by Phillip Paris

Printed in the Williamson County Sun newspaper on August 20, 2000

Have you ever noticed the increasing number of dogs in the area? Everywhere you look, someone has a dog with them. It's no secret that dogs of all breeds, sizes, color, and shape are becoming more and more popular than ever before. The question is, how much do we really know and understand about dogs and how much of what we as humans say and do can the dogs really understand?

Can the way a dog is fed have a direct impact on its' behavior?

Does spoiling your dog early on lead to aggression later in life?

Can you give your dog too much attention?

Does obedience training really work?

What causes aggression in dogs and how can it be solved?

Why do some dogs "potty train" quicker than others?

How can I stop my dog from jumping on people?

We've all seen those dogs in the parks that are happily dragging their owners around and often we think how cute the dog is, even if his eyes are bulging out from pulling so hard. Then there is the dog that barks all the time and for no apparent reason and doesn't have any plans to stop anytime soon! Or, how about the dog that thinks chasing cars is a great past time. Then we see that rare dog that walks perfectly on the leash, sits to greet people, and never makes a sound. When people see that kind of a dog, they think of all the years that it took to get them that way. Not true! With proper motivation and the correct techniques, your dog will be ever bit as impressive.

The purpose of this new column is to shed some light on man's best friend and to provide you with some valuable information that will help you build a strong and loving relationship with your dog. As a trainer and a consultant, I have come across many unique and diverse training scenarios as well as the customary questions. No matter what kind of dog you have, whether pure or mixed, all can be conditioned. We'll talk about how to motivate your dog, diet and exercise issues, proper training, how to keep your dog healthy, and how to have fun with your pooch!

I have been around dog's most of my life. As a child growing up, I couldn't come across a stray dog without wanting to bring it home and take care of it. As an adult, I joined the Georgetown Police Department and after a few years, I was selected to the K-9 unit. Since then, I have become the K-9 Unit's coordinator and trainer. Training police dogs has its' own set of challenges and obstacles as well as very important liability issues. We have seen our unit grow up to three police service dogs and are currently making plans for a fourth. During the summer of 1999, I was asked by the Austin Police Department to assist them by training "Austin", their very first Search and Rescue dog. "Austin" is credited with locating two of the victims at the Texas A&M University bon fire tragedy as well as numerous lost children and elderly in the Austin area.

As I was looking to expand my horizons in the dog world, I thought that it would be great to work at a veterinarians office. As a vet technician, I was exposed to many new and challenging circumstances, and was able to see first hand how certain illnesses and injuries can directly affect a dog's behavior. Having this experience has giving me great insight into certain behavioral problems.

While working part time at the vet's office, a lot of the clients that would come in knew that I was a K-9 officer. As their dog was dragging them around the clinic or was jumping on anyone and anything, many of them would look at me and say, "You're a dog trainer! How can I stop this?" I would gladly give them tips and would even show them how to stop their dog problems. Often times they would call or come back later and thank me for the help and would tell me that it actually worked. After a few times of helping clients, this became the daily routine for me. One day, another employee at the clinic told me that I should start a business of training dogs. After much debate, I thought that I would try it to see how it would work. The response to a local business that specialized in dog obedience and behavior modification was overwhelming. In just over a year, I have trained over 300 dogs in the Williamson County area!

My method of training goes much further than getting a dog to sit or stay. I like to share with people the thought processes and what dog's really see and understand from us. Most people have found this to be fascinating and very enjoyable. This is the experience that I want to share with you in this column. Each month we will examine a particular behavior or problem and I will offer solutions to your training needs as well as some interesting facts about canines.