Behavioral tips keep fiesty canines on short leash

By: Jackie Saunders

Posted: 2/21/06

Nestled between stacks of books, Jack, the unruly yellow Labrador received two tugs on his pronged collar and obediently followed seasoned dog trainer Mitch Stahl. Much to the audience's surprise, the once boisterous Jack, who galloped into the Schine Student Center Bookstore minutes before, was now following the trainer and sitting when his leader stopped.

Yesterday afternoon's Bookstore Break featured Mitch Stahl, a dog trainer whose business card slogan reads, "Helping dogs with people problems." A generational gift passed down, Stahl's interest and ability to train dogs comes from his mother, who was an obedience trainer.

"My philosophy is something that evolved over the years; my mom never made the connection between dog's instincts and wolf-pack behavior," said Stahl, who eagerly read many books on the subject to come up with his basic five rules for behavioral training.

"There are certain things we do that our dogs watch very closely," Stahl said. "Dogs respect certain members and perceive the pack leader to be a big male."

Even though dogs may try to put one over on Mom, Stahl reassured the audience that even the most laid-back people can be in a position of dominance without ever raising their voices.

Years of research and strict adherence to wolf-pack behaviors, Stahl has created five crucial subjects for training dogs: attention, food, resting places, who leaves the door first and the position in walking.

Eight-week-old Westie puppy Coco Chanel is prepping for her year of strict training. Blinking her big brown eyes and lovingly licking her owner's hand, Coco has no idea she will soon be learning her place in the pack.

Coco's owner Marc Donabella, an employee in Syracuse University's Office of Trademark Licensing, is planning on buying a small leash to aid in training for proper behavior in the house.

Stahl believes people give dogs too much freedom. Their first year in the house, the dogs must never be unsupervised and a leash and a crate are essential for creating boundaries.

"Dogs see negative behavior as awarding attention," said Stahl of puppies who shred newspapers or steal food. "They love predictable behavior from humans because it gives them a sense that they are in control."

An important training tip is to teach the dog to lay in the "down-stay position," which is a submissive pose. Eventually by increasing timed intervals each day, a dog can be in a down stay position for a half an hour while it's owners are eating a meal.

Christina Walker, a staff member in The College of Arts and Sciences, plans on practicing these training techniques on her 8-year-old Jack Russell terrier.

"What I enjoyed most about the presentation is the combination of all the rules and how to put them together and reinforce them," Walker said.

Stahl's emphasis is on the relationship between the dog and his master. The owner must always take the leader of the pack position whether it be controlling when food is served or leaving the house first for a walk.

In accordance with the training methods, Stahl encourages owners to not feel guilty about crating or keeping a leash on in the house to tug when the dog tries to jump on furniture, beds, or guests.

Stahl promises it is all worth it because when the year is up, he spoils his dogs and lets them sit on the bed while he reads a book at night.

An owner of a 2 and a half-year-old Bull Mastiff asks how she can train her dog who has recently been stealing food from the counter.

Stahl replies firmly, "Complete supervision - that is the name of the game."