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24 December 2010 by Minette targeting Fun more!

We hope that you have been able to get your dog to target your palm.  If it is able to track your palm, wherever he goes touch with his nose, he is ready to target other objects.

What You Will Need

TreatsClickerA long object; Goujon, sticks, plastic pen or the end of a lid of a kitchen utensilThe containing

To get started

Your dog already knows the bases hit, now we teach him to demonstrate this behavior with other objects.

First, let me begin with a pen or an object of type long stick. Targeting helps you to reach more polished AgilityHold the pen out of his faceWhen he moves towards or key, click and treatIf it does not touch, move more closely or in a different position until doesBecause, he did it with your hand should quicklyAs pretty moving, he begins to understand move pen up, down and left and right to ensure it is consecrated.If he puts his mouth on it, you can click on and treat or click and jackpot, this Foundation for extraction!   If this is the direction that you want to go to keep clicking on and treatment when he puts his mouth on it. (Details on this type of capture later)You can now take the stick or the pen or other objects and place them and touching.Then, Id like to teach my dog to touch with Tupperware lids (you can even draw a target on it).Start just as you did with your hand and pen brandishing the lid in front of him.When your dog nose touches the target click and treatContinue, moving target all around, your dog should easily follow.Then put the target on the ground and give the command "touch" or target.This can be a little more difficult, because he has always taken to target things in your hand, but be patient.If it moves the target, click on treatIf, it affects the click target and the JACKPOT!Continue until the behavior is reliable, then move the plu target awayClick treatment for an appropriate responseYou can then move the target farther and farther with successful trainingYou can also try sticking it up on the wall and have him touch with its nose Mr. Snitch opening the door as a Service dog

The sky is the limit with this command.  As a dog trainer, this was one of first and favorite behaviors my dog directory.  This behavior I could teach my dog to retrieve, to turn on lights, push the disabled buttons with their noses agility of Polish and many other useful behaviors!

Dont forget that trick training has two cardinal rules: always be patient (if you need to save a step or two until your dog catches) and have fun!  Learning new behaviors and spend time with you is a dream for your dog, he likes the feeling like he has a job and it is necessary!

View the original article here

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A good police dog training program is that all dogs must be given to the landlord. This will not only help the dog to obey better, but will strengthen the bond with your dog. However, this should not be manned by professionals, because there is better equipment, training the dog to her.

When working with a dog training program, you have to keep in mind that you are a man in control. However, do not want to encounter too strong. The goal here is friendly and self-confident at the same time.

So how do you train your dog to obey you? Of course, you do not want to just start shouting orders to your dog. On the other hand, it is necessary to have a good game plan. This is to ensure that the dog is the right state of mind, even if they have not yet begun. In this way, you should not try to train your dog, who has to eat, you might want to consider his quick walk before you can begin. The other thing, this is a very good training before he is to do this will take some time to play with him, I feel relaxed and comfortable with you. All this will help to eliminate interference and to help you start business.

Until the train and the dog was not the right thing, make sure you have a treatment available to him. This can help your dog know when he did something right. On the other hand, not destroy, from time to time he is running a training session - this is normal. As long as he is called back to the workplace. This is normal, he seems to be totally ignorant, in some cases. Here you just need to find a better way to communicate with him, even if that means you want to show he has done.

Training your dog is a useful experience, has a huge advantage. Finally, there will be glad you made this decision.

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Grab your kleenex for this Video...youre gonna need it!!!
From Service Dog to Surfer Dog!  ( I had to watch it twice!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4

I found this story on another website, which I have posted in my blog on "Helpful Links." I think this story helps people understand what peoples service dogs mean to them, and the some of the issues they face on a daily basis.  

 

           

Tamandra and Borias - A Match Made in Heaven - submitted by Tamandra

                                                                                                           

Borias is the best thing thats ever happened to me. Its hard to believe its been seven years since fate brought us together; seven years since I first held this chubby fuzzball in my arms. I had just suffered the unexpected tragedy of losing my doberman to a heart problem, and so decided turn back to the breed I had as a child. A German Shepherd Dog is the ultimate working dog, with beauty and brains in abundance.

I call all of this fateful because of how we were brought together. My order was a tall one. Its no easy task finding a good, quality German Shepherd thats been bred to work, but that also has his drive in check so that hes not too difficult to handle. I was about to give up but then I found that folded piece paper on the floor of my car--the one that had all the breeders names crossed out. All but one. With this one last chance, I left a message saying I was looking for a Service Dog prospect, and hoped for a male. Later on, when the breeder returned my call, she informed me that a couple who worked for the FBI were there doing extensive tests on the litter in hopes of finding a cadaver SAR prospect. There were only two males in the litter, and they had said that this largest male would make a great Service Dog because he was mellow, and took things in stride. This made the breeder glow with pride, since she had long hoped to have a dog of hers do that kind of work). All that meant that Borias and I were meant to be.

And he knew it too. Weve been inseparable since the day I was allowed to bring him home. He displayed none of the typical puppy- separation-anxieties like crying for his mom and litter-mates. It was as though he knew hed just found home. The very next day he went on an outing with me on leash, trotting right beside my wheelchair with no problem. He was such a quick study. I used clicker- training to begin teaching him some of the things he would do for me, but I had no idea, at nine weeks old (and after only a few training sessions), that he would be picking up my dropped keys and wallet! In fact, he got so into excelling at his job, he learned how to unzip my backpack when I wasnt paying attention--- to take out my wallet just so he could give it back to me! (Perfect practice makes perfect, after all!).

On one occasion early in our relationship, I was in a grocery store, and had unknowingly dropped my wallet in the aisle. When I noticed, I said out loud "Oh no! Wheres my wallet?" Instantly Borias was headed behind me, pulling on his leash, then suddenly was again in front of me, wallet in his jaws, tail wagging proudly. What a good boy! 

This bond of ours has deepened through the years, which go by so fast. Weve shared some incredible times, both recreationally and competitively. Hes gotten to hobnob with celebs, been to a U2 concert, watched the Broadway play The Lion King with great interest, and is a regular at the zoo, where he often gets more attention than the other critters! Hes the first dog Ive ever earned an obedience title with, getting a blue ribbon twice. He passed a therapy dog test with a flawless performance, and can now visit the infirm and have children read to him.

    

Yet despite his eerily human capacity for understanding and our blatant and essential life-connection, we still run into incredibly small minds. Do they have an idea in their head that a dog to assist a person with a disability must look a certain way? I realize that Borias has the stature and presence of a police officer, but we are rarely treated with the respect that an officer gets. Quite often, were denied access to functions and establishments. Its hurtful, and infuriating all wrapped up inside of a helpless feeling.

Being in a wheelchair comes with some (but not too many!) obstacles. Do I really need to add social ignorance to my list?

Id love to find a way to open the heart of the world...

Thats the way Borias lives his life, with an open heart. He is my
inspiration. My soul-mate. My heart dog.

-Tamandra (http://www.petjoyonline.com/Service-Dog-Stories-s/214.htm)

This story below is a bit long but WELL worth the read.....Enjoy!

Brendan & Spook Show - Service Dog or Super Dog? Both! -submitted by Cheryl

My son Brendan will be 7 Dec, 17 2008, he has had severe Epilepsy since he was 2 mon old. Brendan has 6 different types of seizures, & has Mild Autism. Brendan was having over 100+ seizures a day before he was placed on Meds, & Received  a VNS (Vagal Nerve Stimulator) Brendan had surgery to place this device when he was 2 1/2 . My son still had 35 + seizures a day even with the VNS. 
 
Brendans Autism & Seizures have caused him to have Developmental, & Speech Delays, as well as he is an exceptional escape artist, he also has Melt Downs that are out of his control, he escalates so high , to the point that he doesnt even know or realize what he is doing, or what is happening. Brendan is the most loving, kind-hearted child you could ever know, he meets no strangers. Brendan functions on more of a 2 1/2 - 3 yr old level, he doesnt comprehend, that if he runs out in front of a car & gets hit, he could die; if he did live he would turn right around & do it again. He honestly doesnt understand what can happen. He can be outside because of the heat; it makes him seizure more, when he gets too hot. I also have Epilepsy, & Narcolepsy, but have been told that Brendans Epilepsy isnt caused from mine, The Drs dont know why either one of us have Epilepsy. 
 
We were Lucky enough to be blessed with a friend that my husband works with & who knew about Brendans special needs. He also Breeds Labs, & wanted to donate one to Brendan, I worked with another Trainer to train him to be a Seizure Alert & Autism Service Dog, he showed me when he was only 4 weeks old that he could tell me before Brendan was having a seizure that it was going to happen, he was such an awesome dog & was so smart. We worked with him & trained him for 8 mon. he was so great for my son as a Service Dog, & a Friend, Sadly he passed away on New Years EVE. He went into a seizure himself & wasnt able to recover from it. I rushed him to the Pet Emergency Hospital when I found him like that & they did everything they could but he just wasnt able to fight the fight. We do miss him greatly. 
 
Shortly after the loss of Hogan, the SD that passed away, my sons Seizures started getting worse, & his Autism melt downs were worse as well. We knew that we had to find another SD for him, but I didnt feel I had the time, nor the Ability to Train another SD, so this time we decided to find a SD that was already trained for my sons needs. We were sooooo luck to find a lady in South Bend Indiana, that trains Siberian Huskies for all types of SD work, & she happened to have a SD that was ready to go & was a perfect match for Brendans Needs. 
 
Her name is Spook Show Baby ScoobyOvanna, Spook , or Spook Show for short.  She is trained to alert to seizures before they happen, she is trained to do Search & Rescue scent tracking, she also is trained to help with the Autism, she blocks Doors, she pushes the HC buttons that stores have to help open the door when needed, as well as many other special things. It took us approx 6 mon to raise the money needed to get Spook Show for our Son. We are so happy & Blessed with having Spook as our new Family Member. 
 
Spook Show just had her 2nd Birth Day on June 9, 2008 we got her on April 24, 2008. Spook was only home with us for 5 min when she started Alerting to a seizure coming on for Brendan; she nudged him over to the trainers lap, to let her know she needed to help him. The trainer was willing to fly here to us with Spook Show so that we wouldnt have to spend so much money flying 4 people & hotel for 2 weeks + Meals. I had gone to the store to get some meds for her when Spook Alerted to her first seizure in Brendan, Spook also will go to Brendans room & pull his covers back & nudge him to his bed when she senses a seizure coming on, if he is asleep & has a seizure she will lay across his legs to keep him from trying to get up & falling after the seizure, she also licks his cheek to help bring him out of the seizure, & to let him know hes ok & she is there for him, if Brendan vomits during a seizure, Spook will burrow under him & roll him on his side so that the vomit will go out of his mouth & he wont choke on it, & she then will clean it up so he wont get it back in his mouth. 
 
We went to the Grocery Store one day & Brendan got away from me & Bolted through the store, I had to let spook loose to help me find him & get him back, she ran as fast as she could & fallowed his sent through the store until she found him, she then blocked him & barked to let me know she found him. She does her best to keep him from bolting away from me when we get out of the car, she thinks ahead, you can literally see her wheels turning she is already up & ready to get out & as soon as I open the door she jumps out & runs to the end of the drive way & watches to see where Brendan is going to run, & when he does bolt she takes off & tries her hardest to keep him from getting away. 
 
Spook also Alerts to my seizures, so she has double duty, & she is really awesome. She isnt happy unless shes working. Spook was placed here for my son & she is awesome at what she does. Spook also Pulls my sons Special needs chair, he uses when we have to do a lot of walking, she also has a Mobility Harness that she wears & Brendan holds on to her for balance, he also has a vest he wears, with a tether strap that connects to his vest, & also to Spooks Harness, so now Spook also helps Brendan balance when walking, & helps keep him from running off by being hooked together, I can give her a sit stay, or lay stay command & she will do it & it keeps Brendan from getting away , she uses all her weight & strength to keep him from dragging her across the world.
 
Spook has always put Brendans safety first, she will run across the street right after Brendan not even looking or worried about herself getting hurt or hit, she worries about Brendan, & his safety. She is truly a GOD SEND, & I dont know what we would do without her. She is not only a Service Dog, but she is a member of our Family, & Brendans best friend. He loves her sooooo sooooo much. Spook never lets Brendan out of her sight. We love her more than she will ever know, or understand. Thank You Spook Show for all you do for our family, & for saving Brendans life many times.

We Love you, youre our Angel. Love Mommy, Daddy, Nathan & Brendan (www.petjoyonline.com/Service-Dog-Stories-s/214.htm)

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I know that I am a "push-over", but I just agreed to doggie sit my friends dog while he is away over Thanksgiving.  How can I make sure that Wolfie isnt going to go "Cujo" on the dog?

The good news is if Wolfie doesnt have a history of being unsociable with other dogs, you have a fighting chance of making this work.  With that said, you cant just throw them in the same room and hope for the best.  What you must do is to initially socialize the dogs and then establish boundaries (Hey!  Dont use my toothbrush!).  Here is what you do:

• Before your friends dog comes over to stay, have his dog and Wolfie meet several times in a neutral territory.  Have them both on leashes and allow them to sniff and exchange doggie pleasantries.  Take them for walks and even play catch with them.  This builds up  a social understanding between the two dogs regarding their individual levels of assertion and respect.  This is important when you bring them into your home.
• When your friend brings over his dog to your house, have the dogs meet outside and let them sniff and play for a little while.  Now, take Wolfie inside to the family room.  Make sure he is on a leash.  Have your friend bring in his dog into the family room on a leash.  Let the dogs sniff and walk around.  Drop the leashes and have everyone "just hang out" for about 30 minutes.  If the dogs show any sign of aggression, correct them and have them sit by their perspective masters for a minute or two before releasing them again.  If Wolfie is over-possessive with any particular toy or object, it would be a good idea to remove them during your friends dogs stay.  
• If everything is fine after about 30 minutes, it is time for your friend to be on his way.  Dont have your friend make a big thing about leaving.  He should just get up and leave.  
• During the stay, remember these simple rules:
• Feed the dogs separately.
• Never leave the dogs together, unattended for the first few days.
• Never leave the dogs together if someone is not going to be home.
• Be sure to let them out and have a good amount of supervised play time every day.
• Never allow your friends dog in Wolfies crate, on Wolfies bed, or in your bedroom.
• If your friends dog has a potty accident in the house, be sure to clean it up immediately using an enzyme cleaner or vinegar & baking soda.
• Give equal amount of attention and love to both dogs.

Follow these simple rules and your friends dogs stay should be happy and uneventful.  And remember that now, your friend owes you!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Bertie are now enrolling for their course commencing 27th July at Brockshill. Please look at previous blog message for details of the talk on Sundaywhich new members should attend.

The website is nearly complete , just making the final checks.

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Time Laid: 9:30 AM Time Worked: 10:20 AM
Distance: 131 yards
Weather: 54°F FEELS LIKE 54° Sunny
  Wind: NW at 7 mph
  Humidity: 59%
  UV Index: 3 - Moderate
  Pressure: 30.13 in
  Dew Point: 40°
  Visibility: 10.0 mi

Comments: Worked in north field for the first time. Grass cover varied with some good cool season grass mixed with dead crabgrass and some broomstraw.  Height 4 - 8". U-shaped track from west to east to north to west.  1 article (Lil Cesar) at the end.  Worked with two lines . . . 1 flat collar, 1 prong.

Abby started nicely.  We worked on sit/wait at start.  She responded calmly to the track signal, immediately moving to the flag and finding the bait there. She tracked reasonably deep-nosed in the thick grass. As we moved into sparser cover, she lifted her head a few times and showed some distraction.  She tracked to the first corner, which she over shot.   I had to manually bring her back to the corner, after which she found the corner, and worked the second leg, finding the bait.  She moved into the second corner nicely, but then became distracted on the third leg.  This leg was in deep grass, so no reason to distract that Im aware.  Possible wildlife in the brush alongside the field. She tracked somewhat high-headed for the remainder of the leg to the end, finding the final article.

Estimated score 65.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/23/blind-woman-dog-police-attack_n_1445461.html

I thought Id post this recent story, as it shows the importance of service dogs.

An intruder broke into this blind womans home, assaulted her by choking her and subsequently throwing her down the stairs, but her guide dog saved her life by using a special device to call 911.  When the dog did so, the intruder fled. It is uncertain whether the intruder knew the woman, or not, but her dog is definitely a hero.

 This is a great example of a hero dog.

I thought Id add some other amazing stories of hero/rescue dogs here.  One of my recent commenters inspired this post, in discussing what it means for a dog to be a real hero/rescue dog.  Here are real hero dogs that have heroically rescued their owners.

Roselle

When Michael Hingson found himself on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, it took some unexpected heroics from his yellow labrador to save his life. When the building started to sway and the air filled with choking smoke, Roselle lead Michael to safety, guiding him through the crumbling office toward a stairwell. It wasnt easy for Michael or Roselle, who was panting and extremely thirsty, but the two managed to reach safety just moments before Tower 1 collapsed.

And Salty! Not to be forgotten...RIP, Salty

http://www.godvine.com/Guide-Dog-Saves-a-Blind-Man-s-Life-During-the-September-11-Attacks-1346.html

Nellie

All dogs are known for their super-sharp hearing, but most of them dont win awards for it. But when Nellie, a 4 year old black lab, used her high powered ears to detect an intruder in time to save her severely deaf owner, it wouldve been a crime to give the Heroic Hearing Dog of the Year award to anyone else! The charity that trained Nellie couldnt have been more proud.

Toby

MSNBC tells the story of Toby, a golden retriever who heroically saved owner Debbie Parkhurst from choking to death on an apple in her Maryland home. When it became apparent that she was choking, the dog leapt hard onto her chest and forced the lodged morsel to come loose from her throat. For his efforts, Toby took home a share of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals "Dog of the Year" award in 2007.

Hero

In a truly heartwarming story, a four year old Golden Retriever was credited with saving a paralyzed man who got his wheelchair stuck in the middle of a muddy field. When Gareth Jones found himself unable to move, the former soldiers service dog was ready to answer the call, dutifully pulling the rope Jones threw to him until the wheelchair was pulled free.

Said Jones, "He didnt let go until I was clear. He knew exactly what he was doing."

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Every time I try to leave through the door to the garage, Wolfie is always at my feet trying to get out ahead of me.  Many times I have to get to work and sometimes I am late because I have to try and catch him and put him in another room so I can leave.  There must be a better way!

Dogs running out an open door is a very common and really annoying problem that many dog owners face every day.  It is a big problem because is gets us mad (and we dont need that in todays world), hampers our relationship with "our best friend", and poses a safety risk for Wolfie.  So, what is going on here?

As a trainer, I always tell my clients to check out the world through Wolfies eyes.  Wolfie watches our body language to constantly try and get clues as to what we are saying and what we are allowing him to do.  A large part of body language is posture and one of the key factors of that is whether we are facing Wolfie or if we have our back to Wolfie.

When we face Wolfie, we are in a dominant stance.  We are telling him that we are in charge of the room.  He needs to watch us and wait for our commands telling him what to do.  When we show our back to Wolfie, we are telling him that we are submissive and even playful.  Wolfie can take this as a "follow the leader" game, chase after us and pass us (out the door).

With this in mind, lets get an idea of what Wolfie is seeing when we go to the door to the garage.  Normally, we say "goodbye" to Wolfie.  We are facing him at this point.  We pick up our keys, coins, etc., and then walk to the door.  Guess what?  We now show Wolfie our back.  We are now in a submissive, play mode.  We are telling Wolfie that we are no longer in charge so he doesnt have to obey and respect us.  We are also asking Wolfie to play.  No wonder he isnt listening to us and running out the door.  So, what do we do?

We need to let Wolfie know that we are in charge as we are leaving.  We do this by facing him and backing up to the door.  As soon as he starts to move towards the door, tell him "no" in a very low voice and hold our hand out like a policeman telling a car to stop.  Slowly back up to the door so that your movement does not generate any adrenaline in Wolfie.

Open the door slowly, continuing to face him.  Correct him again if he begins to move towards you.  Now, step through the door and close it slightly.  In a high voice, tell him "good boy" as you finish closing the door.

What you have done is to use the body language Wolfie is expecting from a good leader to clearly communicate to him what is right and wrong.  Your actions were simple and consistent.  Practice this for about two or three weeks and Wolfie will understand that your leaving through the door to the garage is not a game.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Become the pack leader of your house with our premier dog training kit. Includes obedience command videos, dog psychology interview, potty training, and bonuses. Affiliates: http://PackLeaderClub.com/affiliates

Check it out!

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With the kids (and me), there are always things left around the house that our dog might get into.  What are the things that I should watch out for to protect him?  I don’t want something that I left out after the game to make my doggie sick…

All dogs, but especially young dogs, are naturally curious creatures.  This is why we advise dog owners not only to know and be vigilant about potential poisons in and around the home, but also to learn to recognize the signs indicating a dog has eaten something poisonous, and then know what actions to take.  Just because something is safe for people to eat doesnt necessarily mean it is safe for our dogs to eat.

By following these tips, you can help protect your dog from accidental poisoning:

• Toxic foods include chocolate, avocado, onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, macadamia nuts, and chewing gum or candy containing xylitol (a sweetener that is safe for humans but toxic for dogs).
• Serious danger to pets continues from antifreeze/coolant, even though animal-friendly products-made with propylene glycol, not ethylene glycol-are now available.  Always wipe up antifreeze leaks or spills of any size. Pets are attracted to the sweet taste and can die from kidney failure if they ingest even a small amount of this highly toxic substance.
• Store poisonous baits used to rid your home of pests (rodents, snails, insects, etc.) in places that your dog cannot access.  Like antifreeze, some baits smell sweet but are very toxic to pets, causing severe internal bleeding.
• Keep pets away from common household cleaners (the fumes can be noxious) and heavy metals (such as lead) found in paint chips and linoleum.
• Consult with your veterinarian before giving your dog any vitamin, herbal supplement or medication made for humans.  Even small doses of medications of any kind-whether for humans or pets-can be lethal to pets.  Keep all medicines well out of your dogs reach.
• Many plants-even dead or dried-are toxic to pets. Whatever part of the plant may be dangerous (leaves, fruit, seeds), learn about the types of toxic plants that may grow in your home and surroundings (both cultivated and wild), and keep your pets away from them or remove them entirely.
• Keep your pets off lawns or gardens that have been treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides.  If your dog has walked on treated lawns, wipe his feet clean as soon as you get home to avoid the possibility of him licking his paws and ingesting the poison.  Store all such chemicals in places your pet cant reach.
• Other toxic substances found outside include mushrooms and garden mulch.
•  Ask your veterinarian for a detailed list of all potentially poisonous items, substances and plants found around your home. 

Possible Symptoms of Poisoning (Toxicity) in Your Pet:

• Vomiting/upset stomach
• Labored OR shallow breathing
• Drooling
• Increased OR decreased heart rate
• Fever
• Hyperactivity OR sluggishness/lethargy
• Increased thirst OR lack of thirst or hunger
• Dilated pupils
• Stumbling or staggering
• Seizures or tremors
• Loss of consciousness

If you think your dog has ingested a dangerous substance contact your veterinarian or local animal hospital immediately.  If you are advised to bring the dog into the clinic, be sure to take along the packaging of the suspected substance or a sample of the plant you think your dog may have eaten. This can help the veterinarian know how best to treat your pet.  For more information or clarification, please contact us at Great South Florida Dog Trainers.

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When You Ride Your Bike

I was up in Sunrise yesterday with a new dog training client and her Boxer who had a jumping problem and loved to run out the front door.  We resolved those problems pretty quickly and I was finishing up the lesson and planning what we would to at the next lesson and when we would return.  She had another dog issue that didn’t refer to her Boxer.  

She loved to ride her bike around the neighborhood but the local dogs loved to chase and bark at her.  She could never get in a full bike ride because of all these doggie distractions.  I mentioned that I had worked on this issue years ago and came up with some very interesting observations and suggestions for bike riders and “dog chasers”… 

Dogs love to play "tag, you are it".  In fact, this is one of the natural submissive/dominance that they naturally play as puppies to learn proper canine socialization.  When we ride past dogs on our bikes, they chase us, and we speed up, we are encouraging the idea of "tag, you are it". Here are some suggestions:

• When you are biking towards a dog or a group of dogs, slow down to a "crawl". Peddle as little as possible. Look straight ahead and move past them in a very slow, deliberate manner. The dogs should read your "non adrenalized and uninterested body language" as "I dont want to play" and ignore you completely.
• If the dog or dogs begin to chase after you, slow down and come to a stop. As soon as you have stopped moving, you have taken away the "I want to play" language from your movements. The dogs will normally slow down and approach you in a non interested manner.  They might be wagging their tails and give off a few “hello” barks.  Stand still and don’t stare at them.  They should quickly turn around and go back to where they came from.  (No fun here.)
• If the dog(s) approach you in an aggressive manner (jumping, showing their teeth, assertive barking), stop and get off your bike. Place your bike between you and the dog(s).    Do not make any sudden moves that would encourage or stimulate adrenaline in the dog(s).  Slowly back away, continuing to show an uninteresting distraction.  The dog(s) should loose interest in two to three minutes and leave.
• I have ridden my bike past a large number of dogs and have used these techniques and my bike rides have always been enjoyable.

For more information about bike ride suggestions with dogs or general dog training, please call us at (954) 424-0170 or The Best Dog Trainers in Sunrise and South Florida.

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I see other people walking their dogs on the street with no leash.  I am thinking about walking Wolfie without a leash.  How do you do that and is that a good idea?

You might get an idea of my answer by looking at the picture above.  The reason that I am on this subject today is because of a consultation I had with one of our clients this morning.  She told me that she would often let her dog off leash in the front yard.  Things were normally fine, but this morning her dog suddenly took off down the street chasing a truck.  Luckily there wasnt any other traffic at the time and she finally could get her dog back about a block away with the help of a neighbor.  

"This kind of thing has never happened before", she told me.  "He plays next door with the neighbor dog and I can play fetch with him at the park across the street and he always walks right back into the house after me when we are done.  He has seen trucks before and he has never gone after them in the past." 

To cut to the chase, we do not condone having dogs off leash at any time.  The reason is that the real world is full of thousands of distractions that will engage Wolfie.  Since we cant plan and train for each of these unique distractions, we cant unequivocally state that Wolfie wont take off down the street. Since we cant guarantee Wolfies safety, we strongly encourage our clients to always have their dogs on a leash when outside.

We live in South Florida where things are always busy with trucks, crazy drivers, bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, joggers, and a whole bunch of other things.  Now, if you lived in the country or a small town, I would probably answer this blog in a different way.  The reason is that there are far fewer distractions that we have to deal with.  But, this is a topic for a future blog.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Sometimes when I pick up Wolfie, he gives a little whimp or tries to give me a little nip.  What can I do to make sure that Wolfie is fine when I pick him up?

The most important aspect of picking up Wolfie is to make sure that you are not hurting or startling him.  He must feel comfortable during the entire process and be assured that you are always keeping him safe and secure.  Here are some qeneral tips:

• Never let small children pick up Wolfie.  Wolfie might squirm and they might drop him.  They might also squeeze him and he might nip to tell them that he is being hurt.
• Dont pick up big dogs.  They can easily squirm and you will drop them.  If you need to get your big dog into a car or on a bed, build a ramp or get some "doggie stairs".  This will assure that Wolfie will kept safe and you wont hurt your back.

Now, lets discuss how to pick him up, assuming that Wolfie is a medium to small dog and you have the ability to pick him up:

• Lightly stroke Wolfie to make sure that he has no sores or aches.  Trying to pick up a doggie with painful spots is not a good thing.
• Slowly approach Wolfie and calmly grab him around his belly.  Picking up a dog by grabbing them under their front legs can, at times, be painful.
• Wait for a moment and then slowly lift him up to your chest.  Once he is there, praise him with a high pitched "Good Puppy".
• Turn him and hold him against your chest while holding him with both arms.  He should be "right side up" so that his belly is resting in your forearms while you have one arm holding him in place.
• Slowly pet him by taking your hand and stroking him down his body.
• Keep the environment calm and quiet.  Loud noises or fast movement might startle him and you might drop him.  This is not good.
• If Wolfie displays any anxiety or begins to squirm, put him down immediately.
• When you are ready to put him down, return to holding him with both hands under his belly.
• Slowly lower him, letting him see where his feet will touch the ground.
• Once both feet are on the ground, praise him with a high pitched "Good Puppy" and let him loose.

Picking up Wolfie is a process of bonding and trust that is critical in the relationship you are trying to create with your dog.  Doing it correctly helps create a great experience.  As dog trainers, we have seen that improper grabbing and picking up of dogs can create lasting behavior issues.

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December 19, 2010 by Minette dogs love to go for car rides!

Just pass the quality time with your dog can improve your health!  Today, I want to take a break and away holidays all anxiety.  Invite your family sneak or just off the coast with your dog, according to which helps you bust some stress!

I was stay informed on the blogs and do my daily tasks with my dogs every day.  However I think today I could ignore this event if I wanted to, because today was day of Yoga.  I cant seem to do Yoga without the aid of some doggies rumps and faces in my face.  It may be because they can here the video instructor say «downward Dog» and "upward Dog" or perhaps its due to my grumbling, but most probably its because I am a captive audience on the floor!

Although I made some great connections with my dogs today, I will still go out and make this cause of task, its easy and fun!

Bring the entire family!

All I really want do you, is to take your car and keys of your dog and head for a little holiday drive to see Christmas lights.  When I was a child there were several blocks and neighborhoods in my city where almost everyone went to work to decorate the size of their homes.  The city even gave prizes for the most well decorated area.  Each year we either walk through the streets of the city or the drive and sing some songs.  Its one of my favorite memories and things to do during the holidays!

Thus find a grouse neighbourhood and will enjoy the lights of Christmas with hot chocolate and your best friend.

View the original article here

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From time to time someone asks me what type of dog takes the longest to train. They expect the answer to be a specific breed. But the truth is that the most difficult dog to train is not a breed, but a group.

That group is breeding dogs that have been rescued from puppy mills.
Puppy mills are the equivalent of the sweat shops of the early industrial age.

Their goal is to turn out lots of puppies at the lowest possible cost. The way they do it is appalling.

Breeding dogs are selected and kept until they are about five years old. Then they are discarded and either destroyed or rescued by one of the rescue organizations.

A lot of people think that all these dogs need is love and occasionally it is just that simple. But most of the time it is not.

These dogs are normally kept in very small cages. They have had no meaningful contact with humans and minimal contact with other dogs. As a result they simply have no idea how to live or even survive outside of the crate or cage.

All dogs come in for an assessment before I train them. The primary reason is so that my client understands what I do and how I do it. But by looking at the dog before the owners decide to train with me, can figure out what the greatest needs are. We start by having you drop the dog’s leash as soon as you walk in the door.

What I want to see is a dog with enough confidence to leave your side, enough curiosity to explore the center, and a little bit of caution since the dog does not know who or what may be in here. With the puppy mill rescue what I usually see is a dog that just stands there with its head and back lowered.

The dog not only cannot make a decision, it literally does not know how to gather information to make decisions. It has had so little sensory input, that even an empty center with only its owners and I in the room, it does not know how to find out what it needs to know to do anything.

And so begins a very long period of working the dog to just get ready to train. I know that with time we can have a confident dog, but the problem is going to be the owner’s expectations. If they are going to train with me they will need to invest a lot of time and effort before they see much improvement.

The first thing we must do is give the dog time to learn to watch and figure out how this new world works. At the same time we cannot put any pressure on the dog. So I put the dog on a line attached to the wall. The line is a form of security and often dogs will lean against the wall to reassure themselves. Then I put a calming collar on the dog knowing that the collar puts pressure on the pressure points in its neck, calming and reassuring the dog. Finally since the dog has spent its whole life watching through a cage, I put an exercise pen in a large semi circle around the dog.

Then we just let the dog be there while I work with other dogs. Other than an occasional “you’re fine” told to the dog by its owners and myself, there is no inter action with the dog.

I ask the owner to come in with the dog whenever we have our Neighborhood Pack Sessions or on weekends when I have lots of trainings. I can never predict how long it will take to stimulate interest.

The first sign of interest in what is going on is when the puppy mill dog starts watching the other dogs and people. At first it is only an occasional glance, but gradually it begins to take an interest in what is going on. Maybe for the first time in its life, the dog is gathering information.

I know we are getting close when the dog sits and watches the entire time it is here. The dog is learning how to learn.

We wait for the magic moment when the dog barks. It is the first step into the world. Now the training can begin.

The dog is worked in short periods. All we are looking for is just a little progress. There are still weeks if not months to go, but the dog is now on its way to being normal.

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Is Your Beauceron Potty Trained Enough?

House Training a puppy or adult Beauceron is such an essential issue for its owner that even a single exclusive tip turns out to be extremely helpful.

The first step in making your Beauceron fit for polite company would be to potty train him. Some see this training as a hassle and some as a challenge.

For me, it is part of bringing up a pet.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on housetraining puppies and dogs.

There are a few things you need to know before you actually start potty training a puppy or adult Beauceron. I enumerate these below:

• You need to understand your dogs body language. Watch for signs that will indicate to you when your pet wants to eliminate.

• If you own puppies, remember that they need to go potty at fairly frequent intervals - as soon as they wake up, after short naps, after play-time, after meals, before and after being crated and finally, before retiring for the night.

• Take your Beauceron for walks at the time that he usually does his potty. Take him out to the yard and then to the same place there every time he needs to answer natures call.

• Praise your Beauceron after he eliminates at the right place. Some Beauceron owners even give treats to their dogs. But remember to do this every time he does it right. He will relate the rewards to his having "done it right" and zero in on the spot where you want him to defecate regularly.

• With time, you can try signal training. This is so that you know when your doggie wants to go. You can hang a bell at his level near the door and teach him to push it with his nose or pat it with his paw on his way out.

• Until your Beauceron has been fully potty trained keep him under strict vigilance. Do not let him roam around the house freely.

• Use a crate. A crate-trained Beauceron is usually very happy to get his own den. The advantage of crating is that dogs do not soil the place where they sleep. So, he will naturally not eliminate inside the crate.

• If you have a small dog and if you live in a high-rise building or in a place that does not have a proper backyard, you can try litter pan training. What you do is create a space for your pet to eliminate in your house itself.

• Use positive reinforcements while housebreaking puppies or adult dogs. Do not scold or hit him as you will gain nothing by doing that. He will only associate punishment with your return from outside. If you catch him in the act, a stern NO or FREEZE will do. It will startle the Beauceron enough for him to stop pooping.

• Be prepared to return to a soiled home if you are keeping your Beauceron home alone for more than 4 hours as separation anxiety is quite common among home - alone dogs.

• Accidents will happen. It is unusual for a trained adult Beauceron to work against its house training. But medical problems or health disorders may lead to sudden accidents.

• Many dogs mark their territory. These can be a leg of a table or a particular wall. Intact male and female dogs mark their territories by urinating. Use deodorizers to spray on the places where your Beauceron has marked.

• If you are patient and are ready to accept that house training a dog takes time, even months sometimes, you will end up having a good housetrained Beauceron.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on house training puppies and dogs.

Now we will move on to how to potty train puppies and adult dogs.

Potty Training A Puppy:

Irrespective of breeds, housetraining a puppy is considered to be one of the biggest challenges by dog owners. If you think housetraining your puppy simply involves a steady supply of old newspapers, then think again.

A puppy does not develop full control over his bladder until it is over 4 or 5 months old. Since they are growing and developing rapidly at this time, puppies eat more, burn more calories and need to eliminate more frequently than an adult Beauceron.

After each nap, meal, drink or play, take your puppy to his designated area (indoors or outdoors, wherever you have decided) and stay there until it eliminates. Then bring him to his crate.

Repeat this situation every day until he has developed a habit out of it.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on housebreaking a puppy.

Potty Training An Adult Beauceron:

The best way to housetrain an adult Beauceron is to begin all over again.

Observe him very closely. Maybe even maintain a diary of where he goes and when. Whether he is pooping when you are home or only when you are outside; whether you can time yourself to be home when he feels the need to go outside.

You can try dog crates, but be careful to introduce him gradually to them.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on potty training a dog.

Remember, commitment, consistency and intelligent use of positive reinforcement will make you the owner of a perfectly housetrained Beauceron. Dont expect miracles. You will only be disappointed.

Get this FREE course on potty training a dog.

Get this unique Housetraining guide and start Housebreaking Your Beauceron Today.

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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There are only two reasons a dog becomes aggressive. They are play and fear.

Play aggression is the rarer form. It usually occurs when a young puppy is encouraged to play too rough with people. Because of a puppy’s instinct to please, the puppy begins to think that being rough pleases people.

This is desire to please by being rough is how police and military bite dogs are trained. The dog is taken out and sent after someone wearing either a bite sleeve or suit. When the dog bites and holds on it is praised. Then when it lets go it is rewarded with a toy (usually a Kong) to play with. The dog makes the association between the two. Knowing that the Kong is definitely a toy, the dog sees biting a human as part of the game. The difference between this and a pet dog is that these dogs have “off” switches.

Sometimes people accidently train a puppy to be aggressive by playing more roughly than they should. The dog grows up thinking that all humans want to be played with as roughly as possible. And often a dog that has been taught to play rough with humans also thinks it should play that way with dogs. These dogs do not have “off” switches. And playing rough with humans can also result in being fear aggressive with other dogs.

The most common form of aggression though is from fear. For whatever reason the dog has become deeply fearful. And when something or someone triggers that fear the dog has three choices, negotiation, fight or flight.

The first and best choice is negotiation. Dogs do negotiate, they do it through body language. When a properly adjusted dog is confronted by something that it is not sure is prey or predator, it uses body language to say “I don’t have to fight and I am not a threat to you.” Provided that the dog knows what to “say” and the object or being answers or ignores the dog, the dog will attempt to avoid confrontation. Many dogs that do not grow up in a pack, or who do not have any pack based training, may never learn to negotiate.

Flight should be the second choice. If there is no good reason to fight, and the dog has a way to move away from the danger, it should leave rather than fight. But if the dog cannot retreat, because it is backed up against an object or on a line, the only choice left is fight.

Some dogs chose to fight even when there is the choice of flight. This may be because they do not know they have an escape option because at some point they chose flight and it did not work.

Dogs also believe if you are going to get into a fight, you throw the first punch. This is why even a small dog will launch itself at a large opponent. A fear aggressive dog will always try to throw that first punch even if it does not need to.

Once a dog has become fear-aggressive it is going to take work, a lot of work, to undo this reaction. The dog does not see itself as being wrong, it truly believes it is fighting to save its own life. The dog’s judgement has become so warped, and its fear so deeply ingrained, that it sees no other option.

But it can be fixed.

First the owner must establish trust in the dog. Many dogs love you but they have not learned to trust you. Without the dog trusting your judgment, the dog will never have an “off” switch.

So any training to deal with aggression has to meet these conditions.

1. The dog must trust the owner so that when the owner sees the dog is fearful, and is about to go to aggression, the owner can tell the dog that it does not have to become aggressive.
And the dog must learn to do what the owner is telling it to do.

2. The owner has to know how to recognize the aggression before the fight starts.

3. The owner must have an “off” switch that works both before and after a fight starts.

4. The dog must have training in group situations where it is tempted to become aggressive but is never allowed to succeed.

5. The training must trigger the ability to negotiate before turning to fight or flight.

6. The dog must learn not to fight even when the other dog is challenging it.

7. You must have the ability to protect your dog if the other dog becomes aggressive even though your dog has done everything right.

8. You have to learn to avoid situations where your dog will be attacked.

What I cannot tell you is how long this will take. It depends on how long the dog has been aggressive, how deeply the fear has entrenched itself, and how much time you can devote to working on it. I have had many dogs respond within a few weeks of training but others have taken much longer.

Genetics can also play a part. In any litter one puppy will be the most confident and another is the most fearful. Plus as any good book will tell you all puppies go through a period where they have a lot of fear reactions. Most will go through this with little harm. But a very few will never gets past this stage without help from a good trainer.

I am currently working with the most fear aggressive dog I have ever seen. And I have been working with this dog for almost a year. This is a rare European breed, the only one I have worked with so far. It hasnt been easy but I never give up on a dog.

When we started the dog was afraid of everyone, dog or human, other than its owners. I believe it was born this way. In fact had the breeder been a good breeder they never would have placed the dog since I am sure this behavior was abundantly clear even when it was a puppy.

This dog did not come in until it was almost five. And unfortunately the only time the owner tried to deal with it they went to someone who used a shock collar. That just made things worse.

But with a lot of dedicated work from the owners we are getting there. The dog comes to pack almost every week. The only problem left is that the dog still has trouble with its body language. He body still says fight when she means play.

But where they could never have anyone in their house before the dog now lets other humans be around her. And she doesn’t challenge every dog she sees.

Finishing this dog is actually up to her new pack mate. A couple of weeks ago they added a puppy to their house. Like many dogs this once super fear aggressive dog learned to get along with puppies before she learned how to get along with adult dogs. And instinct has kicked in, all dogs take part in raising puppies in the pack.

The new dog will actually grow to be a much larger dog. They are best friends. This dog will become the dog she was meant to be.

A word of warning, by itself a puppy does not cure aggression in adult dogs. Had they brought the puppy in a year ago, this dog would have killed it. But through their hard work they now will have two great dogs.

If you are here to find a trainer, and you can’t come to me or Pat, then read the other blogs here on this site for selecting a dog trainer.

Consider the following things.
1 Can the trainer specifically tell you how the training will deal with aggression? A simple “I can fix this” is never enough.
2 Will the trainer let you see them work with aggressive dogs?
3 Take in the list above. If the trainer cannot tell you how they are going to do those things, don’t train with them.
4 What will the trainer do, and what will it cost, if the dog needs more training. Remember some trainers will actually encourage the aggression so you keep coming back until you run out of money.


Doug

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We were at a home dog training session recently and our client was really passionate about being a great dog owner. “I really want to be a great dog owner but there are so many opinions and suggestions of what I should do!  Are there some general things that I really need to focus on?”

There are bookstores and on-line resources just packed full of dog books.  If we wanted to, we could spend years just reading about what we should do with our dogs.  I don’t know about you, but I have would rather spend that time enjoying my dog.  With that in mind, let me cut to the chase and give you the five "you really shoulds" for your dog:

• First, good dog owners walk and exercise their dogs. Most dogs love to run and play. It is both a physical and mental release and helps keep them emotionally happy and physically strong. 
• Feed a good quality food. Good nutrition is one way a dog owner can proactively make a difference in their dogs health. Over the past two decades, there has been a lot of research and scientific information used to properly formulate dogs foods to optimize health. Many of the foods that we recommend have these enhanced formulas that helps burn fat, develop muscle and promote healthy digestion. They were developed by nutritionists and veterinarians, so these complete, all-in-one diets have the right balance of proteins, fats and fibers to help protect your dogs health. Please do your own research and select a great food for your dog.  Please check out a food we highly recommend at Really Good Dog Food in South Florida.
• Good daily care. Daily monitoring of your dogs appetite and potty habits are a part of be a good responsible dog owner. Healthy dogs have a good appetite, standard potty habbits, and maintain an ideal weight. Any abnormalities should be noted and any persistent changes should be reported to your veterinarian. 
• Yearly check-ups. Ensuring that your dog has yearly check-ups to help identify any medical problems before they become problems is a very good habit. During the yearly exam, your veterinarian will also determine if your dog requires any vaccines, flea control or heart worm preventative medications. These measures will help to keep your dog healthy and comfortable. Many veterinarians offer plans that provide check-ups at discounted rates.  Be sure to ask your veterinarian if they offer this service.
• Daily grooming. Monitoring your dogs nails and trim them when needed, brush his teeth at least every other day and daily brush his hair are important ways to prevent unnecessary problems such as dental disease, torn nails, matting, and needless shedding around your home.

Do these things and your dog will thank you with better health and months, if not years added to their lives.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in SouthFlorida.

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