From Saturday Morning, 10:35 am on 13 July 2024 

The key to raising a good dog is to remember that they think differently to humans, long-time animal rescuers say.

Helen and Gavin Cook, who run Country Retreat Animal Sanctuary in north Auckland, are the stars of TVNZ's hit show The Dog House NZ.

In their new book Good Dogs, the English-born couple share advice from their 15 years of canine fostering and rescue.

While Gavin grew up in a dog-loving family, Helen tells Bryan Crump she was "absolutely petrified" of dogs growing up, until her Nana adopted a "cheeky but well-behaved" schnauzer.

▶ Listen to the interview

After settling in New Zealand, she and Gavin got their first dog together and then started fostering other rescue dogs.

Eventually, the couple converted their double garage into a kennel, which became the Country Retreat Animal Sanctuary.

Helen says when people come to the sanctuary, many assume that if a dog doesn't match their enthusiastic advances, it doesn't like them.

The reality is that even sticking your hand out in front of a dog can be quite threatening to them, she says, and a case of too much, too soon.

"I don't go running up to someone in the street and hug and kiss them. It's just not acceptable. So why do we do it to dogs that we don't know? You shouldn't. It just feels wrong, really.

"If a dog wants to meet you, he'll come to you. If he doesn't want to meet you, he'll stay back. And that's fine."

While it's easy to attribute human emotions to dogs, they don't think like us, Helen says, and can get confused when treated like they do.

If your dog is shaking because it's a little bit nervous, for example, the human instinct is to cuddle them to make them feel better.

But when you offer comfort at that moment the dog is shaking, she says, you just reinforce that behaviour.

"You're saying to that dog 'You're doing the right thing. Keep shaking'.

"What you need to do is redirect him, get him to do something fun, and then treat him and praise him for doing that."

When Helen meets potential pet adoptees at the sanctuary, she observes them closely and often tells them to think it over while having a coffee in nearby Warkworth.

"I tell them to think with their head, not their heart. What do I have to do to make this dog's life good? And can I do it?"

In order to be good, dogs need clear rules and boundaries, she says.

Helen and Gavin teach these to the dogs they care for by reinforcing positive behaviour and ignoring the negative.

"When [a dog] does something that I like you'll see me giving him treats but if he does something I don't like, I ignore him. If he jumped up at me, I just turned my back on him.

"If he's doing something that I don't want him to do, I'll redirect him with something and then get him to do something I want him to do. It's like resetting the button so he knows what I want him to do."

If your dog seems intent on jumping up at people, one of the best things to do is ignore that, Helen says.

"If you [give them cuddles] at the door, it becomes a portal of never-ending love so therefore they're going to run like mad to that door to see who's there and jump all over them."

Alternatively, without hurting the dog, you can put your knee up a little bit to to keep them at a distance.

Eventually, the dog should look at you and sit down.

"As his bum hits the floor you say 'yes' and give him a treat. Then he might jump again so you turn your back on him. Bum hits the floor. 'Yes'. Treat. That's a good way."

This story was originally published by RNZ