DogTrainster.Com

Article Source: examiner.com
By: Jeff Millman

This is always a concern with dog guardians. Over-treating can lead to an overweight dog or intestinal difficulties if your dog is especially sensitive. Here are some tips to get your worries under control and avoid over-treating your pooch.

Calorie Bowl
This is a term that I coined in my dog training videos. This is a strategy that you can implement instantly and use daily.

1. Portion out your dog’s daily food intake into a bowl. For instance, let’s assume your dog gets two cups of dry food per day.
2. Instead of the full two cups, put 1.5 cups of food into the bowl and .5 cups of high quality treats (see Treat Suggestions below)
3. Throughout the day, grab handfuls of the contents of the Calorie Bowl and do short training sessions with your dog, or put portions of the food into Kongs or other stuffable toys
4. At the end of the day, if there is any food left, put the rest into your dog’s bowl

Use “Life Rewards”
Now that you are using the Calorie Bowl, you can also incorporate “Life Rewards” into your routine. Life rewards consist of using a variety of rewards throughout the day that you would provide for your dog anyway. If you shift your thinking a bit, you can do quick training sessions before all good things and your dog will benefit from more training. Here are some suggestions for using Life Rewards with your dog. Don’t forget a mentally stimulated dog is a happy dog!

1. Toys. If your dog loves toys, put them away until you are doing training sessions. If you keep them out all the time, your dog can quickly become bored with them and then they are less interesting and rewarding.
2. A game of tug. Dogs that love to play tug can be rewarded with this activity. Do a quick training session, play a game of tug, ask for a “drop”, do more training and then reward with another quick game of tug. Put the toy away when you are done so it is interesting the next time you use it as a reward.
3. Walk. Do a quick training session before you take your pooch for a walk.
4. Chew Toys. Giving your dog an occasional chew toy? Do a 5-minute session before he gets his chew toy.
5. Frisbee. If your dog loves to play Frisbee or chase a tennis ball or other toy, do training while you are playing. Suggestions include Drop, Sit, Down, Stay, Come, and Stop. Ask for more behaviors each time you throw the toy.
6. Running. Dogs love movement. While you are walking your dog, reward him with running or other fast movements when he performs behaviors that you ask for. For example, walk a bit, ask for a Sit, say, “Yes” and then run a bit, ask for a Stop and gently put the brakes on. Say, “Easy” walk slowly while you give praise, “Good, good, good” and then run a bit more. See my Intermediate Leash Walking Video for step-by-step instructions.

Treat Suggestions
When you are using treats, you should only use high-quality treats. “Treat” does not mean junk food. Avoid food coloring, sugar and by-products. I use mainly meat-based treats and other high-quality food items and use very small treats. As long as your dog’s system can handle the food item, you can be very creative with your food offerings. If you are not sure if your dog can handle something, give a small quantity for a few days in a row with no other changes in his diet and monitor his ability to digest the new treat.

Premium treats may seem more expensive, but usually if you calculate the cost they can be similar in price to the unhealthy well-advertised treats with the cute names and shapes that make them look like bacon, sausages or other meat products. Use small pieces of the high-quality treats and they will last a long time.

Kong You can use a variety of food items including dried liver, pasta, cheese (not every dog can process dairy), sweet potato treats, steamed chicken, dried chicken, venison jerkey, duck meat, lunchmeat (watch the salt), oyster crackers, peanut butter, etc.

As mentioned above, stuffing Kongs can be a wonderful way of making food and treats last longer and provide more mental stimulation. My new favorite Kong stuffing recipe:

1. Pasta
2. Cheese
3. Dried chicken
4. Melt cheese in microwave
5. Put in freezer overnight

Last night it took my dogs 2 hours to work their way through their frozen Kongs and then they were exhausted! Do not make the Kong too difficult for a new dog or he will get frustrated and ignore it, no matter the quality of the stuffing. Allow food to fall out easily at the beginning until he is really motivated to interact with the Kong.

Just remember, dogs need mental stimulation. If you only provide physical exercise, your dog can still be bored and possibly destructive.

Article Source: examiner.com
By: Mare Sciavillo-Lopez

I mentioned the importance of socializing your dog briefly in an earlier column. Socializing is not only important for obtaining a comfortable grooming situation, it is also important for the dog

I was visiting our local pet store last week when their puppy training class was finishing for the evening. A beautiful eight-month-old standard poodle was being walked around the store by its owners. The first thing I noticed, right away, was its fear of quick movements. I got down on my knees and extended my hand out to him, palm up, and he relaxed a little. This is a big, strong dog; he will need a lot of work. His socialization should have started at an earlier age, but I was glad to see that the owners were on the right track.

Not only is a dog training class a good way for your dog to get comfortable around other dogs, it is also a great way for him to get comfortable around other people. If you attend a class, have everyone (before or after class) approach your dog and pet it, and have everyone let your dog sniff their dog. Of course, be safe.

Even if your dog ’s everyday life. Whether you acquire a puppy or an older dog, it is never too late to help him feel comfortable in public situations and around other dogs.”flunks” its first training class, you have still benefited him by taking him to this social event. If there are not classes available in your area, find a good dog park, (Immunization first) walk around your neighborhood or town and let your dog meet strangers and safely meet other dogs.

Article Source: wnrmag.com

Training leads to happier pets and a more comfortable home. Dogs, like most people, view relationships as a social hierarchy. If you are continually at your dog’s beck and call whenever he wants a treat, affection or play time, he will soon believe he is in charge. Training sets some ground rules so you can have fun with your dog without worrying about aggressive behavior.

Training also requires time, but it’s an investment that pays dividends over your long-term commitment. It strengthens your bond by providing both of you with the tools to communicate effectively with each other. An obedient dog is also a safer dog. A dog that knows to come immediately when called is in much less danger if he escapes onto a busy street or gets into a fight than one who doesn’t.

By training your dog, you take on the role of teacher. Just as with a child starting kindergarten, the teacher’s attitude determines the student’s success. During training sessions, it’s imperative that you maintain a positive attitude. If you’re grumpy, your dog will pick up on that and won’t learn to trust you. Obedience training is an exchange—good behavior for love and affection. If you don’t hold up your end of the bargain, neither will he.

Make sure to be patient and consistent. If you only enforce commands some of the time, you will only confuse him. If your actions teach him that you’re only serious about commands when it’s convenient for you, he will only follow them when it’s convenient for him!

Start training when your puppy is young. Just like people, this is when dogs’ minds are ripe for absorbing information and they want your approval. Also, teaching your dog good habits before he’s had time to learn bad ones is much more effective than shaping ingrained bad behaviors.

Here are some tips for resolving common behavioral problems

* Chewing

Although the difference between your leather recliner and your dog’s squeaky toy may be obvious to you, your pet can’t distinguish his toys from your possessions without training. To make matters more obvious to your pet, don’t dote on your dog by providing tons of toys. Too many toys makes it more complicated for your dog to remember what is and isn’t ok to chew. Keep it simple.

* Jumping on people

As much as you may love that your dog is excited when you come home, jumping on people is a problem, especially when your dog shows the same enthusiasm for people who may be afraid of dogs, or jumps on small children or seniors who are not tall enough or strong enough to withstand it. Dogs naturally jump to establish dominance, hierarchy and submission. The key to preventing this behavior lies in gently but clearly establishing that people are the boss. You need to react consistently and promptly. If you return your dog’s enthusiasm when he jumps on you, he’ll never understand the behavior is unacceptable. Instead, teach your dog to sit using treats as positive reinforcement. Every time he starts to jump, tell him firmly to sit, provide hand signals and give him a treat if he obeys. Slowly phase out the treats until sitting at your command becomes automatic.

* Constant barking

Dogs bark when they feel isolated, lonely, territorial or fearful. Don’t reinforce this behavior by giving him the attention he seeks. Instead, distract your dog from barking by dropping a few coins into an empty can and shaking it gently. This will surprise your dog and temporarily stop the barking. Then, reward him with affection and a treat for being quiet. React consistently because you make or break your dog’s behavior.

Training you and and your dog

Attending obedience classes with your dog, taking part in dog groups and clubs, or hiring a trainer is a fantastic way to get specific instructions on raising an obedient dog. Experienced trainers can ascertain individual needs of your family and your pet. Dog trainers and experienced pet owners also train people by giving hands-on demonstrations and feedback on techniques you can’t get from a book. To choose a trainer, ask for recommendations from your veterinarian or friends who have completed courses and enjoyed the experience. Ask to sit in on a class before signing up to make sure the training methods are positive. Local dog clubs, dog breeders and vets may also recommend websites for finding a trainer who is right for you and your pet.

Article Source: mcalesternews.com

By Joyce McNally
Special to the News-Capital

It’s time to talk about impolite behaviors again. Do you know that many dogs and cats end up in shelters because of various behavior problems like jumping up on people, scratching the furniture, not coming when called, constant barking, and getting into the trash. Puppies are so cuddly and loveable, but they need basic skills training. There is a saying that “there are no bad ones, just untrained ones”. According to the American Humane most dogs just need a little patience and understanding — and some training and most cats just need a few modifications in their routines.

When dogs jump up on people it’s rude, so how do you teach your dog to not jump up do it? When dogs meet other dogs they may jump all over each other in a happy, boisterous greeting. Your dog may want to greet you the same way. The best way to stop jumping up on people is to teach the dog to sit when it wants attention. According to the Dog Bible, this is a more effective and easier way of training. If the jumping is persistent, you may need to start by keeping the dog behind a fence or gate. This will also teach your dog not to jump against gates when people are entering your yard or home. Put your dog behind the gate and tell it to sit. Then reward your pal with a treat and pet him. If he jumps up, step back and wait calmly until he sits down again. You may need to use “sit” if he doesn’t do it on his own. Don’t forget to reward with another treat when he follows the command. If he remembers not to jump up a few times in a row, leave the area for a few minutes and return. Your pal will get excited again and you’ll be able to see if he is learning this part of the training. If he sits when you approach, praise him and give him a treat. If he jumps up, you’ll need to continue the training. You family members will need to agree on the training approach for you pal and be consistent with the training.

For good manners with visitors, you might teach your dog to sit on a mat. Place the mat where you want the dog to be while your visitors are arriving. You may also need to train your visitors. When they enter your yard or home, ask them to not make eye contact or talk to your dog when they first arrive. The dog will want to greet the visitor, but if it has learned the “sit” command, it will wait until you give the word to “come”. Don’t forget to praise your pal.

When you have small children in the home, sometimes the dogs knock them down, just wanting to play. If you start with basic skills such as sit, come, and stay, you will have a trained dog and a much better experience. So many times, these are the dogs that get taken to the shelter. It’s not the fault of the dog because you haven’t taken the time to do the basic training. What do you think happens to these untrained dogs that are surrendered to a shelter? If there is no space available at the shelter, they will probably be euthanized immediately. Don’t give up on the dog or puppy, just do your job and get the basic skills training started. PAWS has dog training DVDs available if you have a dog with behavior problems. You can call PAWS at 470-7297.

Many times, especially when pets are adopted, the background of the animal is unknown. There could have been abuse or neglect involved and to save its life, the animal just needs a loving person who has the patience to work with it. It takes time, a lot of effort, and lots of praise to build trust with a new person or family.

Remember that you can help eliminate pet overpopulation by having your pet spayed or neutered. Call PAWS 470-5433 for information.