January is National Train Your Dog Month
The beginning of the year is full of resolutions and personal goals, but don’t forget to include your furry friend in the mix. January has been officially dubbed National Train Your Dog Month, and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) is aiming to help squash pet disobedience with patient owners. It is sad but true; hundreds of thousands of canines are brought to shelters because owners feel like they have lost control of behavioral problems their pet may be exhibiting. Luckily this problem has been acknowledged and National Train Your Dog month has been proclaimed as an educational experience to assist in nixing behavior problems, as well as help owners and pets alike meet in the middle. During January the APDT will provide free webinars and live chat sessions with professionals that pet owners are welcome to utilize for advice and knowledge on handling certain behavioral concerns. Topics to be covered consist of leash etiquette and an educational session on pet adoption, as well as many other available events throughout the month. Join in the discussions and view the insightful webinars to gain added knowledge on training your pooch and promise to make 2012 the best year yet for you and your playful pal.
Socializing Your Dog
Socializing your dog is a huge importance and will assist in creating a happier hound. Well-socialized pups are also more friendly and easier to have out in public. You should start socializing your pooch immediately, dogs that grow up lacking love and experiences may develop aggressive behavior. The socialization process involves introducing your puppy to anything new that will entice its senses; this will show pups how to accept new things in its environment. The first six months of a puppy’s life is the most important time for socialization. While it is more difficult, it is possible to socialize older dogs – just remember to have tolerant. If a dog has been poorly socialized they may be suspicious canines who find it difficult warming up to new people. Pooches lacking socialization may also not like other dogs or want to play with them. Owners tend to grow frustrated with an under-socialized dog and turn them over to the animal shelter. Although, such drastic measures do not have to be taken. Instead, an owner of a poorly socialized pooch should patiently work on helping their skittish dog by first desensitizing them to touch. Ease your canine into being handled with gentle touches and reward good behavior with delicious dog treats. Once your dog has done well with being desensitized, slowly introduce them to other people. When your pooch meets a new face, let that person feed your learning canine a treat. Eventually your dog will be okay with unfamiliar people and going out in public will be a much simpler task. Keep your pooch on a trusted dog leash and handle any situations calmly. Always work with your canine through any issues because nothing is ever a lost cause.
How to Teach Your Pet to Walk on a Leash
Taking your dog for a hike around the neighborhood is one of the many pros of being a animal owner. It is a great experience for you to bond and spend time with your dog. Unfortunately for many dog owners, taking their dog for a stroll around the park can prove to be a conundrum. Training your furry friend to walk on a dog leash can prove to be very helpful to both of you. The simplest way to introduce a dog leash to your dog and encourage acceptable walking behavior is to start when he is a puppy. Get a small leash and attach it to the puppy’s collar. Drop the dog leash on the floor and let your pup drag it around in the house to make him feel comfortable. Leave the leash on for a few minutes at a time for several times a day to help him get used to wearing the leash. If your dog is used to wearing a dog leash, you can move forward with your training.
The most important thing you must remember when walking your dog is to never let them walk in front of you. They must always walk beside you or behind you. If your dog walks in front of you, the message he is receiving is that he is the pack leader because in a dog pack, the leader always goes first. If you have a dog that pulls, train them to walk beside you. This can be done by keeping your dog on a shorter dog leash at first, but still allowing some slack in the leash. One easy way to make your dog walk next to you is by holding snacks in your hand and casually giving them to your dog as you walk. This will reward your dog for walking beside you, and in turn make walks more pleasant!
How to Tame an Aggressive Dog
With temperatures climbing and summer quickly approaching, it’s important that dogs get ample exercise during those long summer days. However, many pet owners avoid taking their pets on walks and to family outings because of aggressive behavior previously displayed by their dog. Keeping your dog cooped up during summer months because of the fear of running into other dogs can be damaging to both owner and pet. Exercise is a key step in taming an aggressive dog; they need an outlet for that energy. Even dogs that were socialized as a puppy can develop aggressive, hyper behaviors later on. Make sure to consult with an expert or your vet before trying these methods if you do not feel comfortable.
Teaching your dog to walk calmly on a leash, as discussed in the last blog is a key first step in the process of taming your dog, but there are other tricks and trades one can try to promote a calm, submissive behavior. First, it’s important to fit your dog with the proper collar, or harness before beginning the walk. A dog harness may be more appropriate for dogs that pull, because it gives the owner more control over the dog’s chest area, which is their main source of strength. After fitting your dog with the proper attire, you’re ready to move forward with the walk. Make sure to keep treats on you during an outing with your pet, as most dogs respond well to food.
Most owners tend to avoid the other dog approaching during the walk, but this only prolongs the issue instead of dealing with it head on, so to speak. If you have a friend with a calm, submissive dog, you may want to ask for their help in dealing with the issue. Using a dog you know will not provoke aggressive behavior from your pet can be extremely helpful. As the other dog approaches, make sure you have a firm grip on the leash, but do not hold it with too much tension as dogs can sense your feelings, and your tension and nerves can be transferred to their mentality. Dogs have unbelievable senses of when their owner feels threatened or nervous, so maintain a calm attitude. Taking a deep breath can be very soothing for tension.
Make sure you put enough space between the dogs eliminating the chance of attack. Place your dog in a sitting position, with their butt facing the other dog. This is a submissive position and will help break their aggression. As your dog struggles and gets worked up, give them a touch on their chest, just forceful enough to break their concentration on the other dog. Remember not to push the dog, just a firm touch. Breaking the dog’s focus on the other is crucial to taming aggression. Once the mind is not consumed by thoughts of the other dog, your pet will calm down and learn to ignore. After this process is finished and your dog is cooperative, make sure to reward with lots of praise and even a few little dog treats. By trying out these few methods, you can make socializing your dog with others a much calmer experience, which leads to a happy dog and owner.
How to Properly Walk Your Dog
Walking your dog is one of the many joys of being a dog owner. It is a chance for you to spend time with your furry friend and bond. Unfortunately, for many of us dog owners, taking our pups out for a stroll can be a nightmare. Does your dog pull? Does it feel like he is walking you, instead of the other way around? With just a little training, you can curb this negative behavior, and enjoy, rather than dread, your walks together.
The easiest way to introduce a leash and encourage good walking habits is to start when your dog is a puppy. Get a light-weight dog leash and attach it to your puppy’s collar . Drop the leash on the floor and let your puppy drag it around. Talk to him, pet him, whatever makes your puppy feel comfortable. Leave the leash on for a few minutes at a time, several times a day, to help your pup get used to having a leash attached. Never leave the leash on your puppy when he is unattended- he could get tangled around something and get hurt.
If your dog is used to wearing a leash, you can move forward with training. The most important thing to remember when walking your dog is to never let them walk in front of you- always on your side or behind you. When you allow your dog to walk in front of you, you are giving him the message that he is the pack leader, over you. In a dog pack the leader always goes first. The reason dogs pull is because when they walk in front, they feel that they are the leader. To your dog, this is a big responsibility and will make him anxious, and in turn, pull on the lead. If you train your dog to “heel”, or walk beside you, he will view you as the leader and can then relax and enjoy his walk.
“Heeling” means that your dog walks beside your knee and matches your pace, then immediately sits when you stop. The heel position is on your left side. To train your dog to “heel”, begin with the dog on your left side. Say “heel” and begin to walk forward. If your dog pulls ahead, spin around suddenly and begin walking in the opposite direction. The dog will follow you, naturally, and this will put him right back at your side. Again, say “heel”. When he is back in place, praise your dog and give him dog treats . Repeat this action every time he pulls ahead. It may be frustrating for a while, and take a bit to get where you are going, but it will be rewarding for both you and your dog in the long run.
How To Eliminate Unnecessary Barking
Barking is a perfectly natural, normal behavior in dogs- it is how they communicate. Of course, that’s not a good enough explanation for neighbors or relatives of a yappy dog. There are many reasons a dog will bark unnecessarily. Loneliness and boredom are two of the top reasons. Dogs who bark due to boredom are not sure how to behave when they are alone. They are used to being lavished with attention and when it is not provided, they bark because they are upset and unsure of what to do. Some dogs bark just to get your attention. Your dog learns that if he barks and you give in, that barking gets results. Other dogs are territorial and bark to alert you when they see strangers or other animals outside. Some breeds naturally bark more than others. The list goes on and on. You would never want to eliminate barking completely, but your dog can be trained to control unnecessary barking, which will help your dog’s ability to communicate and bark at the proper time if a problem arises. Training your dog to curb unnecessary barking requires you to stay calm and takes lots of patience, but with time, it can be done.
Before you begin bark training, you want to try to find the source of your dog’s barking. Is he hungry? Thirsty? Does he need to go outside? Your dog might just be trying to tell you something simple. If he is barking at people or animals outside, close the blinds or shades to remove his motivation. If your dog does not get enough exercise he will be more prone to behaving badly, therefore barking more. When you leave, give your dog something to do to avoid boredom, such as a Kong dog toy stuffed with treats or plenty of chew toys. If your dog is occupied, he will not think about barking. Make sure your dog gets plenty of brisk exercise every day. There are quite a few methods of teaching a dog not to bark. Some, such as spanking and shock collars are inhumane and ineffective and should not be used. You can purchase a citronella no-bark collar. This method is effective and not cruel. If your dog barks, the collar sprays a small amount of citronella which dogs find very annoying. He will learn not to bark to avoid the spray. Another way to stop barking is to use positive reinforcement to teach your dog to bark on command and this will in turn help him to learn to be quieted on command. You could find something to make a loud noise when your dog is barking, such as a can full of pennies, to get his attention. Every time your dog barks, shake the can and eventually he will learn to stop barking to avoid the noise. Using a clicker to train your dog is effective as well. When your dog is good, always praise him and give him dog treats as a reward.
Simple Tricks To Teach Your Dog
There is nothing more frustrating than a dog who just won’t listen to you. Rather than get angry when he chews up your couch or runs wild, why not try obedience training? Though this will not solve all of your behavior problems, it is a great first step to opening communication with your dog. He is not listening to you because he has no clue what you want him to do! Training allows you to successfully communicate your commands in a way that your dog will understand and comply with. Some people may think that training is difficult and best left to professionals who get paid a lot of money, but that is not true. The most basic and necessary commands are really quite simple and you can teach them in only 5-10 minutes a few times a week!
If you have a small puppy, the first thing you should teach him is his name. Once he knows his name, he will know that when he hears it he needs to pay attention to you. To teach this, you will need treats, a leash, and a collar. Put on his leash and dog collar and call his name in a happy and interesting voice. Puppies love to hear the sound of your voice and will naturally look at you when you speak. When he looks towards you, give him a dog treat and praise him. Repeat this a few times every day until he consistently looks towards you every time you call his name. Only use his name once and if he doesn’t respond, give a very gentle tug on his leash so that he will look at you, and then treat and praise.
Once your dog knows his name, the next step is to get him to come to you when called. This command is very important as it could some day save your dog from a life threatening situation. Once again, you will need your dog to be on his leash. While he is not paying attention to you, say his name followed by “come” in an excited tone and tap your legs or move backwards to get his attention. As soon as your dog comes to you, praise him lavishly. If he does not come, tug on the leash lightly to encourage him. Always keep your voice upbeat, making him think that coming to you is the most exciting thing in the world. Repeat this 5 or 6 times a few times a week, and gradually move to getting him to come to you with no leash on. With this trick, it’s better to use treats either sparingly or not at all. If you call your dog in an emergency situation and he sees that you have no treats, he may not come to you.
The sit command is perhaps the easiest one to teach, because dogs sit naturally. Also, once your dog knows to sit on command, it sets the ground work for other commands like “stay” and “down”. All you will need for this trick are treats. Get your dog’s attention and show him that you have a treat in your hand. Hold the dog treat just above your dog’s nose. Don’t hold it too high or he might just try to jump and get it. Say your dog’s name followed by the word “sit” in a firm tone. Move the treat back towards your dog’s ears. He will naturally look up to try to see the treat and this will make him sit down. As soon as his back end lands on the ground say “good sit” in an upbeat tone and give your dog a treat and lots of praise. Repeat this 5 or 6 times a few times a week. If your dog doesn’t sit, try to avoid pushing him into a sitting position or at least do it lightly. His hips can be damaged by too much force. You could try observing your dog and praise him whenever he naturally sits down, saying “good sit”.
Teaching your dog to lay down on command is almost as simple as “sit”. It’s a great way to get your dog to calm down when he is over excited or for when he has to remain in the stay command for a long period. You will need treats for this trick too. Get your dog’s attention and show him that you have a treat in your hand. Hold it in front of his nose. Say his name followed by the word “down” spoken clearly and firmly then slowly move the treat towards the ground. He will follow the treat down and as soon as he is lying, say “good down” in an upbeat tone, followed by treats and praise. Repeat 5 or 6 times a few times a week. If your dog doesn’t lay down on his own, resist pushing him down. Wait until he naturally lies down and then say “down” then praise and treat him.
The stay command is as important as coming when called- it can protect him from dangerous situations. It can also keep him still and calm when you take him in public, do housework, or have guests. A successful “stay” occurs when your dog doesn’t move at all from the original position. You will need his collar, leash, and treats for this trick too. With the leash on, tell your dog to sit. Give treats and praise once your dog sits, but keep them in the sitting position. Say your dog’s name followed by the word “stay” and hold your hand up, palm out (as if to motion stop) for 1-2 seconds. Say “good stay” in an upbeat tone and give your dog a treat. Release your dog from this command by saying “okay” and then encourage him to move. Instruct your dog to sit again and give the “stay” command again, but wait 2-3 seconds. If he stays, say “good stay” and give him a treat. If he moves, start over at 1-2 seconds again. Over time, gradually increase the time and once your dog has the concept of stay, increase the distance. Eventually you will be able to give the command and leave the room. Then you can try it with your dog lying down or with distractions.
These tricks aren’t really cute or fun, but they are a huge step towards teaching your dog to behave, and they are the cornerstone to more complicated tricks. Once your dog has these mastered, the others should be just as simple!
