Admin, Author at FamilyDogFusion

Apr 02 2017

How Dog Breeders Gamble With Your Emotions

Choosing to get a new dog can be a tough and stressful process. A new dog does not necessarily mean puppy. Most times it is a puppy and a full blooded breed. More and more people are going the rescue route, but there are very many that still believe a full blooded dog is the best route.

If this is the path you have chosen, then there a few precautions you should take when communicating and purchasing from a breeder.

Below, there are three areas in which breeders can and will feed on your ignorance. Within each area, you have to make a conscious choice on whether or not you can rely on what you’re being told.

This article is just to make you aware of certain aspects of the pure breed buying process. It is not intended to trash breeders, nor is it intended to be a deterrent for buying a pure bred dog.

Emotion

Going to a breeders facility can always be an emotional journey. Most of the time you just get to see the puppies. Cute, cuddly, soft, and many. So many, in fact, that it’s hard to just pick one.

Also remember, the breeder is a sales person. It is their job to sell you a product and move on to the next customer. This also means up-selling. Can they sell you more than one pup? Can they convince you to upgrade?

Even though you are dealing with live animals, it is still the breeder’s living, and that living is selling dogs. They do not want browsers, and more than likely you were screened on the phone interview. You are there to purchase and they are there to sell.

Trust

How trustworthy are the people you are dealing with? Have you done your research? We are not just talking about looking at their website or the Facebook page, we mean really researching them.

Look for blogs, Google the business, look for veterinarians in the area and call them. Find out who the breeder uses for a vet. Many breeders consider themselves vets, trainers, and groomers.

It is up to you to find out what people around them think. Ask your breeder for a few references.

Reliability

How do they stand-up to their reputation? Will they let you into the breeding area, or do they meet you somewhere off-property? Are they willing to give you veterinary references? If your intuitive feeling is negative because of something the breeder said or did, trust it.

There are so many choices out there. Don’t get stuck on one breed or one breeder. Research two or three different types of dogs so if you cannot find a good breeder for one, you can find a good breeder for another.

Mar 31 2017

Can You Really Trust a Dog Trainer?

Hiring a dog trainer is one way to train your dog. The other way is to do it yourself.

Although there are benefits to both avenues, what you choose really depends on your purpose for buying the dog.

For examples of how different dog trainers approach your situation, listen to Discover Your Dog Ep 062 Common Everyday Mistakes Made by Owners and Trainers, with Sean McDaniel

Ask Yourself This Question

Is your dog going to work for you or be a part of the family? This is the only question that you need to answer before you can make the decision as to how to train your dog.

Yes, there are many people that have a dog that both lives with them AND has a job. In this case, the dog still needs to understand the importance of boundaries in that home.

If you answered that your dog is going to be a part of the family, then the only choice, in my opinion, is to have someone teach you to train your dog. This is the ‘do it yourself’ option.

I say having a professional trainer (or behaviorist) come to you is the best option for many reasons. How you choose a personal trainer is also important.

How to Hire a Trustworthy Dog Trainer

The process through which you choose a personal trainer should be no different than choosing anyone you may use for a professional service.

How would you go through the process of finding a babysitter or daycare for your child?
What would you do if you needed someone to clean your home or house sit?
Would you just jump on Craigslist and pick the first available?

No. When you are choosing someone to teach you how to train your dog, it should be someone you can work with and learn to trust. Everyone is different when it comes to how we view our dogs as part of the family. A trainer should be flexible, patient, and most of all, intuitive to the needs and abilities of your family.

Some of the benefits of having a trainer and learning to do the training yourself are: Attention to personal needs and preferences; A better and longer lasting bond; The pace of training is appropriate; and Questions are answered as they arise.

Mar 30 2017

How to Teach a Dog to Sit and Stay in Record Time

SIT is one of the most critical basic dog training commands. Use this deceptively simple routine to learn how to teach a dog to sit and stay in RECORD time.

For more information about teaching your dog to sit, listen to Discover Your Dog Episode 045: Dog Training Basic Commands: SIT

Most of the time I talk to a new client, I will tell them that I teach basic dog training commands:

Heel
Sit
Come
Down (which means lie down)
Place (which means go to a mat and lie down on it)

Very often I get the response, “My dog already knows sit.”

How Do You Know that Your Dog “Knows Sit”?

I will inquire about two things:

One, did you use a treat to get her to sit? And two, can you walk away and your dog hold the command?

Typically the answer is yes to the first part and no to the second part of the question.

Many times during a session, an owner will put their dog into a sit while I am instructing them. I will ask them to release the dog from the command, and then it becomes apparent: most people do NOT have a release command!

Also, the old school of thought is to put your dog into a sit/stay. This is when you really want your dog to hold the sit for a little longer so you ask her to stay as well.

Obedience is Your Dog’s Willingness to Obey

Think about this for a minute…

If you have to use a treat to get her to stay, is she being obedient?

If she can stop obeying whenever she wants, is she being obedient?

If she breaks command as soon as you walk away, is she being obedient?

Obedience is the willingness to obey.

If you give the sit command and can continue on with your business for over a minute, then your dog is being obedient. Treats constitute motivation and your dog will soon expect treats from you—this expectation is not “willingness to obey.”

So how do you teach your dog to sit obediently?

The Three Easy Steps To The Perfect Sit

With a leash on your dog, tell her to sit. Then, quickly and calmly put a hand on her chest and one hand one her rump and push her chest towards her tail while guiding her rump to the ground.

Using positive tones and words to reinforce the motion of sitting then when she relaxes, stop talking, release her, and stand up.
If she stays in the sit position, continue to praise her verbally (not physically at the beginning stages) for up to 10 seconds or more.
If she pops up, say the phrase, “All-Done” (This is the release command I use. Others say things like “Free,” “Free-Dog,” “You’re finished,” etc. The important thing is to be consistent.)

It is not important how long your dog holds the command when teaching sit.

The two most important lessons here are saying the command only and exactly one time, and letting your dog hear and learn the release command.

That is it! Simple enough.

Mar 29 2017

Being Bitten by a Dog: How Safe Are You?

Being bitten by a dog is a serious issue we all have dealt with at some time.

I once had a training partner that when asked, “Will your dog bite ?” She would answer, “Does she have teeth?”

Although this answer seems over-the-top, it is the truth. One of the most common behavior problems I deal with is play biting. If you have ever bought a puppy, then you may know this issue well.

The question should not be “How Safe Are You?” but rather “When Are You Going To Be?”

Aggressive Biting vs. Play Biting

There are two types of bites that can happen; playful and aggressive. Playful bites can sometimes be just as damaging as an aggressive bite depending on the breed, the recipient, and the situation.

Aggressive bites are usually for one of three reasons

Fear
Reaction
Dominance

Fearful or reactive situations are most times when a dog will aggressively bite. Dominant issues are very rare and very difficult to correct. Play biting is a serious behavior that is best dealt with early in your dog’s life.

What Exactly Caused THIS Dog Bite?

Sometimes it is difficult to determine the reason the bite happened. This is where it would be very important to consult with a dog behaviorist.

Even then, I have found that when faced with the possibility of getting rid of a dog, owners are not forthcoming with important information.

Knowing the situation in as much detail as possible is the key for a dog behaviorist to really assess the issue. Sometimes it is necessary to meet the dog as well, but this is not always the case.

Dogs have very few ways to communicate and the mouth is one of those ways. Making your dog know what is (and what is not) appropriate for her mouth is a very important aspect of family/dog communication.

It is your responsibility as an owner to make the assumption your dog has no idea what the rules are in your home, and teach her those rules from the beginning. Many times, this is a mistake made by new dog owners, especially when adopting an older dog.

How safe are you from being bitten by a dog? Not at all. The truth is, ALL of you have been bitten at one time or another, it is just the mean and aggressive bites that we really remember!

Understanding the reason why you are being bitten by a dog will be the first step to rectifying the situation and making your dog an awesome member of the family.

Mar 24 2017

Help Babies and Dogs Get Along

Putting babies and dogs together can create a stressful situation for everyone involved. Whether this is your first child or one of many, things are going to change for your dog when you add a baby to the mix.

You can minimize the stress for you and your dog with a little awareness and attention to the right things.

We will go over different aspects of this process from early on in your pregnancy, all the way up to what to do when your little one starts to crawl.

Change Affects Your Dog’s Behavior

Let’s start with the moment you find out that you’re pregnant. Things start changing immediately, and these are things your dog will NOT understand:

Your mood
Your physical body
Your attention shifting away

It is almost like there is a new energy going on in your home. To your dog, the big thing is—something is changing!

Things are clearly changing for you: your body, your feelings, even your senses. Your dog will NOTICE these changes very early, and she is NOT going to understand how to handle it at first

Your Dog Needs Consistency

Unfortunately, dogs don’t “do change” very well. Your dog wants structure and needs consistency.

The consistency in your voice has changed, and your body language is way off from what it used to be. These changes are a big influence on your dog’s behavior. This is a big moment for recognition from you and your family.

It is also a great time to get back to the basics! Do some really fun stuff with your dog! This is the time to show your dog that she is still an integral part of the family.

Babies and Dogs Both Need Attention

There are things people do to prepare the home for a new baby as well. During this time, the normal attention that your dogs usually get goes away. You may see some previously-corrected behaviors pop up that you thought were gone from an early age.

When your dog does a certain behavior and gets attention for it (even negative attention), she will learn that this behavior gets her the attention she has been used to getting (even if it is negative attention).

The most common call I get in these situations start like this; “My dog used to be so good at (fill in the blank) and now, out-of-the-blue, she has begun (fill in the blank) behavior again. She hasn’t done this since she was a little puppy.”

The biggest problem here is lack of attention. The best thing I could tell you to do is make a play schedule for your dog. Set aside time to teach, train, or play with your dog on a daily basis.

A walk is not included in this list of thing unless you never walked your dog before. It must be personal time.

If you spend more than 30 minutes a day of one-on-one time with your dog, you are doing better than most. Create a daily schedule that sets aside no less than 15 minutes every day between now and when the baby is a year old, to teach, train, or play with your dog.

The first year of your baby’s life is going to be very hard on you and your dog, so make this important.

Preparing Your Dog for a New Life with Baby

There is a brief time that the baby will be at the hospital prior to coming home. Once the baby enters its new home, all sorts of changes will happen with you and your dog.

There is no set way to prepare for these changes, you just have to go with the flow. Yet there are some things you can do to help prepare your dog for this new little life. I will go over a few things to think about.

First is smell. A dog’s sense of smell is 25 times stronger than yours. I’m sure you will be noticing some of the smell changes, so just think of what your dog is experiencing. You can help prepare your dog by bringing home a blanket the baby has been wrapped in or maybe some clothes.

Do not bring home a dirty diaper—that is just gross! Also, the powders, ointments, and lotions you may be using will be strong in the baby’s room. Leave them in the room and let your dog wander in and out with you.

Another way to help is to get a CD of baby noises (or download some off the internet) it may not be the same exact noises your baby makes, but it can help to desensitize your dog to the new sounds.

Oh, since we mentioned the baby’s room above, this is going to be a big point of interest for your dog. More than likely, you have already spent a lot of time in this room, and it is very important that your dog feel comfortable and know the rules of the room early on.

Create a spot, whether it be a dog bed, a mat, or just a consistent area, for your dog to go when in the room. Make her stay there when you are spending time in the room prior to the baby’s arrival so this does not seem strange that you’re suddenly in there all the time for the baby. Let your dog approach the bed and look in. Practice doing obedience commands in the room so your dog gets it to mind whenever there.

When the baby is there in the room with you both, be sure to acknowledge when your dog is doing a good job.

These steps can help you smooth the transition for your dog when bringing home your new baby.

For information about how to handle the opposite situation—bringing a new dog into your home—check out Discover Your Dog Episode 12: Integrating a New Dog into Your Home