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Easy Dog Training Tips

Did you know that there are training tasks you can work on when you are with your dog without even much thought? I always stress to my clients to "put the trainer hat on" a little more frequently throughout the day to achieve their goals. If you just think about training a little bit more every day, you can work on a list of goals whenever you are with your dog and he will be better trained before you know it!

Dogs (and people) learn through consistent patterns. Here are some examples of patterns that you can teach your dog every day. The key is to SAY THE CUE ONCE and then gently help your dog understand the meaning.

Turn right, turn left. When you are walking your dog, say, "left" or "right" a half-second before you turn that direction and then gently guide your dog that way. If you work on this whenever you walk your dog, eventually he will turn the correct direction on his own.

Stop. Say this every time before you stop your dog at a curb or before he hits the end of the leash if he is forging ahead on a walk. A more advanced exercise is to do the same while you are running. Make sure you don't jerk your dog when stopping. My next video that I am working on right now will cover this if you want to see it in action.

Excuse Me. My dog, Ranger, used to lie down in front of the refrigerator all the time when he was a puppy. He would seemingly read my mind and do it right before I needed something out of there. All I did was say, "Excuse me", pause for a moment and gently opened the door. The small movement touched him and he got up and walked away. Now, all I need to do is say, "Excuse me" wherever he is and he understands I need him to move out of my way.

These are just three examples of training strategies you can use every day.

Keep Your Dog Healthy

It has been a rough couple of months with dogs that I know passing away prematurely. Two of my client's wonderful dogs died of cancer at a very young age. I hear more and more stories about this happening and it is difficult to know if it is happening more frequently or I hear about it more because I know thousands of dogs. It made me hug my three dogs more than I usually do (which is a lot) and to think about health issues in dogs. I fully realize that a dog guardian can make all the right health decisions for their dog and still have a terrible health issue occur with their dog. I know for a fact my clients treated their dogs with supreme care and fed them the healthiest of foods. Sometimes health issues just happen.

But, what are some topics for all of us to think about for the care of our dogs? In my experience here are some ways you can try and help your dog live a long, healthy life.

Vaccinations. Don't just assume you need to always get all the yearly vaccinations. Talk to your vet about options and do your own research. There is a lot of research that contributes to the philosophy that dogs have been getting too many vaccinations. This can potentially lead to health issues. Here are some books that talk about overall health, nutrition and vaccinations.

Dangerous Items. If your dog roams the house when you are not home, be very careful of objects in your home that might cause harm including food items, garbage, plants and cleaning supplies. About 6 years ago, I heard of a dog that died because he put his head inside of a potato chip bag and suffocated when it got caught. Terribly tragedy that could have been avoided if the bag was thrown away.

Nutrition. Consider the raw diet, or at a minimum, feed the best food that you can afford. I started feeding my dogs the raw diet many years ago when I met a woman at the beach that had six border collies. They were all in remarkable shape and I asked her how old they were. I expected her to tell me they were all under three years old. She proceeded to tell me, "This one is 12 years old, he is 10, she is 13, these two are 8 and she is 5". They were bouncing around like puppies and I asked her what her secret was. She instantly said, "Two words. Raw diet." Since then I have attended conferences, read books, and even emailed Ian Billinghurst himself in Australia to ask him questions. I have decided that it is a good decision for my dogs. But, I still find vets that are against the raw diet. The point is, you need to do the research and make the best decision you can for your lovable pooch. You can research nutrition at many locations, including this section at DogWise. If you need a good resource for premium foods, this site has many fantastic options.

Poisons. Be careful of potential poisons and harmful ingredients that your dog can ingest. Most people know about chocolate, but do you have poisonous plants in your home? Did you know that macadamia nuts are harmtul to dogs? See the ASPCA website for a list of toxins for dogs.

Stress. Alleviate stress in your dog's life. I firmly believe that stress kills both people and dogs. Think about the stress on your dog's body every day if she barks and is anxous around dogs or other objects in her daily life. Visit the Forums section and ask questions if you don't know how to do this for your dog.

Boredom. Train your dog to provide mental stimulation. Boredom is terrible for dogs and can often lead to foraging for food or destruction which can lead to ingesting something dangerous. Provide your dog with daily training to keep her more content.

Exercise. Provide physical exercise to help muscles, prevent boredom and help keep your dog slim.

Proper Weight. Don't overfeed your dog. There is information that shows that it is healthier to have your dog thinner rather than heavier. Being overweight affects the heart, joints and other organs in the body.

Hygiene. Brush your dog's teeth. Bacteria in the mouth can lead to kidney and other problems.

Dogs and Babies

Worried About Your Dog and Your New Baby?

Having a new baby and worried about how your new baby and your dog will get along?

Listen to my radio show titled "Babies and Dogs Do Mix!" on Thursday, January 10th at Noon CST and call in with questions.

The call in number is (646) 378-1859 to call in live on the day of the show. And you can listen here directly on your computer.

If you miss the show, you can listen to my most recent show instantly at my website. Watch and Train.

Listen to all my archived shows including Tips for Barking Dogs, Holiday Dog Training Tips and Dog Training Resolutions.

Happy Training and Listening!

Free Puppy Socialization Tips

Chicago is a wonderful place. It was ranked one of the most dog-friendly cities; there are lots of dog parks, a beautiful lakefront and tons of nice dogs and people for puppies to meet. However, Chicago's harsh, winter weather makes it a very challenging city to socialize a puppy in the winter months.

If you live in a cold weather town can you wait until the spring to socialize your puppy? The answer is no.

There is a lot of research to show that the critical socialization period for puppies ends at 12-18 weeks of age. What does that mean for you and your puppy? It means that you need to go out of your way to introduce your dog to every type of person, noise, and event that she will come into contact with – before she reaches 18 weeks of age. 18 weeks is not an absolute, depending on the research that you read, data shows that the critical socialization is up to 12-20 weeks of age. From my experience, 18-20 weeks of age is the most critical time.

What happens if you do not socialize your puppy during this critical socialization period? It means that there is a much higher chance that your dog will be frightened of people, noises, movement, handling or events that she comes into contact with later in life, unless she is comfortable with those stimuli.

One way to think about puppies’ brains is that they are like “little balls of clay” that are being formed with every new experience. Their relationship with the world is formed with each new experience. During this socialization period, they learn what they should be cautious of and also what they like. If they see something for the first time after this period of time, their normal instinctual reaction is to be more cautious.

The example that I use in my private practice is to say, “Your puppy is not afraid of the coffee table because she sees it every day and she knows that it means her no harm.”

That is how you should structure your socialization strategy. I want your puppy to "grow up" with everything that will be in her daily world. Ask a simple question. What will my puppy possibly come into contact with for the rest of her life? One important factor to keep in mind is that dogs do not generalize. What this means is that they don’t look at people and say, “I am comfortable with people.” They are only comfortable with the races, sizes, and types of people that they have come into contact with. If your puppy only sees tall men with brown hair, she might not be comfortable with small children, for example.

Can your puppy have a great experience with one child and be comfortable with children? Maybe she will, but probably not. Some breeds are actually easier to socialize than others. Labrador Retrievers and Pugs, for instance, are much less reactive than certain breeds such as German Shepherds. Being more reactive doesn’t make German Shepherds any less wonderful; it is just something to keep in mind. When you are socializing a more reactive dog you need to socialize him even more to ensure he is comfortable with the world around him.

With any dog, I recommend that you socialize your puppy as many times as possible to each event that you want her to be comfortable with. Regular, repeated exposures are critical for your puppy to learn to be confident. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that one interaction with one event is enough. Pair these events with wonderful treats and your puppy will enjoy the events.

Think of a fire engine as a socialization example. If your puppy hears the fire engine and then as it gets closer she gets treats, hopefully she will think in the future "I hope that noise happens again, I get treats when that happens!" That is the goal to have your dog happily anticipate something wonderful as a result of another event happening. If you give your dog steak every time he sees the mailman, your dog will LOVE the mailman!

So, what can you do to socialize your puppy properly in a cold weather city with the “socialization clock ticking?” Here are some suggestions for you:

• Take your puppy to dog-friendly establishments with a pocketful of treats. Everyone time your puppy comes into contact with someone, she should get a treat. You can give the treats, or even better, give treats to the person that you meet to give to your puppy.
• Have “puppy socialization parties” and invite your friends over. Ask them to bring big hats, glasses, Halloween costumes, baggy coats, wigs, and umbrellas. Everyone should give your puppy treats while wearing their various clothing items.
• Bring out warm weather items such as inline skates and wear them in front of your puppy and give her treats.
• Take your puppy to a good, positive reinforcement puppy class.
• Don't stop socializing your puppy after the socialization period. Research indicates that dogs need continued socialization well past their initial socialization.
  
• Play sound cds at a low level and pair with treats. Examples include thunderstorms, truck noises, baby noises, etc.
  
• Practice daily handling exercises with your puppy daily and pair the experience with treats. Handling examples include gently pulling ears, rubbing paws, and brushing teeth.
  
• Get your puppy used to people playing with her food or approaching her food bowl or bones while she is eating. Food aggression or resource guarding can happen if your dog is not comfortable with people around her food.
  
• Introduce your puppy safely to lots and lots of kids.
  
• Introduce your puppy to unusual sights such as elevator doors opening, crowds of people, big hats, snow blowers, moving shovels and anything else that is new. Pair each greeting with wonderful treats.
  
• Practice "proactive" socialization. Do not wait until your puppy is reacting to a stimulus. The stimulus should not have any effect on your puppy and then she should get a treat.
  
• If your puppy reacts to something or stops taking treats, move away to a location where she will take treats again.
  

Focus on socialization now and you can improve the chances that your puppy will grow up to be a confident, wonderful dog that you can bring with you anywhere.

Think of socialization as an investment. Put the time in now and it will pay off for years and years!

Resources:

BEFORE & AFTER GETTING YOUR PUPPY

CULTURE CLASH

SOUND SENSIBILITIES: THUNDERSTORMS CD

Free Dog Winter Tips

Dogs and snow don't always mix. The salt can hurt their paws and cause them to limp. There are a few ways that you can help your pooch have a more comfortable snowy walk.

Did you know that if you take fresh snow and rub it directly on your dog's paw it can help rub off the salt? If the salt is really bad, this fix might be short-lived. Be cautious when crossing streets that are freshly salted, because dogs can have a tendency to stop directly in the middle of the street. Not good with traffic coming.

Clients always ask me my recommendations for dog products. Here are some recommendations to make your dog a little more comfortable and safe during the wintery holiday times.

Musher's Secret can help your dogs be more comfortable on the icy, salty sidewalks and street. I have used this product for years. It helps prevent "ice balls" as well as protecting paws from salt.

For the surest paw comfort, I like Muttluk brand dog boots. They are a little expensive, but last forever and stay on much better than the cheaper versions. After selecting the link, find your size that works for your pooch.

For safety when traveling, I always recommend a padded car harness. Besides helping with safety, It can help alleviate car sickness in dogs. The seatbelt slides through a loop in the back, which allows your dog to move around and lie down. However, if the car stops suddenly the seatbelt will keep your dog safe.

Once you get to your location, be sure to bring a variety of Kongs to keep your dog occupied while you and your family are together. Bring a variety of treats and canned dog food to stuff the Kongs. You can also freeze them with food inside to make them even longer-lasting.

If you give your dogs some activities, they will be much better behaved!

Happy Wintertime!

Teach Your Dog to be Behaved Around Guests

Want your dog to be well behaved when you have guests over for the holidays? Listen in and call to find out some tips for holiday peace for all.

Call in live and ask questions.

Thursday, December 20th at Noon, CST

646.378.1859

Click on the graphic below for more information:

If you miss the show, there will be an archived file that you can listen to later as well.

Happy Listening and Training!

Jeff