Dog Bully Behavior How to help protect your dog from getting picked on

I recently wrote about this situation in my weekly doggie advice column on the Noozhawk. "Anxious in Austin" has a cocker spaniel that seemed to be terrorized by the neighbor’s "nightmare of a Pomeranian". When situations like this arise, it is important to be able to recognize appropriate dog play…

Venture to any off-leash dog arena and these are the types of behaviors you’ll likely see being displayed: 

• dogs chasing after other dogs 
• dogs being chased
• mouthing
• nipping
• tugging
• chest banging
• pinning
• wrestling
• rolling
• mounting 

But when it’s “play,” it’s reciprocal and consensual! Those are a couple key factors! Reciprocal and consensual! Other notable elements of proper play are:

• Big, inefficient movements amongst all involved. Think “Three Stooges” versus Muhammad Ali. 
• Self-interruption: One dog will stop for a second or two to take a break, others follow by taking a break as well. 
• Good “listening” skills: If one dog no longer wants to play, they will communicate as such, and the other dog will comply and go in search of another playmate. 

When dogs arent exhibiting healthy dog play behaviors, there are several things you, as a responsibly aware dog guardian can do. 

The goal: to help your dog build trust and self-confidence. You can easily do this by rewarding your dog for being brave. EX: your dog looks at, approaches gently, or investigates another dog, he or she gets a yummy food reward, and lots of "cheerleading happy talk". You can also reward with food and praise if another dog approaches your dog to say *hi*. This is similar to encouraging young children to make new friends. As humans we use encouraging verbal language and praise to help children deal with shyness and novel experiences. We can do the same for our pet dogs too. Through food, your dog learns to trust, while making positive associations with other dogs they meet. 

Additional techniques that may come in handy…

• Manage your environment or “avoid” if necessary: This is for when you don’t have the right kind of rewards handy, you don’t have the time to train, or you just don’t feel like dealing with the situation. 
• Come up with your best “spin”: “I’m so sorry, I’m running late today and don’t have time to stop. How about another time?” “Oh geez, wouldn’t you know it, I’ve only got a couple of minutes to get my dog exercise, so I’m gonna have to take a rain check. Thanks though!” 
• And with the convenience of modern gadgets, you can always be tied up on the phone, or even pretend to be on the phone - just make sure the ringers off so you don’t get a call while you’re faking it. I know, it’s a white lie, not very ethical. But hey, you’re doing it to protect your family and your sanity! 
• In the case with "Austin", maintain a friendly relationship between you and your neighbor: You can use some of the same techniques with your neighbor’s dog too. Bring a basket of muffins for your neighbor, and treats for both dogs. You can reward the Pom for being nice towards your dog, while continuing the treat plan with your Cocker. If the Pom begins to “act up” the rewards stop, and you suddenly remember you have to leave. You can also explain to your neighbor that you’re trying to help your dog overcome her shyness. Many people love to help and feel needed, so it’s a good time to fill her in on your plan and ask for assistance.
• Dog training classes and doggy socials: even for dogs that are already trained, getting into classes helps build up or maintain trained skills, but also helps to keep dogs socialized. Sometimes classes are the only time dogs get to be around other dogs. 

It’s important to be consistent when helping your dog learn to successfully conquer difficult situations. With a little patience, understanding, and time, even the shyest of dogs can make new friends, eventually leading to lots of play-dates!

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How to teach your dog to scratch your back

Newbear95 from youtube has some really inventive tricks that she does with her chihuahua. Here is a tutorial on how to teach your dog to scratch your back.


I gave the trick a try with Kiko, she simply loves scratching my back now!

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How to Fade A Lure when training with food

1 Get RID of the lure as soon as you can! The goal is within 3 trials. 

2 If you dont have a clicker use a very short word like "yes!" or "yep!" 

3 Always make it harder and harder, dont get stuck at the same level of criteria

4 If you go to far to quickly you can always go back a step

5 If your dog is not following the lure, get a smellier lure- real meat!

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How To Deal With Your Dogs Housebreaking Issue

If your dog accidentally eliminate in the night, consider the following:

Do not let your dog have any food or water at least two hours before bedtime
Take the dog out for his final walk and elimination as late as you possibly can
If need be, put him in a crate. Remember the size of the crate should be just enough for him to stand up, turn around, lie down and comfortably stretch out but no bigger than that.



Crate training is effective since most dogs do not like to eliminate where they have to lie. If the crate is large enough, he may eliminate if there is a clean spot for him to lie down.

For an effective housebreaking training, it involves:

Positively reinforcing the correct behaviour – praising him when he eliminates in the proper place
Managing him by preventing him from eliminating in the wrong place until you take him out to eliminate at the right place.
To do so:

Confine your dog in a crate
After a few hours, take him from the crate to the location you want him to eliminate in.
Remember to take your dog out the same door to the same location every time you want him to eliminate
Wait for 10 minutes for him to eliminate
When he does it within 10 minutes, praise and reward him (with his favourite treats)
Wait for an extra 2 to 3 minutes to make sure he completely empties himself
Take him back in the house and give him 20 to 30 minutes of supervised free time
Use a timer to ensure that he is not allowed for more than 20 to 30 minutes of freedom
When the timer goes off, you can either:
Take him back out to eliminate again. When he does so, remember to praise him and give him his free time
Put him back to his crate
Mistakes are made when owners give their dogs too much free time, fail to take the dog out again, fail to confine the dog when the time is up, or fail to wait the extra two or three minutes after he eliminates the first time

Remember if your dog fails to eliminate within 10 minutes, he should be confined again. This is not a punishment. It is simply a way of preventing the dog from going to the wrong place for elimination.

Remember that consistent feeding and watering schedules is important to effectively train your dog in his housebreaking. Free food and water will make it unpredictable when your dog needs to eliminate. Bear in mind the following points in planning your feeding and water schedules:

Your dog should be fed at fixed times
He should be given only 10 to 15 minutes to eat.
After that, remove any unfinished food.
Free feeding should be avoided
Water should only be given during his free time and when you take your dog to eliminate; and sparingly when he is confined in his crate
As a thumb of rule, a good guide to estimate the duration your dog (if he is a puppy) needs to eliminate is by adding an hour for every month of his puppy’s life, ie if he is three months old, he can only hold for about 3 hours before eliminating.

If your dog accidentally eliminates in the house, correction after the event is not only a waste of time but can be counter productive as it only confuses the dog.

To correct the situation, identify the possible cause of the accidental elimination in the house and take action to avoid it. For example, has you given too much free time to your dog in the house before you take him out to eliminate?




In situations where you cannot take your dog outside to eliminate, consider using a potty training kit (like Puppy Go Potty). Such kit contains absorbent paper (‘litter’) and a waterproof tray



To train your dog to use the potty:

Put your dog in an exercise pen – this is a metal collapsible pen
Place the potty on one side of the pen
When your dog can no longer control his urge to eliminate, he will most likely go to the tray to do so
During the housebreaking process, avoid any dietary changes. If change is essential, avoid possible stomach upset by:

Feed your dog with two-thirds of the old food and one-third of the new food for the 1st week
For the 2nd week, use one-third of the old food and two-thirds of the new food
Only completely feed him with the new food from the 3rd week onwards




And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing
To your success in dogtraining

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Finally Back to School!

Thanks to all of you, for your patience while we waited out "Outbreak 2014".

I am going to do a deep cleaning of the training room tomorrow, in preparation of reopening on Wednesday. Please do remain alert to possible cold symptoms in your dogs, such as sniffles, runny noses, eye discharge, and of course coughing, and if you notice any of these, please do not bring your dogs back to school yet! Also, it bears repeating: if your dogs ever have any health issues at all, such as loose stool, vomiting, etc., please keep them home for at least 48 hours so we can be sure classmates remains healthy.

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What not to do when training your dog

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How to Stop Dog Fighting Attack or Aggression

Having problem in controlling your dogs even if you are around them? this is some tips on How to Stop Dog Fighting, Attack or Aggression


A very important rule to stop dog fighting is DO NOT jump into stopping them right away. Because the dog might accidentally bite you!

When your dog is fighting with another dog, he will lose his mind and he will not remember that you are his owner. There are many cases have been reported that the dog has bitten his owner during a dog fight and the owner has had serious injury.


So, it is a bad idea to jump in the middle of the dog fight.

Here are some methods that are able to stop dog fighting:

• If you dog has done well in dog obedience training, shout the command that you train him to come to you. Examples of command are: "back off", "come", "cut it out" and etc.

• Some dogs are scared of water, so, pour cold water from any sources that you can find around you during the dog fight. It is even more effective is to stop dog fighting if you are blasting the water from hose.

• There are sprays available in the market that is designed to stop dog fighting. This sprays are not physically harmful for dogs, they have a strong odor that make the dogs could stand with the smell.

• You also make use a stick or cane that you find around you and hit the ground near the dog fight which could make a sound that scares the dogs away.

• If you happen to own fire crackers, lit them during the dog fight is also an effective way to scare the dogs away. The sound of the fire crackers resembles sound of gun shot that is big enough to scare the dogs.

As soon as the dogs are separated, make sure that they are away from each other to prevent the second dog fight.


Hopefully the above tips on How to Stop Dog Fighting, Attack or Aggression could help even just a little.

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Dog Training How To Train A Rottweiler

Dog Training - How to Train a Rottweiler, this is when tips become more useful than you thought it could be, read on and hopefully youll get what i meant.


Rottweilers are giant, strong; very strong canines that are great relatives pets. Because of their strength and size it is vital to start training early and to socialize early. Improperly trained or handled and a Rotti can become a threat to you and your relatives. The same can happen with any dog that is treated poorly. A Rotti has the size and strength to do much more destroy than a Chihuahua.

In case you get your Rotti as a puppy (dog usually under one year elderly) start socialization immediately. Bring your puppy (dog usually under one year elderly) around plenty of different people, friendly puppies and places as feasible. The socialization period is short and crucial. Not properly socialized canines become fearful which can lead to aggressive behavior, not a nice behavior for a Rottweiler. I cannot stress this point - socialize your Rottweiler puppy.

Next to socialization start training early. Start teaching your pup to sit, down, stand, stay, heel and come. All very important commands for your Rotti to learn.

Conditioning exercises are also important. You do not require your Rotti guard his toys or food bowl. As a puppy (dog usually under one year elderly) get your Rotti to accept you around the food bowl and toys. Do object exchanges along with your pup. When your pup has a toy, teach "Drop it." Say "Drop it" and take the toy away from your pup and then give your pup a treat for dropping it.

Become the leader. This is done by controlling the activities that are important to yourdog. The most important activities are playing, eating, sleeping and social contact between you and your dog. Control the games, take charge of the sleeping areas, put your Rotti on a feeding schedule and dont let your dog demand your attention.

All canines require exercise. Rottweilers are very clever canines and also require a mental workout. After you have given your dog some physical exercise also spend some time letting your Rotti use his brain. Obedience, tricks and toys like a Buster Cube and Kong toy are all great things you can do to keep your dogs brain active.

Management of behavior is important. A fenced in yard if feasible is a nice suggestion. Crate training may even be very helpful; in my experience plenty of people are nervous around Rottweilers. By teaching your Rottweiler to go to her crate on command can be very helpful.

That is a wrap on this dog training section of how to train a rottweiler, hope it gets use to you in your everyday with your dog ^_^

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How To Deal With Your Dog Jumping On Furniture

This is a common problem and the method of dealing with this behaviour is very similar to that of jumping and stealing food from the counters.

Three approaches are used:

Consistency
Your dog should never be allowed to jump on the furniture

Counter-conditioning

Create a spot for your spot near your furniture (couch), which can be a blanket or doggie bed.
Put his favourite toys or special treats at the spot
For the first two months, whenever you sit at your furniture, leash him to the spot to avoid him from wondering off
After two months, walk your dog (on leash) to the furniture.
When he does not jump up to the furniture, praise and reward him.
If he jumps up to the furniture, immediately say ‘No’ and pull him away from the furniture
Repeat this exercise several times a day.

Correction

By the fourth month, your dog should learn not to jump on the furniture
If he still persists in this behaviour, it’s time to apply the booby trap to correct the behaviour:


i. Put a motion-sensitive sound alarm near the furniture so that alarm will trigger and sound when your dog jumps onto the furniture

ii. Make sure the alarm does not sound when he is near the furniture; only when he jumps onto the furniture

iii. Bring your dog near to the furniture and leave the room immediately

iv. If he jumps onto the furniture, alarm will sound and you should return to the room immediately and say ‘No’ to him followed by pulling him on his leash away from the furniture

If your dog is not deterred by this booby trap, it’s time to put a Scat Mat on the furniture. This device will send out a very small electrical shock upon touching it. No dog will want to repeat this behaviour after experiencing such an unpleasant zap. Rest assured that the electrical shock experience is harmless to both human and animal.





And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!


To your success in dogtraining

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Best Dog Training Secrets Try To Proof

Is this really the best dog training secret? Try it out to find out. Imagine living in a world where your best mate can pick you up by the neck and put you anywhere they desires you. In your world, you cant always sleep on the bed, but are relegated to the floor, which everyone knows isnt as soft as the bed! You may even be asked to spend hours, even days, out in the chilled, rain and snow. Neurosis begins to create, and as the master of a neurotic dog it is your responsibility to effectively teach him, best of luck!


All canines can be trained, the issue with training them is not the dog, it is the master. If your dog is crazy, and his main issue is likely to be you. Canines neurosis may start when they are young when they was first taken from his relatives and given to a massive that they didnt know.


Monty, a 6 month elderly Labrador is taken home to live along with his new relatives, they loves to chew on books. They is showing lots of Dog Behavior Issues. than scold Monty, his master comes to the conclusion that psychology would work better. 

They removes the books by putting them on a higher shelf, as Monty grows; the books get put higher and higher. This is where proper Dog Care involving the Best Dog Training programs comes in. At last, Monty stops chewing on books, the dog training has been a success.

First you must keep in mind that if a dog is neurotic, it will be difficult for Dog Training. All they has to do is look around him to recognize that they is the that is necessary to learn anything. It is however believable to train a neurotic dog, here is example of this success. How to train a dog with problems.


Heres another dog obedience story that was solved by using online dog training techniques. Chloe is a two year elderly chocolate lab, much loved by her relatives, and simple for dog training, this is because of the amount of affection they is given by her relatives. You see, Chloe, like any other dog, will do anything to the people they loves. The first off lesson Chloe was given was her housebreaking, they was kept outside the first time they came home until they went to the bathroom. Puppy training always works best when they are young.

When they left home, in the event that they could not take her with them, he was again taken outside to go to the bathroom & as soon as they returned he was again taken outside. This is dog care at its finest. This took a few days, & there were accidents, but he learned, as did her relatives in regards to her dog care. That is what dog training is all about. Teaching her to sit was her second lesson, her owner would sit on the tile & play together with her, teaching her to sit was a combination of holding her dog toy up above her head, at this point he would sit down to keep the toy in sight.


This took plenty of the best dog training efforts of several relatives members but it showed her where he was allowed to go. When he was finally taken in to the house, he was watched closely & whenever he started sniffing around he was taken back outside also. For dog obedience training & housebreaking, at night he was put in a box next to her owners bed, where he was kept when there was no available to watch her. He was taken outside before they went to bed & as soon as they got up in the morning. You require to think like a lovely dog trainer. How to train a dog is hard work & you require to push forward.


He would also tell her to sit while gently pushing on her hind quarters, when he was successful; he was praised & loved on, he learned this briskly . Dog training is rewarding for both you & your dog. Her third lesson was to lie down, her owner would tell her to sit, when he was in the sitting position, he would then tell her to lie down & gently pull her front legs out & push her front finish down. Get the Best Dog Training! So is this really the best dog training secret youve ever known or practiced? 

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Waiting to exhale

Saturday I took these two cuties to the prison to be the new dogs for the K-9 Corrections program. This is Brody. He is a 6 month old sibling to another puppy we had on the program named Russet. He is a 1/2 German wirehair pointer, 1/4 Labrador retriever and 1/4 Chesapeake bay retriever. He was returned to the shelter for being unruly and for house training issues. It turns out he is a submissive urinator which is NOT to be confused with house training, though it can be as frustrating. Submissive urination can be managed easily once it is identified as such by a few things. One is to ignore the dog when you meet them. They are usually not confident and therefore putting any social pressure on them will cause the peeing. It is a body signal to you that they are not a threat. If you yell at them for peeing they will misread that as you having missed their signal so they will pee even more. Once you build up the dogs confidence they will usually outgrow it. (another management tip is to do greetings outside the house so they pee on the ground and not your floors)

And this puppy is Rocko.

He is a mixed breed of unknown origin. We think he could be a Jack Russell/Beagle mix or possibly a Bull Terrier mix due to his behavior and head shape. I learned long ago however that trying to guess a dogs genetic makeup based on looks alone is a crap shoot. (I saw a video presentation a few years ago with slides of puppies and dogs with known parentage and most of the time our guesses were quite wrong!) Because he had been labeled a pit mix by the shelter the previous owner adopted him from I had to get special permission for him to be on the program. Once a dog is labeled a pit thats what everyone assumes they are. Regardless of the truth he is the very first pit mix to be allowed to participate in K-9 Corrections. That means I am on pins and needles hoping he makes a good impression and that no one complains and gets him booted. He needs to "win over the masses" so to speak. An awfully big job for such a little guy! He is super smart though so I think he can do it.

So far everyone is doing very well. After the first day they havent had any more submissive peeing from Brody and no one has freaked out about Rocko being there. (there has been one negative comment but not worthy of sharing) You can see video of them playing together on the facebook page. So think good thoughts that this might help be the beginning on changing some minds about what a pitbull really is and can be.

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How To Eliminate Bad Behavior In Your Dog

Dogs are like any other animal – including the human being – in that they will sometimes step over the line of bad behavior in the pursuit of enjoyment or comfort. If you are honest with yourself you must admit that there have been times when you did something wrong because the results of such action had benefits for you. Whether those benefits were active – you took something that was not yours and enjoyed using it – or passive, in that you did not do something because the alternative was preferable to you, you still transgressed.
Dogs are just the same. If a dog has gone to the toilet in the house, for example, it will have done so because it was easier than going outside. There may be many reasons why this was the case, but all the dog knows is that its action was what seemed like the right thing for it. This is not a mode of behavior you would wish to encourage, so you need to consider how to eliminate it in future. The best way of doing this may be to scold the dog sternly, or deprive it of its favorite toy – the important thing is to establish a link between action and outcome.
If a dog goes to the toilet in the house, there is little point in going to find the dog and handing out punishment there and then. The dog will not connect the punishment with the action. You need to establish this firm link by taking the dog to the scene of the action, and making clear your displeasure. Only then will the dog link cause and effect,

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Bringing Dance Class Tips to Dog Training

Believe it or not I love to dance. Youd think as a certified professional dog trainer Id be into Canine Freestyle - Trust me, if there were local classes Id take them. Spending time dancing with my trusty sidekick and inquisitive canine Poncho the dog (besides in the kitchen and backyard) would be a total blast! Unfortunately there are zero canine freestyle dog training classes in our area - at least at this time. However, there are some alternatives for yours truly.

One of my favorite styles of dance is called West Coast Swing - it happens to be our official California State Dance. My friends Woody and Louise Bretz are the founders and owners of Connexions Dance Studio here in Ventura. They teach West Coast Swing, along with many other styles of dance. Ive been having tons of fun revisiting the dance world, seeing lots of friends from the past and getting the ol dance shoes warmed up again - makes for great cross-training too.

Why do I bring this up? What does West Coast Swing dance classes have to do with dog training classes? Well, as a student I get to see things from a different perspective. Listening differently, out of my comfort zone, trying to pay attention while learning at the same time. Its always humbling to put oneself in anothers position - or, having the shoe on the other foot (HA! no pun intended). Anyway, I was reminded of a few tips when it comes to partner dancing - I thought it would be good to bring up because these dance tips also relate to the dog-human partnership, making them good dog training tips.

Youve heard me talk about the "The Four Fs" - now I want to bring up The Three Ts: Timing, Technique and Teamwork! All are important elements of partner dancing, and all are important when working, or partnering, with your dog - no matter if its taking dog obedience classes or canine freestyle classes. Heres what I mean.

• Timing: When it comes to rewarding behaviors you want your dog to perform, precise timing is key. When it comes to punishing behaviors you dont want your dog performing timing is absolutely critical!

Lets take house-training for instance. The ideal time is as soon as your dog is eliminating! Or immediately after! And I mean hang out with your dog while he or she goes, then throw a party, right then and there! Rewarding any time after that might result in training other behaviors - which can be a good thing, but it might not be the intended one.

An example for precise timing and punishment would be the Greeting Nicely behavior (because we never punish for eliminating in a forbidden area). If you want your dog to sit politely to greet, and he or she jumps up on you (because thats normal dog behavior), then ignoring (which is the "punishment") your dog as soon as his or her front paws started towards you would be ideal - not after he or she has made contact and youve reacted with any form of attention.

• Technique: No doubt about this one. Positive reinforcement, humane, reward-based training methods. If you want it, reward it, youll get more of it. Its that simple. I question the integrity, decency and coping skills of anyone who feels the need to use coercion, aversive and bullying techniques to get any animal to do something. Do such unpleasant techniques work? Sure they do - but not as well (science has proven this), plus other, often worse behaviors end up appearing.

• Teamwork: Its much more fun and pleasant to work with a partner whom you enjoy spending time with - this is why we adopt dogs in the first place. If you want your dog enjoying spending time with you, I say, do unto others!

For instance, understand your dog and his or her species specific traits. Think about the times when you take your dog out for a walk. Do you make it about his or her needs? Allowing to mark, sniff, even pull on leash once in awhile? Or is it all about you and having to get your walk or run in? How about when you run a few errands? Do you bring your dog with you, just so he or she can get out of the house? Or are they left at home?

When it comes to dancing I certainly use the title "leader", but thats because there is usually a "follower". I prefer to use other terms with dog training. One of them being teamwork, which happens to be important for any type of relationship.

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Happy Anniversary to The Inquisitive Canine Studio!

Today was a day of celebration! Yep, it was one year ago that this dog trainer opened The Inquisitive Canine studio here in Ventura. Where does the time go? Ill tell you... it goes to teaching all the wonderful doggies and their families in my dog training classes, workshops, and socials...and in privates as well. 

My friend Nancy and her dog Kona really made my day - they brought some yummy candies all customized just for todays event! Each one tied with a personal label for those to take with them... very rewarding and generous I must say... A BIG shout out and thank you! (click-treat for you both)... We had a fun raffle - everyone won something... which made me feel like a big winner too!

The Natural Balance company was generous and donated all of the goodie-bags for people to take home...they also supplied the big daddy of all the raffle prizes... You can see the picture of Sofia - the big winner - Her dogs Rocky and Mick will love the items too... Premier Pet Products was also kind enough to donate items for the raffle - which everyone loved! Thanks to both companies for your generosity!

    

We all had lots of fun today at our Anniversary party...lots of great friends showing up with their dogs, and some just wanting to share in the festivities, showing their support. I appreciate each and every one who came out to share their good wishes. Id also like to give an extra shout out big thank you and I love you to my wonderful husband and own dog Poncho - for all the love and support, and for believing in me. 

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You Dont Have To Be Cruel To Be Klnd

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You Don’t Have To Be Cruel To Be Kind

October 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Featured, Getting Ready to Train Your Dog

1 Comment

There is a very commonly used phrase that most of us have heard and many have used, which goes as follows: “You have to be cruel to be kind”. Others among us will look at that phrase, or hear it said, and point out the inherent flaw in it. You do not have to be cruel to be kind. You have to be cruel to be cruel, and kind to be kind. In actual fact, cruelty and kindness are very rarely mutually applicable. Getting that straight will sort out a lot of problems, in life and when training your dog.
Now, certainly, there are times when you will need to be stern with your dog. Sometimes it will exhibit behaviors that you would really rather it did not. Some owners will tend towards the cruel side of things when punishing these behaviors, often punishing their dog with a physical blow. It should be recognised that punishing a dog consistently with physical reprimands will lead simply to either a hostile dog who will lash out without warning, or a lifeless dog which is scared to do anything for fear of reprisal.
There will be times when you need to reprimand your dog physically. A quick tap can often suffice when it is behaving in a threatening manner without good reason. Restraining it by the collar when it goes to attack a person or another animal is fine. But by beating your dog, all you are doing is removing the essential element of all pet-owner relationships – friendship.

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Bringing clarity to clickers and positive reinforcement

You hear the words "Clicker training", "Clickers", "Positive Reinforcement" etc... but whats it all mean? Let me try to help clarify some points:

1. Using a "Clicker" doesnt mean a person doesnt use "punishment" (hopefully not at the same time)... 
2. Positive Reinforcement doesnt mean a person doesnt use punishment.
3. Positive reinforcement doesnt mean a person doesnt use physical force to get what they want! 
4. Using "punishment" doesnt mean a person uses physical force or inhumane methods to teach. 
5. There are two types of "punishment":

• "Negative Punishment": Taking the good thing away
• "Positive Punishment": adding something the animal wants to avoid - a smack, shock, choke, prong in the neck, citronella spray, loud noise, being pinned, etc...

Why do I bring this up? A couple of reasons. There are some trainers out there that say theyre somewhere between "A clicker trainer" and a famous trainer who uses physical force, flooding, fear tactics, and downright "old fashioned" training methods. (Sorry, name withheld to protect privacy and CMA)...

I wanted to say to this person: "What does being a clicker trainer mean to you?" It certainly isnt exclusive to causing no harm to an animal - its just another tool in your trainers toolbox, as it is mine. It "marks" the behavior you wanted your dog (or any animal) to perform...not much more. 

I use a clicker as one of my training tools. I also use "punishment". As a matter of fact I spoke about it today in my Manners Class at the Inquisitive Canine studio. However, the type of punishment I use and teach has to do with "reward removal" -  not hitting, beating, shocking, spraying, coercing, forcing, or bullying! 

No animal learns that way without resulting in some nasty (usually "emotional") side-effects. Do animals learn through beating and force techniques? Sure they do - or should I say, "we" do... But what else are they "learning" besides what the owner/parent wants? - which is usually not the first or main thing they learn... 

My final example: I was coming home from a run, heading in the opposite direction of a man and his dog. Im sure I looked "weird" to the dog...hat, sunglasses, water bottle belt, running right towards it. This can be perceived by dogs as "threatening", right? Something weird running at it... So the dog did the most logical thing it could do in its little canine brain - it started barking at me - I didnt blame it at all. Unfortunately the owner did - and proceeded to smack it repeatedly on the head! The dog looked at me, barked, got smacked and yelled at. I cringed! I think I yelped myself! Then screamed at him to please not hit the dog!!! Why is he hitting him! it doesnt teach him what you want! 

I know, that can be pretty punishing to someone - being yelled at it public. As for "positive punishment" towards humans - of course Im against it (unless its self defense) - However, I did have a secret desire to smack the owner and take the dog... Hopefully they will end up in one of my classes - either at the studio or Ventura College, so I can supply an education in positive reinforcement, learning by both association and consequence, proper ways to get rid of unwanted behaviors, and clickers (or not). 

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The Polite Pooch Puppy Training Ideas You Dont Desire To Miss

If you wish to start training your dog but arent sure how, then your search is over. One of the best things you can do to learn to train your pet dog, is always to learn just as much information as possible about how to train your pet dog. The information in this post which can help you train your puppy the easiest way possible.

Should you be looking to crate train your pet or puppy you must realise that you could not expect them so as to hold their bladders for extremely extended periods. You have to provide times to enable them to visit the bathroom. They dont would like to go in their special place. So, it depends on you to deal with them. It wasnt their fault it was yours when they have a accident dont get mad their way.

With aggressive dogs it is best to begin slowly. Aggressive dogs see themselves because the dominant role from the pack and attempting for taking that role from their store too rapidly can lead to a poor response from your animal. To prevent bites or difficulty, take small steps in establishing yourself because the pack leader.

When feeding your pet dog, always expect your dog to be in a calm state and ready to eat. Hyper activity at feeding time is not going to allow the pet to correctly address feeding rituals. Create a ritual of your calm animal who sits and waits patiently that you should give food. Following this behavior is taught, your pet dog probably will begin sitting patiently when you prepare their food.

Be in control when you reward your dogs good behavior. Soon after your pet acts according to your command, reward him. This helps to calm the animal and reinforce your training efforts. However, you might feel completely pleased, overcome your reaction to avoid obtaining your training situation become uncontrolled. Remain calm, expect the dog to become calm and give appropriate rewards.

The simplest way to exercise them using this behavior could possibly be to merely remove the dog through the situation if you have your dog that begs. Shutting your dog out from the room at mealtimes keeps them from pestering you when you eat, and removes the temptation so that you can surrender to that particular cute face.

Its not all proper dog training must involve food based treats. Some dog breeds respond safer to non-edible rewards. These rewards could very well include stuffed toys, rawhide bones, or rope toys. They may also have an added benefit from giving your and you also dog a fresh activity to take pleasure from together.

Dogs are commonly referred to as "mans good friend," but if they are unruly and untrained they could be a nightmare. It can be definitely much easier to train a puppy, although the old adage that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks is false. Dogs are ultimately pack animals which is necessary for a dog owner to be the first choice of that particular pack.

Properly trained dogs are happy dogs and dogs that happen to be trained make for happy pet owners. It is a win-win situation. It commences with house-training and moves onto figuring out how to walk over a leash, though training your pet dog takes time. Simple commands such as return, sit and heel are very important for virtually any dogs safety. It should take lots of work from your owner regardless, although people who own dogs can see pet trainers via their local big box pet shop or perhaps the veterinarian. A dog that is certainly well trained constitutes a happier pet and happy pet owner.

Ignoring your dogs barking is an effective method of getting him to quit. When your dog barks, he wants attention of some sort. Should you give it to him, this will encourage him to keep. Instead try looking away and pretending he isnt there. When he quiets down, reward him having a pat around the head.

Underestimating the necessity of good exercise will cramp your dogs training style. If they will not get enough exercise outside training they can be very likely to be distracted or higher excited and result in the session being frustrating for all, naturally, all dogs have to run, chase and play just to release energy so.

Never treat your pet dog as a person. Many owners coddle their dogs just as if these were children, and that only confuses your dog. Training a pet dog is utterly different than teaching a kid. Dogs should be taught to behave being a dog and expect you to definitely behave as a dog at the same time after it is necessary.

For dogs that usually pull, take into account the equipment you might be using. The neck may be the strongest element of a dogs body, so walking dogs on collars will only work with dogs that are already very mellow. A head halter or perhaps appropriate harness will help for pulling dogs. Harnesses should clip in the front, as ones that clip from the back may encourage pulling more.

Begin training your dog when they are young if you can. A skill that may be taught in early stages is normally learned faster and much easier compared to a skill which is introduced with a later age. Moreover, older dogs have often acquired quite a few negative behaviors during the period of their life these behaviors should be undone just before the training process may start.

If your dog has a problem with excessive barking, pay attention to the environment and situation. If you understand these triggers, you are going to better understand how to stop the behavior. Ask a pal to assist you to using this behavior when you notice that the dog barks despite visitors have arrived and settled in at your home.

With the information you learned in this post you should currently have knowledge that can be used towards training your pet dog to the best of your skill. If you use what youve just learned to the best of what you can do then you should be well on your way towards owning an obedient dog.

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Simple Puppy Training Tips To Try Right Now

Puppy training tips is probably the first thing you should know about before you really doing the puppy training step on you dog caring activity. Because people say training makes perfect, so did in dogs too, puppy training tips will makes them perfect in the most needed moment.
Your puppies or dogs training tips started when your puppy is about 70 days after birth. In fact, the normal training period will start as soon as you own a puppy. So, you really would need this puppy training tips more than you could ever thought.


Puppy training tips how to Enter or to Exit from your home. Quite seen domestic dog is particularly movable. At number of times your dog will try to flee immediately when you open the door.

Puppy training tips on how to adjust to Doorbell Sound. Many dogs have a tendency to bark when they hear ringing or doorbell sound. So how can let change this tendency? The key is to find why they bark. There should be many reasons, and that the measures would be different too.


Your dog training tips depend on how to choose different tactics to Punish and Stroke. You should take some strategies of dog training or skills to teach your dog. This doesnt mean you should beat them up. Beating dogs cannot make your dog obedient, instead you should take the puppy training tips seriously from the start.

Puppy training tips to train your puppy lie down. Lying down for a puppy is a nice gesture of absolute respect, as well; its a gesture waiting for your command.


Puppy training tips to train your puppy to bring and carry. The most vital part is that your dog should learn how to carry and bring your stuff easily. Firstly, teach your dog the type of objects. Teach him by throwing a ball and let your puppy bring it back; repeat that procedure again and again.


You dont really need to be sure how things would work out or not, you just need to do it, act and not think too much, you see dogs doesnt think too much, they just do things with mostly their instinct, so really, puppy training tips are the best way to start it all.

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How long is it going to take

"How long is it going to take for my dog to be trained?" This is one of those frequently asked questions I get from many people. Unfortunately there is no standard answer, no for sure guaranteed answer, no crystal ball, and no magic wands. These are just a few questions you can ask yourself to help give you your own answer: 

1. How badly do YOU want your dog trained? Do you want it NOW??? 
2. What behaviors are we talking about? Are you trying to get your dog to walk nicely on leash, or dealing with biting a human or other dog?
3. How motivated is your dog to learn? Are you providing a happy learning environment that encourages your dog to want to learn with you? 
4. How motivated are YOU to want to teach your dog? 

I often compare dog training programs to weight-loss programs. In that, the more you put into it, the more consistent you are etc... the better the outcomes. For instance, if youre trying to lose weight and you start exercising, eating right, making better choices etc... the weight will come off. And, once you reach your short term goals, as long as you keep up some sort of maintenance regimen, you should have continued success. 

If on the other hand you join a gym or weight loss group, go to meetings, but then go out for pizza and ice-cream in between those meetings or workout sessions, then youre sort of sabotaging yourself. You never reach your goals, and if anything you just become more frustrated. 

So, I say this: if you want your dog to behave a certain way, not only do you have to teach them, but then you have to be consistent with the training program. Rewarding the behaviors you want, and doing all you can to prevent your dog from performing (and practicing) the behaviors you dont want! The more consistent you are, the better your dog will understand about making the "right choices". 

Ill address the questions Ive written above:

1. How badly do you want it? As I say in my classes: "Dont wait to need a behavior to train a behavior." I grew up in California. One of the "drills" we had in school were earthquake drills. Lots of "dress rehearsals" so to speak. Same thing with dog training. Dont wait to teach your dog to come on command when youve taken him to an off-leash park with hundreds of other dogs! Be prepared and plan ahead. 
2. Which path of learning? Emotional (learning by association) or Rational (learning by consequence). Good Manners behaviors are usually simpler to teach, than say, dealing with a dog that has dog-dog or dog-stranger aggression issues. Fear and aggression, or as I like to say, the "emotional path" is usually a longer road to head down. 
3. How motivated is your dog? Sorry, but how "smart" your dog is really isnt as important as how "motivated" your dog is to learn. Creating a fun learning environment for any animal leads them to want to participate with you. Encouragement, rewarding what we want with food, toys, petting, and praise enhance the relationship, while building their confidence. Threatening, yelling, or always pointing out when theyre wrong doesnt do much for training the behavior your want, nor does it do anything for their well-being. 
4. How motivated are YOU? Its best to go into your training program with a positive attitude. Make it something you enjoy doing, as opposed to a chore. Even little bits of training worked into your busy schedule can help you achieve your goals. When you see your dog performing the little bits of behaviors youve taught them, this gives you the positive reinforcement you need to keep moving forward. Just think "baby steps".

So, how long does it take? As little or as much time as youre willing to give. How long does it take us humans to learn certain skills? We dont learn math or english in one session. We dont learn to ski, ride a bike, dance, swim, play soccer, or skate in one session. Just remember to have a realistic perspective and realistic goals. 

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How To Deal with Your Dogs Digging

When you come home to find holes all over your lawn, and you have a dog, there may be a correlation there. But dont bother trying to confront your dog after the fact. Punishment after the fact is widely known as the least effective and potentially most damaging form of dog training on earth. Even if you bring your dog to the spot, hold them by the scruff of the neck, and scold them while you direct their head deep into their handiwork, they wont have any idea what all the fuss is about.


Instead, take a deep breath, and complete your after work wind-down routine. Then, calmly return to the back yard to locate your dog, with the intention of asking a few questions about their habit of excavating your property.



Question One


If you are unable to locate your dog, AND the holes in your lawn are all found right along the bottom of your fence line, then you may not need to ask the first question, which is, "Are you trying to escape?" If your pet is not "fixed" (neutered or spayed), then they may be entertaining their roaming instinct. They will return, and they may even bring a whole family with them when they do.



Question Two


Another possibility is that your dog is digging to freedom in an attempt to find you. If your dog is near or even somewhere on your property when you return from a period of absence, they may in fact have separation anxiety issues, which youll have to treat directly. Once you do, the digging will be an afterthought.



Question Three


If your dog is there, your next question to ask is, "Are you getting too hot back here when Im away?" We all know that dogs pant when its hot. But they also like to burrow, especially when there is not a spot of shade in sight. So youll need to rule this out as motivating factor for your dogs digging, and make sure they have a place to stay cool.



Lastly, youll have to ask your dog, "Are you burying your stuff?" This is simply an old habit that stems from the fact that their ancestors often killed more than they could eat in a sitting. This habit may be tough to break, but try changing the range of treats you leave with your dog when away. For instance, a massive juicy bone may be a great treat for your dog when youre around, but might be something you dont leave with them when youre gone.



You may have to change the dogs access areas, or fence off an area that youd like to keep for the kids soccer pitch. You can also try setting up a dirt area or sandbox where digging is allowed and encouraged. Many dogs are wild about sand, and you can even attract them to the area by burying treats in the sandbox.
To your success in dog training

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