Great Ways To Help Train Your Dog problems

12.18 in Dog, great, help, problems, to, train, ways, your

If you have never owned a dog before, the process of dog training may seem to be an impossible task. There is so much information available on training dogs that its easy to become completely overloaded with no idea of where to begin. Below, you will find some suggestions on getting started with dog training.

Most dogs are eager to please and respond better to rewards than punishment. You must first show your dog what you expect them to do and then repeat the process until they get it. This is the most effective way to modify a dogs behavior or teach him a trick. You must show them through repetition and reward.



 Challenge your dog often. Provide your dog with fun ways to "quiz" it in order to ensure that it hasnt lost past training.

 Never punish your dog while trying to train him. Taking preventative measures to avoid the occurrence of a bad behavior to begin with is always best, however, if your dog does get out of line, demonstrate how it should have been done rather than scolding him. Training your dog is a great way to develop a positive relationship with him.

 Learn alternatives to treats as positive reinforcement when training your dog. Treats do work for teaching a new behavior. However, you may not always have a treat with you to congratulate you dog outside of regular training sessions. Verbal praise and physical affection, such as hugs and petting, can be just as effective as treats to reinforce any desired behavior when training your dog.

 Include plenty of physical activity in your dogs training routine. Dogs can get bored easily. A bored dog will try and find something interesting to do, and training is not usually interesting. It is easier for your dog to focus if he is happy and well exercised. A long walk or a brisk run are great ways to get rid of some of your dogs excess energy.

 Anxiety is frequently the cause of destructive chewing behavior. Give your dogs something they are allowed to chew on like a toy or treat, and put them in their kennel while you are away.

 During the dog training process, it is a good idea to use various treats as rewards for your dogs good behavior. Do not use the treats that you would give your dog day to day. They should be specific to training and ensuring the feeling of being rewarded for something specific. The dog will also be more likely to obey if they know they will receive something special.

 Your dog should be happy with everyone in your home so he does not suffer from separation anxiety. The dogs relationships to other people serve to dilute its unhealthy level of dependence and fixation on you that causes it so much grief.

 When possible, puppy training is the most effective form of dog training. This is not a hard and fast rule, but young dogs do respond better to training. When you train your dog as a puppy, he will be a well-behaved dog throughout his life.

 It is important to take your dog on a rather long walk if you plan on being gone for several hours. If your dog is exhausted, he wont experience as much anxiety when you leave.

 Any introductions to new animals should be made very slowly. Give your own pet great consideration before bringing another animal into the house. You can boost bonding efforts by getting a new pet that has a complimentary personality to your own.

 Try not to take your stress out on your dog by yelling at it because of your bad day or bad mood. Unless your dog has done something that warrants scolding, you should always take on a positive tone during your interactions.

 A first step to training a puppy is get him used to hearing his name. Call him using his name and teach him how to respond when called. Your puppys name should be one of its first words learned. Its important that the time spent with your puppy is quality time. Spend your time playing with your puppy. This way he will get to know you quicker and will begin to trust you faster. The puppy will be more open to more training down the line.

 Mentally stimulating your dog is important to its health and happiness. Frequent outside walks, chew toys and even healthy snacks offer great options for entertaining your dog. Any dog who is bored will find a number of ways to amuse himself and spend his time, such as chomping your favorite pair of shoes or digging up your prized botanical collection!

 You can rest assured that when you train your puppy, they may have an accident in the house. Immediately clean up every accident for training purposes. Carpets are known to trap the smell of urine and encourage the dog to return to that spot for further marking. Buy a product specially designed to neutralize odors.

 If you want to get rid of inappropriate chewing behaviors, you need to set up the dogs environment so that he will have fewer temptations. Additionally, make sure there is nothing that can pose as a threat to your chewing canine. Any objects which your dog could choke on or become entangled in should be kept out of reach.

 Remember that more difficult behaviors should be approached in steps. A simple example is teaching your dog to get the morning paper. You first need to teach him exactly what a newspaper is and then how to hold it. He will then need to know what the object is by name. Then, he needs to be taught to pick up the object. The last step is to train him to bring the object to you. If you break it down, your dog will understand the linear relationship of the behavior.

 Although a harness is more comfortable for dogs, it does not offer as much control as a cinch-type collar. Keep your dog on his harness, but also use your cinching collar. Tug on his collar when its absolutely necessary, and your dog will soon learn how to obey wearing the harness alone.

 You can prevent your dog from destroying your home by keeping it outdoors when you are away from the house. When this isnt possible, you want to provide things that both appeal to your dog and that are okay for the dog to chew on. Establishing acceptable chews toys is also about keeping those things you do not want your dog to chew up behind closed doors or well out out of reach.

 By following these tips, you should have a better understanding of how to train your dog. Putting these tips into action while training your pup can help the two of you forge a wonderful ongoing relationship..

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Help My Dogs Chewing

05.12 in chewing, Dog, dogs, help, my

Help My Dogs Chewing!


Chewing is essential for maintaining the health of your dogs teeth, jaws, and gums. Puppies especially have a strong need to chew to relieve the irritation and inflammation of teething. Dogs chew to relieve anxiety and boredom, as well as for entertainment. Your dog’s jaws are his tools for carrying objects and for investigating his surroundings. Essentially, a dog’s approach to all items in his environment is “Can I chew it?”


Chewing is Normal, Natural, and Necessary 

Dogs generally sleep at night and in the middle of the day. However, chewing is your dog’s primary form of entertainment during his morning and late afternoon activity peaks. After all, there are only so many things your dog can do when left at home alone. He can hardly read a novel, telephone friends, or watch the soaps! Indeed, most chewing sprees stem from your dogs relentless quest for some form of occupational therapy to pass the time of day when left at home alone or un-monitored.


Chewing is a perfectly normal, natural, and necessary canine behavior. Prevention and treatment of destructive chewing focus on management and education—to prevent your dog from chewing inappropriate items and to redirect your dogs natural chewing-urge to appropriate, acceptable, and resilient chew toys.


Prevent Destructive Chewing

When leaving home, confine your puppy or dog to a long-term confinement area, such as a single room or puppy play pen or crate —your puppy’s playroom—with a comfortable bed, a bowl of water, a doggy toilet (if not yet housetrained), and nothing to chew but half a dozen freshly-stuffed chewtoys. Housetrained adult dogs may be confined (with their chewtoys) to a dog crate. Your dog will happily settle down and entertain himself with his chewtoys as soon as you leave in the morning, and later he will be more inclined to search for chewtoys when he wakes up in anticipation of your afternoon return. This is important since most chewing activity occurs right after you leave home and right before you return. When you return, instruct your dog to fetch his chewtoys so you can extricate any liver or treats which he could not get out and give them to him. 


When you are home but cannot watch your puppy carefully, confine your puppy to her doggy den (crate) with nothing but a freshly-stuffed chewtoy for entertainment. Every hour on the hour (or at longer intervals with housetrained adult dogs), take your puppydog to her doggy toilet (see Housetraining), and if she goes, praise her and play some chewtoy games with her before putting her back in her crate with a freshly stuffed chewtoy.

The purpose of confinement is to prevent your dog from chewing inappropriate items around the house and to maximize the likelihood your dog will develop a chewtoy habit. If you can watch your dog carefully he or she does not need to be crated, if you need to answer the phone, have a shower etc be sure to put your puppy back in his/her doggy den. 

Redirect Chewing to Chewtoys

The confinement schedule described above optimizes self-training; your dog will train herself to chew chewtoys. In fact your dog will soon become a chewtoyaholic. With a good chewtoy habit, your puppy will no longer want to destroy carpets, curtains, couches, clothes, chair legs, computer disks, childrens toys, or electrical cords. Your dog will be less likely to develop into a recreational barker. And also, your dog will happily settle down calmly and quietly and will no longer be bored or anxious when left alone.


You must also actively train your dog to want to chew chewtoys.
Offer praise and maybe a liver treat every time you notice your dog chewing chewtoys. Do not take chew toy chewing for granted. Let your dog know that you strongly approve of her newly acquired, appropriate, and acceptable hobby. Play chewtoy games with your dog, such as fetch, search, and tug-of-war.


Chewtoys should be indestructible and nonconsumable. Consumption of non-food items is decidedly dangerous for your dogs health. Also, destruction of chewtoys necessitates their regular replacement, which can be expensive. However, compared with the cost of reupholstering just one couch, £50 worth of chewtoys seems a pretty wise investment.


Kongs, Tuff Toys, Biscuit Balls, Big Kahuna footballs, and sterilized long-bones are by far the best chewtoys. They are made of natural products, are hollow, and may be stuffed with food to entice your dog to chew them exclusively. To prevent your dog from porking out, ensure that you only stuff chewtoys with part of your dogs daily diet (kibble or raw food) with a few nuggets of really yummy treats for him to be surprised by. Firmly squish a piece of liver in the small hole in the Kong, fill the rest of the cavity with moistened kibble and a few yummy treats, and then put the Kongs in the freezer. Voila, Kongsicles! As the kibble thaws, some falls out easily to reinforce your dog as soon as she shows interest. Other bits of kibble come out only after your dog has worried at the Kong for several minutes, thus reinforcing your dogs chewing over time. The liver is the best part. Your dog may smell the liver, see the liver, (and maybe even talk to the liver), but she cannot get it out. And so your dog will continue to gnaw contentedly at the Kong until she falls asleep.
Until your dog is fully chewtoy-trained, do not feed her from a bowl. Instead, feed all kibble, canned food, and raw diets from chewtoys, or handfeed meals as rewards when you notice your dog is chewing a chew toy. 


Here is a great video on stuffing Kongs: 

Here is my video on being prepared for puppies, bored teenage dogs and adult chewers:

To learn more, read Doctor Dunbars Good Little Dog Book and our Chewing booklet, available on-line from www.amazon.com.  Reprinted by www.dogstardaily.com with permission of Dr. Ian Dunbar and James & Kenneth Publishers, behavior blueprint by Dr. Ian Dunbar

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Great Tips To Help Train Your Dog

21.19 in Dog, great, help, tips, to, train, your

It is very common in households around the world to incorporate dogs and other domestic animals into the family home. Puppies, like most baby animals, have mischievous streaks. Read on for some ideas on training your dog.

There are a lot of tricks you can teach your dog to do; a common one is training him to hold a toy in his mouth without chewing it. Use a clicker to give the dog a treat whenever the dogs uses his mouth to hold a toy. After a few tries you should allow the dog to pick up the toy on his own. As soon as the dog does this, use the clicker and give a reward. If he holds it in his mouth, you can give him a reward.



 Inform guests on the proper protocols for interacting with your dog. These kind of things can cause your dog to jump on people or adopt a dominant attitude.

 Disciplined leash walking is very important in dog training. Not only is this safer for the dog and easier on your body, such a frequent activity mandates good self-control and reinforcement of the chain of command from training.

 If you are feeling anxious, or feel like you cant be patient, it is best to not even start a session. Your patience is vital for encouraging the focused attention your dog needs to get the full benefits of training.

 Anxious dogs are prone to chewing on things they shouldnt. If you give the dog a chew toy and put him in the safety of a dog crate, he can occupy himself while youre not at the house.

 Use treats your dog really loves to achieve maximum training efficiency. This might be an extra-special treat that your dog does not ordinarily have the opportunity to enjoy.

 Big dogs need a bed that can accommodate them, especially if they like to stretch and sleep on their back. There are big, long dog beds around for larger dogs, or you could look for a mattress taken from a crib. A crib mattress is also an easy to care for alternative to a dog bed because the sheets can be changed regularly with little fuss. Theyre waterproof, too!

 When considering the possibility of hiring a professional to work with your dog, look into their background, reputation and conduct an in depth interview with them. Many animal behavior specialists have opposing opinions on how to correctly train dogs. Be sure to verify that the trainer you hire has similar ideas as yours, prior to implementing any of their tips.

 Include plenty of physical activity in your dogs training routine. Dogs can easily get bored. A bored dog will try and find something interesting to do, and training is not usually interesting. Keeping your dog exercised and happy will help them pay attention more due to releasing all excess energy that often distracts them from your commands. Go for long walks and runs with your dog.

 Get everyone in your house on the same page regarding dog training. If the dog jumps up and you use "get down" but your husband says "no boy", the dog will get confused. You give your dog a greater chance for success if everyone is on board with using the same words.

 The way dogs learn is by repeating techniques and being rewarded. You need to make sure your dog understands what the expected behavior is, be consistent in your expectations and practice the behaviors daily. This is the correct way for a dog to learn a trick. You have to show them with plenty of repetition and rewards.

 A consistent schedule of feeding and potty-time is very important when house training your dog. By establishing a regular potty-time every day, you will get your dog in the habit of doing his business at the same time daily. Sticking to a schedule will teach your dog how to control himself until his next scheduled potty break.

 Training should be fun for your dog. Only train your dog in ten to fifteen minute sessions. A dog has a limited attention span so any longer will cause him or her to become bored. Be sure to provide rewards often, and give different treats from time to time. You should lavish praises on your dog for following your instructions. The more enjoyable training is for your dog, the more he will look forward to it!

 When it comes to training your dog, never give up. Dogs need consistent reinforcement in what you have taught them so they remember the good behaviors and dont revert back to their old, disobedient ways they had before training. Training never ends. It is an important part of taking care of your dog.

 Limit the duration of training sessions. A long, uninterrupted training period is going to exhaust your dogs attention. Start off with individual training periods of no more than 10 minutes.

 Using a clicker can help them behave better. Using a clicker is simple. Use it to make a good association between the noise and when something good occurs. Try clicking and treating immediately, and doing this several times over a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 As with most things, and this goes with dog training as well, dont ever give up. Dogs need consistent reinforcement in what you have taught them so they remember the good behaviors and dont revert back to their old, disobedient ways they had before training. Training never ends. It is an important part of taking care of your dog.

 Dogs that have trouble with separation anxiety need to develop stronger relationships with others in your household. Allowing the dog to establish relationships with new people will lessen its dependence on the owner.

 A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 You should be able to have a clean home and a loving dog. While a dog can cause quite a bit of destruction, and make a mess in your home, proper dog training will alleviate most of these issues. Take advantage of the tips mentioned here, and you will be rewarded with a peaceful environment and a loving dog..

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Great Tricks To Help Train Your Dog

02.13 in Dog, great, help, to, train, tricks, your

It is very common in households around the world to incorporate dogs and other domestic animals into the family home. Puppies, like most baby animals, have mischievous streaks. Read on for some ideas on training your dog.

There are a lot of tricks you can teach your dog to do; a common one is training him to hold a toy in his mouth without chewing it. Use a clicker to give the dog a treat whenever the dogs uses his mouth to hold a toy. After a few tries you should allow the dog to pick up the toy on his own. As soon as the dog does this, use the clicker and give a reward. If he holds it in his mouth, you can give him a reward.



 Inform guests on the proper protocols for interacting with your dog. These kind of things can cause your dog to jump on people or adopt a dominant attitude.

 Disciplined leash walking is very important in dog training. Not only is this safer for the dog and easier on your body, such a frequent activity mandates good self-control and reinforcement of the chain of command from training.

 If you are feeling anxious, or feel like you cant be patient, it is best to not even start a session. Your patience is vital for encouraging the focused attention your dog needs to get the full benefits of training.

 Anxious dogs are prone to chewing on things they shouldnt. If you give the dog a chew toy and put him in the safety of a dog crate, he can occupy himself while youre not at the house.

 Use treats your dog really loves to achieve maximum training efficiency. This might be an extra-special treat that your dog does not ordinarily have the opportunity to enjoy.

 Big dogs need a bed that can accommodate them, especially if they like to stretch and sleep on their back. There are big, long dog beds around for larger dogs, or you could look for a mattress taken from a crib. A crib mattress is also an easy to care for alternative to a dog bed because the sheets can be changed regularly with little fuss. Theyre waterproof, too!

 When considering the possibility of hiring a professional to work with your dog, look into their background, reputation and conduct an in depth interview with them. Many animal behavior specialists have opposing opinions on how to correctly train dogs. Be sure to verify that the trainer you hire has similar ideas as yours, prior to implementing any of their tips.

 Include plenty of physical activity in your dogs training routine. Dogs can easily get bored. A bored dog will try and find something interesting to do, and training is not usually interesting. Keeping your dog exercised and happy will help them pay attention more due to releasing all excess energy that often distracts them from your commands. Go for long walks and runs with your dog.

 Get everyone in your house on the same page regarding dog training. If the dog jumps up and you use "get down" but your husband says "no boy", the dog will get confused. You give your dog a greater chance for success if everyone is on board with using the same words.

 The way dogs learn is by repeating techniques and being rewarded. You need to make sure your dog understands what the expected behavior is, be consistent in your expectations and practice the behaviors daily. This is the correct way for a dog to learn a trick. You have to show them with plenty of repetition and rewards.

 A consistent schedule of feeding and potty-time is very important when house training your dog. By establishing a regular potty-time every day, you will get your dog in the habit of doing his business at the same time daily. Sticking to a schedule will teach your dog how to control himself until his next scheduled potty break.

 Training should be fun for your dog. Only train your dog in ten to fifteen minute sessions. A dog has a limited attention span so any longer will cause him or her to become bored. Be sure to provide rewards often, and give different treats from time to time. You should lavish praises on your dog for following your instructions. The more enjoyable training is for your dog, the more he will look forward to it!

 When it comes to training your dog, never give up. Dogs need consistent reinforcement in what you have taught them so they remember the good behaviors and dont revert back to their old, disobedient ways they had before training. Training never ends. It is an important part of taking care of your dog.

 Limit the duration of training sessions. A long, uninterrupted training period is going to exhaust your dogs attention. Start off with individual training periods of no more than 10 minutes.

 Mentally stimulate your dog if you want it to be healthy and happy. Among some of the best things for your dog are plenty of strolls in the neighborhood, chew toys and rawhide bones. If your dog gets bored, chances are he will find a way to stay busy, and you probably wont like what he chooses.

 To help you train your dog you should know what kinds of foods your dog likes to eat. Since these will be the rewards for good behavior when you are training the dog, it should be something that really motivates him. Make note of your dogs reaction when the reward is offered.

 Dogs that have trouble with separation anxiety need to develop stronger relationships with others in your household. Allowing the dog to establish relationships with new people will lessen its dependence on the owner.

 A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 You should be able to have a clean home and a loving dog. While a dog can cause quite a bit of destruction, and make a mess in your home, proper dog training will alleviate most of these issues. Take advantage of the tips mentioned here, and you will be rewarded with a peaceful environment and a loving dog..

Read more

Help During the Grieving Process With the Loss of a Beloved Pet

21.12 in a, beloved, Dog, during, grieving, help, loss, of, pet, process, the, with

My friend Colleen Mihelich is an animal lover and pet loss expert who founded Peternity - a company dedicated to helping others celebrate the life and love of their furry friends. She also has the wonderful and informative Peternity blog, where she offers heartfelt stories, along with enlightening guidance on how to cope when you do lose a beloved pet. I know I dread the day, but I am comforted knowing she will be there for me if and when that day comes.

One of her latest posts was on Pet Loss Tips for Getting Through the Holidays. A few pet loss grieving tips she talked about were:

• How to spend your time.
• How to help others while helping yourself grieve.
• How to honor your pet.
• How to deal with your emotions.

After reading through the content, Id say one can use this information any time of the year - although, I know the holidays can be quite tough - especially since our non-human family members mean so much to us.

To read more about pet grieving tips from Colleen, please click here to see the Peternity blog post - You can also check out her Peternity website to share, heal, and help - both yourself and others.

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A Few Key Tips To Help Train Your Dog Fom Expert

01.38 in a, Dog, expert, few, fom, help, key, tips, to, train, your

A dog can be trained to stop negative behavior such as growling and barking. The information ahead will allow for not only correcting, but hopefully removing these bad habits as well. If you train your dog correctly, he or she will be the ideal pet.

Learn alternatives to treats as positive reinforcement when training your dog. You will find that treats do work. However, most people dont carry treats in their pockets 24/7. Learning to give praise or attention in the way of patting and hugging is a great way to reinforce good behavior, and can be a treat replacement.



 Dogs should always feel safe and secure while training them. When a dog is insecure about their safety, they could lash out with bad behavior. So this doesnt happen, make sure your dog is always safe.

 If you want to teach your pet to use a crate, first try these simple tricks. If your dog does not want to go into the crate but one of his favorite toys inside and close the door. They will want to get to the bone, which means going into the crate. When they go inside to get the bone, give them lots of positive reinforcement.

 It is important to avoid dwelling on one task for too long. Your dog is going to get bored doing the same thing over and over. This is why you need to limit the time of your training sessions to around 10 minutes.

 Give your puppy some toys to chew on so they do not hurt while teething, keep other things they might want to chew on out of their reach! Give it one of his toys instead. A wet frozen washcloth is great for a puppy, who has teething pain, to chew on.

 If you have to go to work, or something else that will keep you out of the house for more than a few hours, take your dog for a long walk before you leave. Wearing them out helps them deal with the anxiety they feel when youre gone.

 Your dogs diet should be healthy and balanced. Too many table scraps can unbalance your dogs diet. Not only does it affect the dogs health, but it can have an impact on its behavior. Simply improving their diet may have a bigger impact on how they respond to training.

 Keep count of the number of treats you feed your dog because you do not want him or her to get fat. It is easy to forget about treats when you consider how much you are feeding your dog. This can happen especially when you are training him.

 Depending on the personalities of your dogs, it may not be possible to train them at the same time. If your dogs fight or goof off instead of paying attention, it may be wise to do a bit of one-on-one training before training them together.

 Try a phrase that you will stick with to train your puppy when you are house breaking him or her. Use the same word or phrase each time you bring him out to go to the bathroom so that he understands what you want him to do and makes a memory link between the phrase and the act.

 While training your dog, make sure both of you are having fun. Taking some time to have fun with your dog makes your dog like you more, which means fewer problems when training him. Having fun with your dog during training is one thing, but playing and having fun with your dog outside of training is also necessary.

 You can train most forms of anxiety out of your dog. It is quite possible that if your dog frequently barks unceasingly or damages your belongings when you leave, he or she is actually suffering from separation anxiety. You can train your dog on acceptable behaviors that can be applied while you are gone. Also, give your dog lots of love, and show compassion to make him feel at ease.

 If you have to keep your dogs outside, never tie them up too close to one another. The chain of one dog could become wrapped around the other and, as the dogs struggle to free themselves, one or both could be injured. Particularly in the case of a large dog and a small dog, the animals may get so tangled that the smaller dog has his airway cut off and dies.

 If you are bringing a new pet into the family, make sure to introduce them to any existing pets slowly. Dont adopt a new pet without considering the temperament of your current pet or pets. In order to maximize bonding, a new pet will need a personality which complements the personality of the pet you already have.

 Use high-value treats when training for the best results. Cheese or hotdog pieces can be very effective because they are not something your dog usually gets.

 If you will be away from home for any length of time, such as going to work, then you need to make certain you take your dog on a long walk before you leave. Not only do you want your dog to relieve himself, but you also want to make him tired so he relaxes and doesnt suffer from anxiety while youre gone.

 As with most things, and this goes with dog training as well, dont ever give up. Dogs need consistent reinforcement in what you have taught them so they remember the good behaviors and dont revert back to their old, disobedient ways they had before training. Training never ends. It is an important part of taking care of your dog.

 Do not tie a couple of dogs closely together. The dogs could get wrapped up and they may be injured. If one dog happens to be much larger than the other, the small dog could get tangled to the point that it could choke to death.

 A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 Now that you have received the helpful advice in this article, you should now be aware how easy it is to train your dog. With patience and a little research, you can train your dog. The right training can help every dog thrive and be well behaved..

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One Way To Help Improve Impulse Control

08.12 in control, Dog, help, improve, impulse, one, to, way

How do we improve Impulse Control? 

Ask the dog to do things to recieve rewards

One way we can increase impulse control by asking our dogs to work harder for things they value. We give our requests meaning and consequences that our dogs can easily relate to and understand. We do this by asking them toearnall those daily rewards we so often provide for free.

This is a very important part of your behaviour modification program as it will provide a solid foundation for training. The idea of this is to change your relationship with your dog. It promotes you as a provider of resources and gains your dogs respect and trust without using any force or aggression on your part.

To implement this you need to be in control of all the things that are important to the dog, such as food, toys and your attention. Your attention is very important and valuable – dogs are social animals, and soon learn what works to get your attention. If done correctly you should find yourself giving your dog just as much attention (if not alot more) than you do now.

To get started with you should first make a list of rewards you provide your dog with a regular basis. Rewards can be anything your dog enjoys. Once this list is complete all you need to do is require that your dog do something for you beforeyou provide those Rewards – examples are provided below.

Note: When starting this new way of life it is easy to miss opportunities to use, I always suggest posting the Rewards list up on the fridge or some other convenient location where it can serve as a reminder and easy reference guide. It’s also a good idea to get everyone in your home to change how they do things so your dog gets lots of practice while learning that everyone’s requests are relevant.

Examples of Rewards:

Food and Meals
Before you put the bowl down, have your dog follow a few simple obedience commands. Ask your dog to wait before giving the "ok" to eat. If your dog tries to dive on the bowl before you give the release, simply pick up the bowl and start over. When your dog stops eating and walks away from the bowl, pick up any remaining food and dispose of it. Establish set meal times, where he eats and how much he gets. Dogs that arent given the opportunity to work to earn their living (their food) may see no reason to work for food at any time because they have access to what they want without any conditions at all. If your dog fails to sit when asked before you put his dinner down wait until he does before the dinner is presented or if he walks away without eating, quietly put his food away until the next regularly scheduled meal.  Its completely up to him whether he eats or not--dont try to convince him. Let him discover where his own best interests lie! Of couse you do need to check that your dog is in good health and likes the food you are presenting him with too.

Remember that all your dog’s food including treats actually belong to you. So, as you would for a child, ask the dog to say “please” before he is given his food, or indeed any treats. You can do this by asking him to “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “shake paws”, or any other command that he knows, or you want to teach him. The important thing is that your dog learns to earn all rewards. It’s amazing how quickly dogs learn a whole repertoire of tricks when their access to treats depends on it! It is of course very important that the rewards are not provided totally for free at anytime, giving you eye contact and other attention based behaviours are all suitable.

Toys and Games
The games you play can install control, build confidence and establish strong bonds, or un-do much of the hard work youve done in training. Dogs that push toys at you, demanding that you play now or all the time are learning to attention seek on their own terms and are often learning and being rewarded for inappropriate behaviours. Chose which behaviours you are going to reward the dog for and which behaviours you are going to ignore.

Just by being in control of a vital“resource”, like the toys, will increase your value in the eyes of your dog. You can select toys to give to the dog when you wish (i.e. for performing a good behaviour), and put them away again when you want to (i.e. for performing an unwanted behaviour). You will probably find that your dog will actually be more enthusiastic about his toys when you start this rule. As you know yourself, things that you can’t have all the time are more exciting than things that are available all the time. A holiday in Barbados wouldn’t be so exciting if you went there every month.

Put favourite toys away and bring them out when you want to play or use them as a reward for the performance of a good behaviour, especially if you have asked your dog to earn it.

You’re Attention, Petting and Playing
This is the resource that most people forget to control, and it is also often the resource that the dogs want most! Dogs are social animals, and your attention is very important to them. It is important to remember that your attention, along with all other important resources such as food and toys, also belongs to you. It should be you who decides when to give it, and when to take it away. There are no restrictions at all as to how many times you interact with your dog during the day – in fact the more times the better, but, it is important that you have chosen the behaviours you are going to give attention for and which ones you will withdraw your attendtion because of or simply ignore. 

If your dog comes to you to ask for attention at other times and his methods are inappropriate (i.e. jumping up), he must be ignored. This includes eye contact. Although it is sometimes nice that your dog comes up to say“hello”, for those dogs that are chronically attention seeking or value their owners very little, it is important that such behaviour is ignored in order for the dog to learn the new “you need to earn that” rule. To start with when you ignore his or her advances, you will find that your dog’s response may be to try harder! Your dog has always had a response from you, and now doesn’t get it. This is rather frustrating for the dog, who will do its particular “attention seeking” behaviour more, or even new behaviours in order to try to get your attention. This can be very, very difficult to ignore, but it must be ignored for the message to get through! Once he or she has given up, and left you alone, or offered a more appropriate behaviour call him or her back, and give your dog lots of attention and cuddles. It is important to remember that this is not a ‘no attention’ way of life, but an ‘owner in control of attention’ way of life.

It is also important that the dog does not feel punished or scorned, thus we must offer the dog lots of opportunities to earn our attention – should your dog decide not to take up your offer by earning it then of course the offer is withdrawn for a later time but must be re offered i.e. The dog walks up to you in hope of attention you ask for a sit and if the dog does you play and cuddle the dog – if the dog does not you walk off, later you try the ‘sit’ again and reward if the dog succeeds.

The Golden Rule –Your dog should have a basic understanding of a command BEFORE you use these rewards for training. If, after three tries, your dog fails to successfully complete the exercise you should lower your criteria or ask for a different behaviour.

Rights of access.

These can include walks, car rides, providing a spot on the sofa or bed, going in or out of the house, greeting dogs or people, off-leash exercise off your property, going in to your office or place of work with you etc.

You get to decide who comes and goes at your property, whos accepted and who isnt at your property. Who you will allow your dog to greet and who you will not allow your dog to greet. What behaviours your dog has to perform to achieve some of these rewards. For safety as well as control, establish the habit of sitting and waiting for permission and being rewarded by the privilege of going in or out of the house or car. Your dog should learn to ask for permission for these privileges, this again in turn will make your bond stronger but also increase the value of your permission or requests to your dog.

Add anything else your dog enjoys to the list of rewards – make a list keep it somewhere everyone will regularly see it. You may also wish to have a reminder note stating that almost everything must be earned by the dog.

Examples of how you could incorporate this program in to everyday life:

Call your dog to ‘come’ before providing play, walks or meals. If your dog doesn’t comply go much nearer your dog, gently and kindly guide your dog to you even if it is using a lead at first to enable your dog to succeed but also not ignore you, then release (this means give the dog permission to leave). Do not act angry or disappointed as you approach your dog, this will only build negative associations with the command and reduce the likelihood of your dog coming to you in the future. Now try the exercise again. Do your best to set your dog up for success this time by ensuring he is not too distracted or too far away and be sure to say ‘come’ in an upbeat manner. If you associate the word ‘come’ with wonderful rewards on a regular basis you will be well on your way to developing a strong recall.

While preparing your dogs meal and before setting the food bowl down ask for a‘sit-stay’. If your dog breaks the stay put the food up on the counter for a minute and try again. He should not be allowed to go for the bowl till you give the release command ‘okay’ and/or tell him to ‘take it’.

Ask your dog to ‘sit-stay’ while putting the leash on. If your dog doesn’t hold the‘stay’ as you put the leash on, put the leash back up for a minute and try again.

Before taking your dog through doors (or gates) ask for a ‘wait’ a few feet from the door. Slowly open the door and take a step out before releasing your dog. If your dog breaks the ‘wait’ at any point in this process close the door, making sure all your dogs body parts are clear of the door and start over. Make sure a leash is on your dog when doing this exercise if there is any chance they could escape your property.

Show your dog you have a toy and ask for a ‘down’ before initiating play. If your dog goes into the ‘down’ let the games begin! If your dog does not lie down put the toy away for a minute then try again. Take breaks often during play time and ask for other behaviours before continuing play.

Ask your dog to ‘heel’ then provide loose leash or off-leash (depending on recall) time as reward for a job well done.

Ask your dog for any behaviour while out walking. If your dog fails to comply, say the command again ensuring that you have your dog’s attention and stand perfectly still until he complies, then start the walk again.

Ask your dog for a ‘watch me’ before providing access to the garden or greeting a dog. Walk away for failure to comply, then re-approach and try again.

Here’s some good practice for those avid jumpers - ask your dog to ‘sit-stay’ when greeting new people. Ask people not to pet your dog until he does so. You may also want to hold the leash or collar to ensure your dog can’t jump and make contact, thus self rewarding with your or others reactions. Practice this enough and your dog will start to automatically ‘sit’ when people approach. Make sure the sit is rewarded with attention or other reward.

If your dog politely requests attention ask for a ‘sit’ before providing that attention. If your dog demands attention - ignore it. Demanding attention = regular and/or persistent solicitation for your attention.

Call him and do a short training session, feed him his daily rations in small instalments for work sessions many times a day. The goal is to have a dog that comes running and is willing and compliant to your requests!

If your dog has learned other obedience commands or tricks be sure to incorporate those as well.

Rules for everyday life

· Your dog should have a basic understanding of a command BEFORE you use these rewards for training. If, after three tries, your dog fails to successfully complete the exercise you should lower your criteria or ask for a different behaviour.

· The other rule that we mentioned, which is also useful to remember when teaching your dog new commands or tricks, is to “reward behaviours that you want, and ignore behaviours that you don’t want”. Following this rule will mean that behaviours that you want will become more frequent, and other behaviours will decrease in frequency.

· Be consistent.

· The whole family must agree and enforce all rules. Dont make exceptions to your rules; your dog needs a clear and consistent message, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Eventually, your dog will be eagerly awaiting your requests because they have come to predict good things; this will make all other behavioural or obedience training much easier. This also balances many unhealthy dog / handler relationships.

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Help Ashlyn awesome young trainer fulfill her dream!

17.40 in ashlyn, awesome, Dog, dream, fulfill, help, her, trainer, young

16 years old and already a compassionate and  awesome trainer!  Vote 5 stars!

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Great Key Tips To Help Train Your Dog

10.07 in Dog, great, help, key, tips, to, train, your

A dog can be trained to stop negative behavior such as growling and barking. The information ahead will allow for not only correcting, but hopefully removing these bad habits as well. If you train your dog correctly, he or she will be the ideal pet.

Learn alternatives to treats as positive reinforcement when training your dog. You will find that treats do work. However, most people dont carry treats in their pockets 24/7. Learning to give praise or attention in the way of patting and hugging is a great way to reinforce good behavior, and can be a treat replacement.



 Dogs should always feel safe and secure while training them. When a dog is insecure about their safety, they could lash out with bad behavior. So this doesnt happen, make sure your dog is always safe.

 If you want to teach your pet to use a crate, first try these simple tricks. If your dog does not want to go into the crate but one of his favorite toys inside and close the door. They will want to get to the bone, which means going into the crate. When they go inside to get the bone, give them lots of positive reinforcement.

 It is important to avoid dwelling on one task for too long. Your dog is going to get bored doing the same thing over and over. This is why you need to limit the time of your training sessions to around 10 minutes.

 Give your puppy some toys to chew on so they do not hurt while teething, keep other things they might want to chew on out of their reach! Give it one of his toys instead. A wet frozen washcloth is great for a puppy, who has teething pain, to chew on.

 If you have to go to work, or something else that will keep you out of the house for more than a few hours, take your dog for a long walk before you leave. Wearing them out helps them deal with the anxiety they feel when youre gone.

 Your dogs diet should be healthy and balanced. Too many table scraps can unbalance your dogs diet. Not only does it affect the dogs health, but it can have an impact on its behavior. Simply improving their diet may have a bigger impact on how they respond to training.

 Keep count of the number of treats you feed your dog because you do not want him or her to get fat. It is easy to forget about treats when you consider how much you are feeding your dog. This can happen especially when you are training him.

 Depending on the personalities of your dogs, it may not be possible to train them at the same time. If your dogs fight or goof off instead of paying attention, it may be wise to do a bit of one-on-one training before training them together.

 Try a phrase that you will stick with to train your puppy when you are house breaking him or her. Use the same word or phrase each time you bring him out to go to the bathroom so that he understands what you want him to do and makes a memory link between the phrase and the act.

 While training your dog, make sure both of you are having fun. Taking some time to have fun with your dog makes your dog like you more, which means fewer problems when training him. Having fun with your dog during training is one thing, but playing and having fun with your dog outside of training is also necessary.

 You can train most forms of anxiety out of your dog. It is quite possible that if your dog frequently barks unceasingly or damages your belongings when you leave, he or she is actually suffering from separation anxiety. You can train your dog on acceptable behaviors that can be applied while you are gone. Also, give your dog lots of love, and show compassion to make him feel at ease.

 If you have to keep your dogs outside, never tie them up too close to one another. The chain of one dog could become wrapped around the other and, as the dogs struggle to free themselves, one or both could be injured. Particularly in the case of a large dog and a small dog, the animals may get so tangled that the smaller dog has his airway cut off and dies.

 If you are bringing a new pet into the family, make sure to introduce them to any existing pets slowly. Dont adopt a new pet without considering the temperament of your current pet or pets. In order to maximize bonding, a new pet will need a personality which complements the personality of the pet you already have.

 Use high-value treats when training for the best results. Cheese or hotdog pieces can be very effective because they are not something your dog usually gets.

 Use your dogs name when you can, as it will help to get your dog to pay attention. By using it as much as possible during the first weeks you own him, your puppy will learn that this sound is in reference to him. Choose a short name that is easily recognizable from other words.

 To help you train your dog you should know what kinds of foods your dog likes to eat. Since these will be the rewards for good behavior when you are training the dog, it should be something that really motivates him. Make note of your dogs reaction when the reward is offered.

 Do not tie a couple of dogs closely together. The dogs could get wrapped up and they may be injured. If one dog happens to be much larger than the other, the small dog could get tangled to the point that it could choke to death.

 A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 Now that you have received the helpful advice in this article, you should now be aware how easy it is to train your dog. With patience and a little research, you can train your dog. The right training can help every dog thrive and be well behaved..

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Dog Bully Behavior How to help protect your dog from getting picked on

03.24 in behavior, bully, Dog, from, getting, help, how, on, picked, protect, to, your

I recently wrote about this situation in my weekly doggie advice column on the Noozhawk. "Anxious in Austin" has a cocker spaniel that seemed to be terrorized by the neighbor’s "nightmare of a Pomeranian". When situations like this arise, it is important to be able to recognize appropriate dog play…

Venture to any off-leash dog arena and these are the types of behaviors you’ll likely see being displayed: 

• dogs chasing after other dogs 
• dogs being chased
• mouthing
• nipping
• tugging
• chest banging
• pinning
• wrestling
• rolling
• mounting 

But when it’s “play,” it’s reciprocal and consensual! Those are a couple key factors! Reciprocal and consensual! Other notable elements of proper play are:

• Big, inefficient movements amongst all involved. Think “Three Stooges” versus Muhammad Ali. 
• Self-interruption: One dog will stop for a second or two to take a break, others follow by taking a break as well. 
• Good “listening” skills: If one dog no longer wants to play, they will communicate as such, and the other dog will comply and go in search of another playmate. 

When dogs arent exhibiting healthy dog play behaviors, there are several things you, as a responsibly aware dog guardian can do. 

The goal: to help your dog build trust and self-confidence. You can easily do this by rewarding your dog for being brave. EX: your dog looks at, approaches gently, or investigates another dog, he or she gets a yummy food reward, and lots of "cheerleading happy talk". You can also reward with food and praise if another dog approaches your dog to say *hi*. This is similar to encouraging young children to make new friends. As humans we use encouraging verbal language and praise to help children deal with shyness and novel experiences. We can do the same for our pet dogs too. Through food, your dog learns to trust, while making positive associations with other dogs they meet. 

Additional techniques that may come in handy…

• Manage your environment or “avoid” if necessary: This is for when you don’t have the right kind of rewards handy, you don’t have the time to train, or you just don’t feel like dealing with the situation. 
• Come up with your best “spin”: “I’m so sorry, I’m running late today and don’t have time to stop. How about another time?” “Oh geez, wouldn’t you know it, I’ve only got a couple of minutes to get my dog exercise, so I’m gonna have to take a rain check. Thanks though!” 
• And with the convenience of modern gadgets, you can always be tied up on the phone, or even pretend to be on the phone - just make sure the ringers off so you don’t get a call while you’re faking it. I know, it’s a white lie, not very ethical. But hey, you’re doing it to protect your family and your sanity! 
• In the case with "Austin", maintain a friendly relationship between you and your neighbor: You can use some of the same techniques with your neighbor’s dog too. Bring a basket of muffins for your neighbor, and treats for both dogs. You can reward the Pom for being nice towards your dog, while continuing the treat plan with your Cocker. If the Pom begins to “act up” the rewards stop, and you suddenly remember you have to leave. You can also explain to your neighbor that you’re trying to help your dog overcome her shyness. Many people love to help and feel needed, so it’s a good time to fill her in on your plan and ask for assistance.
• Dog training classes and doggy socials: even for dogs that are already trained, getting into classes helps build up or maintain trained skills, but also helps to keep dogs socialized. Sometimes classes are the only time dogs get to be around other dogs. 

It’s important to be consistent when helping your dog learn to successfully conquer difficult situations. With a little patience, understanding, and time, even the shyest of dogs can make new friends, eventually leading to lots of play-dates!

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