DogTrainster.Com

Source from: Spot On K9s

By Crystal Mack

Imagine walking into a crowded bar. The music is turned up so loud the lyrics are barely discernible. Couples are shouting to get each other’s attention. Glasses are clinking, dishes are dropping; there are so many sounds, you cannot hear yourself think.

Your dog probably felt the same way over the Fourth of July.

While some dogs are born with a sensitivity to noise, others can develop a problem after experiencing a particular jarring sound, such as fireworks, thunder or sirens.

Logan, a 4-year-old French bulldog, never had any issues with noise sensitivity, until this year’s first major thunderstorm.

“All of a sudden, he went running down the hallway,” said his owner, Jo Hakanson of Algonquin. “Now he seems to be scared of a lot more things.”

This change in behavior is not uncommon, according to Julia Lane of South Elgin. Lane runs her own business, Spot On K9s, offering classes in positive dog training and agility instruction, and has been working with rescue dogs for years.

She also knows a thing or two about facing scary situations. Along with her husband and pack of five dogs, Lane lost everything in Hurricane Katrina while living in New Orleans. The family relocated to the Chicago area after the storm.

Most of her dogs, like her 4-year-old dalmatian Jolie, were adopted from shelters and experienced trauma in their own lives. Jolie had been abandoned by her original owners and left for days without food or water. When Lane brought the young puppy into her home, Jolie cowered in fear around people and always tried to hide.

After receiving much love and guidance, the dalmatian now performs in competitive agility shows and has a sweet, friendly demeanor.

Any problem can be overcome with the correct approach, Lane believes.

There are many signs to indicate when a dog is agitated. Cocked-back ears or a slightly foaming mouth are physical cues, while hiding or restless pacing are behavioral hints.

“Dogs may not speak, but their body language clearly tells what they’re feeling,” Lane said.

Once you’ve recognized the clues, there are several techniques to help ease your dog’s sensitivity.

The most effective strategy, Lane believes, is desensitization. Introduce your dog to potentially frightening sounds in a nonthreatening way.

Try filling a plastic container with coins and encourage your dog to knock it over. When it falls, reward your dog with a treat, showing that the sound is not threatening. You can try this on a variety of surfaces, starting somewhere soft like grass or carpet, and gradually build your way up to harder, louder flooring.

You can also play common disturbing noises from a sound CD or from clips from YouTube. Because the sound would not be as loud coming from speakers as it would in its true occurrence, it is a nice, easy transition.

Keep the training light and playful. Anytime your dog tolerates a new sound, reward with his favorite treat.

In addition to games, you can try aromatherapy. A lavender scented spray creates a calming effect.

For a severely noise-sensitive dog, purchasing a custom-fit anxiety wrap can help. The wrap reduces stress by pressing on key acupressure points.

If nothing seems to help, a trip to the vet may be in order. A doctor will be able to determine if hearing difficulties are an issue.

The important thing is to take it slowly and not to reinforce your dog’s phobia with your own input.

“Dogs mirror our reactions, so if you validate their fear, they will continue to react in that manner,” instructs Lane.

Instead of coddling, give your pup guidance and the tools he needs to adapt to scary situations.

All of this extra time spent with your beloved pet will not only help build their confidence, but the relationship with you as well.

“Strengthening your bond is something you can work on for a lifetime,” said Lane. “No one knows your dog better than you.”

Tips for positive training

Be patient. Phobias are not erased overnight

Be playful. If you make the scary noises fun, your dog will have fun too

Be rewarding. Give your dog what he likes best, whether that be food or a favorite toy

Be prepared. If you know you will be encountering a loud sound, be ready to help your dog cope.

Source from: examiner.com

By Jeff Millman

Do you want to prevent destruction, prevent separation anxiety, housetrain your puppy faster, train your dog faster and lessen overall frustration? Use a crate!

There are so many statements, misconceptions and questions about crate training that I hear all the time that I wanted to help clear up some of the confusion.

“I feel guilty about using the crate, it looks like doggy jail.”
One of the important strategies for acclimating a puppy to your environment is teaching her to be comfortable with your schedule. If you are able to be with your puppy 24 hours per day and are never going to leave your puppy alone then don’t worry about using a crate. But, this is not realistic. The crate provides a safe, humane place to keep your puppy safe and prevent some of the big issues like separation anxiety and destruction. Learn how to prevent separation anxiety.

“Since I am at work all day, I never use the crate when I am home because I want to be with my puppy.”
Puppies need to learn how to be in the crate in any situation they might be exposed to. What happens if you never teach your puppy to be in the crate when you are home and then have a few guests over for dinner? If your puppy is not comfortable in the crate your only options are to keep her out for the entire time or have a puppy barking and disrupting everyone the entire evening if she isn’t comfortable in the crate or another room. This may not be a problem when puppies are young and sleep a lot, but flash forward to an older puppy that is running around, chewing and getting into mischief when you want to visit with your guests.

As long as you are actively training and exercising your puppy when she is out of the crate, there is a good chance she will be tired and sleeping in the crate when she is in there. All dogs need the appropriate physical and mental exercise and the crate should not be used in lieu of providing your puppy with her needs. Read about how much exercise to give to a dog. A rough rule of thumb for 7-12 week old puppies is to provide 60 minutes of training and exercise after going potty and then using the crate for 2-3 hours. Puppies can generally hold their bladders one hour per month of age, so you can adjust these numbers based on your puppy’s age. If you play and train your puppy for a period after going potty and then use the crate until the next potty break, this ensures that you are using the crate sufficiently. As your puppy gets older, she might be out of the crate for 2 hours and then in the crate for 2-3 hours. Eventually as her bladder gets stronger you can adjust these numbers accordingly. Want to know how to transition a puppy out of a crate? Read how old a puppy should be before he gets run of the house.

“I never use the crate as a punishment; I don’t want my puppy to have a bad association.”
This is a very common statement I hear, and there is no basis to this. A timeout is used to teach a dog that the behavior that she did resulted in her getting taken away from where she wants to be. If you put her in the crate for a timeout, do so for a short period of time immediately following the inappropriate behavior, such as jumping on you, biting, or chewing on furniture. Then, take her out after 5-30 seconds as long as she is calm and then reward her for anything but the offending behavior. If she performs the inappropriate behavior again say, “Timeout” and repeat. As long as you make sure to reward good behavior and use a timeout for inappropriate behavior, she will learn not to do the inappropriate behavior because it doesn’t benefit her. She won’t hate the crate itself, she will not like the fact that she was put in there and taken away from all the fun. That is an important distinction. The only caveat to this rule is that dogs that already have separation anxiety often do not like being in crates and can have a panic attack. These dogs are not good candidates for using this timeout strategy. Learn about timeouts and teaching a dog to stop certain behaviors.

Other Crate Tips

* For housetraining, the crate should be just big enough so your puppy can walk in, stretch and lay down
* Move the crate around your house, if possible, to provide different scenery for your puppy. This will help her get accustomed to being at different houses and being kenneled when you are away.
* Do not take your puppy out of the crate if she is scratching, whining, barking, digging or jumping on the side of the crate. You don’t want your puppy to think these behaviors get rewarded or she might do these behaviors for extended periods of time when alone and possibly acquire separation anxiety.
* Use stuffed Kongs or other stuffed toys to keep your puppy occupied and happy in the crate.
* Be cautious of bones, toys or rawhides that can be choking hazards. I never recommend leaving anything besides Kongs in crates to avoid choking risks.

Source from: mydesert.com

By Michael Gagarine and Ken Whistler

According to research from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, many of the pets brought to shelters are surrendered because of behavior problems that their owners believe to be permanent. Approximately 70 percent of these animals end up being “put to sleep,” making death from behavior problems the leading cause of pet mortality, ahead of trauma and disease. This means thousands of dogs are euthanized every year, the vast majority unnecessarily.

Many dog owners buy a dog with the intention that he will be a member of the family, only to discover that the dog becomes the de facto head of the household. A dog’s instinctual behavior is to challenge the pack member above him and in turn be challenged by the dog below. Within the mixed human-dog pack, dogs behave the same. This can lead to undesirable behaviors such as charging the door when the doorbell rings, barking, jumping, pulling on the leash and even biting, which are top reasons dogs are mistreated and euthanized.

Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company, was started in Australia in 1989 by Sylvia and Danny Wilson, expert dog trainers and authors of several dog training books. Sylvia was head of an RSPCA shelter and studied the behavior and communication methods of dogs for years. She was saddened by the number of dogs she saw being maltreated, abandoned and euthanized for behavioral problems, which she knew was due to a lack of consistent leadership. This became the basis for creating the unique, natural training techniques that teach owners how to train their dogs through the use of voice tones and body language, all geared toward putting the owner in control through effective leadership. These techniques have propelled Bark Busters’ phenomenal growth ñ now with more than 330 offices in 10 countries, including 230+ offices in the United States.

With more than one of every three households owning a dog in the U.S., thousands of people are looking for help to solve their dog’s behavior problems. Understanding the keys to pack behavior and following a few simple guidelines can help owners establish leadership and begin controlling a dog’s behavior:

* Because dogs crave strong leadership, if they don’t get it from their owners, they’ll try to take charge. That leads to bad behavior such as barking, jumping, aggression and pulling on the leash—each examples of the dog taking charge. The owner needs to win all challenges to demonstrate leadership.

* There are several ways to establish leadership. First, ignore all requests from the dog, such as nudges to be petted or played with. To do so, break eye contact. Then, when the dog has “given up,” call him back to you to be petted or to play. When he responds to you, versus you to him, he sees you as the leader. If he misbehaves, such as chewing on a child’s toy, correct his behavior with a forceful, low-toned growl (“BAH”). As soon as it stops, offer pleasant, high-toned praise. The dog will understand its mistake and respect you as the pack leader.

* In the wild the leader always leads the pack—literally. Establish your leadership by always leading your dog—up and down stairs, through doorways, and especially on walks. Remember, the leader always leads.

Most dog owners simply accept the disruptive or aggressive behavior of their dogs because they think it’s normal or don’t know how to change it. Learning about pack leadership and canine communication is incredibly interesting for most dog-lovers. Gaining a better understanding of the dog psyche strengthens the human-canine connection, and learning how to communicate effectively with your dog in a language it understands, voice control and body language, is a critical step in establishing leadership and control, which can eliminate many behavioral issues. Through effective training, many dogs can be saved from being abandoned or unnecessarily euthanized.

Article Source: articlebiz.com

By: Kristi Carter

It is terrible that there is still the belief that puppies must feel pain, discomfort, or fear in order to learn good behavior. It is not uncommon for an owner to smack, hit or even kick their dogs in order to try and get the dog to understand something. In fact, many people believe this is the way to teach their dogs tricks and good behavior. It is not. Because people hear and see these falsities, they continue to punish their animals in this way; even between 5 and 16 weeks. Even some who call themselves professionals still believe and practice these abusive techniques. This is absolutely a barbaric thought process and the only thing accomplished is a loss of trust between you and your dog.

In 1998 a case was brought to light in Animal Behavior Consultant Newsletter, describing the ‘professionalism’ of an obedience instructor. She was attempting to correct a puppy who nipped, and she stuck her fingers into the pup’s throat to touch the gag reflex. After doing this, she took the puppy in her hands and shook it. The puppy then fell down and remained still. Upon taking the puppy to a veterinary hospital, the instructor and the owners learned that the puppy had died.

Unfortunately, this kind of practice is all too commonly suggested in popular training books. The problem is that by the time an owner gets to a puppy to punish it in this way, the puppy has no idea what behavior has brought on the abuse. If the punishment was for using the bathroom on the floor, half the time the dog has moved on to something else. If he is now chewing on his toy and is being spanked for peeing on the floor, he is not going to realize what he is being punished for. While the puppy’s owner should be a consistent and trustworthy owner, it seems unpredictable to the puppy.

One example is when the owner comes home and the puppy is torn between excitement and displaying shamed actions. Most people realize and appreciate that their puppy is happy to see them instead of quickly reacting to a pair of shoes that have been chewed up. The result of physical punishment often means the puppy will not come to the owner when the owner calls. This makes sense. If you were being called to someone and didn’t know if you were going to be hit or petted, wouldn’t you hesitate as well? When puppies know that their owner will not hit them, but instead pet and provide pleasure, they are less likely to exhibit hand shyness, aggression, or submissive urination.

When puppies are trained with a positive reinforcement method, they are healthier and more stable than those who are punished. This is true especially in puppies who are excitable. Outlining the positive and getting rid of the negative in puppy training will require a person with patience and self-control. However, the benefits are most definitely worth it, especially when training. Puppies are more responsive and learn faster. When a veterinarian explains this kind of thing to their clients, they can get rid of the false thinking that has been widely spread about punishment and puppies.

Article Source : DogTrainster.com - Ultimate Resource and Tips for Dog Training

by Joanne Kok

When it comes to dog training, many owners EXPECT their dogs to obey their commands in any and every circumstances, this is one-way communication. This perception should change if dog owners want their training sessions with their dogs to be successful.

There are three main ways to verbally communicate with your dog when training and each has its own tone. Always command your dog first; if it responds correctly then praise it. If it does not respond correctly then correct it; however you have to be sure that your dog knows the exercise. Always finish with praise when you are satisfied with your dog’s performance.

Be consistent in your commands and praise, you do not want to end up confusing your dog.

You have to remember that you have to practice TWO-WAY communication when it comes to dog training. Bear in mind that your dog has a mind of its own too. You can know what your dog is thinking or feeling by reading it’s expression and body language.

From our perspective, we are communicating to our dog what behaviors are correct, preferred or desired in what circumstances and which are unwanted behaviors. From our dog’s perspective, their owners must learn what motivates them if the optimum result is desired. Your dog can signal that it is confused, happy, unsure, excited and nervous.

Dogs communicate through their body, vocalization and scent.

Start observing your dog’s body language, look at its tail, eyes, ears, mouth, legs, etc. What it is trying to tell you? Not all dogs that wag their tail are friendly. Sometimes a dog may be wagging its tail, but also is barking at the same time. You have to learn to read these signals as a whole not only a part of the body language.

Barking comes naturally for a dog as a form of communication. They bark for many reasons and the different pitch signifies the different message it carries. Other forms of vocal communication are growling, howling, whining and whimpering.

Dogs use scent communication because the dog’s scent of smell is so sharp, odors can be used to give a dog a lot of information. Sniffing is a major part of greeting behavior between dogs and provides information about the dog’s sex, emotional state, age and possibly social status.

It is important to consider the emotional state of your dog in directing the training because if your dog is distracted or stressed, the training will not be effective as your dog will not learn efficiently.