Dog Training We All Can Envy

...unless, of course, you have a dog who can perform like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=P9Fyey4D5hg

Dog Obedience: How to stop pulling on the leash

Tonight I got a link to an informative article on Fox news... some good tips on training your dog not to pull on the leash when you're walking, and not to suddenly lunge.

A big dog can knock you to the ground doing that, so teaching them not to do it is important.

In addition to the tips in the article - here's one I learned when Suzie and I were doing obedience training:

Our class held several people with dogs who couldn't quite get the "pay attention" part, so the dogs were constantly trying to pull away from their handlers, and the handlers were becoming more tense and upset - as well as worn out from being jerked around.

Our teacher pointed out that energy passes from a person's hand, through the leash, to the dog - so along with them being able to sense their handler's emotions just because that's something dogs can do, the handlers' stress transmitting through the leash was making these dogs even more unruly.

The answer: Step on the leash. Keep one end in your hand, of course, but just stand on the leash and let the dog jerk on the bottom of your foot rather than your arm. The energy from your hand isn't there, and unlike the reaction he gets from jerking on your arm, there's no give, so he'll tire of that pretty quickly.

The article above discusses using a special control harness for training - we used a choke collar in class. I know, it sounds mean, but when it's put on properly, it isn't. As soon as the dog releases the pull, the collar also releases. So the only time it's even tight on his neck is if you give it a brief tug to tell him something, or if he's pulling.

An obedient dog is a joy - a misbehaving dog is a trial - so take the time to teach your dog good manners. You'll both be happier!

Setting Training Limits for Your Dog

1. The dog is not allowed in the house
2. OK, he can come in, but only in the kitchen
3. Well, he can be in the living room, but he has to stay off the furniture
4. The dog can only get on the old couch, not the new chair
5. Fine, OK. The dog can sleep on the living room furniture, but not on the beds.
   
6. The dog can be on the bed, but only when I say so.
7. The dog can sleep on the bed any time, but not under the covers
8. The dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only
9. Fine then. The dog can sleep under the covers every night
10. If it's OK with the dog, the humans can sleep under the covers too.

I thought this was cute, but it really doesn't address a couple of problems: Such as the dog being a bed-hog. Sometimes I can't understand how such a small critter can spread out over an entire bed.

So, How does one do this kind of dog training?

Looks like lots of dogs can say "I love you" but there's even more!

Dogs we have to admire

Just had to share this video that came my way... I have Hughes Net, so I can only see it in snatches of a few seconds at a time, but I still love it.

I think you will too!

Training kids or dogs - not a lot of difference

I just finished reading an article about the epidemic of doctors prescribing behavior modifying drugs for children - babies, even.

The article went on to say that changes in diet would probably be more beneficial to the children than prescription drugs, which could cause irreparable harm to their bodies.

But then it mentioned something people don't talk about much - discipline. And I was struck by the similarities between raising a pleasant child and raising a pleasant canine companion.

Check out this advice:

Count to three and then place the child in “timeout.” (Our Pepper used to get put in the kennel for an hour after he tried to chase passing cars.)

Also, let your child know the rules, and what the consequences are for not following them. If your child fails to clean his room for example, let him know that he’ll be placed in timeout and won’t be able to play with his toys for the rest of the day.
(Can't quite link that one to dogs - but they do care a lot about approval and need to know immediately when their behavior is not what you expect from them. Consequences could just be being sent to go lay down in the corner.)

Even more important, follow through and be consistent with what you say you are going to do. By the same token, don’t forget to reward exceptionally good behaviors.
(This one definitely relates - being consistent with what is or is not acceptable is of absolute importance. And reward is a major motivator for dogs as well as children.)

Nurturing -- Paying attention to your child, giving him/her responsibilities, and building his self-esteem is another key to eliminating behavior problems.
(Giving your dog a job to do - be it retrieving a ball or helping to herd the cattle or jumping through a tire, or letting you know when a stranger approaches - is always a good thing. Everyone needs a job and feels good when they contribute!)

And of course - plenty of appropriate praise is always a key. Treats are good - but some dogs don't care about them and would rather you tossed a ball.

My Mom told me to raise my kids so that other people could also love them. I did, and they do. I try to raise my dogs the same way, and so far it's working. Everyone who comes to our house speaks first to my dogs -

Yours for happy canines!
Marte

Obedience training comes first when you adopt an adolescent dog

Many dogs who come in to shelters as "lost" are adolescents - and I suspect that it's often more a case of abandonment than loss.

People get a cute, fuzzy little puppy and take it home to play with. But they ignore their responsibility to train that puppy - and it becomes an unruly adolescent. It might be a very nice dog - loving and wanting to please. But it has no idea what it should do to please. No one has ever given it any rules or let it know what kind of behavior is expected.

So, the dog jumps up on everyone, chews what shouldn't be chewed, digs in the trash, chases cars (or bicycles or chickens or cats), steals food from the kitchen counter, and generally makes a nuisance of itself.

Then, since the dog is no longer fun to have around, they drop it off at a shelter or simply drive out on some country road and kick it out of the car. After all, shelters often charge turn over fees, and dumping is free.

Later they wander past a grocery store, see kids giving away puppies, and start the cycle all over again.

Unfortunately, they also fail to spay or neuter, so the cycle of unwanted pets starts over again too. But that's the subject for a different post.

The bottom line for you as the adoptive parent of an adolescent dog is that you've got some serious training to do. And you'll have to begin at the beginning, because it's likely that your new dog doesn't even know that it should come when it's called.

We've been talking about calling your dog by his or her name and teaching it to pay attention when you speak that name. That's important when you've raised your dog from a pup - but it's difficult when you adopt an adolescent, because you don't even know what his or her name used to be. You'll have to be extra-careful to use that name often and praise your dog every time he responds.

Patience will be the name of the game, but your effort will be worth it. Your new dog will appreciate knowing the rules and being praised for following them - and you'll be blessed with the best friend a human could ever have.

Yours for happy pets,
Marte

Your dog and the law of attraction

Ever wonder why some people have a terrible time with their dogs, and others have a fine time?

I've decided that it has to do with the Law of Attraction. I've been reading the new book "Money & the Law of Attraction," and listening to the CD that comes with it, and I'm realizing that everything we do sets up a vibration that attracts more of the same.

So when we approach our dogs with confidence and a clear expectation that they will learn to behave as good family members, they do. Conversely, when we expect them to run the other way when we call them, potty on the carpet, and chew up our shoes, they do that.

Think about the people you know who treat their dogs with kindness and respect, while expecting good behavior. Then think about the people who are constantly screaming at their animals or hitting them.

See if you agree with my thought...

Yours for happy pet families,
Marte

Dog Obedience Training Treats

Our dog obedience instructor recommended that we use different treats for training than we might use at other times. She said it set things up in the dog's mind that "This is work time." In fact, she often used that word - telling us to tell the dogs it was time to go to work.

One of her favorite treats was hot dogs - cut into small pieces and then cooked in the microwave until they got pretty hard. They're still greasy tho, so don't put them in the pocket of your best jacket unless they're in a plastic bag.

She also recommended string cheese - again cut into small pieces.

My dogs absolutely love liver. I bake it in the oven until the "slimy" goes away, then cut it into small pieces and continue baking it at about 250 degrees until it gets crunchy. In other words, I dehydrate it.

Anything your dog really loves will work, as long as it's different from the normal treats he gets when he's not "working." My son has dogs who love fruits and vegetables, so apple bits would probably motivate them! (Just stay away from the grapes, raisins, and of course the chocolate!)

I quit buying commercially made treats after reading a few dozen labels. I just can't bring myself to feed all those chemicals to my canine kids. So I bake their treats at home. Since mine don't have preservatives, I keep the bulk of the batch in the freezer and keep only enough for a couple of days in their cookie jar.

Our mainstay treats are beef and cheese - I buy inexpensive cuts of roast beef when it's on sale. Then cook it and pulverize the cooked meat in the food processor. After that I cut some chunks of cheese, add some flour so it won't stick together, and pulverize that. Then, a little olive oil and the juice from the roast. After I dump in some whole wheat flour and about a tablespoon of yeast I add water (or beef or chicken) broth to make a mix about the consistency of bread dough.

You can be fancy and roll this out and cut it like cookie dough, but the fast and easy way is to roll chunks into long "ropes" and lay them side by side on a cookie sheet. After the sheet is full, take a long knife and score the tops so the pieces will break apart easily. I usually let the dough raise before baking.

Then bake it in a slow oven until it gets crunchy.

If you'd like to share your favorite doggie recipe - please do!

Here's to happy pets,

Marte

Don't Telegraph Your Frustration to Your Dog

When Suzie and I were taking dog obedience classes there were several people in the class with dogs they just couldn't seem to handle. The harder they tried, the more they and the dogs became upset.

Getting their dogs to sit down beside them and stay quiet was almost impossible - until our instructor gave us one simple technique. She pointed out that our feelings - vibrations, if you will - transmit through the leash. So the more we become frustrated, the more the dog feels it and becomes frustrated as well.

We watched several people, especially those with large dogs, being literally drug around by their dogs.

The solution: Get the dog to sit or stand beside you, then lengthen the leash and simply stand on it while you hang on to the other end, just in case it slips. When the dog resists, the leash stays firm. And for some reason, your foot doesn't transmit frustration.

The strange thing was - and I think I've mentioned this before - not all of the human students followed instructions. So our ever-patient instructor had to keep reminding them. She also had to keep reminding them to say "good sit" and "good come" and "good walk" instead of "good dog." I think she shook her head and sighed a lot.

Remember to put those treats in your pocket and hand them out generously until your dog firmly learns each new command. After that, you can give them every 2nd or 3rd of 4th time - just to keep him on his toes.

Oh, and don't forget the praise and the petting. Those are darned important, too.

Another rescued dog finds a home...

I just got off the phone with the animal coordinator at our local shelter, and she told me one of my favorite dogs just found a home - and the other one has a good possibility of being adopted tomorrow. That makes my whole evening brighter.

Both of these two were adult dogs, and so loving and kind. Both prefer being with people and will follow the shelter workers around, begging them to stop cleaning for a minute and rub a belly. Both had beautiful manners. So why were they there?

Poppy lost her home because she chased horses. Well, she's part Heeler, of course she would chase livestock! But her humans didn't want to take the time to teach her when to chase and when not to, so they turned her in to the shelter. My own little Pepper would have been more than happy to "herd" my horses, but we taught him that wasn't the thing to do. We humans actually had a little help on that score from a horse and a well-placed hoof - which thankfully didn't break anything.

My other favorite was Sally - a Siberian Husky who came in with 5 puppies after being found running down a highway. What was her story? Did someone dump her and the puppies and drive off, so she was trying to follow? Or had she been dumped long before and given birth to her puppies in the woods? She was certainly skinny enough to have been going without good meals for quite a while.

We'll never know of course. Thankfully, neither she nor her babies will be having any more babies, and all 6 are now in homes. We can only hope the homes are good ones and that the 5 pups don't turn up later as the unruly teens we talked about last time.

Here's to loving dogs,

Marte

P.S. Remember - if you'd like me to list your rescue on this sidebar and on my rescue page at www.doyoulovedogs, all you have to do is comment here or send me a note at writer@marte-cliff.com

Spread the word about your rescue group

This week I sent a message out to my ezine members with an invitation to send links to their animal rescue groups for posting on this sidebar. As you can see, a few have responded. I hope you'll follow their links and see the good work they do - and choose to help them if you can.

If you work in rescue and are not getting my ezines, you can sign up by sending an email to rescuethem@getresponse.com. Meanwhile, feel free to add a comment here with a link and information about your rescue.

As well as on this sidebar, your information will be posted on my doggie website with a little information about your group and/or your activities.

And now, back to the dogs themselves...

If you rescue, you've noticed that many of the dogs who come in are "teen-agers" who haven't been taught basic manners. People dump them because they've become unruly - running through the house, jumping up on everyone, knocking things over, getting in the trash, chasing the cats, and generally behaving like wild things.

Of course that isn't the dogs' fault - it's the humans who somehow thought the dogs would learn to behave with no effort on their part. Humans aren't too bright sometimes, but then, if you look around, a whole lot of them think their kids will thrive under the same kind of non-training. But that's a different story, for someone else's blog.

Your challenge in turning those unruly teens into adoptable canine companions is a huge one - especially if you're understaffed and don't get to spend good quality time with the dogs.

You should, of course, begin with teaching them to give you their attention - we covered that in the last post. Then what? For many, it's learning to keep their front feet on the floor rather than smearing mud over visitors - or knocking them down.

Everybody seems to have a different method of training dogs to stay down, and I believe different methods work with different dogs, but there's one thing that should remain constant, and that's the verbal command.

Somehow, each rescue needs to gather all their dog handlers and fosters together to agree on the commands you're teaching these dogs. Otherwise they'll be confused, won't know what you want, and thus won't mind - and then people will think it's their fault.

Commands like come and sit seem to be universal, but what will you say to tell a dog not to jump on people? Some say "Off" while others say "down" or even "get down" and others choose "No" or "damnit, get offa me!"

I recommend a one-word command - a word that's only used for that purpose. But the most important thing is that it be consistent - and that ALL of your handlers use it.

Dog training really is a matter of training the humans...