How fun the Weaves Poles!

Even in natural habitats, a dog will have some kind of enforced limits of behavior by the pack structure and hierarchy that exists. Success will come quickly to anyone that praises a dog for good behavior.

For example – If you ask your dog to sit and she does, you give her a treat. In the dogs mind sitting when told equals treat.

Now what if you tell the dog to sit and she doesn’t, and then you punish her? In the dogs mind you have just doled out a random punishment for nothing.

This can only serve to puzzle your dog and lead her to mistrust you.

Positive reinforcement is the key.

Into bad habits. This is standard territorial behavior.

Your dog warns you – as a member of its pack – that there’s potential danger at the doorway. If your dog spends the best part of its waking life barking at nearly anything including you, then it is formed into a bad habit – but one that’s straightforward to fix. The particular reason why this could not work is simple. From your point of view you are hollering at your dog to shut up. From your dogs’ perspective, you are barking along and enjoying the noise. A better system is to hang about for a pause in your dogs barking then heap heaps of praise and a treat on your dog. As quickly as the barking starts again, ignore your dog, walk off – anything except don’t pay your dog any attention.

Also wild dogs will lick the face of a higher member of the pack to express and accept their submissive standing in the pack. This is maybe going to bare the kid to germs that its immune mechanism would doubtless not be ready to handle. In a corresponding way if your dog has worms or has been looking into other dogs’ faeces or grooming itself, the final thing you want is for your dog to come and lick your face. When the dog first responses to the’No’ phrase, it is time for a treat. Jumping Up – Jumping up may not appear such a bad habit, but if there are babies about it can be quite hazardous. Your dog will not know that jumping on you is o.k. But jumping on the youngsters isn’t. There are heaps of simple tactics you can train your dog. These are some. There is no real need to endure bad habits in your dog as they can be so simply cured.

By Dechen Lau | Picture  By Me

A good dog owner loves his or her pet, no matter how many quirks it might have in behavior or personality. Unfortunately, not every dog is equally loved outside his or her home. While a dog’s owner might be tolerant of an animal that barks constantly or one that refuses to come when called, the general public is not usually as tolerant. Most people expect dogs who are outside their homes will behave, that they will be quiet and tolerant, and that they will sit quietly and allow others to approach and talk to their masters or to pet them on the head. Although it sounds as if the general public is making unreasonable demands on your dog, they are not impossible to meet if your dog is a Canine Good Citizen.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) began the Canine Good Citizen program in 1989, in order to improve the image of man’s best friend. The Canine Good Citizen program is the only AKC program that is open to all breeds and to mixed breed dogs. The test to achieve the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) award consists of ten simple tasks, which are scored on a pass or fail basis. In some areas, dogs with a CGC are granted additional privileges or entitle their owners to special breaks on their homeowner’s insurance.

The road to the CGC often starts early, with training that begins in the first few months of your puppy’s life. For some lucky dogs, that road starts with the new AKC S.T.A.R. program, open to puppies up to a year of age. The S.T.A.R. program consists of socialization, training, activity, and responsibility tasks. These tasks are taught in a basic training class held by a certified CGC evaluator. All of these tasks are focused on helping the new puppy owner get started with things such as housebreaking and very basic obedience.

Any dog, graduate of the S.T.A.R. program or not, can take part in the CGC program. Training for the CGC consists of slightly more advanced obedience, such as staying in place after sitting or walking through crowds of people without anxiety. Many dog owners take part in an obedience course that is focused on training your dog to pass the ten exercises that are on the CGC test. Once your dog is ready, the two of you can take part in the formal CGC test, which is often available through local training clubs or which may be held at dog shows.

In order to test for your CGC, your dog must be wearing a flat buckle collar and be on a six-foot leash. In addition, you must bring a brush or a comb, whichever the dog is usually groomed with, for test number three. Prior to testing, you will need to show proof that your dog has been vaccinated against rabies and sign the Responsible Dog Owner’s Pledge. In order to receive the CGC award, your dog will have to pass these ten tests:

1. Accept a friendly stranger
2. Sitting (or standing) politely for petting
3. Appearance and grooming
4. Walking on a loose lead
5. Walking through a crowd
6. Sit and down, the stay in place
7. Come when called
8. Reaction to another dog
9. Reaction to distraction
10. Supervised separation

These tests are intended to challenge your dog in terms of obedience; however, they also enable the CGC evaluator to determine the stability of your dog’s temperament. With the exception of tests number three and ten, all tests require some form of obedience. All of them, however are designed to determine the stability of his or her temperament.

Dogs that pass the CGC are less likely to cause difficulty at home and, for that reason, are less likely to end up in shelters. In addition, dogs that have passed their CGC have the skills to accompany their owners in public, proudly trotting at the end of their leashes, acting as ambassadors for their kind. So why not give your dog the chance to be a canine ambassador? It’s never too late to start training!

My Rocky look like Canine Good Citizen! He like joining with golden Retriever.

By: Ron Ayalon | Picture: By Me

Here’s a short list of dog training tips us humans should always bear in mind. I’ve decided to mention these because, I believe, they are the most important.

To be honest with you this list has more to do with teaching ourselves how to communicate with our dogs, than it does with dog training tips. Because, when it comes to dog training, we too need to be taught in a sense.

We as human beings need to learn how our “best friends from the animal kingdom” think. If we send our dogs confusing signals when training, we won’t get the positive results we’re aiming for.

Perhaps I should have called this article, “human training tips” instead. Oh well, let us begin:

1.) When ever you’re feeling a little cranky, you might want to put off training your dog till a later time. If you’re not enjoying your training session, most likely your dog won’t enjoy it either. So for take-away dog training tips number one I would say, “If you’re in a bad mood, don’t do it, you’ll only make things harder on yourself and the poor mutt.”

2.) You want to make each training session as much fun for “Fido” or “Fluffy” as possible. That way, in the future, your dog will respond with alacrity to your commands rather than fearful obedience. Take-away dog training tips number two: “For crying out loud, stop scaring the dog and have fun!”

3.) Never spend too much time training your dog. Usually fifteen to twenty minutes a day will be sufficient for your dog to learn. Take-away dog training tips number three: “Take it easy, no need to over do it.”

4.) Always praise your dog when your training sessions come to an end. That way your dog will know that you are pleased with its progress. Take-way dog training tips number four: “Don’t worry about your dog getting a big head. Dogs don’t have egos.” (Yeah, I know. I don’t know your dog, right? )

5.) Whether training or not, always reward your dogs good behavior with praise and maybe a treat. Take-away dog training tips number Five: “Read tip number six.”

6.) Not too many treats though, or you won’t have a dog anymore! Take-away dog training tips number six: “Don’t over do the doggy biscuits.”

7.) Don’t punish your dog when it behaves badly during training. Try to correct it. If it doesn’t do well, or is confused with a new command, resort back to one it knows. That way you can praise your dog and try again later. Take-away dog training tips number seven: “Lighten up! If you’re not perfect, neither is the pooch.”

8.) If you become angry at your dog during training, resort back to tip number one.

Remember, you want to make training as fun as possible, for you and your dog, not a chore. Take-away dog training tips number eight: “This one speaks for itself.”

I decided to keep this one short and sweet so you could take-away something to chew on. Us humans can only take-away so many dog training tips, right?

By M. David Keeling | Picture By Me

Calm Down!- CESAR MILLAN

Dogs bark as a form of communication. If your dog barks, there is a reason why. It may be simply a response to a stimulus, like a jogger running by the house—or it may be your dog’s way of asking for help. Remember, barking is natural! It’s an important means of communication for dogs. But sometimes problems can develop. As the pack leader, it’s your job to step in and control excessive barking.

• Correct and follow through! Tell your dog to stop barking using a look, a sound, or a physical correction. But don’t stop there. Your dog may pause and then go right back to what he was doing. His body relaxed, but his brain was still on alert. Be patient. Wait until your dog completely submits before you go back to what you were doing.
• Make sure you are calm! Constant barking can be irritating, but you won’t be able to correct the problem if you are frustrated. Animals don’t follow unbalanced leaders. In fact, your dog will mirror your energy. If you’re frustrated, he will be, too! And barking is a great release for that frustrated energy. Take a moment to curb your own internal barking first.
• Stake your claim! Is your dog barking over and over again at the same object, person, situation, or place? Then you need to step up and claim that stimulus as your own. Use your body, your mind, and your calm-assertive energy to create an invisible wall that your dog is not allowed to cross. Do it with 100% dedication and focus, and the results may surprise you.
• Give your dog more challenges! Excessive barking is often the result of pent-up energy. If this is the case, the solution is simple: release that energy in more productive ways. Does your dog receive a daily walk? Can you make the walk more challenging with a bicycle, a backpack, or by walking on an incline? Can you provide more mental challenges, such as herding, agility training, or simple obedience games? There are many, many ways to increase the challenges in your dog’s life. Find one that you enjoy that your dog can participate in safely.

By CESAR MILLAN

Sit and Stay the Cesar Way- Cesar Millan

Cesar presents four trainers, including Martin Deeley and Nikki Litwin, as they demonstrate their tried and true methods for training dogs and puppies in Cesars Mastering Leadership series, “Sit and stay”

Cesar Millan is a world-renowned dog behavior specialist, known for his uncanny ability to walk large packs of dogs at a time. Not only that but, from poodles to pit bulls, these now well-behaved canines have each been rehabilitated, rescued from a wide range of extreme behavior issues.

By Cesar Millan