‘Superfetch’ to teach pet owners new tricks

BY Heather Warlick-Moore Comments 0
Published: October 1, 2009

Want to learn to teach your dog any trick in the book? YouTube sensation Zak George said that with a little help, you can do just that. He plans to prove it in his new Animal Planet series, "Superfetch.” The show follows George as he trains pet owners to transform their ordinary pet into "trick-doing stunt jockeys” and, in the process, strengthen the bond between pets and owners.

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"Working with people and their pets is a true passion of mine, and I believe that animals are capable of learning anything we take the time to teach them,” George said.

The show will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday, but George gives you a sneak preview by answering some of our dog care and training questions.

The act of involving ourselves with our pets, he said, will prevent many unpleasant and undesirable behaviors from taking place.

"Furthermore, the primary motivation for working with our dogs on creating new behavior should not be rooted in preventing bad behavior, but should be because the mutual experience of life between people and dogs has a payoff beyond words for both species,” he said.

Q: How should I deal with a dog that freaks out during storms? I’ve tried putting the dog in a crate but it thrashes around so much, I’m afraid he’ll hurt himself.

A: Let’s first analyze why your dog is scared of thunder. Dogs are scared of thunder for the same reason many young children are: They simply don’t understand the threatening sound. As with most situations like this, it takes time and patience. If I’m being perfectly straight, most dogs that have this fear for years will likely never get over it completely. It’s much like asking, "How do I teach a person to not be scared?” On the other hand, it’s common for puppies to be scared of thunder, and it’s a fear that they generally outgrow. The best course of action is to simply remain calm during a thunderstorm. If your dog sees that you are not affected, he or she is less likely to become stressed. Isn’t this how you would behave if a young child was scared of the loud sound? Calmly communicate to your dog in your way that it will pass and offers no threat to them.

You should never lock in a crate a dog that is scared of thunder! In fact, he or she may very well hurt themselves. You’re now teaching them that being scared warrants isolation in a small box! Would you lock a young child in his room because he is scared?

Q: What’s the best way to deal with shedding? I can brush and brush my dog, and she still sheds.

A: When you bring a dog into your life, you should research potential issues that may be incompatible with your lifestyle. For the most part, dogs shed. You’re doing what you can by brushing them frequently. That’s all you can do. Accept the greater attributes that your dog has to offer like unconditional love, companionship and loyalty. These are traits that are hard to find in humans. Therefore, these good qualities far outweigh the minor issue of shedding.

Q: My dog always nuzzles me to get me to pet him. How can I get him to just lie calmly on my lap without rubbing his slimy nose on my hand?

A: Like a young child, our dogs need love, attention and affection. Chances are, your dog is simply asking for attention. You should ask yourself if your dog deserves attention when they nudge you. For example, did you just play Frisbee with your dog for an hour at the park and are they insisting on more attention? If this is the case, then perhaps your dog is a bit spoiled and consistently ignoring the behavior after you have spent sufficient time with them will likely reduce the behavior. If, on the other hand, you’ve worked for eight hours straight, come home and had dinner, and your dog is insisting on some attention, well, how do I put this? Give it to them! It sounds to me like your dog needs an outlet. Our dogs are not with us nearly long enough. The next time your dog says, "Spend time with me please,” consider doing just that.

Q: I like to sing, but when I do, my dog just howls along with me at the top of his lungs. I can’t tell if my singing hurts his ears or if he is singing along. If it hurts his ears, wouldn’t he leave the room?

A: Your dog is likely telling you that you are a terrible singer and that you should consider a new hobby. Just kidding. Maybe. Well, I haven’t heard you sing, so I may be right. Come to think of it, from life experience, I’ve come to realize that most people cannot sing. OK, in all seriousness, this is a trait that dogs have and one they shared with their wild ancestors. As sure as a toddler will jump and act giddy with excitement when Mom or Dad turns on the hot kids’ TV show of the day, so, too, will a dog howl. It’s instinctive for dogs to respond vocally to what they feel is something that resembles howling. In actuality, you can just assume that your dog is just singing along with you.

Q: What is the best way to punish a dog for pottying inside?

A: Potty accidents are never punishable! Would you punish 6-month-old babies who go in their diapers? Of course not! It takes time to potty train a dog. I simply do not have the time to go into detailed potty training here. However, I will say that I am a fan of traditional crate training if done properly. It’s one of the few areas in dog training on which I do not have an original philosophy to offer. On a somewhat related note, it’s overwhelmingly common for the average pet parent to take the attitude that they should potty train their dog before getting serious about other aspects of training. While I make many comparisons between dogs and young kids, dogs have it all over young children in the fact that they can grasp some very serious stuff at a young age. On "Superfetch,” we taught a 5-month-old English bulldog named Steve (who was not fully potty trained) how to pour beer! I’d like to see a 5-month-old human pull that off! Well now that I think of it, maybe not, but it was a cool trick nonetheless.

Q: I am going to have a baby soon. How can I prepare my dog? And how can I be sure he won’t be aggressive with the baby? He is a silky terrier and very docile normally.

A: Congratulations! Dogs usually react very well to new members of the family. If your dog is sufficiently socialized and has not displayed aggression toward people in the past, then your dog will probably be just fine. In any event, supervise your dog when he or she is with your new child at all times. Be very delicate when initially allowing the two to interact. Finally, use common sense. Dogs and humans are both predisposed to getting along; therefore, the new relationship is facilitated by the fact that dogs and people just naturally take to each other. If you watch "Superfetch,” you’ll even be able to teach your dog to assist you with diaper changes! Just ask Toby and his dog Sasha. Both were guests on "Superfetch.” Sasha learned to fetch a diaper from anywhere in the house.