Splash and Tug train some GSD pups

09.56 in a, and, are, behaviors, Dog, gsd, like, notes, on, piano, pups, some, splash, train, tug

Splash and Tug teach Bella and Bear that hanging out with other dogs can not only be fun but also relaxing

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Behaviors Are Like Notes on a Piano

10.58 in 4, a, are, art, behaviors, Dog, dogging, dvds, like, notes, of, on, piano, set, the, trick

“Think of your dog’s repertoire of behaviors as keys on a piano. To create variety you will need to play songs of different length, tempo, and tune- Never play the same song repetitively. Never play all the notes just because they are there!”- kikopup

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Available information on training dogs

12.12 in available, Dog, dogs, information, on, training

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.

 Large dogs that prefer to lie down on their backs or stretch, out should have a big bed to get comfortable in. Large, flat rectangle beds are made for large dogs. You can also get a little creative, and just buy a mattress made for a babys crib. Simply utilize fitted crib sheets to cover it. They can be removed and washed very easily. These mattresses are usually waterproof also.

 Use dog treats that are tasty for your dog, and are of high value in order to obtain great results. Since these treats will be handed out sparingly, it should not matter too much if they are usually off limit items.

 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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To find advice on training your dog

11.08 in advice, Dog, find, on, to, training, your

It is very common in households around the world to incorporate dogs and other domestic animals into the family home. Young animals like puppies are known for being mischievous and sometimes destructive. Review this article to find advice on training your dog.

It is vitally important that your dog is treated in the same manner, given the same commands and rewarded similarly by every member of your family. This is the only way to ensure the training sticks. Consistent methods is your best bet to get your dog to remember something. Make sure that everyone who trains your dog does it in the same manner as you in order to avoid confusion.



 Everyone in the family should follow the same rules when addressing your dog. For example, if your dog were to jump on the table and you say "off!" but another family member says "get down!", these conflicting commands will just confuse the dog. Having everyone on the same page when it comes to command usage will make training much easier, more successful and be far more pleasant for your dog.

 A large breed dog needs a large dog bed to be comfortable. You can buy a large bed for your large-breed dog, or even get a crib mattress to use as your dogs bed. These are advantageous for the fact that you are able to regularly change the cover by using crib sheets. Another good thing is that crib mattresses have a moisture-proof cover.

 If hiring an animal behavior professional is something you are considering, make sure to learn as much about them as you can. Also it is important to find out is their chosen methods for animal training. You may not be comfortable with some techniques and you can request that they not be used with your dog.

 Dogs should never be tied up close to each other. This is due to the fact that they could become tangled in each others cords and end up injuring themselves when trying to get free. It can even be fatal if you tie a large dog up with a small dog, and the large dog ends up getting a chain wrapped around the small dogs neck.

 Its important that your dog enjoy training and look forward to training sessions. Keep in mind that your dog does not have an attention span that goes beyond fifteen minutes. Be generous when it is time to reward! Give your dog plenty of praise and affection for his hard work and efforts. You and your dog should both enjoy training.

 Teaching your dog to not tug and pull when on his leash is an important part of his training. Think of the leash as a safety requirement.

 Positively encourage your dog without using treats. Using food is an effective and popular way to train dogs. You probably do not carry treats with you 365 days a year when you are not in an "official" training session. Start using praise and extra attention, hugging and patting, when your dog displays a positive behavior.

 When you begin training your dog, you should be aware of what his favorite foods are. Since these will be the rewards for good behavior when you are training the dog, it should be something that really motivates him. Take note of how your dog responds when he is given his reward.

 Its important to try out different treats and foods with your dog to find what his favorite is. Rewarding him with his favorite treat will be much more satisfying and motivate him to better performance in training. Make sure you pay attention to how he responds when you offer him this reward.

 Most dogs have anxiety as a reason for chewing. Putting your dog in his crate with a chew toy will reduce the chance of destructive events and give him something to do while he waits for you.

 Scold your puppy for chewing your belongings right away. Eventually, the puppy will come to understand which items he is allowed to chew. In addition, he will learn not to chew unacceptable items even if hes left unattended.

 Try training your dog to grab a toy and keep it in his mouth. When you see him mouth a toy, give him a reward or treat and use a clicker. After a few tries you should allow the dog to pick up the toy on his own. When he does, just click and then give a reward. After this, you should only reward your dog after he holds the toy in his mouth.

 Whenever you are teaching a dog a multi-step task, reduce it to a series of smaller tasks. This includes tricks like training your dog to retrieve your newspaper. He will first need to learn how to hold onto something. Then he should be taught to recognize that item by name. The next thing he should be taught is how to pick objects up. Finally, your dog should learn to bring an object to you on command. Breaking it down in this manner allows your dog to understand better.

 It is critical that you teach your dog the difference between correct and incorrect behaviors. Everyone who lives with your dog will have to undertake the same behavior for him to learn from your training. This can undo any progress you have made.

 Dogs need routine, so feed your dog at the same time every day. This also helps with training. This will help you better understand when your dog needs to go outside, so he doesnt go on the carpet and ruin it. When a dog has a schedule, they also learn the valuable skill of "holding it" until you take him for his next scheduled trip outside.

 It is important to take your dog on a rather long walk if you plan on being gone for several hours. If you play with your dogs and exhaust them, it helps the dogs handle the anxiety they may feel from being separated from you when you leave.

 Above all else, consistency is the key to effective dog training. Write down the specific commands you want to use with your dog, and get everyone in your household to review the list and use the same words. Also, make sure everyone knows what behavior should be rewarded, and what is considered bad behavior. If different people are responding differently with the dog, it will make training difficult and confuse the dog.

 If you have to keep your dogs outside, never tie them up too close to one another. If there chains become entangled with one another it could lead to an injury. This is especially dangerous if one dog is larger than the other, as it could use its superior size to maneuver the other dog into a dangerous position.

 When you get your puppy, be sure to create a bond to him by helping him learn his name. Repeat his name regularly, so he will learn to come to you when he hears it. These should be the primary words your dog needs to learn. Spending a lot of time interacting and playing with your puppy is the best way to establish a bond of love and trust. This will make him easier to train later.

 You should be able to have a clean home and a loving dog. It is easier to love and care for an obedient, well-behaved dog, so investing some time and effort in your training process is a great idea. These hot tips will make the story of you and your dog one that ends happily ever after.

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Halloween Cometh! And Kikopup is working on a new video

15.12 in a, and, cometh, decorations, Dog, halloween, is, kikopup, new, of, on, scared, video, working, your

We are shooting Kiko, Splash, Tug and Trisch while they act in "Halloween 3" today. Im really excited to start getting it edited!

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Walking Your Dog on Leash Doesnt Have to Be a Huge Production

17.00 in a, be, doesnt, Dog, have, huge, leash, on, production, to, walking, your

"My dog pulls like a maniac when I walk him on leash!" "My dog barks at everything when were out walking." "My dog wants to pull me down the street whenever she sees something run by - even a leaf!"

These comments are just a few examples of what I hear every day from various dog owners. Whether it be attendees in my dog training classes, my private dog training clients, or those who have written in to the dog behavior advice column Poncho and I write for, everyone seems to be in the same leash-pulling-boat.

As Ive said in other posts about walking dogs on leash: "Dogs werent born knowing how to walk on leash. And us humans werent born knowing how to use one." Then why is it we think we can just leash up our dogs and head right out the door into a world that, to our pet dogs, is probably more like an amusement park than anything else, and think they would understand exactly what we want? To me, a certified professional dog trainer, this is one of those "unrealistic expectations" kinda moments. Leash walking is an art, a science, and definitely an act that requires practice! And just like any new skill, its best to start out slow and simple, and then build as you (and your dog) progress along.

I like to break down the leash walking behavior I teach my dog training students into three sections.

• First and foremost: Reward what you want!!!! If you want your dog walking next to you, then reward him or her with yummy treats while they are next to you. Lure your dog into position and reward them. Its that simple.
• STOP! If and when your dog does pull, stop dead in your tracks! They will soon learn that pulling gets them nowhere, but walking next to you gets them yummy treats and walkies.
• Use your dogs environmental motivators as rewards! Okay, remember, our dogs walkies should be about them, and not always about us. They want to sniff? Mark? Say hello to another person or dog? Roll in something dead? Well shoot, use that to your advantage. Ask for a "sit" or "Watch me", then allow them to go and do their doggy thing. It doesnt always have to be about food.

Establishing boundaries to avoid doing a face-plant into the sidewalk makes for a nice outing, for both you and your dog.

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Dog Behavior Down on the Farm Causes Issues With Owners

13.47 in behavior, causes, Dog, down, farm, issues, on, owners, the, with

My sidekick Poncho the dog and I received a dog behavior advice question from an inquisitive canine named Kia. This lucky dog lives on a lovely coffee farm in Hawaii where, in addition to the coffee, there are avocado trees and wild pigs.

Seems these environmental conditions have resulted in plentiful amounts of avocados for Kia to hunt and dine on, as well as piles of pig poop to roll in. Poncho, being an inquisitive canine, confirmed that this is the ideal place for a dog! I mean, how much fun is it to have your own "entertainment center" (aka: enrichment) right outside your front door? Snacks and one doggone fun activity such as rolling in nasty stinky stuff.

As you can see from these photos, Poncho likes to "rock n roll"

too! Maybe because hes smaller and easy for me to bathe I allow him to roll in whatever he finds appealing - as a matter of fact Ill use it as a reward if I can! I call these "environmental rewards" or "real life" rewards.

For instance when were out on a walk he sees something interesting and starts showing signs of wanting to roll. For Poncho this includes: lots of sniffing, followed by scratching the area with one of his front paws, more sniffing, scratching, then rubbing the side of his face against the surface. If he likes what hes "sensing" then he starts his rolling....

If hes on leash Ill ask for a behavior first, like "watch me", sit or "touch" - then Ill send him off to roll, after Ive given him his release cue of "okay". This allows Poncho to be a dog, but still minding his loose leash walking manners - as opposed to just pulling me wherever he wants.

The guardians of Kia can use this same training plan. Allow Kia to roll in the pig poop, but only when shes been given the cue to do so. (And shes had clearance from her veterinarian that its okay to roll in that stuff).

A few other training tips for both the rolling and avocado issue Id recommend are:

• Reward Kia every time she ignores an avocado or pile of stench. And I mean reward! More than just a “Good dog!” Set it up where you are actively walking Kia near to where these items are, and whenever she looks at one and ignores it, throw a party!
• If she goes towards either of these items, use the “Leave it!” cue, lure her away from whichever item you want her to ignore, then reward her.
• If Kia decides the item in question is more motivating, give her a “Time out!” penalty - put her on leash for 20 seconds or so. But then let her off leash so you can give her another chance to make the preferred choice.

Lastly, management of a dogs environment is key when setting him or her up for success! A farm filled with a bounty of avocados and piles of stinky stuff to roll in is an ideal place for total fun! Its unfair of us to expect they wouldnt want to go and explore, so we need to take the time to teach our dogs what we want in a way that he or she would understand.

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Pet365s nice post on Dog Development

14.46 in 3, attention, building, development, Dog, game, nice, on, pet365s, post

Dog Development graphic created by Pet365 - a UK stockist of stunning dog beds and brands like Hamish McBeth. Click here to view the full post.

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On a Personal Non Doggy Note

14.26 in a, Dog, doggy, non, note, on, personal

Those of you that have known me for a while are probably aware that I have a "bad hip."  A real bummer for anyone, let alone a dog trainer.  I have been plauged with hip pain on my right side ever since Ethan was born four and a half years ago.  Since arriving in Oregon (and making use of the health benefits that come with my husband Kyles job at Oregon Health and Science University), I have been seeing an entire team of doctors, all working to get me in better shape.  The bad news is that I seem to be worse than ever right now, but the good news is that orthopedist Dr. Andrea Herzka, along with the others treating me, think that a (second) surgery has a decent (60-75%) chance of "fixing" me. 

Gulp - under the knife again!  I go in for the procedure on January 4th, followed by 3 to 6+ weeks of recovery, determined by what the surgeon discovers and fixes while Im under.  We are blessed to have my mother, Jane Babbitt, flying out from Maine for the entire month of January to help with cooking, cleaning and taking care of Ethan.  Hopefully this will be a successful surgery, an easy recovery and a full resolution.  I am already looking forward to the chance to once again go for hikes with my family, run agility courses with Pistol and Apple, and in general lead an active, pain-free life.  Your prayers and good thoughts are welcome!

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Article on Progressive Reinforcement in Dutch Dog Mag

09.15 in article, Dog, dutch, dvd, in, mag, on, progressive, reinforcement, released, seminar

Last month an article written on Progressive Reinforcement Training by Esther Teunissen was published in Me & My Dog. I am very pleased to see interest in Progressive Reinforcement growing!

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Is your dog scared of Halloween decorations

09.29 in decorations, development, Dog, halloween, is, nice, of, on, pet365s, post, scared, your

This video shows how you can teach your dog the game "go check it out" to build your dogs confidence around weird things- such as halloween lawn decorations

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Dog Training and Coaching Tips Blog is on the Move

23.10 in and, blog, coaching, Dog, is, move, on, the, tips, training

Hello fellow inquisitive canines and inquisitive guardians!

Its official! My sidekick Poncho and I have completed the Great Blog Migration over to our newly updated www.inquisitivecanine.com website. This means that:

1. Poncho and I have joined blog forces! We get to have more meetings together, but come on, thats a total perk, right?
2. Poncho and I will be updating our blog directly on our own site.
3. I won’t be updating posts on this Blogger site any longer.

What does this mean for you? Simple. All you have to do is point your browsers to the new site: www.inquisitivecanine.com/blog where you can read our posts while being able to hang out directly on our home website. Very convenient I must say!

Also – if you subscribe to this via RSS, the new feed is here:
http://www.inquisitivecanine.com/feed/

If you receive updates via email, please subscribe at the new blog address:
www.inquisitivecanine.com/blog

And please change all bookmarks to:
www.inquisitivecanine.com/blog

In addition to the new blog address, we also have some really exciting changes to our dog training offerings - We hope you’ll check out our new services and products for enhancing your everyday relationship with your dog.

Thanks for reading my dog training tips blog. I always enjoy your comments and support. Oh, and if you think your friends and their inquisitive canines would enjoy reading and sharing, please feel free to forward it on. Well look forward to seeing you on our new site!

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Taking Your Dogs Meal on the Road is a Win Win For All

22.57 in a, all, Dog, dogs, for, is, meal, on, road, taking, the, win, your

Ive been taking Poncho out to Kimball Park and the Ventura State Beach a lot lately, training him to run for longer periods of time while on leash... Yes, running for a sustained period of time is new for Poncho the dog... no "marking or sniffing", just exercise... 

Trust me, being a dog trainer I know I need to fulfill Ponchos dogginess, Im not a tyrant. I make sure I take him on separate outings for sniffing, marking, chasing things, and rolling in dead stinky stuff etc... But for the running/exercise part, its all about training those slow-twitch fibers...keeping his heart-rate up, and getting his yah-yahs out so hell want to relax at home, and have better concentration for when he sits at his computer and blogs. 

What I have found to be quite unsettling is that it seems Im the only doggy guardian out there using any kind of food rewards for rewarding those behaviors I want! For a dog, I would think going outside into the big beautiful world is like going to Disneyland! And if I want to keep Poncho motivated to run with this old slowpoke, vs romping and playing like a dog...then Im more than happy to pull out the leftover lunch meat. Not tons of it mind you, I dont want him to get sick,  just little nibbles every once in a while, and only for the action of "running". 

I witness all other dogs either be yelled at, choked, or completely ignored by their guardians - usually because theyre into their own world - however, their dog is straining to get to us...just to say *hi*. How horrible this must be for the other dogs. And I must say, I think this behavior on the humans part is hypocritical. We brings snacks for ourselves and/or for the kids. We stop at coffee places, fast food places etc...for our own "rewards", but yet being stingy with our dogs is a good thing. Well, I think not. 

So, I ask you, if youre spending time taking your dog out for walkies, try this experiment: bring some of their meal with you on the road, instead of giving it away for free out of a bowl. They might enjoy walkies more, and you might get those behaviors you want! Oh, and if youre already doing that, then you deserve a treat too! 

If you want to learn more about walking or running your dog with simple successful techniques, you might want to join in on one of my classes at the inquisitive canine studio or Ventura College...its rewarding for everyone. 

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Give challenges to your dog on a regular basis

01.03 in a, basis, challenges, Dog, give, on, regular, to, your

There are many different things a dog can be trained to do. While certain dogs are trained for hunting or protection, others are just trained for their owners convenience. Dogs love to make their owners happy. This is one of reasons they are known as mans best friend. This article will help you with effective ways to train your dog whatever the reason.

Give challenges to your dog on a regular basis. Test what he knows by giving commands, even if you are sure that he has the skill mastered.



 When you know that you need to be gone for a few hours, take your dog for a long walk before you depart. If you tire them out, they will be better able to handle feelings of anxiety when they are alone and separated from you.

 The whole family should be involved with your dogs training. Having everyone participate in your dogs training will make sure he obeys the house rules.

 Dont play tug of war with your puppy. These, along with chasing and wresting, can encourage them to bite your hands. You will want to put these games off until the dog is older and properly trained not to nip and bite.

 Dont use doggy treats as your sole positive reinforcement mechanism. Giving treats to dogs in order to teach them new behavior is quite effective. Having said that, carrying treats on you 24/7 is not very likely. Try patting your dog on the back and giving him an "enthusiastic, that a boy."

 You do not want to use wee-wee pads when potty training your dog. The pads eventually leak; leaked waste marks certain areas in the house as "potty areas". Wee-wee pads can also train your dog to think that other items that are the same shape are a potty area as well. The best way to housebreak a dog is not to allow them to use the bathroom in the house; there is really no alternative.

 While you can train different types of dogs with various personalities, it could be near impossible for you to train two dogs. Dogs have the tendency to distract each other. If you find this happening it is likely best to separate them.

 Make sure that the only items your dog can reach are chew toys that are specifically made for dogs. You need to replace that with a designated chew toy. Chew toys are essential for puppies who are experiencing pain from teething. A great alternative is a frozen wash cloth.

 While training your puppy or dog to use a crate, introduce him to new concepts slowly and gradually, so he is able to adjust to the changes without feeling stressed. As soon as they start to feel comfortable in the crate when the door is open, try closing the gate and have them eat inside. Start off with small periods, for example 10 seconds or so, and gradually increase crate time. If your puppy gets upset, then you may need to slow down and have more patience with them.

 You should use positive motivation when you are training your dog. Rewarding your dog with praise is an important part of reinforcing desired behaviors. Using punishment and negative training techniques will only make the dog afraid of you and less likely to want to please its master.

 Effective dog training requires instilling good behaviors from day one. It is far simpler to teach a dog to do something the right way than to break bad habits. For example, if you are adamant about your dog not being a beggar, then never make any exceptions to handing him food from your table.

 Dogs generally focus on one thing while ignoring everything around them, unless something interrupts that intense focus. If you keep up with his training, your dog will look to you more often for direction rather than looking to the environment.

 Creating good behavior in your dog can be achieved by consistent treatment from all the people who interact with him on a daily basis. Your dog needs consistent lessons everyday. Make sure that everyone who trains your dog does it in the same manner as you in order to avoid confusion.

 During your training program, keep your dog interested by using many different types of treats. You can increase your dogs incentive to learn the desired behaviors by offering treats that are extra-special. This helps your pet to understand that this is no ordinary reward.

 Prepare your dog early on for veterinary examinations. Touch your dog gently down the sides of his body and tell him he is being good when he does not react. Prepare your dog to accept someone handling his paws or looking at his teeth. Your friends can help out, too.

 Although there are many benefits to using a harness, you will have less control over your dog than if he is wearing a cinch 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.

 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.

 Try not to use wee-wee pads as a tool in potty training your day. The problem with the wee-wee pads is that they leak and leave enzymes from urine and feces behind. The pads may also confuse the dog because of their shape. It could cause the dog to think that a bathroom mat or welcome mat is a place to go potty. The best option is to toilet train your dog outdoors.

 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.

 As you have read, pet owners choose to train their dogs for many different reasons. The natural willingness of dogs in general makes most easy to train. It is hoped that you have found some helpful tips in this article that will aid your efforts to train your pooch..

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Splash! the Puppy Picasso flaunts her talents on the news

13.33 in Dog, flaunts, her, news, on, picasso, puppy, splash, talents, the

Splash! was on the news a couple of times.  She will be on Channel 6 tomorrow. 

This is my all time favorite news broadcast!  I love the story that they edited together, about a dog that paints, and an owner who paints dogs.  I love that they included Kiko in the piece!

Here is another cool newscast, on Channel 8. 

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Party For Puppies on Feb 24th!

04.24 in 24th, Dog, feb, for, on, party, puppies

Calling all puppies and young small dogs!!! Come and play over at The Inquisitive Canine on February 24th from 1 - 2 PM. Bring your owners - let them hang out and talk while you run wild, socialize, play, build self-confidence, burn energy all while in a safe - indoor environment. Socials are for pups 10 - 24 weeks, and small dogs up to 25 pounds and one year. Please have your owners bring copies of current vaccinations with them for us to keep on record. Fun! Rewarding! Educational! How great is that??? 2159 Palma Drive Suite D (as in "dog)... just south of McGrath and east of Telephone Road, in beautiful Ventura California... Oh, and while youre there, you can ask about upcoming classes and other events we offer for you and your pup. See you all there!

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Great Tips And Tricks On How To Train Your Dog Correctly

01.09 in and, correctly, Dog, great, how, on, tips, to, train, tricks, your

Remember that your dog has the intellect of an animal. You will be greatly disappointed if you think that they can. Read this article to understand a dogs psyche better, and know how to treat your pet.

When training your dog, always be sure that it feels safe. If your pet feels unsafe, it is more likely they will act out in a negative way. In order to eliminate this, you should ensure that you put your dog in a safe surrounding.



 To be the most successful in dog training, make sure your dogs need for exercise is being met before starting a new training project. Canines were meant to exercise regularly. They need to run and work in order to be healthy and happy. Register for agility classes, run with your dog, and teach him or her to play Frisbee to increase activity levels. Make the activity consistent and stimulating for 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. Whenever he puts the toy in his mouth, give a treat and his clicker reward. After your dog succeeds in mouthing an object a few times, move on to rewarding the dog for picking it up with his mouth. Once he does, click and reward. As he gets even better, only give him a reward for holding the plushie in his mouth for a few seconds.

 Training should be an enjoyable activity for your dog. Try not to make training sessions any longer than 15 minutes. That will keep his attention. Keep your rewards coming and vary what you give them. Make sure you shower praise on your dog when they do well. When the dog enjoys their training, they will listen better.

 Accidents are bound to happen while housebreaking your puppy. Clean accidents right away to speed up training. Animals are inclined to eliminate repeatedly in spots where they can smell urine or feces, and carpets require special care. There are many products on the market that can help with this, so check with your local pet shop.

 When training a puppy or dog that is new to your family, it is a wonderful idea to keep the entire family involved during the training. You may have one member of the family that does much of the training with him, but by having the entire family take part in the training, he will learn that he must obey each person that lives in the home.

 Playing tug-of-war with your puppy makes training less effective. Games, such as wrestling, chasing or tugging, teaches the puppy to nip or bite at your hands. This behavior is very difficult to break, so you should avoid these games while they are still a puppy.

 One of the most basic dog training tips around is to use your dogs name to command its attention. This will direct his attention to you immediately every time, and especially right before you issue a command. Get your dogs attention this way ten times every day. Also, it is very inappropriate for you to call the dog over to you and then punish him, as this will teach him to fear you and discourage him from coming when called.

 Make sure everyone involved in a dogs training uses the same set of commands. Make sure everyone is on the same page with command words; if the command for being quiet is "quiet," dont let anyone use "stop barking." If everyone uses identical commands, the dog will learn much faster and you will have greater success.

 You can try a little bit of ingenuity if you are going with crate training for your indoor dog or puppy. If your puppy seems reluctant about entering the crate, place a chew toy inside and close the door to the kennel. The puppy will want to enter the kennel to retrieve the treat. Once in the crate, let them know they did a good job by praising them.

 Dogs have natural destructive behavior, so provide outlets for them to exercise their natural behaviors. Feed your dog a balanced diet, give them space to run, and provide them with activities that will burn energy.

 Limit the duration of training sessions. Your dog is going to get bored doing the same thing over and over. Try to limit initial training sessions to 10 minutes or less.

 Decide on a single phrase to use when housebreaking your new puppy. If you use the special phrase you have come up with each time you take him outside, you will get him to focus on what he is supposed to do.

 Teething is painful, and providing chew toys helps alleviate the pain. Keep items that are potentially more painful out of reach. Take it away, and give him a chew toy. A frozen washcloth can provide teething relief for your pup.

 Over-training your puppy will expose it to too much at once, rendering the training less effective. Brief, simple, positive training sessions are well-suited to the limited supply of energy and attention a pup has to work with. If you try to do too much, the puppy will probably not remember much except that it was an unpleasant experience, and that will make it more difficult when the time comes for the next training session.

 Do not tie more than one dog in the same area. It is possible for the chains to become intertwined, and the animals can be hurt as they try to get free. If a large dog becomes tangled with a smaller one they could wrap up to the point the airway of the latter is closed off and the dog would die.

 If your puppy is caught chewing on something unacceptable, stop him immediately. This will help your puppy understand what is acceptable and what is off limits.

 When training a dog it should always be done in a positive, motivated environment. Remember to reward desired behavior achieved by your dog while training, especially in response to specific requests. Using training techniques that are negative and based upon punishments will likely make your dog afraid, disobedient, and unhappy.

 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.

 After learning some helpful hints on how to get through to your dog and train it to behave to your expectations you simply need to follow what you have learned. After changing your dogs behavior to fit with the tips suggested you can properly train your dog..

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Cool Article on the Origin of Small Dogs

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Origin of Small Dogs Pinned Down

This article from LiveScience states that origins of small dogs points to middle east several thousand years ago, as well as the fact that little dogs have a gene that larger breeds of dogs dont possess: IGF1 gene.

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Suggestions on getting started with dog training

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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.

 Dont start a training session if you dont think youll be calm and patient throughout. If you cannot focus on remaining patient when training your dog, it will quickly lose interest in what you are trying to teach.

 Continuously maintain all training that you have done with your dog, and consider adding new behaviors as you go. Do not believe that just because you dog has graduated from obedience school that training is complete. However, pets are ruled by habits, structure and routine in much that same way that humans are. Its important to be consistent with the rules for your dog.

 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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The hunt is on for my top dog!

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I love Easter... Why? Because I get to play "dog mom" to my little one Poncho. I know I know, even though I am a positive reinforcement dog trainer here in Ventura at The Inquisitive Canine. I do know Im an over-the-top dog mom too. Every Easter I like to set up a "kibble hunt" for Poncho in our back yard. This is actually something I often do for him as an "enrichment" activity. But its special for me today because 1) it takes me back to my own childhood... 2) makes me feel part of the crowd with the rest of my friends that have *hunts* with their human kids... 

This time I allowed him to watch me set up the hunt...a little different from years past. Why? Not sure...just felt like it. Anyway, I started out by leashing him to the bench in the yard - then walked around dropping and placing pieces of his kibble (and a few extra yummy treats) in various places in the entire backyard. Under plants, between rocks, behind furniture... He was going wild! Very excited throughout... Kept offering a sit and down stay for me (check out the picture). He has learned that these two behaviors get rewarded - a lot, so why not keep offering them... I love that he has figured out how to make the right choices... (something I teach in my dog training classes) Anyway, once I let him go Poncho was all over it! Kept him busy for quite awhile - tapping into that predatory drive, fulfilling those desires to hunt...plus kept him out of my hair long enough to have my own breakfast. He has to eat anyway, right? I just like to use his meals to my advantage while making it more fun for him... 

This is an activity I recommend for my clients - you too can learn more about enrichment, and preventing the "boredom blues" in the classes I teach at my rockin indoor dog training studio - The Inquisitive Canine...

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