Dog Training Tips Archives - 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 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 17 2017

Prepare Your Dog for a Trip to the Vet

Taking your dog to the vet can be stressful for both you and your dog. The good news is, there are things you can do with your dog to make the regular vet visit an enjoyable experience.

Below, we will discuss many of the stress-causing elements of a veterinarian visit and give you some warm-ups you can do with your dog to help in each of the situations.

Help Your Dog Enjoy Riding in the Car

You will most likely have to put your dog in the car to take her to the vet. Before just throwing her into the car, practice with her getting into and out of the car. Let her relax with you in the car for short periods of time without starting the vehicle. Gradually increase the time and then start the car.

I also recommend that you create a designated area for your dog to be when riding. In SUVs, it is easy to designate the back area. In a car, the back seat is the safest place for your dog. If you insist on the front seat, make sure she knows to stay on the passenger side. Teach your dog to relax and enjoy the ride.

Get Your Dog Accustomed to People, Pets, and Places

That awful vet visit should never be awful. With practice and great socialization, you can make a visit to the vet’s office a pleasing event.

Start with going to different public places such as the pet store, Home Depot, and even your vet’s office when you don’t have an appointment.

Good practice for your dog would include:

Entering and exiting various places
Walking on different types of flooring
Experiencing different types of lighting
Sampling different levels of noise
Hanging out with crowds of different size

It is always a good idea to go when there could be other dogs around. Let others approach and pet your dog whenever possible. The mission here is to get your dog used to people, pets, and places.

Visit the Vet Before Your Appointment

The first visit can be very intimidating for a dog. As I mentioned above, I always suggest going to your veterinarian office on non-appointment days to introduce your dog to as many of the staff as possible. Most people never think about doing this with their dog. It is a simple practice that could avoid many stressful trips in the future. Getting your dog to know the people she will be seeing only two or three times a year is very forward-thinking.

Preparing Your Dog for the Veterinary Exam Itself

When playing with your dog, you can do some very simple things that can prepare her for what she will experience during an exam:

Rub her ears, stick your fingers in them (not to hard or far), and clean them every now and again, even if it is with a dry paper towel.
Play with her paws, stick your fingers between the pads, and check the nails. Clip her nails yourself when you can.
Belly rubs, roll her over, make her hold still on her back for short periods of time.
Pull her tail—not hard—just lift itand hold it until she relaxes.

Relax and Enjoy

These few things will go a long way toward helping you enjoy your experiences when having a visit with your veterinarian.

Oh, and think positive. If you stress over the visit, your dog will sense this and start to stress-out as well and not even know why.

Dec 19 2014

Dog Training Tips and Postulates

Training your dog is a process. No matter how you approach your training, it will likely take longer than you expect and will expose frustrations you’ve never even thought about.

Utilize these dog training tips (I call them postulates) to get better, faster, more reliable results when training your dog.

POSTULATE #1) Structure is rules. By creating and abiding by these rules you will be doing the same things and always expecting the same results.

POSTULATE #2) Consistency is the key to training your dog. You must know how you want your dog to behave then act consistently in any given situation.

POSTULATE #3) Control is about confidence. When you are confident about what you are communicating you never have to worry about being consistent.

POSTULATE #4) Dominance is about trust. If your dog trusts you will be consistent in any given situation she is less likely to test the boundaries. When you create trust, you create great communication and an incredible bond between you and your dog.

POSTULATE #5) Praise is the only way you are truly teaching your dog. It is the only way you are going to get her to do what you want in a way she is willing to do that thing.

POSTULATE #6) Motivation is anything, positive, you use to create that your dog pays attention to you then makes a choice. Anything that is overused as a motivation creates an expectation from your dog.

POSTULATE #7) Correction is anything, negative, you use to make your dog stop doing what she is doing and pay attention to you. Anything that is overused as a correction creates fear in your dog.

POSTULATE #8) Understanding what you want is most important. When you put it into terms of what you don’t want then that behavior is the only thing that gets attention. Attention for a behavior reinforces that behavior whether it is good or bad attention.

POSTULATE #9) Anything you do once or twice does not create a behavior or correct a behavior. The quicker you catch yourself and then correct yourself, the quicker you and your dog will learn.

POSTULATE #10) It is in your dog’s nature to test the boundaries. The more structure you create and the more consistent you are the less she will test the boundaries you have established.

POSTULATE #11) When you have hit the life-time ratio of praising your 10 time more than you have ever corrected, your dog will always choose to do the behavior you want, even if you are not there.

POSTULATE #12) A dog truly does not know a command until she has done that command 1,000 times on her own with no prompting (motivation or correction) from the owner.

POSTULATE #13) The key to understanding most commands is to have your dog hold that command for longer periods with bigger distractions.

POSTULATE #14) If there is a behavior you are okay with, you just want your dog to stop doing that behavior when told, correct her with a word or phrase then immediately praise her for doing what you asked. This shows her it was okay to do that thing just stop when told.

POSTULATE #15) To correct your dog well after she has done a behavior you don’t want, or away from the location of the infraction does not make sense to her. It has nothing to do with the behavior and your dog only thinks what she is doing at the time is what she is getting corrected for. You have about 5-second reaction time once you see a behavior you want to correct. Any amount of time after that is too late.

POSTULATE #16) Looking your dog in her eyes is one of two things; Praise or a Challenge. As an owner you are never challenging your dog, ever. So, to look your dog in her eyes at the moment she is doing anything is praising her for that thing.

POSTULATE #17) The SIT command is just getting the dog to sit. It is not about focus, nor is it about correction, though the SIT command is used more often for these two reasons than any other command.

POSTULATE #18) The HEEL command is about focus for your dog. This is the command we use to warm up, to get ready, and to start the workout. Heel is rarely used in everyday situations.

POSTULATE #19) The COME command is about focus for you. Teaching the COME command has nothing to do with your dog. It has to do with your understanding of what it means to be consistent.

POSTULATE #20) The PLACE command is the confidence builder for your dog. For your dog to hold a command while you do other things helps her to understand that doing for you is what you want even when you are not giving her attention.

POSTULATE #21) All dogs must go through resistance while learning the DOWN command. This command must be done willingly by your dog in order for her to accept her place under you in the hierarchy. The DOWN command is the most submissive command you can ask of your dog. For her to lie down for you, willingly, is the breakthrough most people need to be able to work on any behaviors they may be having an issue with. If the DOWN command is not done willingly, you will not be able to get the long lasting results you desire on many behaviors.

POSTULATE #22) When leash training, leaving the leash on your dog creates a sense of control. Whether you are touching the leash or not is insignificant.

POSTULATE #23) If a distraction is used that could also be a positive motivator for your dog (such as a treat or toy) you must give that item to your dog after the workout is over. This is so your dog will not fear that item. She is to learn to complete the command without the fear of some item.

POSTULATE #24) Never make your dog do a command while working on a behavior. The goal is to make your dog do the correct behavior and by putting your dog into a command you are only making her work on doing that command in bigger distractions.

POSTULATE #25) Body Language is the number one way a dog learns from you. Your body language can change the mood, direction, or choice from your dog without you even knowing it. It is also why we use hand signals. Dogs pick up on body language before they pick up on any other type of communication you use. It usually takes a dog about six months to really understand your body language.

POSTULATE #26) Your voice tone is another way a dog learns from you. A dog can pick up on the most subtle changes in your voice that will let her know if you are serious.

POSTULATE #27) Your energy is what you exert when working, playing, or just hanging out with your dog. This energy is reflected by your dog. Think of your leash as a conductor of whatever you are feeling at the time.

POSTULATE #28) When you have a great attitude, no matter what the situation, you will always see better results, because you are looking for, and expecting, better results.

POSTULATE #29) Dogs have personalities. Because of this fact, you will find that different dogs will react very different in many of the same situations (even if they are the same breed).

POSTULATE #30) Humans have personalities. Because of this fact, you will find that different owners (such as a spouse or a child) will get a very different reaction from your dog in many of the same situations.

POSTULATE #31) Dog is Dog’s best friend. Dogs understand each other much better than they understand humans.