 Golden Rules

If you follow these rules in your home, your job of dog training will become quite easy. These rules are Doggy Dan’s and you can see 129 dog training videos and get tons of information for 3 days, for just $1.

Food – Never feed your dog at the table. You always eat first. Use gesture eating when feeding your dog. To do this, you pretend to sample or eat your dog’s food before giving it to him. This shows that you are the leader or the top dog. Your dog eats after you are through.
Danger – The pack leader protects the underlings. So, in the face of danger (postman, oil delivery truck in the driveway, neighbor knocking at the door), you remain calm and handle the situation. To calm your dog you may have to use the Doggy Dan “calm freeze”, where you hold the front of your dog’s collar loosely, while turning your back to the perceived danger.
Arriving home – When the alpha male and female arrive back at the den, they ignore the lower ranking dogs. This signals to the others that everything is OK and that they are still in charge. When you arrive home after being away, do not touch, speak to your dog or give him eye contact. After a few minutes, when your dog is relaxed, call your dog and give him affection. Simple, but your dog will understand the significance.
Everything on your terms – Pack leaders make the decisions. You should initiate everything. Do not allow attention seeking behavior. Call your dog to you and then give him affection.
Taking a walk – Train your dog to walk off leash and on a leash without pulling. Dan shows how to do this in his video course.

Because dogs think like dogs, not humans, we need to step in and establish that we are in charge of our dog/human family. This is done gently, without harsh punishment or words.

Taking this simple step will make training your dog a breeze and will avoid most behavior problems.

Last Updated on July 24, 2021 by Linda Brinser Leave a Comment

Dog Socialization for Puppies

Dog socialization is important if you want your dog to grow up to be a happy and good-natured Bichon Frise dog that people enjoy having around.

A Bichon Frise is a naturally friendly and sociable dog, so they are much easier to socialize than many other dog breeds.

It is important to socialize your dog as early as possible. If you do so, she will have good manners and will have fewer behavioral problems later, when she is an adult.

Make puppy socializing fun and creative, so you get the full attention and cooperation of your dog.

Socializing a puppy, Bichon Frise meeting a new dog. — Your new puppy needs to get used to meeting other dogs and all ages of people.

While Bichons are usually friendly and outgoing, they do need to be socialized, just like other dogs.

Socializing Your Bichon Frise Puppy

Dog socialization of several cute Bichon Frise dogs — These Bichon Frise dogs are enjoying a little dog socialization.

The Bichon Frise is one of the most friendly, joyful, and pleasant dogs. However just like any other dog breed, a Bichon can become a shy dog, especially if he has not had contact with new people and other dogs.

Rescue dogs are often shy, especially if your dog has had some difficult experiences with people or other dogs.

Expose Your Puppy to New People and Dogs

Woman with dog on bike for dog socialization — Take your dog with you to help him meet new people and dogs.

Give your dog support in new situations and let him get used to people and dogs at his own pace.

Take him for regular dog walks at the park or at the mall, so he’ll get used to seeing different people of all ages, as well as other dogs and animals.

You can also take him with you when going camping or fishing, to expose him to nature and the outdoors.

Observe your puppy’s reactions, and give him support and encouragement, if he becomes too anxious and fearful.

The Rewards of Socializing a Puppy

Puppies, like children learn best at a young age. Socializing a dog early takes advantage of a puppy’s best learning age.

When you dog is comfortable with new people and animals, your puppy will become happier and healthier, physically and mentally.

Of course when your dog learns to behave appropriately, it will make your life easier. And both you and your dog will be calmer and more relaxed when meeting new people and dogs.

Learning the ins and outs of training your Bichon Frise will help you teach your dog to be pleasant, fun and well-mannered when around strangers and new places!

Having trouble getting your Bichon Frise to behave? No matter how old your dog is now, professional dog trainer Doggy Dan will show you how to get your dog to be a happy, well mannered pet.

You can watch dozens of training videos for just $1–you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to train your puppy!

Last Updated on July 24, 2021 by Linda Brinser Leave a Comment

Holistic Dog Care for Bichon Frises

Holistic dog care, or taking care of your dogs mind, body and spirit, keeps your dog happier and healthier.

Just as people have mental and emotional problems, dogs do too. If your dog is not having all of his needs met, he can develop naughty habits and behaviors. Your Bichon, like every other dog, has physical, emotional and medical needs.

With love, attention and natural care products with no harsh chemicals, your dog will thrive! And a healthier dog is happier and more fun to be around.

Holistic dog care meets all the needs of a Bichon Frise. — A dog who is having all her needs fulfilled, will be happy and healthy.

Holistic Dog Care Starts Early

Bichon Frise care begins the moment you get your new Bichon puppy. Taking care of a puppy is much like caring for a child, and you’ll soon find that it is fun, as well!

Dog care for Bichons does require time and patience, as this dog breed is very sociable, needs people contact, and requires daily grooming.

While some dog breeds do well living outdoors, this is definitely not the case for Bichon Frises. Bichons are definitely indoor family dogs.

Bichons adore being with their human family, and, if neglected in this respect, they may rebel in frustration—peeing in the house or destroying your personal items.

A Bichon is a good example of a pampered puppy!

What Do Dogs Need?

Dogs have a number of needs that must be met to keep them healthy. Fortunately it’s fun and easy to care for your Bichon.

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is a good foundation for a healthy dog. Bichons thrive on a balanced kibble diet or a raw food diet. If your dog is eating well, she is well on the way to being healthy and happy.

With allergies at the top of the list for Bichon Frise health issues, choosing the right dog food is really important. Many Bichon allergies are actually food allergies.

Frequent Grooming

Bichons are definitely high maintenance dogs when it comes to grooming. If not groomed regularly, their beautiful double coat of hair will become an unsightly tangled mess.

But you’ll need to address other grooming issues, as well. Careful eye care will help prevent eye irritation. And Bichons often have tear stains that need to be cleaned and cared for.

Exercise and Fun

Even though they are small lap dogs, Bichons do need exercise. Exercise releases endorphins in your dog’s brain, giving him a feeling of well-being. And, of course, it helps keep your dog healthy and physically fit.

Daily exercise for Bichons relieves anxiety and it can help cut down on chewing and barking activities–two behaviors that can be hard to break.

But exercise for dogs is even more. It’s lots of fun–for both of you! Consider agility training for your Bichon. It will keep you both in shape.

When you think of dogs having fun, toys naturally come to mind. Bichons who are gentle chewers enjoy cuddling and rough housing with their favorite stuffed toys.

And those who are aggressive chewers do better with more indestructible toys or kong toys (perhaps filled with a treat or peanut butter).

Dental Care

Bichon Frises do tend to have trouble with their teeth and gums if you don’t take care of their teeth.

They seem to get more tartar than other dog breeds, so you will need to brush their teeth, feed them carefully and have the vet clean their teeth if it is necessary.

For Skipper we’ve found that dental chews (She just loves them!) and this dental gel really help keep her teeth and gums clean.

Socializing with Others

Because Bichons are social creatures, you might consider dressing your baby in a Halloween costume for trick or treating on Halloween.

Or host a Halloween party or a birthday party for your dog and her friends.

But, perhaps most important of all, your dog needs to spend quality time with you–every single day! Dogs have fun, no matter what you do with them.

There are many ways that you can spend quality time with your Bichon Frise. Some may involve grooming tasks or dog health care—while others may simply involve spending quiet moments and snuggling together.

Holistic dog care, like working together, is fun — Spending time together is healthy for both you and your dog!

Working together and spending time together is fun for both of you. Bichon Frises have always been close companions of their people. Consider a bicycle carrier for your dog if you like to ride bikes, or a small dog carrier for hiking or shopping trips. Your dog will love to be part of your fun!

Little things like feeding your dog, providing a comfortable place to sleep, daily grooming and pampering and fun training games for your new puppy are all important.

Plan to spend a little time each day on Bichon Frise care and you will end up with a happy, well-adjusted Bichon Frise who is lots of fun to have around. And, while it’s true that Bichons love being pampered, you will receive lots of love and devotion in return.

Comfortable and Safe Environment

Your Bichon needs to have a place to comfortably lounge near you, in every room that you will spend time together.

This can be as simple as a padded mat or as nice as a furniture dog crate.

Of course, you can have an emergency, when you least expect one. If you live in a coastal area, you need to make provisions for emergency evacuations if there is a hurricane.

In other areas, you should prepare for natural disasters that you might have near you. And, part of this preparation is a general understanding of first aid emergency care for your dog.

Routine Care and Medical Remedies

Dr. Goldstein DVM, is a veterinarian who believes that the body must heal itself:

“Holistic pet care essentially revolves around the notion that the best way to cure an animal who is ill is to help the animal cure itself. We are not the true healers of our pets–they are. By treating the root of the problem instead of its symptoms, holistic medicine enables our pets to regain and maintain their own health.”

Dr. Goldstein uses holistic dog care very successfully in his practice, for dogs with cancer and leukemia.

Your Bichon’s medical needs will probably be very simple. She will need routine medical attention at times. If you breed your dog, she will have some special requirements for her care. A pregnant dog will need good prenatal care.

And you will need to vaccinate your dog for rabies and consider which other vaccinations you will get for him.

Natural Products for Holistic Dog Care

There are now many excellent natural dog health care products on the market, using herbs, homeopathy or nutritional supplements, instead of conventional medicines. This allows us a number of choices for the care of our pets.

Holistic dog care, meaning that you meet all your dog’s needs, will make your life and your dog’s life—a lot happier.

A happy and healthy dog is a pleasant dog to have around. And when your dog is pleasant, you will be happier, too!

Last Updated on July 24, 2021 by Linda Brinser Leave a Comment

Basic Dog Obedience Training

Basic dog obedience training for Bichon Frise puppies includes commands for sit, stay, heel, down and come.

Training your Bichon Frise puppy for these commands should begin as soon as you have your new puppy at home. At first, you’ll just handle your pup and get her used to being with you

Next, simply talk to your puppy and tell her what you are doing. This helps her get used to language and builds rapport.

Dog obedience training is not simply to prepare a dog for competition.

Basic dog obedience commands include Sit and Stay. Obeying these commands can help keep your dog safe.

A well trained Bichon Frise will respond appropriately during an emergency situation.

She will also be a pleasure to be around, with her good dog manners.

In addition, your well-trained Bichon Frise dog have confidence and will act appropriately in social situations.

So how can you make your puppy’s training fun?

Dog Obedience or Tricks?

Bichon Frises love to do tricks for their owners!

As you work with your Bichon you will discover how intelligent he is and you’ll fall in love with your Bichon Frise’s whimsical personality.

Pleasing the pack leader is a trait of Bichon Frises. So if you give your puppy lavish praise and healthy treats during training, he will do everything possible to please you.

Your puppy will love learning to do tricks, especially for treats. But your dog may expect a treat or reward every time she listens to you. That’s not a good thing.

There is a better way. What if your dog simply decided to listen to you, every time?

Doggie Dan with two of his dogs. — Doggie Dan will show you how to easily train your dog.

If you use renowned trainer Doggy Dan’s simple methods, that is exactly what will happen. You’ll end up with a terrific dog who loves being obedient!

You will need to be patient and consistent with your puppy obedience training.

After all, your new puppy is like a baby in many ways, and her attention may wander easily to food or play.

Getting Start with Training

With this in mind, set up a training schedule and stick to it. Start with one specific behavior and work on that until your puppy masters it. Then move on to another command. You will still have to reinforce your efforts with the first behavior during this second period for long-term imprinting.

With a Bichon Frise, you need to avoid harsh reprimands. Your puppy is sensitive to anger and harsh tones. Therefore, rather than punitive training, focus on positive reinforcement and give your puppy breaks for going potty or just romping with you.

A dog obedience collar can help you communicate to your dog, making training a whole lot easier. Just don’t use it as punishment.

If you use hand signals, you can also use treats as an additional support.

Gain access to the Doggy Dan videos for 3 full days for just $1. Then decide if you want to continue with the program. Access Doggy Dan’s videos now…

Basic dog obedience training includes the command for Down — Bichon Frises, adorable as they are, can be one of the most difficult dog breeds to train. Your basic dog obedience training should include the command for “down”.

When to Start Puppy Training

Dog training experts tell us that you will get better results from dog training when you begin at very young ages.

Pick out specific commands (or hand signals) for each behavior and use them consistently. I like to use both hand signals and verbal commands, together.

Most owners begin with “sit” and move on to “come”, “stay” and “down”. Bichons learn fast and move quickly to the next command.

Your dog’s personality determines which behavior he needs most. A Bichon puppy who loves to run after things, for example, should learn “come” or “stay” first.

With basic puppy training, your Bichon Frise will learn her name, learn new tricks and she will bond with her pack.

In return, you will have a healthy happy puppy that’s bound to be a joy in the family for many years to come.

For just $1 you can access dozens of professional dog training videos online. View them for 3 days at your leisure. Give Doggie Dan’s system a try now…

Stop Submissive Urination in its Tracks

Why Does My Dog Pee Submissively?

From a Dog’s Point of View

Is it Really Submissive Urination?