Kung Fu Dog

What is dog kung fu? And how do you master dog kung fu?

To answer these questions, we must turn to the original book of animal kung fu - The book of Kung Fu Panda. Kung Fu Panda is a hilarious animated tale by Dreamworks Studios about a panda and how he accidentally became the Dragon Warrior.

The movie will give you a lot of laughs, entertainment, some very wise sayings, and also many valuable life lessons. Some of these life lessons are key in building a strong bond with your dog and training him to become a happy, well-adjusted canine.

There is no charge for awesomeness... or attractiveness. ~~ [Po, the Kung Fu Panda]

Here are five important lessons of panda kung fu applied to dog training.

A Dragon Warrior Never Gives Up.

You'll never be the Dragon Warrior, unless you lose 500 pounds and brush your teeth!~~ [Po, the Kung Fu Panda]

Living with a dog can sometimes be very challenging, painful, and emotionally draining. However difficult it becomes, do not give up on your dog. If the dog training techniques you are trying out are not working well, then do more research and try something else. The next thing that you try, may be the thing that works!

In my experience, the dog training process, similarly to the getting used to your new roommate process, is usually difficult at the start. Both you and your dog are testing each other out, and getting a feeling for each other's tolerances and limits.

Dogs, perhaps even more so than us, are very opportunistic by nature and will take advantage of you if you let them. Therefore, it is important to set some rules, boundaries, and a fixed routine for your dog. This will make the initial getting to know you phase a lot easier and less stressful for both you and your dog.

Try to fix problems as soon as they arise rather than waiting until they escalate and become a dangerous situation.

If you are having serious aggression issues with your dog, it is probably best to hire a professional trainer to can come to your house and observe your dog. This is the best way to identify the source of the aggression and develop solutions.

Giving up on your aggressive dog is pretty much choosing euthanasia for him. Dog shelters and adoption agencies are already filled with many well-behaved strays that an aggressive dog will have no chance of adoption.

Consider carefully before getting a dog. A dog will be a lot of work, a financial drain, and a time drain for about 10-15 years.

Once you get a dog, giving up on him should not be an option.

A peach tree will always be a peach tree.

Ah, yes. But no matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach. ~~ [Oogway from Kung Fu Panda]

Do not force your dog to become something that he is not.

Some people want/think they should have full control over their dog. That is neither necessary, nor healthy. Let your dog be the dog that he was born to be. Just redirect his energies towards positive tasks and behaviors.

Many of us have an unrealistic view of what a dog should be - Lassie. All dogs are not Lassie. In fact, even Lassie is played by several different dog doubles at any one time.

My first dog was a Shiba Inu and Shibas are very definitely not Lassies. I tried forcing my Shiba to become a Lassie with collar corrections, alpha rolls, and other types of physical techniques. The results were bad for both me and my Shiba Inu.

It did not matter how many times I rolled him over and growled at him, he was still a Shiba and not a Lassie, and made it clear he did not appreciate being compared to one.

Do not try to change the nature of your dog with physical force, instead use your dog's nature to motivate him and redirect him into positive action.

What ultimately worked very well for me, was to carefully observe my Shiba Inu and understand his nature. I saw that he valued his freedom above all else, I saw that he liked to chase and wrestle, I saw that he did not trust easily, I saw that he was wary of people touching him, I saw that he did not like submitting to other dogs.

Instead of doing leash jerks, I just controlled his freedom and his access to new locations. Instead of hitting or beating him for chewing on my shoes, I just played fun chasing games with him and got him some chew toys. Instead of forcing him to trust me, I tried to gain his trust by fulfilling his needs and protecting him from stressful encounters.

Once I stopped using physical force, my dog's behavior and my relationship with my dog improved significantly. My dog became happier, I became happier, and we both had plenty of peaches to eat.

Pride is not a virtue.

From the first moment I've been proud of you. And it was my pride that blinded me. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming, what I turned you into. I'm... I'm sorry. ~~[Shifu from Kung Fu Panda]

Do not be blinded by your pride.

Certainly be proud of you and your dog's achievements, but recognize the weaknesses as well.

In this excellent article Know Thyself, Know Thine Dog, Know Thine Enemies by kblover, he suggests creating a strength and weakness profile for both you and your dog. I think this is a great and very fun idea!

Let us start right now and list 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses to begin with.

My Shiba Inu's strengths -

1. He is brave and loves to examine and explore new objects and environments.
2. He is not possessive and is willing to give up toys, food, and resources to people and dogs.
3. He is very creative and persistent. If he cannot get to what he wants one way, he will try another way - especially when my back is turned.

My Shiba Inu's weaknesses -

1. He can very easily lose his mind, and start acting based on instinct.
2. He is a stress cadet and does not like changes in his regular routine.
3. He is very stubborn. If he really does not want to do something, he will fight you tooth and nail.

Try to be objective about your dog and the dog obedience training methods that you use, so that you can make the best decisions. Keep an open mind and always be on the look out for new ways to improve your relationship with your dog and your dog's quality of life.

Do not resist listening to others and assimilating new dog training information because of pride.

Even Dragon Warriors Need to Eat.

Tigress - It is said that the Dragon Warrior can go for months without eating, surviving on the dew of a single ginko leaf and the energy of the universe.

Po - Then I guess my body doesn't know I'm the Dragon Warrior yet. It's gonna take a lot more than dew, and, uh, universe juice. ~~[Excerpt from Kung Fu Panda]

Feed your dog a healthy and balanced diet.

Do not overfeed your dog.

Dogs will usually eat more than they need because in the wild, that is the best way to ensure survival. This often leads to obesity in a domestic dog, which can shorten his lifespan and cause a variety of health issues.

It can be difficult, I know, to resist your rascally beggar or sweet-natured, lie-at-your-feet furry friend, especially when they hit you with the big, round eyes. If you do express your love for your dog through treats, try to remember to reduce their regular meal by an equivalent amount.

Take your dog to the vet for yearly examinations, vaccine shots, and teeth cleaning.

The Secret Ingredient is Nothing!

Po - Wait, wait... it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?

Mr. Ping - Don't have to. To make something special you just have to believe it's special.

Po - There is no secret ingredient. ~~[Excerpt from Kung Fu Panda]

When I first got my Shiba Inu, I had a lot of troubles with him. He was starting to get aggressive with me, and at home, he was getting into all sorts of trouble practically every minute of every day.

My vet advised me to return him on our first visit - when Shiba was 10 weeks old.

I considered it - but a Dragon Warrior never gives up right?

At that point, I was really quite desperate and was looking for whatever miracle cures there were available. But there really is no secret ingredient.

To make things special between you and your dog, you only need to put work into building a special relationship. If you put in the time and effort to understand your dog and properly communicate with him, your relationship will get better and better.

No special collar, dog behavior medication, or expensive toy will magically fix your dog.

All you need for success is to believe in yourself and your dog, and do the work that it takes to establish a strong and lasting bond.

Quit, don't quit? Noodles, don't noodles? You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the 'present'. ~~[Oogway from Kung Fu Panda]