Dog Training Tips On How To Train A Dog

Dogs Training

• Many people start their dog on the path to dog training success by enrolling them in a basic obedience class. This is a great idea because you will learn how to teach your dog to do basic commands such as “sit”, “stay”, and “heel”. You can use these dog training commands by using verbal commands and physical actions. For example, right after you say the word “sit” you gently push your dog’s bottom down onto the ground and put them in the sit position. Immediately say “good” and smile. Give them a tasty treat as well. Basically, you want to do as much as you can to reinforce the action of sitting when you say “sit”.
  
  
• Dogs act like absorbent sponges when it comes to learning proper behavior and tricks. If you do your job properly then dog training should be a hit. Your dog is ready and eager to learn proper behavior. They want to please you. Therefore, if they aren’t following your instruction it might not be their fault. You might be giving confusing dog training instructions.
  
  
• Dogs thrive on positive reinforcement and encouragement. Positive reinforcement such as acting excited and petting your dog when they do the right behavior help with your dog training efforts. It is a dogs nature to want to be close to you and make you happy. Showing encouragement and praise will help your dog much farther, much faster in their dog training. Make sure to encourage a dog through each dog training accomplishment, no matter how big or small.
  
  
• Food is a powerful motivator when it comes to dog training. You will be hard pressed to find a dog that passes up food or a tasty treat. Dogs are always hungry and welcome any situation where food is involved.
  
  
• Dog training should be a gradual process with regards to skill level and learning more complex commands. Give your dog time to understand new commands. They most likely won’t learn it the first day you teach them. You will have to review the commands and proper behaviors often.
  
  
• Have dog training sessions at various times throughout the day. Your dog needs periodic training to reinforce the proper behaviors. You dog’s attention span can wane, so make sure to keep the training sessions to five to ten minutes long.
  
  
• When you first start dog training work in environment that is free from distractions so your dog can focus on their behavior. Once your dog understands the basic commands you can try to use the commands in a busier environment. One thing you may find is that your dog is distracted and seems to have forgotten the commands. Don’t fret. This can happen because dogs tend to be situational learners and your dog just needs to work on the commands in the busier environment
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• Too many treats equals an overweight dog. Dog training is a process that involves tasty treats, but too many of these treats can be a bad idea for your dog’s waistline. Use small treats and wean your dog off treats as they understand the different commands. They will then rely on your praise as the positive reinforcement for each behavior. These eight dog training tips will set you on the road to happy, healthy, obedient pooch

2006 (c) mdarma.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide Dogs

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How You Train a Small Dog Makes a Difference

By Linda Cole

When it comes to dog training, the size of the dog does matter! It can mean the difference between being successful or falling flat on your face when trying to teach your small dog commands. In a way, its easier to train larger dogs because owners of small dogs often treat a smaller pet differently than they would a bigger dog.

Many small dogs belong to the terrier group. This is a group of feisty, high prey drive dogs with lots of energy. They are smart and not afraid to let their feelings be known. Small dogs can be manipulative if they get a chance, and can have an attitude the size of a Great Dane. Its tempting to let a little dog get away with things most owners wouldnt accept from a larger canine. His actions may not hold the same weight as a misbehaving larger dog, but a small dog can still be disruptive. If your small dog jumps up on someone to greet them, many will think thats cute, but if a Saint Bernard leaps up, your guest could be lying on their back with a drooling dog standing over them. Not as cool to some, but could be cute depending on your guests sense of humor.

Dogs can understand if they are being treated differently than others around them, and its important to treat small dogs just like you would a larger one. Training is about teaching your dog how you want him to act, but its also a good way for you to learn who your dog is as an individual. Small dogs can be stubborn. We can accidentally teach little dogs the wrong way to act if they are rewarded for their misdeeds or bad manners.

Part of our job is to instill confidence and trust in our pets. Treating a dog with respect, regardless of size, is one way of establishing yourself as their leader, and says you can be trusted. Dont give any treats or attention until your dog has all four feet on the ground.

Riley, my Terrier/Chihuahua mix, has been more of a challenge to train than my largest dog Max, a Lab mix. Riley had a tendency to jump up to grab a treat. I can understand why she did it – she was afraid one of the other dogs would get it before I got my hand down to her. Keep in mind how a small dog sees the world from their level if you have different sized dogs. Once Riley learned she didnt have to compete with the larger dogs for her treat, she settled down and became more willing to focus on the commands I was teaching, and not grab for her treat.

Finding the right treat is a consideration when training a small dog. The treat needs to be special and something that will get your dogs attention. CANIDAE TidNips™ treats are a favorite for my dogs. I like them because when treating a small dog, you want to give bite sized pieces they can handle, and I can easily break up the treat without it falling apart.

Small dogs need to learn the same basic commands as a larger dog. Sit, stay, come, and drop it are four commands that could save your pets life. Small breeds that were bred to hunt vermin and small game have a high prey drive, and their desire to chase is just as strong as it is in larger breeds. They are also quick and can be gone in a flash if off leash when outside. Dont take your pets small size for granted, and expect the unexpected just like you would with a Lab, Border Collie or any larger breed.

When training, get down to your small dogs level so he can see your face easier. When you call him to come, make sure he comes all the way to you, and doesnt go underneath a table or chair. A good command to teach a small dog is “stay calm, chill, settle, or quiet,” whichever word works for you to help keep him from getting over stimulated. Its a command that helps him control his energy. A small dog may have the attitude of a big dog, but they are still little, and that can be a bit intimidating for some dogs. Little dogs can be controlled by picking them up, but without training they wont learn how to behave, and could be at risk of developing small dog syndrome.

One mistake some owners of small dogs make is thinking their pet doesnt require exercise. All dogs need regular exercise to keep their mind and body healthy. Playing outside gets them out in the fresh air, and walking is a good way to keep your pet socialized with new people, sounds, sights, other dogs and places. A well socialized and trained dog is much easier to handle and less likely to get into trouble.

Photo by itarife

Read more articles by Linda Cole

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January is Train Your Dog Month Free Webinars and Chats

National Train Your Dog Month is an Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) annual campaign, and 2012’s event will be better than ever! Join us for FREE educational webinars and live chats with professionals!

Each year, hundreds of thousands of pets are turned into animal shelters because their owners couldn’t find a reliable resource to help them with their pets’ behavior problems. Sadly, the end result is often euthanasia at the shelter rather than rehoming the pet. In response, the APDT has designated the month of January as National Train Your Dog Month to bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training for all pets! January was selected as the perfect month because so many animals are adopted and brought home during the winter holidays. We hope to help families and their pets start the New Year off on the right paw with information on the behavior needs and training of their pets.

To help the pet-loving public, as well as professionals in the animal shelter and others in the pet care industry, the APDT has recorded free educational webinars featuring many well-known pet training and behavior professionals and experts. These webinars will be available starting in January through the Train Your Dog Month event website and are completely free. APDT has also filled the month of January with a variety of “live” Facebook “chats” where anyone can “talk” in real time with professional training and behavior consultants, on a variety of topics pertaining to the training and care of dogs, cats and even rabbits! Anyone with any behavior and training questions can join the chats to learn more about their chosen pet. Visit the event website, www.trainyourdogmonth.com, for full schedule information, professional bios, as well as fun downloadable resources on training and behavior.

Free Webinar: Dog Safety - What to Teach Your Kids with Joan Orr

Free Webinar: Setting Dog and Baby Up for Success with Jennifer Shryock

Doggone Safe and the APDT believes that a better understanding of our pets’ behavior can lead to happier, healthier and harmonious households for humans and companion animals. Top trainer Ken Ramirez says:

?"Training is not a luxury, but a key component to good animal care. Everyone who has a pet should understand that basic fact. Training is a way to enhance the quality of life for our pets. It is far more than just teaching a dog to do a cute trick. Training is about teaching a dog (or any animal) how to live in our world safely."

Read a fascinating interview with Ken about advanced training concepts.

Have Fun! Train your dog!

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When To Crate Train Your Puppy

While doing a search for some Talented K9 things, I came across another site that used my article Talented K9 Crate Training Tips. I am happy they thought my article was worthy of posting on their own site. So I wanted to give another thank you and a link back.

Visit them at When To Crate Train Your Puppy

The post was published a while ago, but better late than never right!? They also have some other good tips and articles on there, so its worth checking out.

Enjoy!


Image Source: Commons.wikimedia

Amy @ Talentedk9
talentedk9@yahoo.com
www.talentedk9.com

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Family Gatherings Train the Dog in Advance

Coming up we have Canadian Thanksgiving, followed by Halloween, then US Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve. All these provide opportunities for family gathering and parties. These events are great fun for the people, but can be very stressful for dogs. Here are some tips to help keep both kids and dogs safe and happy during family gatherings

Holidays Are Stressful for Dogs

The holidays are especially stressful for dogs due to changes in routine and the comings and going of visitors. Many dog bites happen at this time of year.

When visiting a house with a dog, children should be taught not to approach the dog (even if the dog has been friendly on other occasions). If the dog comes to them they should stand still like a tree and let the dog sniff. Only if the the dog is wagging and panting and coming to them for attention, and parent and dog owners are supervising and have given permission, should a child touch the dog. Dog owners should gauge their dog’s reaction to visitors. If the dog is overly excited, barking or growling, cowering away, trying to hide or otherwise showing signs of anxiety or aggression, the dog should be kept separate from visiting children for the ENTIRE DURATION of the child’s visit. The dog should have its own place in a crate or another room with toys, a bone to chew on and its special bed or blanket so that it can be happy and comfortable and away from guests. Even dogs who seem happy with visitors should never be alone in the room with visiting children. No preschooler, toddler or baby should be allowed to be near your dog unless you personally also have your hands on the dog and can prevent face to face contact between child and dog and can prevent the child from hugging or otherwise bothering the dog.

Greeting People at the Door

Dogs should not be allowed to greet visitors at the door. This is for the safety of the dog and the visitors. Keep the dogs in separate room or crate until the visitors are settled and then allow the dog to say hello if appropriate. If you are not sure about your dog, then leave him confined or keep him on a leash. Make sure that the dog associates visitors with something good for the dog, such as special treats or a stuffed bone.

Not the Time to Train the Dog

If you do perceive a problem between your dog and visiting children - THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO WORK ON IT. It is not reasonable to use visiting children to help train your dog. Take preventative measures to ensure that your dog does not have the opportunity to bite and once the holiday season is over seek the help of a dog behavior specialist who uses positive reinforcement methods to solve the dogs problem.

Family Gatherings

Family gatherings at a relative’s house are the source of fond memories for many. The relative’s dog may not enjoy these events as much as the rest of the family. Noise, confusion and changes in routine are stressful for dogs. Even a normally calm and docile pet may become agitated enough to bite under the extreme circumstances of a boisterous family celebration. Supervision may be lax if each adult thinks that another is watching the children. Children are the most likely victims of dog bites in this situation. Doggone Safe offers the following tips:

• Put the dog in his crate with a bone or favorite chew toy, at least during the most hectic times – guests arriving and leaving as well as dinner preparation and serving.
• Assign one adult to be in charge of the dog, to watch for signs of stress and protect from unwanted attention from children.
• Signs of stress include: The dog yawns or licks his chops.The dog shows the white part of his eye in a half moon shape.
• If the dog shows any of these signs, then he is worried and wants to be left alone. Put the dog in his crate or in a room away from the guests with a favorite chew toy or bone. 
• If the dog licks his chops, yawns or shows the half moon eye when a child approaches or is petting him, intervene immediately and ensure that the child cannot access the dog. 
• Do not allow visiting children to hug the dog. Dogs don’t like hugs and kisses. Even if the dog tolerates this under normal circumstances he may not tolerate this from strangers or in a high stress situation with lots of noise and people. 
• Other signs that the dog does not welcome attention from children (or adult) guests include the following:

• The dog turns his head away, walks away or tries to hide under furniture.
• The dog freezes and becomes very still, with his mouth closed. He may be staring intensely at the person who is bothering him and may growl. This dog is a few seconds away from a bite.
• The dog growls or raises the fur along his back.

• Assign one adult to supervise each baby or toddler with no other tasks expected. 
• If you have multiple dogs, consider kenneling them, crating them or keeping them in another room during large gatherings. 
• Supervise at all times.

Download our handout with a summary of tips for parents and dog owners

Articles:

Visit our article library for some articles about keeping kids and dogs safe during the holidays. Scroll through the list looking for those articles marked with a candy cane. Download the Doggone Safe Holiday Press Release with more tips

Members:

Doggone Safe Members: Download the Doggone Safe Holiday Press Release that you can edit to send to local newspaper, radio and TV media to promote your business and disseminate our safety messages. Join Doggone Safe.

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Dog Training Initial Training how to train a dog

Dog training – Initial Training

Dogs are known as a faithful animal, most dog owners or dog breeders would love to have a calm and obedient a dog. It is said that a calm and an obedient dogs can be acheved by a good training program on how to train a dog. Moreover, these trained dogs will have lesser tussles with people and other dogs.

If it is a puppy, you will need much more patience and time to house train your puppy correctly.

If you want your puppy to use the bathroom outside, you have to observe to its need to use the bathroom. When he needs to go outside, it will help if you condition him by saying "outside" or "out" in a high-pitched tone of voice, just to get him used to the idea of where he is going. He will soon learn what you mean and that it is time to go to the bathroom. Never forget to reward him with a praise when he follows or obeys your command.
Whatever dog training we give the dogs, there are some basic trainings and commands a dog must understand and follow. There is will be great to have a good program on how to train a dog.

http://www.mdarma.com/dogs

Some of these commands are:

· Sit – Training your dog to sit on a command is a basic and an important part of any dog-training program.

· Stay – A well-trained dog should be able to remain where his or her owner commands. So stay is another very important command in dog training.

· Down – Lying down on command is more than just as necessary; it is a key factor of any successful dog-training program.

· No – the word “NO” is one word that all dogs must learn and obey. Training your dog to respond to this important word can save you a lot of unnecessary trouble.

A well-trained dog will respond well to all the owner’s command. This dog will not be confused or show displeasure. Therefore, to achieve this it is vital to embark on a good dog training program.

Also a well-trained dog will also be a very good companion to you and your family. Further, you will have fewer problems like getting into tussles with people or with other dogs. So a good dog training is necessary

Obedience training is essential and is a great way to satisfy some of the dog’s own needs, example, exercise, relationship with it’s owner or handler.

Obedience training should be on going sessions; apart from dog training, playtime should be part and parcel of the training. This will ensure that the dog does not become bored and it also reinforces the bond between the owner and the dog.

Have many happy years with your friend and companion. Cheers

P.S.
Dove Cresswell is Professional Hollywood North Dog Trainer. Find out her success secrets.

2006 (c) mdarma.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide A Dog Training

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The Science Surrounding Children Dogs Part 1 The Good

(source)

Hi Julie,

Oh my, but KAWAII is cute! I guess that’s kind of the point? I love that cute is good for us.

All this talk of cute, a website and some observations at home got me thinking this week.  

I recently saw this image posted on Facebook and I don’t mind admitting that it tugged at my emotions. 

Around the same day, I was watching my two year old toddler (an unpublished and independent kawaii survey reports the toddler is somewhat cute) interacting with my dogs (they are cute, no survey required).

(source)

The toddler is currently learning (slowly) that the world is not 100% about the toddler. This involves me frequently coaching the toddler’s interactions with other people and children (“yes it’s very sweet that you love your friend and that you’re giving them a big hug, but now you’ve actually crash-tackled them to the floor and they’re crying, it might be time to give them space”) and more recently in a similar way with the dogs.

These home observations and website images got me thinking about how important my pets, and in particular, my dogs, were to me while growing up. 

(source)

It got me wondering - why do so many of us have enduring psychological attachment to our childhood dogs? 
And do our childhood experiences stay with us as firmly held attitudes into adulthood? 

I plan to spend my next posts looking at some of the science surrounding children and dogs: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Why are dogs good for children?

The biophilia hypothesis suggests that people are instinctively attracted to animals and nature. It proposes that our relationship with them may contribute on an intimate biological level to our sense of fulfilment and identity. In our current busy lifestyles, often lived in industrialised city environments removed from ‘nature’ in its purest form, dogs and other companion animals offer opportunities for these ‘biophilic’ relationships. 

These nurturing relationships with animals are considered particularly important during early and middle childhood. Some research suggests that humans have a higher degree of attachment to dogs than we do to other companion animals; however, this may be a flaw in the way such studies have assessed attachment.

Dogs may promote respect and compassion for animals and nature by offering a child valuable opportunity to experience and learn about animals and the ‘facts of life’. Dogs can assist children to learn about responsibility. They can encourage trust, self-belief as well as caring attitudes and behaviour. They may promote exercise and healthy development, offer social support and provide companionship, security, comfort. Dogs can be an important source of fun and have demonstrated they can act as an outlet for childhood affection.

(source)

Research has shown that regular contact with two or more dogs in the first year of life is correlated with a reduced incidence of childhood allergies and asthma. The presence of a dog in a learning environment (such as a classroom) has been shown to contribute to children’s motivation and can speed task completion without compromising accuracy. Dogs in this context also aid emotional stability, improve children’s attitudes towards school and aid in the learning of respect, empathy and responsibility.

So it seems like there’s a lot to like about fostering a positive relationship between children and dogs. But what happens to children when such an important relationship ends? And do our childhood experiences stay with us into adulthood? 

Dont worry - I’ll be sure tell you more about that next time!

Mia

p.s. Dont forget to head over to our facebook page to keep track of the childhood dog photo challenge!

Further reading:

Serpell J. (1999). Animals in Childrens Lives, Society & Animals, 7 (2) 87-94. DOI: 10.1163/156853099X00013

OHaire M. (2010). Companion animals and human health: Benefits, challenges, and the road ahead, Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 5 (5) 226-234. DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2010.02.002

Melson G.F. Child Development and the Human-Companion Animal Bond, American Behavioral Scientist, 47 (1) 31-39. DOI: 10.1177/0002764203255210

Blue G.F. (1986). The Value of Pets in Childrens Lives, Childhood Education, 63 (2) 85-90. DOI: 10.1080/00094056.1986.10521747

Zasloff R.L. (1996). Measuring attachment to companion animals: a dog is not a cat is not a bird, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 47 (1-2) 43-48. DOI: 10.1016/0168-1591(95)01009-2

Holscher B., Frye C., Wichmann H.E. & Heinrich J. (2002). Exposure to pets and allergies in children, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 13 (5) 334-341. DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2002.02063.x

Anderson K.L. & Olson M.R. (2006). The value of a dog in a classroom of children with severe emotional disorders, Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 19 (1) 35-49. DOI: 10.2752/089279306785593919

Gee N.R., Harris S.L. & Johnson K.L. (2007). The Role of Therapy Dogs in Speed and Accuracy to Complete Motor Skills Tasks for Preschool Children, Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 20 (4) 375-386. DOI: 10.2752/089279307X245509

© Mia Cobb 2012

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Heroes and why do we feed our dogs to death

Paul and Tinker

Hey Julie,

I’m glad you’re a fan of Paul McGreevy’s too! 

I admire so much of the work he’s done (and facilitated or helped others to do). He’s not afraid to raise sensitive topics and tricky questions through his science and I appreciate that enormously.

Your last post got me thinking about who my canine science (or general doggy-people) heroes are – I’m still pondering on this, but there are plenty of them!

(source)

I think I’ll get back to you with my conclusions and explanations another day, after I’ve had some more time to ruminate on it a bit more.

Meanwhile, I wanted to get back to you to talk fat dogs.

Sampson, June 2011 (source)

One of my local animal shelters was attracting global attention recently when 8 year old Sampson was surrendered to the shelter for rehoming and weighed in at a whopping 84kg (that’s 185lbs). 

Sampson’s not alone. Up to 40% of Australia’s pet dog population are overweight and this is comparable to other developed nations. 

The weird thing is – why? 

Vanessa Rohlf

As pet owners, we humans are in control of their food, we understand that amount of food + amount of exercise = pet weight. We even have pet food companies who have developed weight control formulas so we can feed more but give less - so why can’t some people control the balance to keep our pets healthy?

(source)

Vanessa Rohlf is a fellow PhD candidate of mine in the Anthrozoology Research Group and she has done some excellent work looking into this area of pet owner/caregiver psychology.

Click to enlarge figure (source)

Her research has shown that our behaviours (actions) as pet caregivers can be based on a complex range of beliefs and intentions. We may give more importance to the opinions of a close friend in regards to our pets care than what our veterinarian tells us. You can read the outline of a talk she presented that offers a good summary about why some owners dont comply with pet ownership practices here. 

For more detailed information about Vanessas research, check out the journal articles below. 
It’s really, really interesting stuff!

Sampson, June 2012 (source)

Oh – and Sampson? He’s doing really well – 12 months on, he’s half the dog he once was, has inspired a whole fundraising campaign and is a bit of a local celebrity.

Further reading:

Rohlf, V.I., Toukhsati, S., Coleman, G.J. & Bennett, P.C. (2010). Dog Obesity: Can Dog Caregivers (Owners) Feeding and Exercise Intentions and Behaviors Be Predicted From Attitudes?, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 13 (3) 236. DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2010.483871 

Rohlf, V.I., Bennett, P.C., Toukhsati, S. & Coleman, G. (2010). Why Do Even Committed Dog Owners Fail to Comply with Some Responsible Ownership Practices?, Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 23 (2) 155. DOI: 10.2752/175303710X12682332909972

© Mia Cobb 2012

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Dog Training How To House Train A Dog

Dog Training

Having a dog as your companion can be a true joy. However, you don’t want your beloved buddy chewing your new shoes or going to the bathroom in the house. Therefore, you need to know how to house train a dog. Therefore you have to create a dog training plan to help your new puppy or dog understand the rules of the house.

What things should you focus on in dog training when you want your dog to understand the expected behaviors and even some fun tricks? Should you take dog training classes or complete dog training all on your own? The answer to these questions is that it depends. Take a look at the following dog training options to determine what type of dog training you want to provide for your canine best friend.

Possible dog training options include: a beginning obedience class that you can take through your local human society, dog supply stores such as PETCO, community recreation departments, and local colleges. These dog training classes can vary in price, time commitment, and personal attention. They are usually affordable and meet once a week at a community park. It is a great way to not only have your dog experience basic dog training, but socialize with other dogs as well.

If you have the financial resources and time you can hire a personal dog trainer. This type of trainer may be necessary if your pooch is having a hard time in basic classes and your dog training efforts aren’t making a difference. Before you invest in a private dog trainer it is important to make an accurate assessment of your dog training methods. Often times a dog that is not following directions is the result of the poor dog training by the dog’s owner. The best shot is to get into a good program on how to train a dog

http://www.mdarma.com/dogs

A private dog trainer might be necessary if you are going to show your dog at dog shows. You can hire a dog trainer/handler or you can become one yourself. If you do, you must know the proper dog training techniques. You don’t want to have Fido jump up on the judges during the competition so he must be trained thoroughly and correctly. You can also search through dog training books, guides, and various resources. There are products that will help you complete dog training such as special collars and muzzles. You can effectively go through a dog training regime with your canine if you follow these eight tips on how to train a dog.

2006 (c) mdarma.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide * Dog Training

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Mixing kids dogs a how to resource list

Hi Mia, 

Friends for life is a wonderful way to describe growing from childhood to adulthood with a dog. For me, Arf was always around till a living, breathing dog came into my life, and you clearly thought dogs were the bomb from an early age! 

And speaking of childhood dogs, how awesome is the Childhood Dog Photo Challenge that you started over on Facebook? Were you expecting people to post photos of so many dogs and kids from all over the world!?

Mia and Star; Julie and Arf

Nowadays, I imagine you and I are in the same position: People contact us with questions when a new baby is on the way and Fido’s already in the house or someone’s adding a dog to a family that already includes a child.

When this happens, I get uber excited. You and I clearly have a similar passion -- sharing information and resources -- so when an inquiry like this comes in, I can imagine we both go into OVERDRIVE!

While dogs and kids seem to have "effortless" relationships with "unconditional love," I find myself reminding parents-to-be that there are a lot of nuances that can make or break the relationship (clearly, my relationship with Arf was highly successful and bidirectional). 

Theres so much to talk about when it comes to dogs and kids, and I tend to emphasize providing a dog with (1) a comfortable resting area and (2) space where a dog can choose to retreat from interactions. This is one of the main ideas I took away from my Masters program: there is a higher probability of good welfare and good interactions when animals have options and control. 

And I also pass out oodles of resources! Here are some resources pertaining to dogs and kids, including resources you shared with me from down under. Australia has great resources!

A Guide to Nurturing the Child and Pet Relationship from Pregnancy to Pre-school
The Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia, put out this information, and it covers a lot, such as Preparation, The First Six Months and Baby on the Move. The strength of this guide is it reminds parents that new challenges arise at different stages of a child’s development. A dog’s perception of a newborn can change radically once that bugger starts moving around and grabbing onto anything and everything.

This website even has a Pet Planner Checklist that helps new parents prepare their dog, their house and themselves for a new baby. The checklist asks questions like: 

• Do you need to change their current feeding routine? 
• Which areas are going to be pet free zones?
• Can your pet be comfortable and relaxed spending short periods of time in a crate or confined space? 
• When the baby comes, have you organized someone to exercise the dog?

(Source)

APSCA Guide To Kids and Pets
I particularly like the age-appropriate Activities for Kids and Pets as well as the section, How Kids Respond to Pets. As you point out, a toddler might think they are hugging another child when in fact, theyve smashed the child to the ground, and toddlers can make the same mistake with dogs. Sometimes I think adults also have difficulty seeing their behavior for what it is and how it affects companion animals.

Family Paws
Family Paws is the parent organization of two international programs: Dogs & Storks and the Dog and Baby Connection. They offer programs for new and expecting families to support happy interactions among babies, toddlers and family dogs.
 
Their goal: “increase the safety of children and the success of dogs in homes with children. Decrease the number of dogs surrendered to shelters due to easily preventable behavioral problems and common conflicts.”
 
They offer trainer-run programs, DVDs and of course, a newsletter!

Animal Behavior Associates: Dog, Baby and Kid Resources
Dr. Suzanne Hetts and Dr. Dan Estep run Animal Behavior Associates. Both are Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists. They offer videos and DVDs for smooth interactions between dogs, babies and kids.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Are there other resources that anyones particularly fond of when it comes to dog, kids and babies?

Bye for now!

Julie

© Julie Hecht 2012

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How To Train a Dog That Doesnt Like Food or Toys

Training a Dog That Doesnt Like Food or Toys can be very frustrating at times, especially if you want to use positive reinforcement training. If you are set on using reward based training, check out my post Motivating a Non-Treat or Toy Motivated Dog

There are some dogs that just dont respond to food or toy based training. Such as the dogs mentioned in the comments of the post linked above.

Youre here because your dog doesnt like either food or toys. In fact, you have a hard time seeing anything your dog does like! You see reward based training everywhere, and every time you ask What do I do if my dog doesnt like food or toys you either get no answer, or you get answers just to get you to go away and ask somebody else.

My answer is, try a different Method! Its Okay if you dont train using food or toys.

Now, lets go over the other methods available to you.

How To Train a Dog That Doesnt Like Food or Toys : Praise and Correction

In this method, you dont use food or toys. You simply use petting and praise as a reward for doing the right thing. You always have these with you and its really easy to do! Dog doesnt like food? No problem!

To teach your dog what you want, you first show them what you want by getting them to do the behavior a few times. (Im not going to go into detail on how to do this, the link to the system below will show you exactly how to implement this training method. It works very well and is very fast.) Once you know the dog knows what you want, then you add in corrections when they dont do it on the first time you say.

If you would like more information on this system, check out the website to watch videos, read testimonials, and read more about it. See the website Here

I have this system myself and have used it on many dogs. Ive gotten very good results every time, and it does happen as fast as they say it does.

Get the Large Dog System here.

How To Train a Dog That Doesnt Like Food or Toys : Remote Collar Training

Our next method available to us if you have a dog that doesnt like food or toys, is Remote Collar Training. When used correctly, these do not hurt the dog and should not be used to hurt your dog. If youre hurting your dog or you see someone else using one of these and they are hurting their dog, you are Using It Wrong!

Remote collars can be an extremely useful tool in training, if you choose this method, please go to someone who knows how to properly use one and can teach you how. The best people Ive found that use Remote collar training is Sit Means Sit dog training. This company does amazing things, and no Im not affiliated with them in any way. I do not get paid to recommend them. Ive seen their You Tube Channel and have really liked what Ive seen. I highly recommend watching as many of their videos as you can so you can get an idea of whats possible with them. They have trainers all over the place, so be sure to see if there is one close by to you.

Here is a video of one of their off leash classes, it might give you an idea of what you can expect.



Sit Means Sit Dog training will let you use food or toys if you want to or if your dog responds to them, but they are not required.

How To Train a Dog That Doesnt Like Food or Toys : Natural Training

Natural training is using communication your dog understands and use on themselves. No corrective collars, no food or toys. I have honestly not experimented a lot with this type of training but would like to learn more on it. I found this nice website that is all about it, you can see it at Pam Shaw Canine Consultant. He has a DVD available and I think Im going to order it myself and see what its all about.

I am sure there is more available on the internet about him and on Natural Dog Training. Do a search for it and see what you can find.

To sum this all up, if you have a Dog That Doesnt Like Food or Toys then throw out the reward based training and try something else! It is Okay! Dont let others make you feel bad because you dont use food or toys with your dog. The important thing is finding something that Works!

I would also like to point out, all of these methods are great even if your dog does like food or toys, but maybe you would like to try a different method.

Food or Toys are great to use during training if your dog finds them rewarding! However, dont get frustrated if your dog has no interest in either. There are plenty of other methods out there that dont use food or toys. I hope I helped you find some that will work for you.

Happy Training!

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Image Credits:
Dobie Pic: Pato_Garza @ Flickr


Amy @ Talented K9
talentedk9@yahoo.com
www.talentedk9.com

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How to train your experienced blood tracking dog a training report from Darren

This is a report from Darren Doran describing his latest training line for Theo. Regular readers of the blog are very familiar with this tracking team from New Jersey. Darren used a new design of tracking shoes, which is produced by Ray Holohan. We will have a separate post about them soon, when Ray is ready to start selling his product.

TRAINING LINE
The line is 1000 yds. long. This line was my first line using Ray Holohans buck shock tracking shoes. 4 oz. of blood was used. Blood, feet, and articles were from the same deer. The line will be 36 hrs. old when ran and is set in an area the County burned this spring. The soil is very sandy here. The vegetation is sparse due to the burn and the woods are mostly oak and pine. Visibility is good here and the over story is somewhat open. There are numerous 90’S and one backtrack and one wound bed. Three articles were used on this line and were made from deer skin about 2 X 1 stapled to a 4 inch by 1 inch diameter dried piece of stick.

TRAINING GOAL
The goal of this exercise is to work on article identification, stopping and re-starting on the line and the backtrack. I will also start this line as a controlled search and see how Theo does.

ACTUAL LINE
It was 71 degrees, overcast and humid this morning. I started Theo in a controlled search about 80 yds. from the line and about 50 yds. into it from the hit site. I asked him to search and “find the blood”. He worked nicely in a left to right forward arc until we hit the line. He took the line back towards the hit site and through it and began searching. He looped back to the line and took it back to the hit site and was about to pass through it again when I alerted him on it. He stopped and smelled the hair and turned around. I gave him a piece of meat and we started tracking.

I thought this was going to be harder for Theo but his tracking speed told me differently. We did numerous stops on the line and I would reward him with a piece of meat and give him water. He restarted nicely. He found the articles and these were too big for him to swallow. Articles in the past were small pieces of skin and hair that he would pick up, swallow and continue tracking so fast I was not able to reward him for finding them. He took all the turns but one perfectly. The one he missed only took a minute or so to require the line. His tracking speed also caused him to miss the wound bed. The backtrack took seven minutes to work out. This line took 33 minutes to finish and does not include the controlled search.

CONCLUSION
Theo did real well on this line. What I thought was going to be difficult was very easy for him. He handled the controlled search excellent. There was no mistaking his reaction when he hit the line. Stopping and re-starting was good. The larger articles got him to stop and be rewarded for finding them. The backtrack still needs work but is getting better. Theo has a natural tendency to search forward and away from the last scent. When he circles back he doesn’t always make his circles large enough to cross back over the line. He does handle and when asked to “search here” he will respond. I’ll repeat this line and add 12 hrs. to the age and see how he does.

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Working like a dog

Hello Julie,

Having consulted two of my fabulous friends who happen to be ‘real world editors’ I can happily report that the technically correct format would be “Hi there, Mia”. This is to clarify that my name is not ‘there Mia’, although one friend said “no one does it on the internet”, so maybe you can’t win – or can’t lose?! 
I’m just happy you said “Hi”.

Its so true that there are welfare issues all around us – even when perhaps we’re not expecting to see them. Or when we are so used to seeing them that we need to put on ‘fresh eyes’ to see them in a different light. I find it really interesting that some of the features we find attractive in dogs can be the very same that equate to poor welfare for the animal. I hope you can tell me some more about the why and how we humans identify certain features as attractive. It’s a really fascinating topic.

In a not-really-related-but-kind-of-interesting side note – I noticed some interested physical traits we were encountering when I worked with guide dogs. Our breeding colony was selected for good physical health and on a basis of behavioural traits deemed ‘suitable for guide dog work’, but not to a strict physical standard (as a ‘pedigree’ Labrador might be). We had some Golden retrievers and F1 and F2 crosses/crossbacks between the two breeds – always selecting for dogs that could work well as guide dogs for people with vision impairment.

(source)

We started seeing some brindle coming through in some black dogs. 
So we had some Labradors that looked like this >>>  

There were people telling us they COULDN’T BE LABRADORS! 

They MUST be Rottweiler crosses. But they werent - and we had records showing 50 years+ of breeding history to show it.

(source)

Turns out that it’s not an unheard of ’mismark’ (such a dirty word for such attractive markings) to Labrador breeders. 









But here’s the neatest part – it’s even been seen in other Guide Dog schools, in other countries (how cool is that!?!).

This brindle lab is from a GD school in the USA (source)

Reminds me of those silver foxes, but man, are they a topic for another whole post.

(source)

So how have you been? 
I’ve been quite busy this past week – working hard ahead of a national workshop that’s coming up in a couple of weeks’ time. 




Speaking of that, I find it so interesting that ‘working like a dog’ means to work extremely hard (at least in Australian culture – is it the same in the US o’ A?). Their industrious capacity is built into our everyday language.

Working dogs are really quite iconic here in Australia.
We have statues celebrating them, movies about them...

...we even commemorated them on a set of stamps a few years ago (I personally knew that chap on the right very well)!

One of my favourite picture books as a child was about ‘Suey the sheep-dog’. The Australian working dog industry is truly diverse. In the work I’ve been doing over the past few years, we have chosen to define working dogs as domestic dogs kept for non-companion purposes that work in a private industry, government, assistance or sporting context.

I will tell you more about that work and Australia’s working dogs next time!

I hope your weekend is full of sunshine and laughter,

Mia

References:

Trut, L. (1999). Early Canid Domestication: The Farm-Fox Experiment, American Scientist, 87 (2) DOI: 10.1511/1999.2.160

Schmutz, S.M. & Berryere, T.G. (2007). Genes affecting coat colour and pattern in domestic dogs: a review, Animal Genetics, 38 (6) 549. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2007.01664.x

© Mia Cobb 2012

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