Posts Tagged ‘dog training’
Learn how to Plan Smart Dog Training Sessions
December 10th, 2009
Its easy in dog training to move too quickly through the exercises. The biggest problem I see in my dog training clients is that they see some success early on, and then progress quickly through adding in distractions and the dog begins to fail rather than to learn. This article will guide you through how to plan your dog training sessions for success!
Start by choosing one specific behavior to work on. Try to be specific about what it is you want from the dog, dont just work on "heeling", work on one portion of heeling – whether it be attention while walking beside you for a few steps, or where the dog is positioned. If you are doing stays, choose something specific about the stay to work on – either adding distance between you and the dog, or adding distractions, but don’t work on both at the same time.
Once you have your specific behavior for dog training, choose your location. It should be somewhere quiet where the dog can easily focus. If your dog is too interested in the outside, then go somewhere inside. If you are working on distraction dog training, then being outside is a good idea, provided you are working on some very simple behaviors.
Bring your timer and set it for 5 minutes. Work for that time period, SOLID – no taking breaks, no answering the phone, no letting the dog run off to pee, just practice over and over.
To make dog training successful you want to go by the rule of 3, if 3 times its too easy, make it more difficult, if 3 times its too hard and the dog doesnt get it (even if its something they know) do something easier! Set them up to succeed and they will work longer for you. If you notice yourself or the dog getting frustrated with the dog training, go back to something simple, keep to the 5 minutes, and come back to it later. Doing 5 dog training sessions throughout the day is wonderful if you can do it!
Dog training is a slow process, just like learning a foreign language. You have to get the basics of dog training, work on small increments, and over time you and your dog will become fluent!
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Dog Training Methods, Lure and Reward, Clicker Training
December 10th, 2009
Lure and Reward Dog training is a method that teaches the dog that behaviors that we like, are rewarded with something good. Most often people think of rewarding a dog with food – and yes, that does work, but a reward in dog training can be anything the dog likes.
A reward can be letting a dog sniff, run, go outside, chase a toy or ball, play with another dog, eat their dinner, or even get a treat. The lure is what we use to get the dog into a specific position. For example, when we teach sit, we put a treat in front of their nose, get their head to look up to the sky – as that happens the rear end usually hits the ground. When it does, we give the treat. Once they do it 3-4 times, we switch to some other type of dog training reward and we randomly choose what a good reward will be – this will help the dog learn to not only follow the treat, but to also perform the behavior without a treat in his nose. This is the best type of dog training for all dogs!
Clicker Training
A clicker is a small piece of plastic / metal that makes a sharp click noise. This is primarily used with more advanced dog trainers and some dog trianing clubs that really have success at it. The benefit is that you can mark the behavior specifically. So if you are working on sit, you would click when the rear end goes down – that acts as a bridge between when the behavior happened and when they got the treat. The clicker works best with more precise dog training such as agility or tricks. You can also get into something called shaping which is where you wait for behaviors to happen and click them when they do – if you were teaching "down" eventually your dog will get tired and lay down – you could click that in order to teach it rather than using a treat to lure the dog. I like clicker dog training for more advanced dog training classes or for fearful or aggressive dog problems. It helps to have that added layer of dog training communication.
Traditional Dog Training
Most people who did any type of dog training class 10-20 years ago, typically used traditional dog training methods. The dog training instructor will put a choke collar or pinch / prong collar on the dog. When the dog is doing something right you praise the dog and sometimes use food as a reward, but when the dog does something wrong, you use the collar to correct the dog. In order to issue a dog training type correction, you pull the leash upward and slightly to the side in order to "pop" or "choke" the dog – the collar tightens around the dogs neck. The upside to this is that you are providing information to the dog – rewarding what you like, punishing what you dont like. Unfortunately you are using pain in order to communicate that message. The belief now, is that we dont need to use pain in dog training, that we can use the rewards or other types of consequences that aren’t painful in order to change the behavior. I also find that the dog typically doesn’t fully know the behavior before they are getting corrected. Finally, the dog tends to learn they can ignore the behavior when the collar is off.
Dog Swimming – Teach your dog to swim
December 10th, 2009
We’re going to try to give some advice on dog swimming and some general safety issues. As always check with your vet on any medical questions.
Teaching a dog to swim:
To start a dog swimming the best idea is to go out in a pool or lake where you can enter the water with your dog. Many dogs will be more confident if you are standing with them if they are nervous about venturing out on their own. So by walking out, you can build their confidence before letting them go on their own. Bring a favorite toy with you and encourage them out further by tossing the toy short distances and swimming over to it.
Some tips:
Bring another dog who knows how to swim along to help encourage your pet to try.
Some dogs can be helped by wearing a life vest (dog swimming life jackets). These usually have handles that you can hold onto easily which help in lifting your dog out of the swimming pool or lake.
Water Freaking
Here is a common problem. Your pup goes off and won’t come back. You have two choices, swim out and get them, or wait until they get tired and come back. Never let them off leash and away from you until you know for a fact they will return or start in shallow water where you can go get them should you need to.
I use a two toy approach to retrieving and swimming. I always keep one close by so I can toss it near me. Try to make a lot of noise to get their attention and toss it into the shallow water. Tennis balls are not the best choice as they can get lodged in the throat blocking the airway. I really like kong retrieving toys or retrieving bumpers.
Afterwords, make sure you RINSE your dog with fresh water to get out any bacteria or chemicals. You can also rinse your dog before hand to help the water not absorb into the coat hair. If you follow these general ideas to get your dog swimming, it’ll happen in no time.
Dog Halloween Information, Common Problems and Solutions
December 10th, 2009
Its the time of year a lot of us love. Cooler weather, changing leaves and of course, that fabulous day of candy – HALLOWEEN! Remember, it can be fun for us, but our pets may not enjoy it quite as much. Here are some tips to keeping them safe and happy.
Candy – YUM!
Dogs love candy as much as most of us, unfortunately it just isn’t good for them and can even be toxic and deadly. Try to keep your candy out of your pups reach or locked up somehow. If you just have to give your furry friend a treat, try one of these delicious treats. Or even buy some frosty paws at your local grocery store. You can even make a homemade treat for your friend. If your pet does get something they shouldn’t call your vet for advice.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Here is a recipe for homemade doggie biscuits –
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups cornmeal
6 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup applesauce (with one batch, you can puree a regular raw apple)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sunflower or sesame seeds, optional
1 egg for basting
Mix all dry ingredients. Add peanut butter, milk, eggs and applesauce.
Mix well until dough is firm. Let stand for 15-20 minutes. While
waiting, set oven at 350 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface to a
1/4″ thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter. Baste with egg and
then sprinkle with seeds (if desired). Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on
wire racks. Makes approximately 4 dozen biscuits, depending on the size
you cut them.
Use a pumpkin cutter to make this festive!
Scary goblins!
Your pup may love people and kids but they probably aren’t used to costumes. They can be awfully frightening even for the most socialized dog. Keep this in mind and consider putting your dog up where they won’t get spooked. Maybe offer them a fun treat and let them have a nap for the night. If you do keep your dog out, make sure they are protected so they can’t run out the door!
Doorbell Woes
So your dog barks like crazy EVERY time the doorbell rings? Here are two options – first, sit outside and wait for your trick or treats or have two people available. One to pass out candy and the other to work on nice quiet sitting with the pup. The easy way to do this is to have some yummy treats ( I like homemade liver or chicken ) and go to a room where the doorbell can be heard, but nobody can be seen. When the doorbell rings, start feeding the dog. As the evening goes on, try to feed the dog less and less but make sure you are feeding when the dog is quiet. If the dog DOES bark, show them the treat. When they stop, feed them. If this proves to be too difficult for your dog ( you aren’t getting any quiet out of them ) then I would work on this on a different night from halloween when you can spread out the rings more. Read this article on dog barking.
Crate training a puppy or dog
December 9th, 2009
Crate training can be an easy process when done properly. To begin, start by putting the crate somewhere the puppy (or dog) enjoys being. Try the family room or wherever everyone "hangs out". Open the door and just let your puppy explore at his own pace. Reward him for going near it by tossing a cheerio or some other small treat. You can also try feeding your puppy in the crate or even put a stuffed kong or other toy in there.
Put the behavior on cue! If you want your dogs crate training to involve going into their crate with a command – just teach it by saying the word (phrase) and tossing in a treat. Crate training is meant to be a fun positive experience for you and your pet. I taught my dogs, get in your house.
If something good happens every time your dog goes into the crate your dog will be more likely to keep a positive association to the crate and crate training will be a breeze for both of you. If you find you or your dog resisting then stop whatever you are doing, and start over using this advice.
Sometimes when dogs are going through the crate training process, some dogs try barking or whining. Try leaving a dog toy that you can fill with food to keep your puppy busy. If your puppy whines or barks, do your best to ignore and don’t let them out. Crate training can be a little difficult for some puppies who dont like to be left alone, but if you follow this advice, it will get better. Wait until your dog stops barking and then let them out. Teach them that being quiet allows them to leave the crate.