Quick things you can do every time someone comes to the door and your dog displays bad behavior.

I was at a dog training session in Cooper City last week and we were just finishing up the session.  We had covered everything the client had on his wish list for that day and everything was just great.  As I got up to leave, a friend came to the front door and rang the door bell.  His dog went completely nuts.  He ran to the front door before we could even stand up, barking and jumping at the door like a crazy person.  I told the client that we had something else to work on…

What we first must understand is that just about all dogs are excited when new people are coming into the house.  This is not always a bad thing because our dog’s action can also act as a defensive/protective mechanism to an unwanted situation. What is important is that we are not embarrassed when anyone enters our house because they are jumped on, licked, and generally harassed the unruly dog. The best way to accomplish this is to nip it at the bud. Here are some tips that I have given my clients over the years:

• Put your dog on a leash. As your guests’ arrival time approaches, make sure that your dog fully engaged with toys or other distractions.
• Play with your dog outside for 30 to 45 minutes before your guests arrive.  This will help get the “excitement out of him”.
• As soon as you hear the doorbell or you get a call from the front gate, grab your dog’s leash by first putting you foot on the handle.  Then, calmly reach down and pick up the handle.  Have your dog sit next to you.
• Once you hear your guests at the front door, make sure your dog is still in a sit position.  Calmly command him to walk with you and go to the front door.  Have him sit again.
• Open the door and greet your guests. If your dog starts to become unruly or leaves the sit position, correct him and place him in the sit position.
• If your dog is still unruly, ask your guests to stay at the door for a moment.  Walk your dog around the room and have him focus on you.  Once he is calm, walk back to your guest and place your dog in a sit position.
• Have a short conversation with your guests while maintaining a close watch on your dog.
• Walk with your guests and dog into the house and to the area where you will be spending your time.  If the dog does not show signs of excitement or misplaced focus, calmly drop the leash.
• If your dog begins to go crazy again, pick up the leash (method described about), walk around for a moment or two until he is calm, and drop the leash.

You are teaching your dog is to be calm when you are meeting guests. The leash serves as a simple, non-physical training aid for you to direct your dog to make the right decision. It also allows you to be consistent in your management of him.  This is how your dog learns and how he associates leadership.

For more information on this subject or any dog training issue, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in Cooper City and South Florida.

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Hi]
further to my previous blog there have now been several cases of kennel cough reported around the market harborough area so if you have any doubt what soever please keep your dog at home. Further would members please refrai from allowing their dogs to meet other dogs, as a safety precuation to minimise the chances of dogs contracting kc.

If you have any concerns polease conslt your vets.

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With the Holidays upon us and all the extra things taking up my time, I just don’t have as much time to spend with Wolfie.  Is this going to cause a problem or can I just make it up by getting him a bunch of great gifts?

First thing, you can’t bribe dogs like you can bribe your kids.  Just getting Wolfie a bunch of great gifts is not going to make up for the time you are neglecting him.  Dogs are social animals and need companionship to maintain the bond between you and him that is so critical in your relationship.

When you don’t give him the time needed to maintain your relationship, your dog will start to test you to see “what he can get away with”.  Let’s say that you have taught him that it is not OK to jump on people.  He will challenge you by taking a few “test jumps” to see what will happen.  If you are distracted with guests or out of town family members, you probably won’t react to his “breaking of your rules”.  You have now shown your dog that he can start to do whatever he wants.  You are not correcting, so why should he obey your rules?

When you leave Wolfie alone at home or in his crate for longer than normal, you are going to increase his need to play and get all of that pent up energy out.  Not being outside with him throwing the ball or going for a jog means that he will have to find another way to release all his “crazy”.  That normally means that he will be far more active in the house, demanding your attention and the attention of your guests.  Since you are already engaged in other activities, this normally means that he is going back in his crate or outside. 

With no bonding and interaction, Wolfie will have to escalate his actions to, “in his mind”, continue the bond you had established.  This normally means that he will start stealing things, showing you that he has them, and then run like a crazy dog around the house as you chase and scream at him.  This only puts you in a bad light as his leader and care giver.  It builds up your dog’s canine perception that he better be the boss and take charge.

If you notice, I am not painting a very rosy picture.  If you simply ignore or minimize the play and bonding time between you and your dog during the holidays, you will have an unpleasant holiday and a crazy, internally focused dog for the New Year.  Let’s make sure that this doesnt happen.

The answer is organization.  You must be organized enough to take the minimal free time you have during the holiday season and use it wisely.  Here are some simple steps:

• Write down your schedule for the upcoming week.  Put in your work, shopping, family obligations, church, parties, etc.  Now, find 45 minutes every day (broken down in 15 and 30 minutes) that you will devote to your “best friend”.  If you have to take some time away from another event, so be it.
• Make a promise to yourself and Wolfie that you will not miss those two times daily where it will be your bonding time.
• Make sure that those times are for you and Wolfie!  Do not be throwing the ball while you are on the phone. 
• After each play time, make sure that Wolfie is still with the family.  Do not simply put him back in the crate and say “Adios”.

As your dog’s leader and care giver, it is your responsibility to maintain a constant bond so that he will respect and obey you.  When you break that bond and trust, you are minimizing your relationship with him.  I know that you are going to tell me “But I am so busy with this, I am so busy with that!”  My response to you is to ask yourself if “this and that” is more important than Wolfie who gives you unconditional love, is always there for you, always wants to please, and always makes you feel great when you are down. I think you know the answer.

If you have any questions, we will be happy to help.  Please contact us at TheBest Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Dog Training At Home

We are Faridabad (Haryana, India) based firm having a variety of dog and puppy training material in form of Books, Cds and DVDs you can train your dog at home. We serving our customers since 2007 we believe in providing you best quality of Dogs and Puppies Training Programs according to the costumer need, Breed of dog and Purpose Requirement.

Dog training at home is easy and effective way to train your puppy or dog. Every thing starts with you how u train your dog at home. When you train your dog yourself dog come to know your importance and regard you.

Importance of Dog Training

Dog Training plays an important role in the life of dog and his owner as they both are bounded and committed to each other. It is the same happiness you feel when your kid goes to pre-school and learn many thing. So it is the moral responsibility of a owner to train his dog step by step according to his aspirations.

Stages of Dog Training

There are different stages involve in dog training which starts from very first month with puppy socialization training then comes to puppy first year training after that dog training followed by advance dog training.

Why Dog Owner Should Impart Dog Training To His Dog ?

If you really love your dog do take some time for him to impart dog training. Its just sparing some for dog training 5 to 10 min in the binging which gradually increase time to time and according to willingness and self schedule. Remember dog respect the trainer as he starts giving more importance to you this the thing I hear from my costumers who impart dog training by there self some share there bad experience when they send there dog out on training for a month or so I came to here that there dog does not get good diet as he is getting some says there dog get sick after that dog training etc. I want to tell you why it happens ? Suppose you send your Dog on a dog training program and u paid a good amount of money actually its not a fault of dog trainer as he had to train many dogs so they are always in hurry and your dog never get time to rest and practice as every thing go too fast this is my experience that I came to know may be its not true every one have his other way of thinking.

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We will help you and guide you about the type of dogs and help you in selecting an ideal dog for your Home, Factory, Hotel, Farm Houses, Dog Shows etc. We will pre-inform you about the social habits, eating habits, behavior with family, behavior with strangers, life expectancy and other traits of dogs.

If you still feel that you are unable to decide which dog you should buy we can provide you a book that can help you in deciding the best puppy for you with habits and traits you are looking for.

What we can do for you after you buy a puppy or dog ?

We will provide you best puppy / dog training Books, Cds and DVDs that can give you step by step guide to train your puppy or dog.

We also have various specified custom training program as you had seen on internet a very wide range of Books stars from Rs1000/- Cds and DVDs stars from 1500/- only.

When You Start Training ?

First you have to start the puppy Socialization training. When your dog turn to one month of age then basic atticates, manners, establishing your control, some basic commands and a feeling of belonginss should be realized in a proper way and many more things that are there for you and your puppy to learn in this very basic puppy training. Training also include some of best doctors advice that you have to take care off with your puppy.

What You Get In DOG TRAINING COMBO PACK ?

Puppy Socialization Training

All right you guys now have wonderful puppy in your home and now you are wounding what do i do ? Because some times when you start feeding puppy into your home it works really well and some times you may have some problems it may be chewing it may be housebreaking or kinds of things which you may have problems with your puppies and so it is difficult to melt them into your house. When you bring the puppy home he is thinking every thing changes he is not use to the enviournment he get over there and when you try to mold the puppy in human pack he is unable to get what is going around you think he will react as a human but he react as a dog. Puppy Socialization Training help you to bring the feeling of belongings in your puppy and to adjust in new enviournment in a friendly way it also help puppy to understand relation between puppy and you. You will also come to know what you have to restrict your puppy from and what you have to let him do. Puppy Socialization Training also helps you to get medical advice, Puppy diet, Puppy Potty, Puppy Toilet info etc more over if you take care of ur puppy according to this training your puppy age will increase by 2 years + and your puppy will never fell ill due to first six years intense care.

Puppy First Year Training

Owning a dog is fun !!! Your dog will become a friend guardian and companion to you and those who are around you but as a responsible pet owner you may know that you had made a serious personal and financial commitment. You may have a puppy right now who is starting to exhibit behavior due his breed which may or may not fit into your personality and lifestyle its up to you to try to train your pup so that he can fit into your world. Puppies first year is a video guide designed in five parts to help you to anticipate your puppys needs as he go thought critical stages in his first year of life. Some of you may have puppies and you start asking yourself why is my puppy jumping on me ? Why is he chewing my sleepers ? Why is he destroying my clothes ? We are going to tell you how to manage this problems and more... In Puppy First Year Training you will get all type of basic commands and exercise which make your puppy active and help in mental and physical growth it like a startup to your puppy make him learn while playing it is the best option to make him feel a touch of learning and improve the power of grasping with intelligence. Its really important to get a control over your puppy otherwise your puppy dominate you.

Puppy Obedience Training

Dog are pet animals in a dogs some dogs are alpha dogs once the establish leadership then other dogs are obedient to him. My balanced, step by step training methods proven to help establish leadership. When i train a dog I like to have "Working Bond" And "Love Bond" this means I am establish a leader of the dog as also I lake the dog. I dont be too stick or too lenient. The mythology i used is as follows :- First Part of the training is Teaching ===> Next Part of training is testing ===> Final part is Consistency its foundation work as it derives good results. Its a visual obedience training that after 5 weeks you get the out standing results with your dog for sure. Now you may want to know why obedience training is more important before a professional dog training it is because you make a control over your dog and dog start realizing that he had to obey you in all scenes weather willingly or not thats why obedience dog training play an important role in dogs training program. You must give a proper obedience training so that it will be very easy for you to impart dog training without any conflict. Hope you got my point best of luck. Thanks

Professional Dog Training

Professional Dog Training contain all the information that you need to control your dog in any situation the quality of dog lies not only the efforts you put in working with him but also techniques applied. Dog training is not a so much matter of training a dog but training yourself to understand what it takes to be respected as a leader in your dog mind. A well trained dog is one who get more freedom, exercise and affection during his life because the owners are happy with him and can trust there dog will respond when absolutely necessary. A properly trained dog will be happier and help you through out your life. My methods will instruct you how to honest the dog. Every dog is much smarter then most of us had even realize the reason people think that there dog is not very smart is not that the dog is lacking intelligence but the dog does not have respect for the owner as its leader. This is why you can be calling your dog and instructing them through dog trainer and dog seem to disregard his owner. We first must understand genetic makeup of the dog having knowledge of the way have been created to think make possible for us to deal in a manner which achieve results.

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I called my sister the other night to wish her a belated birthday. We talked, as we occasionally do, about growing up. I asked if she read the blog “Butchie’s Paper Route. She then reminded me some other family dog stories.

When I was about 4 and my sister was about 2 our Dad decided it was time to get a family dog again. He found a Brittany Spaniel. Her name was Dozie (pronounced doozie) from combining our names, Doug and Suzie. I don’t think Dad saw this as prophetic. But it was.

I personally do not believe any dog is dumb. I tell people if you know someone with a dumb dog, what you really know is someone with a smart dog who’s figured out acting dumb pays well in their home. I don’t think Dozie was dumb but she was flighty and absent minded.

We lived in Wichita at the time. The people next door owned a Boston Terrier. The dogs were good friends and their favorite activity was chase. Back then no one had fences so the dogs would chase each other around the Boston’s house. Dozie was usually the chaser, meaning that the Boston was probably the dominant dog.

The Boston was much smaller than a Dozie. About the third time around the house he would run under the gas meter. This was the old fashion kind with the big body that came out of the ground between two pipes. He could make it under the body. Dozie would follow him. But she was too big to make it so would run head first into the meter, knocking her woozy.

A couple of years later we moved to Arlington Texas. We added a parakeet to the household. His name was Sweetie Pie.

Sweetie Pie soon learned to exactly mimic my father’s whistle, which Dad used to recall Dozie.

Periodically you would hear that whistle. And Dozie would dutifully run to the dining room where he was kept. She then would frantically look for Dad, who was often at work. Sweetie Pie then would add insult to injury by loudly declaring “Dozie is a dirty bird.” She would look at the bird in disgust and then go back to whatever she had been doing.

Sadly I don’t have a picture of a Brittany to put with this blog. I kind of wish I did. I don’t think there is a prettier dog than an orange and white Brittany.

Doug

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Yes, I know that it is never "cold" down here in South Florida, but it really starts to get nasty into the summer months.  Should I change the way I play with Wolfie during this time?

In a very quick and simple answer, "yes".  The most important factor that should be taken into consideration is the summer heat.  Perspiration is the way that our body regulates its temperature to stay healthy and survive.  We perspire through our skin.  This gives us a very large ability to regulate our body temperature.  Wolfie perspires through his mouth; panting.  This affords a far less opportunity for body temperature regulation in extreme situations (hot South Florida summer day).

Because of this, we have to take extra precautions during the hot, summer months when playing outside with Wolfie.  Here are some tips:

• Only play outside before 9AM in the morning and 7:30PM in the evening as the sun is low on the horizon.  Never play for more than 15 minutes without taking a break.
• Always have plenty of water for Wolfie.  Even if he seems uninterested, guide him to the water from time to time.  Make it a game and splash the water in the bowl to get his attention.
• If you have a pool and Wolfie enjoys the water, throw the ball in the pool to have him jump in and retrieve it.  This will naturally cool him off.
• If Wolfie likes the water and you dont have a pool, use your hose to crate a rain shower so he can jump up and try to "eat the rain drops".
• If possible, play on a grassy, cool surface.  Concrete or asphalt can get hot quickly and since we are normally wearing shoes, we dont know just how hot the surface is.  If you have to play on these surfaces, get down and put your entire palm on the surface to check its temperature.
• Mix up your playing with some active fetch and chase the ball with more quiet grooming and scatter feeding.
• Put a leash on Wolfie and practice some attentive walking.  This is a slower exercise and also helps to promote focused obedience. You can also practice come, sit, and stay while you have him on the leash.
• Short snouted dogs are more susceptible to heat exhaustion than long snouted dogs (Pug vs Lab).  Because of that, take extra precautions when playing with your short snouted dog outside. You might think about shortening your play times or playing earlier in the morning and later in the evening.
• It is OK to have some quiet, outside time during the day if you manage it properly.  Quiet time bonding is also a very important part of your relationship with Wolfie.  Go outside and sit in the shade with Wolfie.  You can read a book or tweet on your tablet.  Give Wolfie a toy, a goodie, or scatter feed.  Still have plenty of water for Wolfie.  Dont stay out for more than 30 minutes and come inside if Wolfie becomes too active or it gets just too stifling. 
• When you and Wolfie come inside, make sure that he still has some water to re-hydrate.

Heat exhaustion is a very serious issue for dogs in the summer.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.  If Wolfie appears overly lethargic after being outside, call your veterinarian immediately.

"Mad dogs and Englishmen to out in the midday sun"

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How early can you begin to train a puppy? Even though you may not deliberately set out to train your puppy as early as seven or eight weeks, you can be guaranteed that he is learning how to best interact in your world as soon as you bring him home. He is learning from every interaction with you, and as your dogs owner, its your job to make sure that he is learning the right things!

As a dog trainer, the most common training questions that I hear from puppy owners are about house training, jumping up on people, and puppy biting. Usually the question is framed in this way: "How can I teach my puppy NOT to jump on people, bite me, or soil in the house?" These problems can definitely be solved, but we must first learn to rephrase our question: "What can I teach my puppy to do INSTEAD of jumping up, biting me, or soiling in the house?"

As you begin to identify positive behaviors that the puppy can perform that PREVENT the unwanted behaviors, you have taken the first step toward teaching your puppy to be the best family companion that he can be.

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Time Laid: 9:15 AM Time Worked: 9:45 AM
Distance: 20 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

Article track laid just north of the dog run blockage fence.  Wind was somewhat diminished in this location.  Articles at 10, 15, and 20 yards. All articles were large leather wallets, similar to what we have been using in the house.

Asher was double-collared with prong and fur saver, one six-foot leather leash.

Track was heavily baited throughout.

Asher started nicely, although a little fast.  I had to stop him for each article, and the down was difficult on the first one especially.  Let him down for an extended period on each article, stroking and talking to him.  Feeding him in the down position.

No scoring for this exercise as it was his first article indication training exercise outside of the house.

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Hi! I am Dash and I am learning a lot. 

Good Day Leapers,

This evening we had the pleasure of working with a cute little fellow named Dash. Leap has been meeting with Dash for a few weeks now, but today we tested his recall/come when called with high distractions... At the dog park.

How do we do that?

Well, we make it into a game. You see, sometimes, we humans only call our dogs while at the dog park when WE are ready to leave. Of course, the dogs are never ready to leave because theyre having way, way too much fun. The trick is to be creative.

Here are some ideas:

1. Run away from the dog. Thats right! If you become the most fun interesting item at the dog park then then your dog is sure to follow you, run after you, and come to you. Do this very often while your dog is at play to try to get their focus back on you.
2. Reward/Praise your dog. Remember to reinforce your dog whenever he/she comes near you, stops by, or even looks at you. This will ensure that the dog is paying attention to you. Yes, we didnt ask them for anything, but dont we want them to do this all the time? You know, come to us? So, this is a good way to shape it. Reward behaviors you want, even if not asked.
3. Practice. Always practice at home or outside of the park first with a leash before adding all these distractions.

Anyway, these are just some quick, easy tips. Im sure you guys have some really good ones: how do you guys get your dogs to come to you while at the dog park?

XOXO LEAP!

Note: every dog is different and not every dog likes dog parks. Please make sure you know your dog very well before taking them to an off leash dog park area. Dog parks can be fun for some, but very stressful place for others.

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     Ok, its not that I hate pit bulls.  I dont think of myself as a hater of any animal (humans included); nevertheless, I do hate what I know pit bulls do, and what theyre capable of.  I hate that people use them for dog fighting, and I hate that people abuse them like no other dog.  What I do hate most, is that pit bull owners REFUSE to admit that these dogs are dangerous, and are capable of such destruction, and therefore refuse to take the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the neighborhoods and communities.  I HATE that there have been numerous service dogs attacked by pit bulls and put out of work, and have had to retire due to their severe physical and psychological injury, perpetrated by these dogs.  I cant bring myself to hate a dog for what it is....I realize the dog had no say in how it was bred, or how its been used for centuries, but the owners of these dogs need to come down to reality, and look at the facts.  They need to take precautions; their neighbors want to feel and BE safe.  I now have a big, blue-nosed pit living right next door to me.  Im not happy about it, to say the least, but as of now there is no regulation on these dogs in this city, therefore nothing I can do about it.  However, I do plan on having a conversation with the owner.  I know my neighbor and Im pretty sure we can have a civil and adult conversation about animal, and people, safety.  We both have a 7 foot block wall between us, however, this didnt stop his former pit bull from ending up in MY back yard a few years back. I have a good feeling that hes got things stacked up against that wall...thats the only way I can see a pit bull jumping that wall.  The wall is 7 feet high on his side, and about 8 on my side.  Im hoping that he will be understanding and willing to take appropriate measures to keep me, my boyfriend, and my very precious-to-me service dog safe. I really dont care what his opinions are on pit bulls, and he doesnt need to know mine....he just needs to keep us safe by being extra responsible. Its no mistake that he has another pit bull; hes obviously a lover of the breed.  He had one before and now has another, so I dont plan to tell him how I feel about pits.  I think its more important that I get along with my neighbor; opinions dont need to be shared.  Hes owned pit bulls for years, so he must know the facts about them.

     Meanwhile, I dont plan on being another statistic.  I dont plan on being on the list of people that have had their service dogs mauled to death or forced into retirement because someone chooses to own the most dangerous and vicious breed of dog out there.  I refuse to walk onto my back porch, or front yard without being armed.  I refuse to let my dog go pee outside, without me being present, and armed. Maybe that sounds silly to you...if it does, go to the page entitled "My Pit Bull Story," and you will understand.  When my neighbor had his former pit bull, it was outside unleashed many a time.  It actually sniffed my dog up, when she was a puppy, and she ran whimpering into the house, pit bull following.  THAT WONT HAPPEN EVER AGAIN! I WILL make sure that my neighbor understands that.  Granted, my dog has run around the front yard unleashed as well, and has visited my neighbor in his yard, and THAT will never happen again either. I will also let my neighbor know that.  Well, heres to hoping for civil, adult, neighbor-to-neighbor, heart to heart conversations.  Wish me luck! Ill keep you posted.

THIS GIRL IS WAY TOO PRECIOUS TO ME! 

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I just dont know what is going on!  Everyone can teach their dogs stuff and all I want Wolfie to do is to come to me.  I say "come" and he doesnt come.  I say "come" and he doesnt come.  I yell "COME" and he walks away.  What gives?  Why cant I teach Wolfie anything?  Cant Wolfie learn?

The answer is, of course, Wolfie can learn.  Just about all dogs can learn.  The problem is that we dont understand how to teach Wolfie.  The good news is that the answer is really simple.

Just like people, some dogs are smarter than others.  Just like people, all dogs have different prior life and learning experiences before their first day of class.  Just like people, students have different levels of respect and obedience towards their teacher.

On "Day One" of teaching Wolfie anything, we first have to understand where he has the ability to learn the lesson we are about to teach.  To do this, we have to determine "where he gets it" and "where he doesnt get it".  This will determine where we begin.  This is very similar as a child going to a new school and the principle determining which grade that student should enter.  

In this example, I will use the simple command of "Come" to determine where I should start to teach Wolfie...

First, I have to pick a base point to see if Wolfie already understands the command.  I stand about six feet away from Wolfie, go down low and say "Come".  I now watch to see what Wolfie does.  He doesnt do a thing and just sits there.  I will try once more.  I get down low and say "Come" with the same response.  This tells me that this is too advanced for Wolfie and have to drop down a grade.

I now put a leash on Wolfie so that I can help to show and guide him when I ask him to come from six feet.  I go down low again and say "Come".  This time I give the leash a very slight, brief tug in my direction.  Wolfie now begins to walk towards me.  As he slows, I give the leash a very slight, brief tug again to encourage him to continue to walk to me.  He reaches me and I give him a big "Good Wolfie!".  I now know where I can start teaching him.  

I continue the process with the leash until I no longer have to guide him with the slight tug.  From this point, I can continue the learning process by increasing the distance between Wolfie and myself.

As you can see, once I find the place where Wolfie is able to learn, his ability to grasp the lesson will progress rapidly.  This will work with any lesson you want to teach Wolfie.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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I have heard all sorts of ideas and suggestions on how to correct my dog and get him to listen.  Frankly, they are all over the spectrum and doing all of them would just be nuts.  Is there anything that I can do to at least start the process?

The big hurdle that any dog owner has when their dog is misbehaving is to get their attention.  Once you have your dog’s attention, you have the ability to move forward with their training.  There are multiple methods and schools of thought regarding how to properly train your dog.  We are canine behavioral trainers.  This means that we focus on how the dog naturally responds to stimuli from the canine perspective.  There are also trainers who use positive only reward systems and trainers who use more physical methods such as e-collars in their training programs.  With this in mind, let me give you some simple hints that will help in correcting (teaching) your dog.

I think that all dog trainers using any method will agree that dogs can’t communicate like humans.  They can’t talk like Scooby-Doo, Huckleberry Hound or Augie Doggie.  Our dogs use their body language when they need to communicate.  If you have several dogs, just watch how they interact.  You might see one jumping on the other, one getting down low or lying on his back, or your dog might have his tail up like he is standing at attention.  All these actions help one dog to tell the other what they are thinking. 

Let me make it real simple and give you two hints regarding what you can do to let your dog know that you need him to listen.  I want to emphasize that this is not the only thing you must do.  What you are doing is to is to send a message to your dog that he needs to focus on you and the training you are about to employ.

• Be calm and still when you are about to correct your dog.  From your dog’s perspective, their leader is not a crazy person.  We get mad when our dog has eaten the remote or pulled the freshly marinated steak off the kitchen counter.  We then run and scream because that is how we (humans) react when something goes wrong.  Remember, we are dealing with a dog so we must portray the message that he will understand.  Running and screaming does not do that.  Being calm and still is what your dog needs to see.
• Stand up and face your dog when you are about to correct.  From your dog’s perspective, height shows leadership.  This is what they are doing when they have their tail and ears up.  The same thing occurs when they are jumping.  They are saying “Look at me.  I’m in charge around here”.  We can easily portray leadership to our dog by simply standing up.

As some people would say “easy-peasy”.  No matter if you use our canine behavior training method, the positive only training method, or a more physical method, letting your dog easily know that you are the one that demands his respect is always important.  Incorporate these two actions the next time you are working with your dog and you will see a great improvement.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in SouthFlorida.

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My dog is the greatest dog in the world until he goes for a car ride.  He just starts barking like crazy!  He barks at everyone as I drive down the street.  He doesn’t do this with people in the house, what’s happening?

I have seen this with so many clients of ours.  Let’s just say here is a picture of your dog in the back seat.  You are doing the right thing by constraining him so that he doesn’t fly out of control if you have to slam on the breaks.  So far you are doing great.  But still, he is constantly barking and is driving you crazy.  That is bad.  What is the problem and how can you fix it?

...The answer is simpler than you think and the explanation is just as simple.

Dogs are always very aware of dominance; who is the boss, who is the leader.  Who is the dominant one?  Who is in charge?  Look at this picture of your dog.  He is in his car seat that is elevated above the normal seating area which puts him in a raised position.  In the canine world, height is dominance.  Guess what?  You are sitting lower in your drivers seat while your dog is sitting high and mighty in his "dominance seat".  On top of that, you have given him an excellent view of everyone around the car.  He is dominant and he sees all these "other animals" (people) moving around the car.  Some of these "other animals" might even be walking towards the car which gives them an aggressive posture.

Don’t forget that you put your dog in the dominant role and he sees possible aggression towards his pack.  Barking, jumping, growling are all natural actions he could take to try and protect the rest of the "pack".  You put him out in front.  You told him that he was the one who had to protect you and the rest of the people in the car.  You did this by giving him height and dominance.  You elected him the "boss of you".

Now, what do you do?  The answer is simple.  Lower his height.  Find a doggie carrier that you can put on the seat or floor of your car.  Find a car seat that sits on the seat of your car.    All you are doing is lowering the height of your dog and lowering his requirement to be the "boss".  Also, make sure that you dont put him in the front passenger seat, unless you can turn off the air bag release.

This is a quick fix that seems to work over and over again.  Take away your dogs requirement for dominance in the car and your rides will be a whole lot nicer!  Please contact us immediately if you have any questions.  Please feel free to contact us regarding dog training questions at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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The Oadby inters last night turned up with different dogs last night.  All of a sudden the dogs are grown up and feeling comfortable in the training environment which probably speaks volumes for how calm their owners must have been feeling. It is an absolute joy for me to see handlers with small dogs treat them as dogs rather than accessories and our Yorkie cross and Dachshund are proving that there is more to them than just the cute factor. That they have brains and personalities. Dog training is not just about well behaved dogs but it gives an opportunity for owners to build their dogs confidence, to give them coping mechanisms  and all of theses lead to a well balanced dog.

I am looking forward to seeing how all our inter dogs progress over the next 12 months.

Last night was also about the Bertie Foundation certificate and all of the handlers achieved success in the various elements.

Further information on theses can be obtained on: Foundation Award - download here for details
Advanced award - download here for details

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Humans are supposed to be in charge of their dogs. They are supposed to be the leader of the pack in their relationship. The human dominates the dog, and the dog is meant to obey the human, or be submissive to the human. This is the nature of the human/dog relationship. When the dog is dominant in the relationship, it is contrary to what it is meant to be. When this happens, you need to take necessary steps to correct aggressive dog behavior.

An aggressive dog is not a happy, well adjusted dog. He can also cause you a lot of stress and embarrassment. Aggressive dogs are hard to take to the park or even for a walk without creating trouble. They are a nuisance when you have people over, as they might jump on them and become very annoying. In short, you are putting up with a lot of behavior that is stressful and embarrassing at least, and which can also become a huge problem if the dog acted out and injured someone.

All aggressive dogs don’t necessarily have the most obvious signs of aggression, such as biting and growling. But they might be demonstrating some more subtle signs. Aggressive dog behavior tends to escalate with time. You should become aware of any minor signs of aggression, which could in time become a real problem.

There are many demonstrations of dog aggression which sometimes go unnoticed or unattended. Some of these behaviors include:

• Jumping or putting their paws on you
  
• Barking or “talking” to you when they want something
  
• Pulling you on the lead and “taking you for a walk”
  
• Demanding and nudging you to pet him or play with him
  
  

Small dogs get away with even more aggressive behavior because of their size and weight. They are not perceived as harmful when they pull you or jump on you or sleep on your pillow. These are all signs of aggression. In the dog world, they may be small, but they are still aggressive, and still a potential problem for you.

So what are your options?

You could hire a trainer. Besides being expensive he would only solve half of the problem, as he would only train the dog. You see, both the dog and you need training. You need to learn how to become the leader and take charge, so that the dog will obey you. There will be things you will need to learn how to lead effectively.

You should stop aggressive dog behavior so you can enjoy your dog a lot more and have a much better relationship with him. You will both be happier if you learn to be his leader. You will also put an end to the stress and embarrassment of having an aggressive dog who could potentially also harm someone.

Here is the #1 recommended method of dog training which has helped hundreds of thousands with their dog’s aggressive behavior.

This method is guaranteed to help you and your dog with his aggressive dog behavior.

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Dogs thrive on routine. Sometimes unwanted behaviors can be prevented by adopting regular routines that dogs become accustomed to. While training specific behaviors is important in molding a young dog into a great companion, management also plays a major role.

Roscoe, a 17-week old chocolate Labrador Retriever, arrives at TLC Dog Training Puppy Boot Camp for an intensive two-week training adventure. Roscoe is a sweet puppy, but he is very rowdy, and he must touch everyone that he meets with his BIG paws. Roscoe lives with a family with two boys, ages 7 and 10. The adults in Roscoes family have had Labradors before, and they are committed to teaching Roscoe how to be great family companion, but sometimes lack the time and the expertise to deal with rowdy Roscoes less than stellar behavior.

At TLC Dog Training, Roscoe lives in a crate in the house. When he comes into the main living area, he is on leash and closely supervised so that he doesnt have an opportunity to have a potty accident. He also has a large 10 x 10 outdoor pen, complete with a cot for sunning. Mornings begin around 7:00 a.m., when Roscoe and as many as two other dogs also in for training are turned outside for their morning bathroom break.

While the dogs are outside, trainer Leslie Carpenter prepares the dogs training treats for the morning training sessions. Leslie returns the dogs to their crates after 20 minutes, and she then takes each dog from his or her crate and works each dog. Puppies like Roscoe train for about 10 - 15 minutes, while dogs older than 6 months may train for 20-30 minutes.

Morning training sessions include walks along a country lane with many distractions such as horses, other dogs, slow moving cars, and scents of wildlife. Roscoe will learn to sit quietly before he may leave his crate or pen, to sit quietly for greeting, and to sit quietly before proceeding through a gate. At first he doesnt know enough to wait in a doorway while Leslie walks through first, but over the two-week training period, he will gradually learn that "SIT" means sit and stay until he is told to do something else like "LETS GO" through the gate, and "DOWN" means down and stay until he is released or asked to do something else. Roscoe will also learn to come when called and to walk on a loose leash.

After the training sessions, Roscoe and the other dogs return to their crates to cogitate on what they have learned while Leslie prepares their breakfast. Fifteen to twenty minutes after the dogs return to their crates following training, Leslie feeds them in their crates and gives them about 20 minutes to eat. Then she picks up their bowls and takes them to their outside runs to enjoy the remainder of the morning.

Young puppies like Roscoe need to be fed three times per day, so about 12:00 p.m., Leslie returns the puppies to their crates and feeds them their noon meal. Older dogs receive a biscuit and remain outdoors to enjoy the Carolina sun. About twenty minutes after eating, the puppies return to their outdoor runs.

Around 4:00 p.m. Leslie prepares the afternoon training treats. Roscoe and the other dogs return to their crates and are then worked one-by-one in their afternoon training sessions. As each dog completes his afternoong training session, he returns to his crate to reflect on his training session. About 20-30 minutes after training, Leslie feeds each dog his evening ration.

The dogs then go outside for an individual romp in the paddock, followed by lounging time on the cot in their individual pens. Since Roscoes owners have indicated that they would like for him to have interactive playtime with other dogs, he and a compatible canine companion are given about 30 minutes for interactive playtime in the paddock.

Roscoe and his friend come into the house around 9:00 p.m. for final biscuits and bedtime.

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I was at a dog training session in Weston the other day and the client and I were walking his dog down the street.  We were walking on a short leash and everything was going great.  This was a larger dog and the client was right handed, so we decided to walk the dog on the client’s right side.  As we were about half way through the dog walking exercise, a neighbor approached us and said he was doing it all wrong.  He told my client that all dogs should be walked on the left side.

We politely acknowledged the neighbor and tried to get away from him as quickly as possible.  When we were out of earshot, my client asked me if there was a correct side to walk the dog.  My answer was “It depends”.

I always tell my clients that it doesnt necessarily depend if they walk their dog on their left or their right unless they are going to be in dog shows.  In a dog show, you walk your dog in a counter-clockwise circle around the judge.  You have to keep the dog on the inside of the circle (on your left) so that the judge can easily view and grade your dog.  If you don’t plan to be in dog shows, who cares…

With that piece of information, let me add some general tips about picking the right side for you and walking your dog.

• You pick the side you want to have your dog on when you walk.  You can pick the left or right side, it doesn’t matter.  The important thing is consistency in the walking process.  When you finally pick your side, you will always walk your dog on that side.  This allows your dog to establish a perspective of where he should be while walking with you and will make the entire experience far more enjoyable.
• If you have a big dog, walk him on your dominant side.  If you need to correct him, it is important that you do it from your strong side.  (i.e. Are your right handed or left handed?)
• Once you have picked a side for your dog during the walk, everyone will walk him on the same side.  If you allow different friends and family members to walk him on different sides, it will add to his confusion and extend the time it will take him to “walk well”.
• He should always walk by your side.  When he walks ahead of you, it is far harder to have him obey you when you encounter a distraction such as a duck or squirrel.
• (My pet complaint!)  Use a regular six foot leash when walking.  NO EXTENSION LEASHES!

Follow these simple suggestions and your "walkies" with your dog will be a great experience! For more information about dog training, canine obedience, or dog behavior, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida or call us at (954) 424-0170.

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I have so many friends that send their dogs off to a canine boot camp to have the trainers there train their dog. I have been thinking about this, but is it really a good idea?  I am not sure that I want someone else to be the leader of Wolfie!

I know that there are the dog owners that dont have the time to train their dog or just dont want to train their dog.  As we can all attest, there is so little time in this world and finding the time to train our dog just might not be there.

Let me answer this question by coming at it from another angle.  First, the reason that I got Wolfie was to have the relationship of unending love and complete trust.  I want Wolfie to know what is right and wrong and I want him to respect me as his ultimate provider.

To accomplish this, Wolfie and I need a great deal of face time.  As he does something wrong, I need to clearly let him know that his action was inappropriate.  I also need to bond with him by engaging in safe and stimulating play activities.  I must never "trick him" into doing something that might scare or hurt himself.

I must provide stimulating activities that will teach him actions I need him to perform.  I need him to "come" when he needs to be by my side.  I need him to "sit" when I need him calm and respectful.  I need him to "stay" so that he will be safe when I need to answer the door or to allow an activity to occur without his involvement.

I need Wolfie to understand that whatever I ask him to do or wherever I take him, he will be safe.  If a situation arises where he might feel his safety in question, he will look towards me to resolve the situation.

If I can accomplish these things, I will have a great dog.  I will have built the bond, trust, and respect that is needed for our relationship.  The only way that this will occur is if I am Wolfies teacher.  I must be the one in charge.  I must be the one that is always guiding and showing Wolfie the proper direction.

Sending Wolfie off to a Canine Boot Camp with someone else doing the training just doesnt accomplish what needs to be done.  The relationship between Wolfie and me is my responsibility.  Wolfie and I will have a great relationship because of the time that Wolfie and I have invested. For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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No matter what I do, I cant get Wolfie to stay.  I think he just wants to drive me nuts.  I think he is going to stay, but as soon as I walk away, he is up and following me...

What you have done is to try and teach Wolfie too many things too quickly...  Remember that we all learned that 1 + 1 = 2 before we started to work with calculus.  That is the problem we are having with Wolfie.

Lets break to the chase and let me explain exactly what you need to do to start getting your dog to stay:

• Make sure that you have your dog on a leash and that you are in a quiet place with no audible or visual distractions.
• Put your dog in a sit.  If he does not do this the first time and does not stay in a sit position with focus on you, stop the "stay exercise" and simply work on the sit.
• Once your dog is sitting and focused on you, stand in front of him, hold your hand up like a traffic cop, and tell him to "stay".
• He needs to remain in his sitting position while focused on you and, more importantly, your hand.
• After 10 seconds of your dog not moving, slowly step back a few feet (be careful not to tug or pull the leash).  Keep your hand up and always stand tall and face your dog. If he starts to move, correct him.  If he gets up, start the process again.
• Once you reach the length of the leash, make sure that your dog is focused on you and your hand and that you are focused on him.  Wait for 15 seconds.
• Now, while facing him and with your hand up, slowly walk around to your dogs left side.  Next, walk around to his right side.  Finally, return to standing in front of him. Always make sure that he is focused on you.  Again, if at any time he stands up and starts to move, start the exercise from the beginning.
• Return to your dogs side and praise him for a job well done.

It will be quite possible that you will not be able to successfully accomplish all these steps the first time you try.  The first time, you might only be able to stand right in front of him.  After several days, you might get him to stay when you take a few steps back.  It might take a week or so before you can walk to his right and left without his moving.  

It doesnt matter how long it takes to teach him these steps as long as you are ending on a winning experience and you have been consistent in your teaching.  The big thing to remember is to always face your dog while you are teaching and to hold your hand up to give him something easy to focus on.  

We are always telling our clients to understand the world from their dogs perspective.  In this matter, we are telling our dog to sit still and watch our hand.  It is something that they can easily learn and we have gained the result we require.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Last week I played phone tag with a gentleman about training his dog. I finally got in touch with him late that evening.

He has a rescue dog from breed rescue. I was really excited because the dog was of a breed that I had as a child. I really like that breed and have not had one in to train yet. I really want to work with that breed.

He told me they had already picked a trainer. I asked him if he minded telling me who he picked. There is one trainer in this town who is an out and out crook. I figured if he had picked this trainer I would do my best to talk him out of it.

He told me it was the chain that uses shock collars. I asked him if he understood what shock collars did. He said he did. I offered my standard free demonstration and asked him to reconsider using a system that gives an electric shock. I told him to read my blog about shock collars. He said he would and then call me the next day to arrange to come in.

He never called.

Losing client to someone else is no big deal. But this one really got to me. I figure if you go to the crook you get what you deserve. But I couldn’t get over why someone warned about what shock collars do would still chose that method.

I finally figured out why it bothered me so much.

I was one of the first deputies on my department to carry a Taser. When we first got them there were not enough of them for everyone to have one so they selected certain people to carry them from each shift. I believe the criteria was that you were known to be a $%*# magnet.

As part of the training you had to be hit with the Taser. I had spent more than one end of shift in the emergency room over the years. Plus I had both back and neck surgery. I understand pain. But when they turned it on, it was the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced. I would have bought the operator a car to turn it off. And I am talking a good car, like a Rolls.

Maybe we should require owners to get tased before they are allowed to use a shock collar.

Doug

PS. The dog in the picture was not shocked, but it was taught to trust.

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Outdoor training at both Stonton Wyviille and Brockshill Country Park, Oadby have now been finalised so please contact us to book a place. Our summer courses have proved very popular and to enable people to go on holiday we are again offering two short 5 week courses as well as the fast track training. Discounts will also be on offer for those joining the intermediate classes.

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There is a wide range of free dog training tips online. They include the basics as well as some of the more advance obedience training. But the first training each of us is faced with is potty training a puppy. One effective way that worked well with my dog is crate training.

To a dog, a crate can be like his own special home inside your home. A safe place, a den of sorts, that your dog can go to when he or she wants to feel secure. Some people think that putting your dog in a crate is cruel, but it is only cruel if you do it in an abusive manner such as leaving your dog in there for more than a few hours. In fact, crate training your dog properly has many advantages for both you and your pet and should be something that you incorporate into your dog training plans. I thought I would never do it until it was explained to me.

While some dogs might take to a crate right away, others might be a little leery of this strange object that you want them to step inside of. The most important aspect of crate training is that you must never force your dog into the crate. Instead, you must make your dog want to enter it of his own volition. If done properly, you will find that your dog actually loves the crate and goes there on his own to sleep and “get away."

Introducing Your Dog To The Crate

The first thing you need to do is “introduce” your dog to the crate. Take one of his favorite toys or a treat and “hand out” by the crate so that he simply gets used to the crate being in the room. Play with him near the crate, repeating this for several days. You should start off with the crate in the spot you want to keep it in and this should be somewhere that is away from the traffic areas of the home but in a room that the family spends time in. You don’t want your pet to feel isolated and lonely in a crate that is way off somewhere where no one ever goes!

Getting Your Dog Into The Crate

Next, you want to get the dog to go into the crate on his own. One way to do that is to “bribe” him by putting his favorite toy or a treat inside. Don’t put it too far in to begin with, just enough so he has to stick his head in to get it.

You’ll probably find that he pokes his head in and then backs out right away. That’s OK, just be sure to pet and praise him so he feels good about the whole thing.

You want to keep at this exercise every day, gradually putting the toy or treat in farther and farther. You also might want to be sure that you have a comfortable dog bed in there just in case he wants to try it out for a short nap.

Eventually, your dog will get used to going in the crate. When you see him in there, sit beside the crate and pet your dog while he is inside. This will let him know that being in the crate is “good." Always keep the door open wide at this point.

Getting Your Dog To Stay In The Crate

Keep repeating the above steps while trying to get your dog to spend more and more time in the crate. When he seems quite comfortable with it, close the door but do not latch it. Leave it unlocked so that he can nose his way out if he feels uncomfortable.

Eventually, your dog will come to love his crate and will probably retreat there if he is feeling insecure as well as to sleep. If you are going to close the door, be sure you provide him with fresh water at all times and never leave your dog locked in the crate for extended amounts of time.

It was amazing how fast our Maltipoo got accoustomed to the crate. It was only a day or two, but every dog is different.

This of course is just one step in your training ventures. Some people, especially first time dog owners, believe they need a professional to train them and their dog. But there are a lot of free dog training tips online. Youll be surprised how easy and rewarding it is when you do it yourself.

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