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“coping”

You’ll know if yours does if he was destructive while you were gone or if your neighbors tell you he barked all day. You can teach him to cope, while reassuring him that you will come back – both leading to much better behavior and a much happier dog.

Just like with his first “stay,” make the session so short that he is able to succeed. Then, make each session a little longer. He will relate your keys, coat or purse with your long absences, so be sure to take them as you normally would. When your dog is calm and relaxed, leave the room. Give no good-byes, and don’t make a fuss.

Take your keys and go into the bathroom for two minutes. When you return, ignore him, put the keys down, and go back to your quiet time together. Don’t make it a big deal before or after, and he may not either. Also, the time was short enough for him to put together your leaving and returning.

Later, make your bathroom stay last about five minutes, and eventually get up to at least ten minutes. Next time, leave the house and stay out for about two minutes. Then, continue these sessions until you are gone longer and longer. After each session, he should feel less panic when you leave, less anxiety while he is alone, and more confidence that you will return. Your coming and going will eventually become just a normal occurrence. It is also helpful to have a few of his toys in the room in case he feels the need to chew on something.

“Dogs Emergency Remedy”

What do you do if your puppy (or mischievous older dog) gets into your holiday decorations and eats some of the glass ornaments? This potentially lethal mishap can darken even the brightest holiday season.

The Procedure (Dogs Emergency Remedy):

BEFORE the holiday go to a pharmacy and buy a box of cotton balls. Be sure that you get COTTON balls…not the cosmetic puffs that are made from man-made fibers. Also, buy a quart of half-and-half coffee cream and put it in the freezer. Should your dog eat glass ornaments. Defrost the half-and-half and pour some in a bowl. Dip cotton balls into the cream and feed them to your dog.

Dogs under 10 lbs should eat 2 balls which you have first torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-50 lbs should eat 3-5 balls and larger dogs should eat 5-7. You may feed larger dogs an entire cotton ball at once. Dogs seem to really like these strange treats and eat them readily.

As the cotton works its way through the digestive tract, it will find all the glass pieces and wrap itself around them. Even the teeniest shards of glass will be caught and wrapped in the cotton fibers and the cotton will protect the intestines from damage by the glass.

Your dog’s stools will be really weird for a few days and you will have to be careful to check for fresh blood or a tarry appearance to the stool. If either of the latter symptoms appear you should rush your dog to the vet for a checkup but, in most cases, the dogs will be just fine.

“Crate”

People use crates for lots of reasons, like to help with housetraining or traveling. Our dogs use theirs to sleep in at night. But, the crates are also a great place of escape when a dog’s world seems scary. When there is a big thunderstorm, the crate is the perfect size and shape to crawl into and feel protected from the noise and lights.

Even a socialized dog that is used to having three or four people come over to visit can be overwhelmed when all the relatives arrive for a holiday – crates come to the rescue.

Crates not only give your dog a place to feel extra safe, they come in handy to actually keep them out of danger. When there are workmen in the backyard, the dogs feel secure in their crates, but they also won’t accidentally be allowed to run in the street or get hurt by nails or power tools.

For thousands of years, dogs have had the instinct to den – so providing them with a safe den seems like the least we owners can do. The crate is cleaner than a hole in the ground, and it has the added benefit of being portable and lockable. Dogs are less likely to bark when they can see less, and they feel more protected when “danger” can’t see them.

What can make a wire crate feel as safe and cozy as a den includes a soft pad to sleep on and a tie-on cover. We prefer the carrier because it is solid (with ventilation holes). With either one, you just need it to be large enough for the dog to be able to change position. A larger one feels less like a safe den and adds the risk of it being used as a bathroom.

“Dog Tricks”

This section covers other dog tricks that you can train when your dog has mastered the basics. Note that PATIENCE is the key to successful dog tricks. Remember Pavel’s dog: Repetition with rewards will reap the right actions/behavior. Most of the actions you see dogs doing in movies are just a bunch of simple tricks. If you learn these tricks, maybe you can be in a movie too. ?

By teaching your dog to do each trick, you can have him/her capable of being a movie dog (or just a fun pet). Some of these tricks help the dog in other sports such as agility and in obedience. Likewise, agility work can be incorporated into movie work. For example, dogs that can jump obstacles can be taught to jump in and out of moving cars, leap over people or other dogs, or jump in and out of windows. A-frame work can be used to teach the dog to go over fences or other high obstacles and dog walk training can be used to teach dog to walk along narrow walls, etc.

The circle obstacle with the hole covered with saran wrap can be used to teach the dogs to jump through a window. This list doesn’t include tricks such as retrievals which are used often in movies or bite work. Bite work should only be done by a trained handler as you must do it properly to be effective. None of these tricks require special equipment. They are meant to be fun for you and your dog. This list includes some instructions on how to do them but there are many ways to teach the same trick. Use the one that works for you and your dog.

PLAY DEAD/BANG
Agility Use: to get dog to down on table if you are having problems with this obstacle.
How: With dog in sit or stand stay, point finger and pull hand up while saying bang. This action is similar to the down hand signal. Dog must lie down on side with head down. You may have to do in stages – down and side.

CIRCLE
Agility Use: to improve corners and turns and weaving – helps increase flexibility.
How: With dog in stand stay in front of you, give “circle” command and entice dog with food treat or toy to turn in circle. Don’t encourage to “chase tail’. Give reward when dog turns fully. Gradually give command from greater distances. For distance, it helps to put reward on end of pole and use to get dog to turn in circle.

BOW
Agility Use: before doing agility, this is a good stretching exercise. Can also help on down contacts.
How: With dog in stand stay, handler in front of dog, with reward (food treat) in hand. Move both hands in towards dogs front paws (above paws) while saying “bow”. As dog extends head down for treat in a bow position, reward. This trick is eventually down at a distance and can be down from the side with a single hand command.

CRAWL
Agility Use: Helps dogs who will not go through tunnel.
How: Dog in down stay. Hold treat in right hand with left hand on dog’s withers (farther back on large dogs). Move hand with treat up and down (short movements) while saying crawl. As dog moves forward, hold him/her down with hand on back. Move treat hand away from dog so dog has to follow to get treat. Reward initially after any movement and then require longer distances. If dog has trouble crawling, this can be down under someone’s legs or under a solid chair or low agility table.

BACK UP
Agility Use: positioning dog at start, repositioning if dog slightly overruns weave poles, general control.
How: Handler in front of dog. Step into the dog, move hands towards dog in a pushing motion (palms up facing dog). Dog will have to move backwards as you move into it. Reward with “good back” as soon as dog takes one step. Best way to reward is to toss treat into dogs mouth. If you let him take it from your hand it is hard to get distance on this one. Leash can be used to move dog back if he has trouble. Wall keeps dog straight. Gradually stop moving towards dog as you give the verbal command and hand signal. When learned properly, the dog will back away from you in a straight line for extensive distance (depending on comfort zone of your dog).

TOUCH/TARGET
Agility use: use to send your dog to an obstacle or to encourage touching contact
How: Train this one by first having dog touch a piece of paper stuck to the wall. Take dog to wall, command “touch” or “target” and touch the paper. When dog jumps up and touches the paper, reward her. Then place an object on floor and send dog to “touch or target. Reward when dog moves to object and touches it.

TURN OUT LIGHT
Agility Use: same as target – a fun trick to do that helps dog learn to go away from handler and touch or manipulate an object.
How: Hold treat at light switch (make sure dog can reach the switch when on back legs. For short dogs, place on sturdy table at light switch). Give command “turn out light” or “light off”. When dog jumps up to get treat make sure her paws hit the switch. Reward with “good light off/out”, or whatever your command was. Gradually start to stand away from switch and send dog. Toss treat when dog jumps up and paws at light. You can also teach this by placing the treat on the switch so dog has to knock it off. This method may, however cause the dog to use the mouth to hit the switch more than the paw so it is preferable to hold the treat in the hand.

JUMP OVER DOGS
Agility use: Practising jumping obstacles, socializing with other dogs, being handled on obstacles from both sides.
How: This is an interesting trick to do once you have a group of dogs that meet certain qualifications:
• Get along (ie non aggressive with each other)
• Keep a still down stay
• Good at jumping low obstacles
If you have this combination, this trick can look very impressive. First start with pairs. Have one dog in a down stay with the handler holding the leash short and a treat in hand if required. The other handler gives the “over” command and while on leash has the dog jump the one who is down. Repeat in opposite direction to get dog used to jumping on both sides of handler. Then switch dogs. When the pairs are reliable, put up to 6 dogs in down stays about 3 feet apart (depending on size of jumper). One dog (on leash to begin) jumps all of the other dogs. This is repeated several times for each dog and then they change places until all dogs have had a turn jumping.

WALK UNDER

Agility Use: apart from teaching a long stretch exercise which is good for warming up, there isn’t too much related to agility in this one but its fun and looks good.
How: Same qualifications for dogs as Jumping Dogs. Once all of the dogs can bow and hold it, line up dogs very close together and give the “bow” command at same time. Tell dogs to “stay” – handler holds treat close to keep attention. You need to use a very small dog such as a terrier for the next part. While the larger dogs are in bow position, the small one starts at one end and walks under their rear legs. Trick is to keep the large dogs from lying down. This takes great concentration and muscle control by the large dogs.

SPEAK
Agility use: none
How: This is usually a simple one to teach if your dog likes to bark at you. Trick is to get her to do it on command and from distances. First decide on a hand signal that is not similar to any other. You can use a motion of opening and closing thumb and fingers (facing the dog). Some handlers think this looks more like a mouth opening and closing. Other handlers use a closed fist, twisting motion. Tell your dog to “speak” at the same time. When she does, reward with treat immediately and say “good speak”. If your dog doesn’t bark readily, continue to give command until she gets really fed up with you and barks. Then quickly reward. She wont know why but if done enough, she’ll get the message. Gradually give the command verbally only and then hand signal only. Increase distance to the maximum comfort zone.

WEAVE HEELING
Agility use: improves flexibility
How: Start heeling off leash. Have a treat in both hands. As you step with right foot exaggerate the step and bait dog under your leg while saying “weave”. Dog is to walk under your leg to your right side. Then as you take the left foot step, repeat to left side. Continue as you move forward. This trick takes time to learn and if you have a large dog it can be more difficult. The trick is to keep the dog weaving in and out under your legs. Once you have this one, you can combine it with the next trick (circle me) into a complete heeling pattern.

CIRCLE ME
Agility use: circles improve turns and keeps dog focussed on handler. May help in direction changes
How: Start heeling with treat in hand. Bait dog while saying “circle me” and draw the dog around your body so dog is completing a circle around you. Remember to continue to move forward while doing this. Make it lots of fun and get dog to skip around you. This is a fun trick – not an obedience exercise. Change direction until dog can circle you in both directions. When you’ve got this down to a fine art, do two circle me’s, 2 weaves, repeat, repeat. Then make up different combinations. For example: circle me, circle me, weave, weave, circle me, circle me, bow (and then reward). Note that this can takes several weeks to get or your dog may pick it up very fast.

WAVE
Agility use: none
How: Place dog in sit stay. Decide on a hand signal. It can be a circular movement of your hand like a wave or hold hand palm up and wave fingers in and out (as in making a fist). It is not recommended doing a real wave with palm facing down. It looks too much like the speak command and can confuse the dog. Sitting close to your dog give the command and hand signal. If dog doesn’t do anything nudge her paw until she lifts it up. Reward. Eventually require her to lift paw higher. Always reward every time she does it. Eventually start to give command from farther back.

HIDE YOUR EYES
Agility use: none
How: The dog can be in a sit or down for this one. The idea is to get her to cover her eyes with one paw on command. It will take some practice to find out the best method for your dog as we find they all respond to different signals. You may prefer to do it in a down. Then with treat in hand, tell the dog to “cover your eyes”. Physically lift her paw over her muzzle and reward. If you blow gently on her nose, she may be inclined to swipe at her face. When she does this, reward. You have to just repeat the command and movement until the dog realizes what is needed to get the treat.

BOOK ON HEAD
Agility use: balance
How: Find a book that is suitable to the size of your dog. Balance book either on head between ears, on withers or on muzzle. This depends on your dog’s body shape. Hold the dog still with left hand and place book with right. Hold book while saying “stay”. Eventually remove both hands (slowly) until dog is balancing book. Count to 3 and remove and release and reward. Idea is to increase time the dog holds the book. The ultimate is to have the dog come while balancing the book. This is a hard one so don’t expect instant success.

COOKIE ON NOSE
Agility use: none
How: Hold dogs muzzle and give “stay” or “leave it” command. Place a cookie on top of nose and continue to say “stay” or “eave it”. Let go of muzzle. Dog must hold the cookie until you give a release command – “take it”. Then she must catch the cookie in her mouth. This is a fun way to give treats and looks cute.

FIND IT
Agility use: none
How: The idea is to have the dog use her nose to find a hidden object. This is good practice for tracking or utility work. First start with simple exercises. Show the dog a treat (strong smelling ones work best). Then let the dog see you place it under the edge of a towel about 6 feet away. Let the dog smell the scent of the treat on your hand. Send dog and say “find it”. Reward with praise when she finds the treat. The reward is the treat. Start to move farther back from the hiding place and move the location of the treat – put it further under the towel so it is harder to get out. Then leaving towel in same place, put the treat a few feet away from the towel and send the dog. The dog will have to sniff out the location. Eventually, you will place the dog with her back to the location and have someone make sure she cant see where you put the treat. Then when that level has been achieved, move the dog to another room, hide the treat, let dog sniff your hand and send to “find it”. Give lots of praise. You can eventually move from food to solid obstacles such as keys, toys, etc. This makes the exercise into a retrieval.

SNEEZE
Agility use: none
How: The object is to make your dog sneeze on command. The signal will be the handler cupping her hands around her nose and mouth and saying “sneeze”. With the handler seated in a chair, have your dog in a sit/stay in front of you. Cup your hands around her muzzle, say sneeze and blow gently into her nostrils. Continue until she either snuffles, sneezes or makes any such motion. Reward “good sneeze” and treat. Repeat. This may take a long time depending on the dog. Some will sneeze immediately, and others will take a lot of work to respond.

GO THAT WAY
Agility use: sending dog to a location
How: The object is to tell the dog to go in a certain direction and she will move wherever you point. First use a bait (can be food or toy). Place three baits – one directly in front of you about 10 feet away, one along the same line (10 feet away) to the right and one to the left. Dog is in sit or stand beside you on long line (or flexi). On command “go that way”, point to the treat you want the dog to go to. If dog has trouble, toss a treat in that direction to get her started. Reward when she moves correctly. If the dog goes wrong way, stop her with the long line and direct again. Continue to give the command until there is success. Once dog picks up first treat point to the next one and say “go that way”, and so on. The dog must pay attention and move in the direction you are pointing to. Eventually you will start to give commands when the dog is in a position away from you. For example, send your dog to the left (may have to toss a treat.) When she gets there tell her to “down” or “sit”. If she does it, walk in and reward. Alternate commands until your dog will obey from longer distances.

SAY PRAYERS
Agility use: none
How: The object is to have your dog put his head down between his paws on the command “say prayers” and to end the exercise on the command”amen”. Start with handler seated on a chair, dog in sit/stay in front. Put a treat on chair between your legs. Tell dog to “say prayers” and encourage or lift both front paws on to the chair (NOTE: dog must remain seated). The action is similar to a beg with the paws resting on the chair. Tell dog to “leave it” so he doesn’t eat treat and repeat “say prayers”. Dog should stick nose down to the treat between paws. Then give release “amen” and reward with the treat. You may find this easier to do on a low table. While standing behind dog, guide paws on to table and encourage him to lower muzzle between paws towards the treat.

"Living Environment"

Now that you’ve got yourself figured out, it’s time to figure out what kind of life you lead.

• Evaluate your living space. How much space do you have for a dog? Do you have a fenced yard? What kind of life do you lead? Do you want a great big dog, a little bitty dog or something in between? Sure, that Irish Wolfhound matches your eyes perfectly, but it’s not gonna fit into your studio apartment. Conversely, that Chihuahua is never going to be able to navigate your 40-acre spread. It seems obvious, but no matter how well your personality fits a particular breed, you have to make sure that your living arrangements match it too. It would be cruel to keep a big dog locked up all day in a tiny apartment.

• Evaluate your schedule. How much are you home? How many times per day can you walk a dog? If you just thought "per day?" then go back to chapter 1 and reread it ten times. Some dogs are more independent than others, so if you’re not around a lot, it won’t do you much good to get a clingy dog. Always remember that dogs get lonely, and if you’re gone for days on end (even if the neighbor pops in just to feed it), the dog’ll still get depressed.

• Anticipate future lifestyle changes. Do you have kids? Will you ever have kids? Are you sure? You don’t want to get into a situation where you have to put the kid up for adoption because he or she can’t get along with the dog. Better to get a kid-friendly dog in the first place, just in case.

• Evaluate your activity level. Picture your idea of a fun time, and be sure that the right kind of dog fits within it. If you love to go hiking, a Yorkie’s not going to be able to keep up. If you like sitting and knitting, a Border Collie’s going to make your life a living hell.

Once again, do your homework. Talk to friends, vets, dog breeders, and trainers to find out which breed is best for you.

Make sure you can afford it!

Whoever said that two can live as cheaply as one never had a dog? A dog isn’t going to break you financially, but it is an investment. Over the life of the pet, you can expect to shell out as much money as you would on a decent used car (or a crappy new one). But really, which would you rather have – a Yugo or unconditional love? Be honest.

The actual dog isn’t expensive (you can get one for free at your local animal shelter). Rather, most of the expense will be buying dog food. Ask your vet to recommend a brand.

Vet? What vet? The vet that you’re going to take your dog to as soon as you get home from the shelter or breeder, Sherlock. Proper veterinary care is nonnegotiable. Things like check-ups, shots, neutering or spaying, flea and tick control, and dental care will keep your dog in good running condition and win you a place in Good Dog Owner Heaven. Once a year is all it takes, assuming your pup isn’t playing in the street or smoking a pack a day. But it’s still an expense, and you should always have a little backup cash handy in case the dog accidentally swallows your eyelash curler.

Other doggie accoutrements that you’ll need to purchase include (for starters):

• Big, sturdy, stable, unbreakable food dish and water dish
• Comfortable, strong collar or harness and matching leash
• Dog bed
• Grooming supplies
• Chew toys
• Current ID tag with address and phone number (really important!)
• Solid, roomy crate for transport (many dogs also use them as a safe sleeping place in the house)
• Warm, dry, wind-and-waterproof doghouse (but your dear little pup will be an indoor dog, we hope)
• Little knitted doggie sweaters are optional in cooler climates.

43 Things Tags: Dogs, Living Environment

“Dog Training Book”

Does your dog need a good seeing to? Does he act inappropriately? Those are just a couple of questions many people are answering in dog training books. Hundred of people are writing books on dog training as it is such a big market. Many people struggle to train their dogs on their own and people love the fact that they can make a profit out of it. I’m not saying that it is wrong to write a dog training book and charge for it, it’s good that there are book resources available.

There are people writing dog training books that have never actually owned a dog and the nonsense they blether is quite funny but then you get the serious writers. People that have had about 30 years of dog training experience are putting their knowledge onto paper and making it available to the whole world which is fantastic. Many people need guidance when it comes to teaching their dog basic training and books are a great way to learn. You just have to be careful you are purchasing a book from a genuine dog trainer and not someone who can paint a pretty simple picture of dog training, because a pretty simple picture is not what dog training is about.

One of my favourite books was “Help! My dog has an attitude” written by Gwen Bohnenkamp. This book is an excellent read and full of great tips and advice. She tells you about the problems that dogs are facing in an ever growing scary world and the pressures it puts on dogs, whether it are trains that are rushing past, cars that are coming to close or even the drain in the middle of the street making that funny loud gurgling noise! There is one thing about her book, it makes you realise that a lot of a dog problems are made by us, we drive our dogs to do these things but we are oblivious to it, thank goodness she doesn’t make you feel guilty about it though!

Whereas “The Dog Whisperer” written by Paul Owens is one of the books I was telling you about earlier, where people that have had no experience with dogs put pen to paper. He writes about the simplest of training techniques and then fills his book full of psycho-babble about how to treat your dog and how to love him, that’s not what a dog training book should be about. It has had a good few write ups but I think it is not worth the money or time to read it. He starts of going on about how Jesus and Buddha might train their dogs and then goes on about how he felt spiritual enlightenment and a feeling of pure love for his dog. Basically he is a nut case!

Dog training books are easy enough to get and if you enjoy a good read then sit down to one, have a cup of coffee and get prepared for the next days step; actually training your dog!

43 Things Tags: Dog Training, Dog Training Book

“Dog Training Aids”

You may think that dog training aids are out there for you to spend money and not actually reap any benefits from. That is not the case. Dog training aids are there to help you succeed in teaching your dog, this could be teaching him obedience, agility or any other type of teaching you want to do. There are many aids available but only a certain few will work with your dog and his temperament.

I find the best training aid to be treats, small pieces of human food chopped up and given to him when he has done something good has always worked wonders, that is unless your dog doesn’t really have an interest in treats. This is a really cheap method of a training aid but if you want to blow some cash there are hundreds of options available for you.

For dog agility training aids that are available are e.g. anti bark collars. Many dogs have a problem when they do dog agility. They start barking constantly basically because of the hype involved. Anti bark collars do one of two things or sometimes both, they give a small electric charge when your dog barks and spray some water up into their face. People may think this is cruel but it is completely harmless. It just lets your dog know that barking is not acceptable. These collars are available at pet shops and on the internet and are not too expensive.

For dog obedience some dog training aids that are available are dog clickers, the newest craze out on the market which allows owners instead of associating sit with a word they use a click instead and reward with treats, no punishment allowed. Another aid available is a harness; this gets fitted around your dog’s upper body so when you are teaching him to heel a slight tug on the harness pulls him back completely. The harness is a widely used obedience aid and is greatly used for bigger dogs such as German shepherds and Rottweilers.

There are also dog training aids available for around the home. These are simple and effective. Many people turn to dog training aids when nothing else has worked but they don’t have to be the last thing you try, with aids so cheap these days there is no reason why you can’t invest in something that will make your dogs learning process a lot more exciting!

43 Things Tags: Dog Training, Dog Training Aids

“Dog Obedience Training”

Getting frustrated that your dog jumps up on people when you are visiting friends? Can’t understand why your dog runs away from you at the park while everyone else’s happily comes back? The simple answer is have you tried dog obedience training? It is simple, effective and very fun to do if you have the right attitude and patience.

The basics of dog obedience training and teaching your dog to sit, stay and come. These basic training commands will be extremely beneficial to you later on in your dog’s life. When you take your dog out you don’t want him to be running muck in the street, you want to show him off for the perfect dog that he is! Dog obedience training can be achieved in a matter of weeks with the right attention, dedication and patience.

There are a lot of obedience classes available. So if you can’t teach your dog by yourself there is plenty support at the class, there are also other dogs there. Not only are you training your dog you are socialising him to which of course is the next step after sit, stay and come. Dogs are kind of like children to an extent, except with a lot of fur, they need to be taught right and wrong.

I always find that treats are a great method of dog obedience training; you award them with a special treat when they have done something you have asked them to. If they don’t respond they don’t get a treat. There is no point shouting at your dog as he will only become scared of you and you don’t want that, you want to form a happy relationship with him. Dog’s are a man’s best friend!

When teaching your dog obedience try and teach him away from distractions like his toys, take him to an empty field or park where there aren’t any people, only you and him. Tell him firmly but nicely that you want him to sit, then take your hand and place it on his back and gently guide his bottom down, when it is down say sit and tell him he’s a good boy then award him with a treat. Repeating this over and over again will make him realise that when you say sit you mean for him to sit and he gets rewarded, soon enough he will know to sit when you tell him to and the treats are no longer necessary.

Getting him to stay is another matter, you’ll probably need another person for that. Get him to sit (once he has learned how) and get a friend to hold him. Walk away from him telling him to stay, using your hand hold it up firmly (doing this will make him realise that when you hold your hand up in the future you want him to stay as well, not just when you tell him to) then give it a few seconds and let your friend release him, when he comes to you make him sit and tell him how clever he is! Don’t forget to reward him. While using this technique you are also teaching your dog how to come to you as well, so don’t forget to say “ome” to him, not just his name.

When dogs are born they are like soft clay, they need to be moulded and shaped. You can teach your dog from any age and the younger you start the easier it is. Like they say: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!!!

43 Things Tags: Dog Training, Dog Obedience Training