Dog Training Zone

Be a leader, a dog will follow.

From the last two articles, remember King and his dominant dog behavior? King was the leader of his pack — Mom, Dad, 2 kids. King set the rules in the house and didn’t hesitate to enforce them, with growling, snapping, and even biting. I introduced 3 simple dog training steps to help you begin to take the leadership role back from King.

Then there was Queenie and her family (especially Mom), who gently took the leadership position. Queenie learned dog manners and wonderful dog behavior through Mom’s gentle but firm positive dog training methods and her consistency in teaching Queenie house rules. Queenie was eager to learn and to please and received lots of praise and tons of treats. With humans as pack leaders and dogs as pack members (preferably at the bottom of the hierarchy!), the whole household is calm and happy.

Let’s talk about your household. Your angel might not be as dominant or aggressive as King, and you may have worked with her some but not quite enough to have a dog similar to Queenie. Time is sometimes a factor — with our lives as busy as they are, sometimes it’s difficult to make time to for even short periods of dog training. But if you’ll give it a little effort, the payoff will be tremendous. You can change your dog’s behavior in no time at all.

I want to give you a few more new recommendations for regaining leadership in your pack. But first, I want to review some of the ones found in the first two articles. For the complete list, go to http://www.best-dog-articles.com.

SOME REVIEW STEPS

Get their attention first — say Fido’s name before you say the command.

Be kind — Use a gentle voice, give commands and direction calmly and lovingly.

Let’s play — YOU start and end all games. Keep them wanting more.

Let’s EAT — YOU eat before feeding the dog.

Praise, praise, praise – Pour on the praise for good dog behavior and good manners.

NEW STEPS

1. Are you sick?!

One of the first concerns with new or unwanted behaviors (e.g., excessive urination) is a health concern. Get a vet check to address any health concerns that might cause behaviors your dog has no control over.

2. Down every day!

Put your dog in a “down” position for 5-10 minutes every day. This reinforces for your dog that you are the leader. Beginning this program may involve many jump-ups. Just gently and firmly put the dog back down. (No need to restart time.) You will notice that the breaks of command quickly fall away. It’s fine for your dog to sleep through this one!

3. Do that AGAIN!

Dogs love routine. They have incredible internal clocks. One activity that dogs love and that routine is important is mealtime. I suggest feeding dogs two times a day (no running buffet) within an hour window each time (e.g., 7-8AM and 5-6PM). Watch your dog — if you do something regularly, they come to expect it and act appropriately. Other activities that can become routine are morning or evening walks, Saturday errands, the time you come home from work. If it’s a regular thing, your dog knows it’s going to happen.

4. Brush, brush, brush the coat!

One activity you both can enjoy is grooming. Daily gentle grooming reinforces a loving relationship with your dog. This can become prized private time for both of you.

5. Through the paces– Every day!

Obedience training is very important to do every day, even for 5 minutes at a time. Try to avoid the military commando approach. Be consistent and kind, get your dog’s attention first, praise, praise, praise for his willingness and compliance to your commands. Practicing obedience reinforces that you are the leader.

CONCLUSION

That’s it! You now have the arsenal for regaining the leadership position in your pack and getting some good dog behavior practices in place. Emphasizing the positive in your dog training efforts pays off exponentially — your dog will be your friend for life and won’t be scared of you. When you establish yourself as leader, dogs respect you and will work so hard to please you. Take the time to get these easy steps into your daily routine and watch the changes magically occur.

Wishing you a calm and happy adventure with your canine companions.

[This article is the third in a 3-part series about changing dog behavior using positive dog training methods.]

O’Neal Hendrix is a premier professional dog trainer in Atlanta, GA. For many years, she has “worked miracles” with dogs and their owners. Check out her dog toy recommendations for all dog breeds and temperaments!

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It’s a sunny, beautiful day and you’re ready to ramble into the countryside. There’s no reason not to go and no reason not to take Fido with you.

Do be aware that while you know the sidewalks around your home, there are
increased risks in rugged, unfamiliar areas.

Louise Louis of www.ToyBreeds.com offers a few tips to help keep
Fido safe.

Don’t let him play with sticks

Some dogs love them but they can splinter and damage his mouth.
Bring a hard rubber Kong toy or ball for him to retrieve.

Have a first aid kit in the car or your fanny pack

It needed be elaborate - a wrap-type bandage, tape, ointment,
Swiss Army knife, tweezers and a ruler in case you need a splint.

Carry a cell phone or at least change for a pay phone

Carry some drinking water for Fido

Don’t rely on a pond, stream or lake. Most are polluted and algae
can poison dogs.

Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to
be back

Avoid walking along paths with gravel or small rocks
These can cut paws and cause falls.

Have something you can use to muzzle him if necessary
A scarf or leash can do in a pinch. Even Lassie may
bite if hurt and frightened.

Avoid taking him out in the hottest part of the day
Dogs can’t sweat and heatstroke is a real possibility in
hot weather.

Never leave an injured dog to seek help

He may panic and take off. Use a jacket to make a sling and
carry him with you.

Watch out for livestock

Most won’t bother a dog and owner but a cow with calves may
think she’s protecting her offspring by attacking the dog.
Especially avoid bulls or pastures where there’s just one bovine there.
Horses can be tricky - best to avoid them altogether.

To safely cross a field with livestock,put Fido on a leash and walk
quietly and gently around the perimeter of the field.

Respect other people’s property

Farmers may not like finding dog doo so clean up after Fido just
as you do in the city.

Protect your dog from fleas and ticks

Treat him with Frontline Plus before you take him into the wilds.

If you ignored the above and he gets a tick, try to remove it as soon
as possible. Easiest way is to cover the tick with petroleum jelly
(Vaseline) and leave it for a minute or so. Then, twist the tick off.
Do not pull which could leave part of tick in Fido and cause an infection.

Consider your dog’s age and general health in deciding where
and how long to go for a walk

You wouldn’t expect your elderly grandmother to walk six miles, and
you shouldn’t expect your older dog to do it either.

Fido will only cope with what he’s used to. Use some common sense,
and you’ll both have a great time.

Louise Louis is a certified canine specialist and
creator of the popular website on small dogs,
http://www.ToyBreeds.com

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Okay, so it’s not the cleanest or most appealing of dog behaviors, but it is a serious problem with most dog owners - how do I start dog potty training so that my dog stops eating poop?!

Well, there are no guarantees here, unfortunately. However, this article will detail some ideas you can try, so that your dog stops this disgusting habit.

Avoid ‘It’

One of the best dog potty training methods is avoidance. Don’t let your dog see anything he shouldn’t be eating, and he won’t. However, this is almost impossible when talking him for a walk, or really anywhere outside for that matter. For starters, at least make sure you are cleaning up after your own dog before he can get into it, and avoid places that you know are more ‘infested’ than others.

Keep Careful Guard

Make sure to go outside with your dog each time he needs to take a potty break. Then, you can watch him to make sure if he’s decided to get into the nasty stuff. If he does, use one of the obedience commands you’ve taught him, and reward him for listening. For instance, if he’s going for the doody, tell him to “Sit!”, and reward him immediately. Then you can guide him back into the house and avoid the situation altogether. A word to the wise here, though - try and frame what you want to say to your dog in positive terms, so he knows what’s expected of him. Just saying, “No!” doesn’t tell him what to do, it just tells him that he shouldn’t be doing it.

Use a Leash

In addition to the tip above, use a leash to reinforce this dog potty training method when taking your dog for a walk.

Make It Inedible

There are a wide variety of ways to do this, although they can be very frustrating, since every piece of something that your dog shouldn’t eat needs to be covered with it. However, if no other dog potty training methods work, try placing some bitter orange, super hot sauce or Tabasco on every ‘piece’ to deter consumption.

Supplement

Your veterinarian may have something they can provide you with that you add to your dog’s every meal to stop him from eating what he shouldn’t. One product is called “For-Bid”, although some people use meat tenderizer instead (just mix a little bit in before every feeding).

(c) 2005 dog-training-info.com. This article may be republished as long as these bylines are included. Kevin Simmons is the webmaster of http://www.dog-training-info.com . Please visit the site for more free dog training articles. Online URL for this article: http://www.dog-training-info.com/dog-potty-training.htm

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