Show Notes
Graeme Hall hears about a number of dogs who all have strange obsessions with random items, or are exhibiting obsessive behaviours. How can you get a dog to drop a ball he’s obsessed with? What is it about mops and hoovers that dogs love? And why might a cocker spaniel be licking walls and chasing shadows?
Do you have a question for The Dogfather? Send Graeme a voice note and a video of your pesky pooch to [email protected].
More from Talking Dogs with Graeme Hall
Graeme Hall tackles a number of questions listeners have about dogs who like to use their paws. First up is a cross breed who absolutely loves digging up the garden. Her owner has made her a sandpit so she can dig there... but she’s still intent on making a mess of the grass.
Graeme Hall talks through how to help your dog settle in various scenarios, including when you’re busy working from home, when you leave them alone in the house, and at night time.
Graeme Hall helps a couple of listeners whose dogs don’t like sharing things – particularly toys – with other dogs. First, he wonders if a spaniel who can growl when others try to play would benefit from learning some boundaries in other areas of his life. Then, he hears about a cockapoo who isn’t enjoying the company of the new puppy the family have brought home. Is the fact that he’s not neutered part of the issue?
Graeme Hall helps a couple of listeners whose dogs don’t seem to be particularly interested in toys. First, an owner who wants to use a toy to teach his food-motivated rottweiler an ‘out’ command, and secondly an owner who would like her rescue dog to learn how to play.
Graeme Hall explains the principles behind why we generally communicate with dogs both verbally and visually with voice commands and hand signals. With this in mind, he then helps two listeners who have deaf dogs. One can’t hear other dogs barking when he might be playing too rough with them, and the other can’t hear his own incessant barking. Given these dogs can’t hear verbal commands, those visual signals become more important, as does communicating physically through things like little tugs on the lead and stroking as a reward.