I'm going away for two weeks so my next blog post will be on the 5th of January. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas & New year. All the best, Derek.
First we need to recognize that nutrients are not the same thing as ingredients. It's not the combination of ingredients that determines the quality of your dog's diet and whether or not the dog's nutritional needs are being met, it's the blend of nutrients. The ingredients in dog food only have to do with digestibility and palatability. A given dog food can contain certain ingredients that have no nutritional value or that can't be digested by your dog. You can find two different dog foods that may both seem to nutritious, but one may have ingredients that are better for your specific breed of dog. You should discuss your dog's nutritional requirements with your vet in order to select a diet that provides everything needed.
Healthy feeding habits should start as soon as you bring your dog home! Your dog's diet influences such things as health status, appearance, development and attitude. The way you feed your dog will affect certain behavioral aspects like, potty training and begging. When your dog is a puppy, it is very important to prevent it from gaining a lot of weight, which may contribute to the likelihood of obesity and its related health problems as they age.
Since dogs come in all sizes and shapes, there are specific foods available that you should consider depending upon if it's a small breed, large breed, puppy or adult. The nutritional needs of dogs will change as they age depending on how active they are. For instance, small dogs tend to require more calories per pound than larger dogs and thus need a dog food that provides a lot of energy.
As of late, many dog owners have become seriously concerned about the safety of commercial pet food. With all the recent pet food recalls, many more dog owners are starting to prepare their own nutritious dog foods. There is more than a little concern about how poorly regulated the pet food industry is concerning preservatives. Commercial dog food makers add all kinds of chemicals to keep their foods from deteriorating while setting on the grocery store shelves. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Official Publications lists 35 known preservatives being used by commercial dog food companies. Some of these have no restriction on amount that can be added to your dog's food. Chemicals such as Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Ethoxyquin have controversial safety reputations at best.
Many of the commercial dog food formulations contain meat and bone meal, which has been shown to contain the remains of euthanized cats and dogs. These dead animal bodies are sent to rendering plants, along with road kill and dead live stock. At the plants they are boiled down to get the fat, which is sold to dog food manufacturers as "animal fat." The leftover animal parts are dried, crushed and sold to the same manufacturers as "meat and bone meal." Knowing this, many dog owners have put their pets a on raw diet or started making their own homemade dog food.
Those who advocate raw diets say it is the most natural because canines in the wild are carnivores and have survived and thrived for millions of years. They indicate that ever since commercial dog food appeared on the scene about 60 years ago, the increase in dysplasia, allergies and other health conditions in dogs has increased dramatically. However, proponents of homemade dog food say that dogs are actually omnivores and they need the nutritional benefits of grain. They intimate that dog owners who use only raw food are depriving their dogs of valuable nutrients. In addition, with homemade foods you can be creative while making your own healthy dog food. Proponents of homemade food report the activity as a fun way to feel even closer to their dogs. Especially if they really like what you make. And the debate goes on.
About the Author
Garry Neale is and avid dog enthusiast and creator of the popular e-book, "The Dog Lovers Guide", a FREE dog owners handbook you can download at no cost from his Dog Lover Website.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Preventing and Controlling Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Most of us love our dogs dearly and are lucky to get the same degree of affection in return. This mutual admiration society is a large part of why so many people choose to have dogs as part of their families. But, as with most relationships, time spent apart is a normal and necessary component. Dogs are superbly social creatures. Add to this that the typical pet dog spends the vast majority of their time with a small group of people (their family) and it should come as no surprise that it can take some effort to ensure that ther is a sense of calm when your dog is left alone. Unfortunately, many dogs suffer from some degree of separation anxiety. This can range from a dog who follows you around the house and is mildly distressed when left alone to a dog who is essentially a 'velcro dog,' unable to leave your side for even a moment, and who is extremely anxious when you leave. This anxiety can result in destructive behaviors such as inappropriate chewing, house soiling, excessive barking, and even self mutilating behaviors (such as chewing at their own fur and skin and creating irritation and raw spots). Separation anxiety can be heartbreaking and frustrating as you witness your dog's suffering and try to deal with the potential for complaints from neighbors or a landlord. It can also do serious damage to the canine/human bond and ultimately result in a dog's banishment from the home or surrender to a shelter.
Some cases of separation issues are really just the dog suffering from boredom and being destructive (i.e. inappropriate chewing, excessive barking, etc.) as a result. Each case of true separation issues is unique. But, as a general rule, some or all of the following are likely to be observable when a separation issue exists:
-The dog seems to become distressed at signs of your departure (such as turning off the lights, or reaching for keys or a coat).
-The dog barks excessively throughout the day, usually most often immediately after your departure and/or just prior to your return.
-The dog salivates excessively prior to and during your absence.
-The dog is unlikely to eat or play with otherwise favorite toys when you are absent.
-The dog is destructive in the home when you leave and may focus this destructive behavior near exit areas such as windows and doors.
-The dog is wildly excited, to the point of being stressed, when you return home.
-The dog consistently follows you around the house.
-The dog demands your attention by jumping on you, whining, barking, muzzle nudging, and/or scratching at your legs.
-The dog eliminates inappropriately in the home when you leave.
-The dog chews inappropriate items only when you leave.
Helping a dog overcome separation issues can be challenging. Not the least of which is due to the fact that so many people inadvertantly play a large part in the development and escalation of this issue. While some dogs may be more genetically prone to suffering from separation issues, those dogs which are not taught to spend time alone during their most formative early months will most surely suffer most gravely. As social group oriented creatures, dogs need to start learning the skill of spending time alone calmly as soon as they join their new family. This lack of early preventative measures is a sure fire way to set the dog up to fail in this regard. As with all behavior issues, prevention is easier than cure. So, if you have just welcomed a new dog into your home or are planning on doing so soon, be sure to focus on helping your dog to learn to spend time quietly alone on a consistent basis every day using some or all of the suggestions outlined below.
If your dog is already suffering from some degree of separation anxiety, one of the first hurdles to overcome in regards to successfully helping your dog, it to realize that your dog is counting on you to lead the way and do what is necessary to help him or her. In the short term, it might take your dog some time to become accustomed to some of the tools and new daily routines you establish. But, failing to stick with a plan due to guilt or misdirected kindness will only result in your dog and you continuing to suffer. So, take a deep breath as you endeavor to set your dog on a new course to becoming equipped to spend time calmly, quietly and safely alone. Depending on the severity of your dog's issues, you should plan on strict adherence to some or all of the following guidelines for a minimum of anywhere from 3-6 months. When you are confident your dog can handle a slackening of the rules then you can gradually reduce the use of some of them. But, be careful not to go back to your old ways of interacting with your dog that may have caused or exacerbated the problem. In most cases, it is advisable to err on the side of caution and help your dog to maintain his or her new ability to spend time alone by sticking with the course.
1. Keep Greetings and Departures Short and Sweet: Few friends are likely to greet us with the same enthusiasm as our dogs. A wiggly body, wagging tail and woofs of happy excitement are sure to make most pet parents feel they are truly missed and loved by their canine buddy. However, for each time you enter your home and interact with your dog while he or she is in the throws of this canine love fest, you are reinforcing or rewarding your dog for an over the top expression of their happiness to see you, but also for their relief from their time without you. Doing so surely makes time spent without you that much harder for your dog to bear (especially those with a predisposition for separation issues) the next time you leave, if only for the fact that they must be spending some of their time in eager anticipation of the 'happy fest' that will ensue when you walk through the door.
When you get home, spend the first five minutes ignoring your dog. Don't spea, pet, talk to or even make eye contact. It may seem extreme, but separation anxiety can be an extreme problem and requires gentle, but tough love to resolve it. Don't worry about hurting your dog's feelings. Your efforts are intended to do all you can to ultimately protect your dog's feelings. That is, to ensure that he or she won't be crushed, anxious and possibly even panicked when you aren't around.
The same holds true for departures. No need to draw it out. Simply provide your dog with some food stuffed chew toys at random times prior to your departure (i.e. sometimes 30 minutes prior, others 15 or 5 minutes prior), set them up in the chosen long term confinement area (more on that below) and leave. If you make a big fuss when you leave, odds are your dog will pick up on your intense behavior and respond accordingly for a dog who has separation issues. Look at leaving the house as no different than leaving a room. You wouldn't try to 'comfort' your dog in the latter so don't do so in the former.
2. Choose a Special Spot for Your Dog: Just as our dogs have special bowls for food and water, special toys to play with and special food, they should also have a special spot in the house where they can relax and enjoy meals and toys, and ultimately time alone. The choice of a spot depends on a number of factors, including your dog's size, age and temperament, and the length of expected departures. In some cases, an appropriately sized crate is a good choise. For other dogs, a puppy proofed room or an exercise pen will do. Regardless of the type of confinement you choose, consider that this is a place where you will have your dog spend time alone for a number of reasons. Firstly, they will be as safeguarded as possible from causing themselves or your home harm. Secondly, if you feed your dog his or her meals in this area, offer food stuffable toys, and have your dog rest tehre for plenty of short (5-60 minutes) periods of time throughout the day when you are home, this will come to be a place where your dog is accustomed to resting alone and keeping occupied with things he or she enjoys. Your dog may feel isolated when first spending time in this area. So, keep it brief and remember that repetition is the key to building learning muscles as much as physical muscles. So, the more times you offer your dog an opportunity to rest here when you are home (while you are eating eals, on the computer, reading, etc.), the more opportunities you are giving your dog to practice spending time alone when you are home so he or she is better prepared to spend time alone when you are not home. When you go to let your dog out of this area, remain calm and quietly go about your business. This way, you don't inadvertantly reinforce your dog's excitement at leaving this resting area.
3. Pratice On Leash Tethering: As with providing your dog with a special spot to relax, eat and plaay with toys, using a leash to tether your dog to stable objects nearby you when you are there to supervise is a gradual way to get him or her accustomed to not being able to make constant physical contact and eye contact with you. Start with your dog as clase as you feel necessary for him or her to be calm and comfortable and over the course of a few weeks, gradually increase the distance away from you. Be sure to offer your dog something engaging to play with (food stuffable toys, flossies and bully sticks are options), so he or she is less likely to be concerned with not having contact with you. Surprisingly, this simple and gentle technique of gradually getting your dog accustomed to time alone when you are home with them so they are more likely to be able to handle time alone when you aren't home, is one of the tools to preventing and controlling separation anxiety that pet parents seem to find most difficult to adhere to. It seems the concern is that after spending the day at school or work and being away from the dog, people feel it is inkind to prevent the dog from having unlimited access to them when they are home. While the ultimate goal is to have a dog who can roam freely, calmly and safely in your home when you are home and when you aren't, consider how tough it is for a dog to go from one extreme to another, rather than a gradual introduction to soemthing. That is, you are home and they are following you about at all times, and then you are gone! This is as opposed to using management tools such as on leash tethering so your dog can gradually learn to be away from you and ultimately stay calm, cool and collected when you actually leave.
4. Meet Your Dog's Needs, But Not When They Demand You To: Lavish your dog with loads of love. But, avoid doing so when your dog demands it. Ignore attention seeking behaviors such as jumping up, scratching and pawing at you, whining and barking, and muzzle nudging. Yes, some of these behaviors can be very cute, but allowing your dog to learn he or she can get your attention whenever it is demanded is a sure fire way to make those times when you aren't available to your dog harder for him or her to handle. Simply ignore your dog, turn away, or stand up and wait for your dog to refrain from being demanding. Then, ask him or her to do soemthing positive to get your attention. Some trainers refer to this as the Nothing in Life for Free (NILFF) program. Ask your dog to do something for you in exchange for each thing you do for him or her. A sit, down, some when called or any number of other behaviors your dog learns to do on your request can be exchanegd for a walk, scratch behind the ear, or a tasty treat.
5. Provide Outlets for Mental and Physical Energy: One of the key ingredients to preventingand controlling behavior issues is providing dogs with adequate outlets for their typically vast amounts of mental and physical energy. Of course, every dog is different and the exact amount of exercise which is ideal depends on a number of factors including a dog's age, health, and temperament. But, for most dogs in good health, in addition to plenty of potty break walks, they need at least one hour of physical activity. If you have an especially high energy dog or a puppy or adolescent, odds are it is more like to hours. This can be a brisk walk or run or training and play sessions which incorporate lots of movement. Equally as impprtant is providing your dog outlests for mental energy. A dog who has been run for an hour and then gets back home where there is nothing to do, is essentially being set up to fail as they will surely not be sleeping for the rest of the day. In which case, their investigative nature will probably lead them into trouble (i.e. inappropriate chewing, digging, barking, etc.) unless you give them something appropriate to focus on. Variety is the spice of life, so be sure to provide as many unique enrichment opportunities as possible. Provide new social interaction when appropriate, the opportunity to encounter new sights, sounds and smells, and access to a rotation of enrichment toys. Some good options are: Busy Buddy Twist n- Treats, Gimborn white sterilized bones, Bob-a-Lots, Buster Cubes, Roll-a-Treats and Tux toys. These can be offered to your dog in his or her special rest spot or when tethered on leash as you supervise. Feeding your dog his or her meals from a variety of toys such as these is a way of allowing your dog to 'hunt' for their food in a safe, constructive, energy burning manner inside their home.
6. Pinpoint Departure Cues That Trigger Your Dog's Anxiety: Dogs are experts at picking up on what, to people, can be incredibly subtle cues. Try to pinpoint those things which seem to start your dog's anxiety about your departure so you can work on desensitizing your dog to them. This might be soemthing like putting on your shoes, looking at or picking up your coat or keys, or starting to reach for the front door. Try to repeat these behaviors many times throughout the day when you do not plan on leaving and pair them with tossing a few of your dog's favorite treats on the floor. At first, your dog may already be too anxious to eat the food. But, with repetition he or she should be able to relax enoguh to enjoy the tasty treats and ultimately make a positive association between these departure cues and something good happening.
7. Practice Brief Absences: In addition to practicing being separated from you when you are home (by being tetheredat gradually increasing distances from you and by spending time in his or her special rest spot), you should also practice leaving your home for extremely brief bits of time whenever you are home so your dog has plenty of opportunities to become desensitized to what will now be a very normal, repetitive part of his or her day. So, instead of expecting your dog to handle one big absence each day and then prolonged exposure to you when you are home, you are helping your dog understand that absences from you are more often than not for tiny bits of time and not cause for major concern. Each time you walk out the door and right back in you are potentially increasing the odds that your dog will eventually be able to handle gradually increased absences.
8. Consider the Aid of Calmatives: There are a number of calming aids available from local pet retailers and on-line which may aid you in your efforts to help your dog overcome separation anxiety issues. Dog Appeasing Pheremone (DAP) is a synthetic pheromone which mimics the natural pheromone a lactating female dog emits to calm herself and her pups. It is available as a wall plug in, a spray to be used near the dog's resting area, and as a collar. There are also homepathic remedies such as Bach flower essences Rescue Remedy. In some cases of extreme separation anxiety, veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists might prescribe a medication such as Clomicalm. However, all of these aids must be used in conjunction with a program which includes management tools, desensitization and counter conditioning in order to have a possible beneficial impact.
The process of resolving separation issues can be a daunting task. So, it is advisable to enlist the help of an experienced trainer who adheres to a gentle, positive approach. They can help you make a detailed and specific plan based on your dog's particular temperament, the severity of the separation anxiety, and your daily routine.
Andrea is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers and a Certified Pet Partners Team evaluator for the Delta Society and the AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. She is the director of Andrea Arden Dog Training, and was named the best dog trainer in New York by New York, W, Time Out and Quest magazines and the Daily News. Her website is located at http://www.andreaarden.com and she can be reached at 212-414-9597.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Arden
Some cases of separation issues are really just the dog suffering from boredom and being destructive (i.e. inappropriate chewing, excessive barking, etc.) as a result. Each case of true separation issues is unique. But, as a general rule, some or all of the following are likely to be observable when a separation issue exists:
-The dog seems to become distressed at signs of your departure (such as turning off the lights, or reaching for keys or a coat).
-The dog barks excessively throughout the day, usually most often immediately after your departure and/or just prior to your return.
-The dog salivates excessively prior to and during your absence.
-The dog is unlikely to eat or play with otherwise favorite toys when you are absent.
-The dog is destructive in the home when you leave and may focus this destructive behavior near exit areas such as windows and doors.
-The dog is wildly excited, to the point of being stressed, when you return home.
-The dog consistently follows you around the house.
-The dog demands your attention by jumping on you, whining, barking, muzzle nudging, and/or scratching at your legs.
-The dog eliminates inappropriately in the home when you leave.
-The dog chews inappropriate items only when you leave.
Helping a dog overcome separation issues can be challenging. Not the least of which is due to the fact that so many people inadvertantly play a large part in the development and escalation of this issue. While some dogs may be more genetically prone to suffering from separation issues, those dogs which are not taught to spend time alone during their most formative early months will most surely suffer most gravely. As social group oriented creatures, dogs need to start learning the skill of spending time alone calmly as soon as they join their new family. This lack of early preventative measures is a sure fire way to set the dog up to fail in this regard. As with all behavior issues, prevention is easier than cure. So, if you have just welcomed a new dog into your home or are planning on doing so soon, be sure to focus on helping your dog to learn to spend time quietly alone on a consistent basis every day using some or all of the suggestions outlined below.
If your dog is already suffering from some degree of separation anxiety, one of the first hurdles to overcome in regards to successfully helping your dog, it to realize that your dog is counting on you to lead the way and do what is necessary to help him or her. In the short term, it might take your dog some time to become accustomed to some of the tools and new daily routines you establish. But, failing to stick with a plan due to guilt or misdirected kindness will only result in your dog and you continuing to suffer. So, take a deep breath as you endeavor to set your dog on a new course to becoming equipped to spend time calmly, quietly and safely alone. Depending on the severity of your dog's issues, you should plan on strict adherence to some or all of the following guidelines for a minimum of anywhere from 3-6 months. When you are confident your dog can handle a slackening of the rules then you can gradually reduce the use of some of them. But, be careful not to go back to your old ways of interacting with your dog that may have caused or exacerbated the problem. In most cases, it is advisable to err on the side of caution and help your dog to maintain his or her new ability to spend time alone by sticking with the course.
1. Keep Greetings and Departures Short and Sweet: Few friends are likely to greet us with the same enthusiasm as our dogs. A wiggly body, wagging tail and woofs of happy excitement are sure to make most pet parents feel they are truly missed and loved by their canine buddy. However, for each time you enter your home and interact with your dog while he or she is in the throws of this canine love fest, you are reinforcing or rewarding your dog for an over the top expression of their happiness to see you, but also for their relief from their time without you. Doing so surely makes time spent without you that much harder for your dog to bear (especially those with a predisposition for separation issues) the next time you leave, if only for the fact that they must be spending some of their time in eager anticipation of the 'happy fest' that will ensue when you walk through the door.
When you get home, spend the first five minutes ignoring your dog. Don't spea, pet, talk to or even make eye contact. It may seem extreme, but separation anxiety can be an extreme problem and requires gentle, but tough love to resolve it. Don't worry about hurting your dog's feelings. Your efforts are intended to do all you can to ultimately protect your dog's feelings. That is, to ensure that he or she won't be crushed, anxious and possibly even panicked when you aren't around.
The same holds true for departures. No need to draw it out. Simply provide your dog with some food stuffed chew toys at random times prior to your departure (i.e. sometimes 30 minutes prior, others 15 or 5 minutes prior), set them up in the chosen long term confinement area (more on that below) and leave. If you make a big fuss when you leave, odds are your dog will pick up on your intense behavior and respond accordingly for a dog who has separation issues. Look at leaving the house as no different than leaving a room. You wouldn't try to 'comfort' your dog in the latter so don't do so in the former.
2. Choose a Special Spot for Your Dog: Just as our dogs have special bowls for food and water, special toys to play with and special food, they should also have a special spot in the house where they can relax and enjoy meals and toys, and ultimately time alone. The choice of a spot depends on a number of factors, including your dog's size, age and temperament, and the length of expected departures. In some cases, an appropriately sized crate is a good choise. For other dogs, a puppy proofed room or an exercise pen will do. Regardless of the type of confinement you choose, consider that this is a place where you will have your dog spend time alone for a number of reasons. Firstly, they will be as safeguarded as possible from causing themselves or your home harm. Secondly, if you feed your dog his or her meals in this area, offer food stuffable toys, and have your dog rest tehre for plenty of short (5-60 minutes) periods of time throughout the day when you are home, this will come to be a place where your dog is accustomed to resting alone and keeping occupied with things he or she enjoys. Your dog may feel isolated when first spending time in this area. So, keep it brief and remember that repetition is the key to building learning muscles as much as physical muscles. So, the more times you offer your dog an opportunity to rest here when you are home (while you are eating eals, on the computer, reading, etc.), the more opportunities you are giving your dog to practice spending time alone when you are home so he or she is better prepared to spend time alone when you are not home. When you go to let your dog out of this area, remain calm and quietly go about your business. This way, you don't inadvertantly reinforce your dog's excitement at leaving this resting area.
3. Pratice On Leash Tethering: As with providing your dog with a special spot to relax, eat and plaay with toys, using a leash to tether your dog to stable objects nearby you when you are there to supervise is a gradual way to get him or her accustomed to not being able to make constant physical contact and eye contact with you. Start with your dog as clase as you feel necessary for him or her to be calm and comfortable and over the course of a few weeks, gradually increase the distance away from you. Be sure to offer your dog something engaging to play with (food stuffable toys, flossies and bully sticks are options), so he or she is less likely to be concerned with not having contact with you. Surprisingly, this simple and gentle technique of gradually getting your dog accustomed to time alone when you are home with them so they are more likely to be able to handle time alone when you aren't home, is one of the tools to preventing and controlling separation anxiety that pet parents seem to find most difficult to adhere to. It seems the concern is that after spending the day at school or work and being away from the dog, people feel it is inkind to prevent the dog from having unlimited access to them when they are home. While the ultimate goal is to have a dog who can roam freely, calmly and safely in your home when you are home and when you aren't, consider how tough it is for a dog to go from one extreme to another, rather than a gradual introduction to soemthing. That is, you are home and they are following you about at all times, and then you are gone! This is as opposed to using management tools such as on leash tethering so your dog can gradually learn to be away from you and ultimately stay calm, cool and collected when you actually leave.
4. Meet Your Dog's Needs, But Not When They Demand You To: Lavish your dog with loads of love. But, avoid doing so when your dog demands it. Ignore attention seeking behaviors such as jumping up, scratching and pawing at you, whining and barking, and muzzle nudging. Yes, some of these behaviors can be very cute, but allowing your dog to learn he or she can get your attention whenever it is demanded is a sure fire way to make those times when you aren't available to your dog harder for him or her to handle. Simply ignore your dog, turn away, or stand up and wait for your dog to refrain from being demanding. Then, ask him or her to do soemthing positive to get your attention. Some trainers refer to this as the Nothing in Life for Free (NILFF) program. Ask your dog to do something for you in exchange for each thing you do for him or her. A sit, down, some when called or any number of other behaviors your dog learns to do on your request can be exchanegd for a walk, scratch behind the ear, or a tasty treat.
5. Provide Outlets for Mental and Physical Energy: One of the key ingredients to preventingand controlling behavior issues is providing dogs with adequate outlets for their typically vast amounts of mental and physical energy. Of course, every dog is different and the exact amount of exercise which is ideal depends on a number of factors including a dog's age, health, and temperament. But, for most dogs in good health, in addition to plenty of potty break walks, they need at least one hour of physical activity. If you have an especially high energy dog or a puppy or adolescent, odds are it is more like to hours. This can be a brisk walk or run or training and play sessions which incorporate lots of movement. Equally as impprtant is providing your dog outlests for mental energy. A dog who has been run for an hour and then gets back home where there is nothing to do, is essentially being set up to fail as they will surely not be sleeping for the rest of the day. In which case, their investigative nature will probably lead them into trouble (i.e. inappropriate chewing, digging, barking, etc.) unless you give them something appropriate to focus on. Variety is the spice of life, so be sure to provide as many unique enrichment opportunities as possible. Provide new social interaction when appropriate, the opportunity to encounter new sights, sounds and smells, and access to a rotation of enrichment toys. Some good options are: Busy Buddy Twist n- Treats, Gimborn white sterilized bones, Bob-a-Lots, Buster Cubes, Roll-a-Treats and Tux toys. These can be offered to your dog in his or her special rest spot or when tethered on leash as you supervise. Feeding your dog his or her meals from a variety of toys such as these is a way of allowing your dog to 'hunt' for their food in a safe, constructive, energy burning manner inside their home.
6. Pinpoint Departure Cues That Trigger Your Dog's Anxiety: Dogs are experts at picking up on what, to people, can be incredibly subtle cues. Try to pinpoint those things which seem to start your dog's anxiety about your departure so you can work on desensitizing your dog to them. This might be soemthing like putting on your shoes, looking at or picking up your coat or keys, or starting to reach for the front door. Try to repeat these behaviors many times throughout the day when you do not plan on leaving and pair them with tossing a few of your dog's favorite treats on the floor. At first, your dog may already be too anxious to eat the food. But, with repetition he or she should be able to relax enoguh to enjoy the tasty treats and ultimately make a positive association between these departure cues and something good happening.
7. Practice Brief Absences: In addition to practicing being separated from you when you are home (by being tetheredat gradually increasing distances from you and by spending time in his or her special rest spot), you should also practice leaving your home for extremely brief bits of time whenever you are home so your dog has plenty of opportunities to become desensitized to what will now be a very normal, repetitive part of his or her day. So, instead of expecting your dog to handle one big absence each day and then prolonged exposure to you when you are home, you are helping your dog understand that absences from you are more often than not for tiny bits of time and not cause for major concern. Each time you walk out the door and right back in you are potentially increasing the odds that your dog will eventually be able to handle gradually increased absences.
8. Consider the Aid of Calmatives: There are a number of calming aids available from local pet retailers and on-line which may aid you in your efforts to help your dog overcome separation anxiety issues. Dog Appeasing Pheremone (DAP) is a synthetic pheromone which mimics the natural pheromone a lactating female dog emits to calm herself and her pups. It is available as a wall plug in, a spray to be used near the dog's resting area, and as a collar. There are also homepathic remedies such as Bach flower essences Rescue Remedy. In some cases of extreme separation anxiety, veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists might prescribe a medication such as Clomicalm. However, all of these aids must be used in conjunction with a program which includes management tools, desensitization and counter conditioning in order to have a possible beneficial impact.
The process of resolving separation issues can be a daunting task. So, it is advisable to enlist the help of an experienced trainer who adheres to a gentle, positive approach. They can help you make a detailed and specific plan based on your dog's particular temperament, the severity of the separation anxiety, and your daily routine.
Andrea is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers and a Certified Pet Partners Team evaluator for the Delta Society and the AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. She is the director of Andrea Arden Dog Training, and was named the best dog trainer in New York by New York, W, Time Out and Quest magazines and the Daily News. Her website is located at http://www.andreaarden.com and she can be reached at 212-414-9597.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Arden
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Top 4 Tips on How to Choose the Perfect Dog Food
As a pet owner, did you ever take the extra time to really look into what you're feeding your beloved pet? If you answered no, then chances are, your dog may not be getting the proper nutrition it needs. The sad truth is, most pet owners make the mistake of choosing dog food on the basis of price rather than nutritional value. If you want to change all that, then its time for you to start paying close attention to your dog's diet. Here are 4 tips on how you can choose the perfect dog food for your pet.
Make it a habit to check the labels
This is the first step in ensuring that your dog gets the proper nutrition from the food that you put in front of it. Just by checking the labels, you'll be able to get a clear idea on what you've been feeding your dog all along. Make sure to choose food that has a large percentage of meat and vegetables. Stay away from soy or any other common meat substitutes that cheaper dog food have as it's been scientifically proven that these ingredients can trigger allergic reaction in dogs.
Choose a brand with the most nutritional value
Before you settle for a food brand, you need to thoroughly investigate the different brands that are available to you. This step will help you seed out the reputable manufacturers from those that are really just producing sub par food products. Don't hesitate to check out online reviews on the different food manufacturers so that you can have a better idea on which dog food brands are packed with the most nutritional value.
Give your dogs food that is suitable to their age
It's also important that you choose dog food that is suitable for your dog's age. Dogs, just like humans, have different needs as they age which means you shouldn't feed a puppy just any regular dog food. You need to give it food that is suitable for its sensitive digestive system. If your dog has special needs, then you should probably be much more critical with what he or she eats since the wrong kind of dog food will often cause more harm than good.
Always remember that proteins and carbohydrates are essential
The key to a healthy dog diet is dog food that has the right balance of protein and carbohydrates. Protein is a must as it helps develop and maintain your dog's muscle mass while carbohydrates is essential in ensuring that your dog has all the energy it needs to go about its day. Don't scrimp on these two vital ingredients and always aim for a high percentage of the two when looking at your labels. If you see that a certain dog food that has an unreasonable amount of water in them, disregard them immediately. It's just a tactic for cheaper manufacturers to bulk up their products.
Now that you know how you can choose the perfect dog food for your pet dog, make sure that you put these tips into practice starting today. Always remember to give your dog the proper care and attention it needs. Since they are considered to be man's best friend they deserve to be treated in such a way.
Vanessa has written informative articles online for many years. Her passions in life are centered around animals and healthy living. You can check out her latest website here http://evenfloboosterseat.org/ where she recommends her choice for a great car seat. If you're looking for the right booster car seat for your child, you'll want to check out this website for her review.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vanessa_Ann_Lea
Make it a habit to check the labels
This is the first step in ensuring that your dog gets the proper nutrition from the food that you put in front of it. Just by checking the labels, you'll be able to get a clear idea on what you've been feeding your dog all along. Make sure to choose food that has a large percentage of meat and vegetables. Stay away from soy or any other common meat substitutes that cheaper dog food have as it's been scientifically proven that these ingredients can trigger allergic reaction in dogs.
Choose a brand with the most nutritional value
Before you settle for a food brand, you need to thoroughly investigate the different brands that are available to you. This step will help you seed out the reputable manufacturers from those that are really just producing sub par food products. Don't hesitate to check out online reviews on the different food manufacturers so that you can have a better idea on which dog food brands are packed with the most nutritional value.
Give your dogs food that is suitable to their age
It's also important that you choose dog food that is suitable for your dog's age. Dogs, just like humans, have different needs as they age which means you shouldn't feed a puppy just any regular dog food. You need to give it food that is suitable for its sensitive digestive system. If your dog has special needs, then you should probably be much more critical with what he or she eats since the wrong kind of dog food will often cause more harm than good.
Always remember that proteins and carbohydrates are essential
The key to a healthy dog diet is dog food that has the right balance of protein and carbohydrates. Protein is a must as it helps develop and maintain your dog's muscle mass while carbohydrates is essential in ensuring that your dog has all the energy it needs to go about its day. Don't scrimp on these two vital ingredients and always aim for a high percentage of the two when looking at your labels. If you see that a certain dog food that has an unreasonable amount of water in them, disregard them immediately. It's just a tactic for cheaper manufacturers to bulk up their products.
Now that you know how you can choose the perfect dog food for your pet dog, make sure that you put these tips into practice starting today. Always remember to give your dog the proper care and attention it needs. Since they are considered to be man's best friend they deserve to be treated in such a way.
Vanessa has written informative articles online for many years. Her passions in life are centered around animals and healthy living. You can check out her latest website here http://evenfloboosterseat.org/ where she recommends her choice for a great car seat. If you're looking for the right booster car seat for your child, you'll want to check out this website for her review.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vanessa_Ann_Lea
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Dog Kennels - Happy and Healthy Habitat
If you are thinking about getting a new puppy or dog then you will soon find out that you are in need of many pet supplies. The one necessity for your new puppy is a dog kennel. Dog kennels are available in various sizes, shapes and materials for different uses.
The Outdoor Dog Kennel
For many dog lovers it is difficult to picture this, but many people keep their dogs outside most of the time. For the people who keep their dogs outside, there are outdoor dog kennels that are normally made from weather resistant chain link fence material or some other strong metal mesh material. These kennels usually enclose a large area to give the dogs room to roam about. Typically these enclosures have very high fences or are enclosed over the top with more fencing material. Huskies are particularly known as escape artists and it is highly important to make sure their enclosure be secured all the way around. A dog kennel run is another option that usually is larger than just a kennel and allows for more exercise.
Normally these dog kennels will be connected to a shed, barn or garage type enclosure so the dog has relief from the elements. If this is not available then a dog house must be provided so your pooch can escape the heat of the day or a freezing blizzard. Usually an outdoor dog kennel will be large enough for multiple dogs, but if you build your own kennel then of course you will be able to build it to suit your own needs. These kennels and dog runs are necessary for the health and happiness of your new dog, not to mention its safety.
Another option for those of you who will need to keep your new buddy from escaping the yard or mauling guests then you could always use an outdoor dog play pen. These play pens are dog kennels that are normally made of plastic and are much smaller than an outdoor dog enclosure. These work best for puppies and small dogs, but a well behaved medium sized dog should benefit from these play pens as well. These play pens are portable and you can take them where ever you go.
The Indoor Dog Crate
Well if you are like most people then your new best friend will be an indoor dog. It is important that your new dog, if he is going to be sharing your space, that he learns to respect that space. The first thing you will need to know is that you must teach your dog its boundaries and the best way to begin this is to crate your dog while you are away from home.
Dog crates are dog kennels for the home. They come in a wide variety of sizes and are typically rectangular in shape. These crates should be made of some type of metal material and have a door that locks. This safely prevents your new puppy from doing destruction to your home before they have learned not to chew or potty in the house. Kenneling your pooch will also help you to house train them much quicker and easier, keeping your stress level down considerably if utilized correctly. The dog begins to see the crate as its den and dogs will not soil their den if it can be helped. One important thing to remember not to leave you new puppy for longer than four hours without a potty break. It takes time for their bladders to grow to a size where they can hold it for extended periods of time.
There are many of you who might be cringing at this advice because you like to consider your dogs human and might think it cruel to lock them up, but your first mistake is considering them human. Dogs are dogs and are comforted when they know they have a place in the pack and they will feel much more safe having a place to call their own. Many dogs can eventually be trusted to roam the house freely while you are away, but still might use their dog kennel as a retreat and a place to relax and sleep.
If you are going to be using an indoor dog crate then it is imperative that you buy the appropriate size to match the dog. Every dog should have their own crate and each crate should be just big enough for them to stand up and turn around and that is it. If the kennel is too large it might encourage the dog to potty in the kennel because they can go to one side and use it as their toilet then get away from it by going to the other side of the kennel.
Dog kennels are an important part of raising a happy and healthy dog, so remember to purchase or build the one that will suit your dog's needs. If you cannot provide a dog kennel for your pooch, then please consider a dog house instead.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerald_Hill
The Outdoor Dog Kennel
For many dog lovers it is difficult to picture this, but many people keep their dogs outside most of the time. For the people who keep their dogs outside, there are outdoor dog kennels that are normally made from weather resistant chain link fence material or some other strong metal mesh material. These kennels usually enclose a large area to give the dogs room to roam about. Typically these enclosures have very high fences or are enclosed over the top with more fencing material. Huskies are particularly known as escape artists and it is highly important to make sure their enclosure be secured all the way around. A dog kennel run is another option that usually is larger than just a kennel and allows for more exercise.
Normally these dog kennels will be connected to a shed, barn or garage type enclosure so the dog has relief from the elements. If this is not available then a dog house must be provided so your pooch can escape the heat of the day or a freezing blizzard. Usually an outdoor dog kennel will be large enough for multiple dogs, but if you build your own kennel then of course you will be able to build it to suit your own needs. These kennels and dog runs are necessary for the health and happiness of your new dog, not to mention its safety.
Another option for those of you who will need to keep your new buddy from escaping the yard or mauling guests then you could always use an outdoor dog play pen. These play pens are dog kennels that are normally made of plastic and are much smaller than an outdoor dog enclosure. These work best for puppies and small dogs, but a well behaved medium sized dog should benefit from these play pens as well. These play pens are portable and you can take them where ever you go.
The Indoor Dog Crate
Well if you are like most people then your new best friend will be an indoor dog. It is important that your new dog, if he is going to be sharing your space, that he learns to respect that space. The first thing you will need to know is that you must teach your dog its boundaries and the best way to begin this is to crate your dog while you are away from home.
Dog crates are dog kennels for the home. They come in a wide variety of sizes and are typically rectangular in shape. These crates should be made of some type of metal material and have a door that locks. This safely prevents your new puppy from doing destruction to your home before they have learned not to chew or potty in the house. Kenneling your pooch will also help you to house train them much quicker and easier, keeping your stress level down considerably if utilized correctly. The dog begins to see the crate as its den and dogs will not soil their den if it can be helped. One important thing to remember not to leave you new puppy for longer than four hours without a potty break. It takes time for their bladders to grow to a size where they can hold it for extended periods of time.
There are many of you who might be cringing at this advice because you like to consider your dogs human and might think it cruel to lock them up, but your first mistake is considering them human. Dogs are dogs and are comforted when they know they have a place in the pack and they will feel much more safe having a place to call their own. Many dogs can eventually be trusted to roam the house freely while you are away, but still might use their dog kennel as a retreat and a place to relax and sleep.
If you are going to be using an indoor dog crate then it is imperative that you buy the appropriate size to match the dog. Every dog should have their own crate and each crate should be just big enough for them to stand up and turn around and that is it. If the kennel is too large it might encourage the dog to potty in the kennel because they can go to one side and use it as their toilet then get away from it by going to the other side of the kennel.
Dog kennels are an important part of raising a happy and healthy dog, so remember to purchase or build the one that will suit your dog's needs. If you cannot provide a dog kennel for your pooch, then please consider a dog house instead.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerald_Hill
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Dog Training Fundamentals- 5 Key Dog Behaviour Factors That Affect Training
Whether you already have experience of dog ownership, are a new dog owner or are about to be a dog owner, then training your dog is one of the most important aspects you need to consider. Likewise if you currently have a dog with behaviour problems, then dog training is essential.
However, knowing you need to train your dog and actually training your dog are two entirely different things. Just where do you start?
To successfully train your dog, you need to consider and understand some key facets of dog behaviour. Knowing and understanding these 5 facets will greatly improve your dog training.
1. The origins of dogs. Dogs are in essence descended from modern day wolves. While domestication has dampened or eliminated many traits, some key natural instincts still remain. Like wolves, dogs are pack animals. What does this mean?
Well, there are several traits that derive from being a pack animal. The important ones when it comes to training are dogs are naturally sociable, they are used to routine and they are used to a social structure (i.e. the famed alpha male).
As sociable animals dogs thrive on the interaction with other dogs. A dog does not consider you as a human but rather a funny looking dog. Therefore, dogs thrive on the interaction with you. Just like a wild wolf, rejected by the pack, if you starve a dog of this interaction, they will become unhappy and very agitated.
When it comes to training, you can use this to reward or punish your dog. Interacting with your dog (e.g. patting, encouraging/excited talk, etc) can be as much of a reward as treats of food. Similarly, ignoring your dog (e.g. turning your back, stern talk, putting them in another room, etc) can be a harsh punishment for a dog. Its definitely better than smacking them.
As with all animals (including humans), dogs thrive on routine. If they know what and when they are likely to be doing certain things, then they are relaxed and comfortable. They know what to expect and are not confused by ever changing circumstances.
Training should also stick to a routine. Decide when the best time of the day is best for you to train your dog and stick by that time as rigidly as possible. Your dog will soon get into a routine of expecting to be trained at say 3pm every day and will be prepared for when training time comes. If your dog is ready and expecting to be trained, then it goes without saying that they will actually train better.
Within a pack there is always the alpha male. The dog that leads the pack, protects the pack and ultimately ensures the pack is fed and survives. As mentioned, a dog sees you as a funny looking dog and not a human. To be a good dog owner you absolutely need to be the alpha male. How many nature programs have you seen where the alpha male is being challenged by one of the other would be alpha males? Likewise, your dog will be challenging you to be the alpha male - this is a natural instinct for them.
You must establish yourself as the alpha male from the beginning. Providing food, interaction, punishing bad behaviour, body and vocal language all go towards asserting yourself as the alpha male. If your dog does not consider you as the alpha male, then they will not listen or act on your training instructions.
2. A dog's memory. We all know that goldfish have short memories. However, you may be surprised to know that dogs also have short retention memories. If you could tell your dog something, it is likely that by the next day or a few hours later, they will have forgotten. On the other had (or paw) dogs do have incredibly good associated memory. This basically means that if your dog can associated something with what you tell it then it will likely remember what you told it for years to come.
For example if you told your dog (assuming you could speak doggy language) that the chocolate biscuits were in the cupboard your dog would probably forget this within a few hours. However, if you showed your dog where the chocolate biscuits were, repeating the words 'chocolate biscuits', every time you said 'chocolate biscuits' it would probably go straight to the cupboard. It may also search the cupboard every few hours for the rest of its life looking for the chocolate biscuits but that's not the point.
Therefore, when training your dog you need to associate the training topic with something. For example: if you are teaching your dog to sit. If you associate the word 'sit' by getting your dog to physically sit and then giving them a reward. Repeat this a few times and soon your dog will associate your command 'sit' with it physically sitting and then getting a reward. The difficult bit is disassociating the reward - ask yourself why almost every dog will naturally sit when you have food in your hand?
3. Doggy language. Despite comments above, we cannot speak doggy language and dogs cannot speak our language. This is important when it comes to training. You have to choose words for commands that both you and your dog will remember. Be careful not to choose very common words or else your dog will be easily confused when this word keeps appearing within the middle of a sentence. A common word often used in training dogs is 'come'. For this example, it may be better to use a slang version or combine 'come here' into a single short word.
The important thing is that when you decide on a word for a command to stick with it and be consistent, otherwise your dog will become confused.
I know it can be difficult, especially if you come home to your new TV pulled off the cabinet, to always use pre-selected words when talking to your dog. Your dog does not speak human language and will only know what those few words you have trained it with are (and the tone you have used). So if you start using other words or different tones your dog will not understand.
For example: imagine someone speaking to you in a foreign language asking for directions to the city hall. You can't understand a word they are saying yet they get more and more frustrated, talking in a louder and quicker language. Is it your fault you can't understand them? Why are they getting angrier when you have no idea what they are saying? What is their problem? What will I do? Similarly, if you haven't trained your dog to understand what 'sit' is and you start shouting 'sit', 'down on back legs', 'down', etc is it your dog's fault it is looking at you confused and increasingly scared.
4. Puppy behaviour. Just like babies, puppies do not know how the world works or how they are supposed to behave within that world. They need to be taught and learn what is good, bad, right or wrong.
A healthy and happy puppy will be a bundle of energy, desperate to explore as much as they can as quickly as they can. Dogs do not have good eyes that can see things or hands that can feel the intricacies of objects. Instead they have noses that can smell things and mouths that can chew objects.
While this can come through training and general maturing, the importance of this is that you must be patient and understand where your dog is coming from and why it does what it does.
5. Structure and enjoyment. While I have in a round about way touched on these two above, no dog training information would be complete without mentioning these two aspects on their own.
However you decide to train your dog, as with routine, you must have a structure to your training. If you have never trained a dog before, how do you know when your dog can start learning to sit, stay, etc and when it can run down to the local shop and pick the paper up for you?
You need to know what it is you actually want to train your dog to ultimately be able to do and what steps you need to take to get to that point. Personnel dog trainers, dog training classes and dog training guides can all do this. Personally, I prefer to train my own dogs and believe that in the end you develop a much stronger bond with your dog. Also, your dog is more obedient to you rather than the trainer. However, at the very least, and particularly if you have never trained a dog before, I would recommend purchasing a dog training guide.
The small amount of money for a dog training guide, compared to the time you would waste searching for free online tips that will be a mix match of training and will not provide the structure, is just not worth it. More than that, the time saved in training and the end result of a properly trained dog for the rest of its life (around 15 years) is worth many times more than the cost of even the most basic training guide.
If you, and more importantly your dog, do not enjoy training then you will never properly train your dog. Training will take longer and be much harder. When you start training your dog remember they are most likely to be a puppy and at that age all they want to do is run and explore their new world. Be flexible with the time you plan to spend training. Try and keep training short but if your dog appears to be really enjoying it then be prepared to train for longer. Likewise if your dog will just not focus, then maybe leave it for a bit before going back to it. With a routine and structure to your training, your dog will soon learn that when it comes to training they need to focus for a short length of time and will be better able to do so.
I hope the above has been helpful in your desire to train your dog. By knowing why and how your dog does what it does, you should be able to understand it's behaviour much better. By using this understanding you can better bond with your dog and train your dog. A good training routine and structure as well as plenty of patience and eventually you will have a well trained dog. Always always always make sure training is enjoyable for both you and especially your dog.
If you found this dog training advice article helpful, please feel free to visit my website for more information. As well as dog training guidance such as the best dog training book you will also find lots of information on being a good dog owner and how to keep your dog healthy.
Please feel free to distribute this article provided you include this resource box.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ejames_Reilly
However, knowing you need to train your dog and actually training your dog are two entirely different things. Just where do you start?
To successfully train your dog, you need to consider and understand some key facets of dog behaviour. Knowing and understanding these 5 facets will greatly improve your dog training.
1. The origins of dogs. Dogs are in essence descended from modern day wolves. While domestication has dampened or eliminated many traits, some key natural instincts still remain. Like wolves, dogs are pack animals. What does this mean?
Well, there are several traits that derive from being a pack animal. The important ones when it comes to training are dogs are naturally sociable, they are used to routine and they are used to a social structure (i.e. the famed alpha male).
As sociable animals dogs thrive on the interaction with other dogs. A dog does not consider you as a human but rather a funny looking dog. Therefore, dogs thrive on the interaction with you. Just like a wild wolf, rejected by the pack, if you starve a dog of this interaction, they will become unhappy and very agitated.
When it comes to training, you can use this to reward or punish your dog. Interacting with your dog (e.g. patting, encouraging/excited talk, etc) can be as much of a reward as treats of food. Similarly, ignoring your dog (e.g. turning your back, stern talk, putting them in another room, etc) can be a harsh punishment for a dog. Its definitely better than smacking them.
As with all animals (including humans), dogs thrive on routine. If they know what and when they are likely to be doing certain things, then they are relaxed and comfortable. They know what to expect and are not confused by ever changing circumstances.
Training should also stick to a routine. Decide when the best time of the day is best for you to train your dog and stick by that time as rigidly as possible. Your dog will soon get into a routine of expecting to be trained at say 3pm every day and will be prepared for when training time comes. If your dog is ready and expecting to be trained, then it goes without saying that they will actually train better.
Within a pack there is always the alpha male. The dog that leads the pack, protects the pack and ultimately ensures the pack is fed and survives. As mentioned, a dog sees you as a funny looking dog and not a human. To be a good dog owner you absolutely need to be the alpha male. How many nature programs have you seen where the alpha male is being challenged by one of the other would be alpha males? Likewise, your dog will be challenging you to be the alpha male - this is a natural instinct for them.
You must establish yourself as the alpha male from the beginning. Providing food, interaction, punishing bad behaviour, body and vocal language all go towards asserting yourself as the alpha male. If your dog does not consider you as the alpha male, then they will not listen or act on your training instructions.
2. A dog's memory. We all know that goldfish have short memories. However, you may be surprised to know that dogs also have short retention memories. If you could tell your dog something, it is likely that by the next day or a few hours later, they will have forgotten. On the other had (or paw) dogs do have incredibly good associated memory. This basically means that if your dog can associated something with what you tell it then it will likely remember what you told it for years to come.
For example if you told your dog (assuming you could speak doggy language) that the chocolate biscuits were in the cupboard your dog would probably forget this within a few hours. However, if you showed your dog where the chocolate biscuits were, repeating the words 'chocolate biscuits', every time you said 'chocolate biscuits' it would probably go straight to the cupboard. It may also search the cupboard every few hours for the rest of its life looking for the chocolate biscuits but that's not the point.
Therefore, when training your dog you need to associate the training topic with something. For example: if you are teaching your dog to sit. If you associate the word 'sit' by getting your dog to physically sit and then giving them a reward. Repeat this a few times and soon your dog will associate your command 'sit' with it physically sitting and then getting a reward. The difficult bit is disassociating the reward - ask yourself why almost every dog will naturally sit when you have food in your hand?
3. Doggy language. Despite comments above, we cannot speak doggy language and dogs cannot speak our language. This is important when it comes to training. You have to choose words for commands that both you and your dog will remember. Be careful not to choose very common words or else your dog will be easily confused when this word keeps appearing within the middle of a sentence. A common word often used in training dogs is 'come'. For this example, it may be better to use a slang version or combine 'come here' into a single short word.
The important thing is that when you decide on a word for a command to stick with it and be consistent, otherwise your dog will become confused.
I know it can be difficult, especially if you come home to your new TV pulled off the cabinet, to always use pre-selected words when talking to your dog. Your dog does not speak human language and will only know what those few words you have trained it with are (and the tone you have used). So if you start using other words or different tones your dog will not understand.
For example: imagine someone speaking to you in a foreign language asking for directions to the city hall. You can't understand a word they are saying yet they get more and more frustrated, talking in a louder and quicker language. Is it your fault you can't understand them? Why are they getting angrier when you have no idea what they are saying? What is their problem? What will I do? Similarly, if you haven't trained your dog to understand what 'sit' is and you start shouting 'sit', 'down on back legs', 'down', etc is it your dog's fault it is looking at you confused and increasingly scared.
4. Puppy behaviour. Just like babies, puppies do not know how the world works or how they are supposed to behave within that world. They need to be taught and learn what is good, bad, right or wrong.
A healthy and happy puppy will be a bundle of energy, desperate to explore as much as they can as quickly as they can. Dogs do not have good eyes that can see things or hands that can feel the intricacies of objects. Instead they have noses that can smell things and mouths that can chew objects.
While this can come through training and general maturing, the importance of this is that you must be patient and understand where your dog is coming from and why it does what it does.
5. Structure and enjoyment. While I have in a round about way touched on these two above, no dog training information would be complete without mentioning these two aspects on their own.
However you decide to train your dog, as with routine, you must have a structure to your training. If you have never trained a dog before, how do you know when your dog can start learning to sit, stay, etc and when it can run down to the local shop and pick the paper up for you?
You need to know what it is you actually want to train your dog to ultimately be able to do and what steps you need to take to get to that point. Personnel dog trainers, dog training classes and dog training guides can all do this. Personally, I prefer to train my own dogs and believe that in the end you develop a much stronger bond with your dog. Also, your dog is more obedient to you rather than the trainer. However, at the very least, and particularly if you have never trained a dog before, I would recommend purchasing a dog training guide.
The small amount of money for a dog training guide, compared to the time you would waste searching for free online tips that will be a mix match of training and will not provide the structure, is just not worth it. More than that, the time saved in training and the end result of a properly trained dog for the rest of its life (around 15 years) is worth many times more than the cost of even the most basic training guide.
If you, and more importantly your dog, do not enjoy training then you will never properly train your dog. Training will take longer and be much harder. When you start training your dog remember they are most likely to be a puppy and at that age all they want to do is run and explore their new world. Be flexible with the time you plan to spend training. Try and keep training short but if your dog appears to be really enjoying it then be prepared to train for longer. Likewise if your dog will just not focus, then maybe leave it for a bit before going back to it. With a routine and structure to your training, your dog will soon learn that when it comes to training they need to focus for a short length of time and will be better able to do so.
I hope the above has been helpful in your desire to train your dog. By knowing why and how your dog does what it does, you should be able to understand it's behaviour much better. By using this understanding you can better bond with your dog and train your dog. A good training routine and structure as well as plenty of patience and eventually you will have a well trained dog. Always always always make sure training is enjoyable for both you and especially your dog.
If you found this dog training advice article helpful, please feel free to visit my website for more information. As well as dog training guidance such as the best dog training book you will also find lots of information on being a good dog owner and how to keep your dog healthy.
Please feel free to distribute this article provided you include this resource box.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ejames_Reilly
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hiring A Pet Dog Trainer? Why Would You Need To? How Do You Select The Best Trainer For Your Dog?
Why would you need to hire a dog trainer anyway? This is a question that many people ask
when the subject comes up. You often hear people claiming to have managed to train their
old dog without such help. These same well meaning folks will often go on to tell you
about the antiquated methods that grandpa handed down such as hitting "Old Trusty" on the nose with a rolled up newspaper, or hanging a dead chicken around his neck to teach him not to kill animals.
The person educated in the correct use of dog training and canine psychology when hearing these
types of tales will secretly be thinking, it was amazing that old "Trusty" survived grandpas abuse.
Maybe he did by avoiding being around grandpa at any cost. "Trusty" probably saw grandpa and ran in the opposite direction or low crawled his way to him with the anticipation of more abuse. Beating a dog into submission is not training! Training, when done properly, uses the intelligence of the human race to manipulate the dog into desired behavior, not our barbaric caveman side.
So back to the original question of "Why would you hire a pet dog trainer?" Most people do so when they run into problems that they fully understand they lack the knowledge to solve. Usually frustration has built up when the dog is constantly having house breaking issues, or he is destroying items in the home or yard. He may have a running away issue, or just be unruly in general. Dog training is often the last effort owners make in saving the dog from being delivered to a shelter. The most intelligent of owners however, will use dog training to solve these problems BEFORE they ever become issues. As a dog trainer, my favorite clients are the ones that call before they get the puppy. They know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. They often will ask questions about the tendencies of their breed of choice BEFORE making the selection. This in and of itself can prevent them from starting off on the wrong foot or making the wrong choice for their situation. A good example of this is the 75 year old grandmother who lived in a condo who wanted to know if I thought it was a good idea for her to take on the Alaskan Malamute puppy that her grandchildren had bought and now no longer wanted to keep. The issues with the puppy were unruliness, destruction, and jumping up on people. The last of which would obviously been a problem for a 75 year old woman. We finally resolved the issue by deciding that the appropriate thing to do would be for the grandchildren (who were teenagers) to keep and train the dog. Grandma paid for it. The puppy kept his now happier home. Grandma lived a happier life than she would with the possibility of a broken hip caused by a well meaning but overly zealous puppy.
The aforementioned puppy was trained first at 5 months of age with all of it's basic obedience, problem solving, and home manners (stopping at doors, gates, boundaries, and coming in and laying in "place" in a relaxed down stay) as well as giving the owners proper management techniques such as the use of a crate and dog run area when they were not there to monitor the dogs behavior. As he became an even larger teenager of approximately one year of age, he continued his education into a more advanced level of training to insure that he remained manageable. This family was able to not only retain their dog but to enjoy him into old age, all because Grandma made a very important phone call and found out what she could do about a situation with a puppy that was getting out of control for the entire family.
So now that we know why people hire Pet Dog Trainers, the next question should be "How do I find a good one?" This is not an easy question to answer because it requires a bit of explaining as to how one becomes a Pet Dog Trainer. I keep referring to the trainer as a Pet Dog Trainer rather than just a trainer because there are many different types of trainers. The are for instance Movie Dog Trainers, Sport Dog Trainers (for specific competitions), Police Dog Trainers, Gun Dog Trainers, etc. Each of these types of trainers has in common that they train dogs but the applications are vastly different and most don't correlate well to Pet Dog Training. The Pet Dog Trainer needs to know how to train any breed of dog to be a good pet. This is more difficult than it sounds because it requires that the trainer be able to adjust their methods according to the individual dog (breed, temperament, size etc)
Although some trainers start out in a particular field such as Sport Dog Training, or Police Dog Training, and then move on to Pet Dog Training, this requires an addition to their education. Unfortunately many of these types never get that education and try to apply their old techniques that may have been applicable on a Sport Dog (take shock collars for instance) a clients pet Maltipoo. In our opinion, the best education that a Pet Dog Trainer can get is working for another Pet Dog Trainer for a minimum of one to two years. It is true that there are courses around that offer certification in training but few of them provide any substantial experience with numbers of dogs.
So where do you start when looking for a Pet Dog Trainer for your dog? As with most services a word of mouth recommendation from someone who has already used a particular trainer and was satisfied with the service is best. Asking your veterinarian, groomer, or other pet professional for a
recommendation would be second. Whether or not you get such a recommendation you can start with an Internet search in your area to narrow down the possibilities. Call several places but make sure you have a list of questions prepared ahead of time that you ask all of them. This helps you narrow down your field of possibilities by comparing the same issues rather than different ones. If the web sites have already given you the answers to certain questions you don't need to ask them unless you have a reason to doubt the information. Here are some critical questions you should always ask and receive satisfactory answers to:
1. How long have you been in the business of Pet Dog Training?
Make sure that you are clear that you are asking about the BUSINESS not about how long the
person has been training dog, or combined experience with their staff. This is important to
know for two reasons. First, you don't want your dog to be an experiment for an inexperienced trainer. Everyone started somewhere but I don't know a single client that wants to volunteer to
be the a first where their PET is concerned. Also, you want to be as sure as possible that your
trainer will be there for you when you come back for help or more training at a later date. Many
dog trainers hang their shingle and then go out of business in 2-5 years due to a lack of
experience in running a business or other factors.
2. What kind of methods do you use and how did you develop them?
There are three main schools of thought in dog training. The person you are talking with will
likely reveal their methods right away by how they describe them to you. First at the far left
of the spectrum you have your head halter and click and treat style trainers. These methods
are generally best suited to dogs with naturally subordinate natures. This method relies on
the giving and withholding of reward as a base method with the clicker to "mark" the correct
behavior. While there is nothing "wrong" with this method it does not work well for producing
practical daily behavior in a large number of dogs. It is best used as an introduction to commands
with young puppies and dogs with compliant temperaments. People are usually not willing to have
a clicker on them at all times. In addition head halters may look more humane than training collars
but if they are not used properly they can wrench or even break a dogs neck. Head halters
are good for controlling the head of a dog who may be aggressive, or an extreme puller but
there are other methods that work for these situations as well.
The second school of thought is the better known training collar method which can include
various types of collars dependent on the needs of the dog. Standard jerk and release training
methods are applied here. Generally ritual behavioral parameters will be set for the dog
around the house and corrections utilizing sound, taste, and smell associations will also be
applied. There should never be abuse such as kicking, hitting, or hanging, associated with
this method. There should be reward associated with this method as well. Such rewards
can be intermittent food, toy, verbal, and physical praise. This is a centrist style of training.
The third and final style of training is the far right extreme of using a shock collar as the basis
or part of Pet Dog Training. Shock collars are tempting to people simply because you push a
button to to correct the dog and do not need the physicality of using a manual correction.
The basic problem with this is that shock tends to make such an impression on the dog that
it effect the entire nervous system. Dogs with weak nervous systems to begin with can become
extremely nervous anticipating the next shock and can shut down all together. It is a sad
fact that the same pets store chains that will not allow their "trainers" to us any sort of correction
for fear of legal repercussions will sell a shock collar to an unsuspecting customer in a heart beat
simply because it is a high ticket item.
It is true that there are uses for shock collars in more advanced applications such as sport and
police dogs but the difference here is that they are utilized in most cases by seasoned trainers
and not shock happy owners who have no understanding of the proper use of this device, let
alone the consequences of using it on the wrong dog or improperly. It is our opinion that shock
should never be used by Pet Dog Owners. The possible exception to this rule is extreme dog on
dog aggression. Even in this situation the collar should be first utilized by the trainer, and the follow up training with the owner should be extensive.
3. Once you determine the method that is right for you a type of training must be selected.
There are 4 basic types of training available: Group Classes, Private On Field, Private In
Home, and In Kennel Training (this should always be followed up by lessons for the owner
preferably on the trainers field and in your home).
Group Classes: The least expensive but typically also the least effective. The reason that group
classes are less effective is that you share time with several other people and dogs. There is
also a high drop out rate due to the fact that life happens, people get ill, something comes up
with the kids etc., and the class goes on without you. Past a certain point it is hard to rejoin the
class.
Private On Field: One step above group classes is Private On Field. These are generally offered
at the trainers field once per week but the lesson is strictly for you and your dog. Like group
classes there is very little if any problem solving because the trainer is never in your home.
The good thing about Private Field Lessons is that they are yours and therefore can be rescheduled
in most cases if you are ill or find yourself otherwise engaged. Because the trainer doesn't have to
drive to your location this is less expensive than In Home Lessons.
In Home Training: This form of training works well for problems and manners around the home
because the trainer is there in your environment to help you with these issues. As with the two
courses outlined above the training depends almost exclusively on your following your homework with
the dog daily. This training is more expensive than the courses above because it is based on
your convenience and the trainer driving to your home each week.
In Kennel Training: This form of training is the most popular with extraordinarily busy people.
It has all of the instant gratification that people want. You drop your dog off at a kennel facility,
and pick him up 3-4 weeks later trained. But it is not really that easy! First you need to make sure of the facility that you are intrusting your dog to. Make sure that the trainer actually owns
the facility or you may end up with a disappearing trainer or worse a disappearing dog if the owner
of the kennel and the trainer part ways. In addition, the trainer in this situation is only at the
kennel for a brief amount of time each day and your dog is actually being cared for most of the
day by the staff of the kennel. Since the trainer has no say in the employees performance they
can be undoing the training as fast as the trainer is training. Contrast this to the trainer who
owns the facility and is responsible for 100% of the care your dog gets. In this situation you
know who is the bottom line in responsibility for your dog, and you know that your trainer isn't
going anywhere anytime soon because kennel facilities tend to cost hundreds of thousands if
not millions.
An in kennel course should always be followed by field and preferably in home lessons for the
owner. This is crucial to the success of the owner living with the dog. The owner may wish to
have a push button dog when the trainer is finished but the reality is that the training is just
fast tracked for the owner. It is still the owners responsibility to work the dog and establish
parameters for the dogs behavior within the home environment. This can be facilitated by the
trainer but cannot be accomplished by the trainer alone.
Choosing the right type of course for you has allot to do with your own temperament and trainability
and that of your dog. As funny as that sounds it is really true. Any trainer will tell you that it is much harder to train the human end of the leash than it is the dog. Your trainer should always
want to evaluate your dog and sit down and speak with you in a consultation before helping you
decide what is right for you. Beware of people that will quote you an exact price and time frame
over the phone. How do they even know if your dog is trainable? Not all dogs are. Dogs can have
genetic issues or medical issues that render them untrainable or at least requires them to visit
their veterinarian prior to starting training. Your trainer should council you as to what type of
training is right for your particular schedule and your dogs particular issues.
One final word about interviewing potential trainers. Do so with finesse. Don't approach this
process as though you were interrogating the trainer. A good trainer should not mind answering
your questions but the conversation should have the tone of give and take. The trainer may want
to ask you some questions about yourself and the dog as well. If you approach the trainer in a
fashion that is one sided they may assume that you are a competitor doing a competition survey.
This is quite common in the business and questions that are overly sophisticated may set off the
alarm bells with the person you are speaking to. It is much more pleasant for everyone concerned
if you go about your interview by having a pleasant conversation.
For more information on how to select a trainer I suggest reading my latest book:
Dog Training 101- The Book You Need To Take Control
You can purchase it on Amazon.com or visit my web site at:
http://www.K-9Companions.com
Karen Duet is co-owner of K-9 Companions Dog Trainng and K-9 Security & Detection Int'l LLC. She is the author of 4 internationally recognized books on dog training: Dog Training 101, Advanced Schutzhund (nominated for a Maxwell Award), The Business Security K-9, and The Home & Family Protection Dog. She can be reached through her web site at: http://www.K-9Companions.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Duet
when the subject comes up. You often hear people claiming to have managed to train their
old dog without such help. These same well meaning folks will often go on to tell you
about the antiquated methods that grandpa handed down such as hitting "Old Trusty" on the nose with a rolled up newspaper, or hanging a dead chicken around his neck to teach him not to kill animals.
The person educated in the correct use of dog training and canine psychology when hearing these
types of tales will secretly be thinking, it was amazing that old "Trusty" survived grandpas abuse.
Maybe he did by avoiding being around grandpa at any cost. "Trusty" probably saw grandpa and ran in the opposite direction or low crawled his way to him with the anticipation of more abuse. Beating a dog into submission is not training! Training, when done properly, uses the intelligence of the human race to manipulate the dog into desired behavior, not our barbaric caveman side.
So back to the original question of "Why would you hire a pet dog trainer?" Most people do so when they run into problems that they fully understand they lack the knowledge to solve. Usually frustration has built up when the dog is constantly having house breaking issues, or he is destroying items in the home or yard. He may have a running away issue, or just be unruly in general. Dog training is often the last effort owners make in saving the dog from being delivered to a shelter. The most intelligent of owners however, will use dog training to solve these problems BEFORE they ever become issues. As a dog trainer, my favorite clients are the ones that call before they get the puppy. They know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. They often will ask questions about the tendencies of their breed of choice BEFORE making the selection. This in and of itself can prevent them from starting off on the wrong foot or making the wrong choice for their situation. A good example of this is the 75 year old grandmother who lived in a condo who wanted to know if I thought it was a good idea for her to take on the Alaskan Malamute puppy that her grandchildren had bought and now no longer wanted to keep. The issues with the puppy were unruliness, destruction, and jumping up on people. The last of which would obviously been a problem for a 75 year old woman. We finally resolved the issue by deciding that the appropriate thing to do would be for the grandchildren (who were teenagers) to keep and train the dog. Grandma paid for it. The puppy kept his now happier home. Grandma lived a happier life than she would with the possibility of a broken hip caused by a well meaning but overly zealous puppy.
The aforementioned puppy was trained first at 5 months of age with all of it's basic obedience, problem solving, and home manners (stopping at doors, gates, boundaries, and coming in and laying in "place" in a relaxed down stay) as well as giving the owners proper management techniques such as the use of a crate and dog run area when they were not there to monitor the dogs behavior. As he became an even larger teenager of approximately one year of age, he continued his education into a more advanced level of training to insure that he remained manageable. This family was able to not only retain their dog but to enjoy him into old age, all because Grandma made a very important phone call and found out what she could do about a situation with a puppy that was getting out of control for the entire family.
So now that we know why people hire Pet Dog Trainers, the next question should be "How do I find a good one?" This is not an easy question to answer because it requires a bit of explaining as to how one becomes a Pet Dog Trainer. I keep referring to the trainer as a Pet Dog Trainer rather than just a trainer because there are many different types of trainers. The are for instance Movie Dog Trainers, Sport Dog Trainers (for specific competitions), Police Dog Trainers, Gun Dog Trainers, etc. Each of these types of trainers has in common that they train dogs but the applications are vastly different and most don't correlate well to Pet Dog Training. The Pet Dog Trainer needs to know how to train any breed of dog to be a good pet. This is more difficult than it sounds because it requires that the trainer be able to adjust their methods according to the individual dog (breed, temperament, size etc)
Although some trainers start out in a particular field such as Sport Dog Training, or Police Dog Training, and then move on to Pet Dog Training, this requires an addition to their education. Unfortunately many of these types never get that education and try to apply their old techniques that may have been applicable on a Sport Dog (take shock collars for instance) a clients pet Maltipoo. In our opinion, the best education that a Pet Dog Trainer can get is working for another Pet Dog Trainer for a minimum of one to two years. It is true that there are courses around that offer certification in training but few of them provide any substantial experience with numbers of dogs.
So where do you start when looking for a Pet Dog Trainer for your dog? As with most services a word of mouth recommendation from someone who has already used a particular trainer and was satisfied with the service is best. Asking your veterinarian, groomer, or other pet professional for a
recommendation would be second. Whether or not you get such a recommendation you can start with an Internet search in your area to narrow down the possibilities. Call several places but make sure you have a list of questions prepared ahead of time that you ask all of them. This helps you narrow down your field of possibilities by comparing the same issues rather than different ones. If the web sites have already given you the answers to certain questions you don't need to ask them unless you have a reason to doubt the information. Here are some critical questions you should always ask and receive satisfactory answers to:
1. How long have you been in the business of Pet Dog Training?
Make sure that you are clear that you are asking about the BUSINESS not about how long the
person has been training dog, or combined experience with their staff. This is important to
know for two reasons. First, you don't want your dog to be an experiment for an inexperienced trainer. Everyone started somewhere but I don't know a single client that wants to volunteer to
be the a first where their PET is concerned. Also, you want to be as sure as possible that your
trainer will be there for you when you come back for help or more training at a later date. Many
dog trainers hang their shingle and then go out of business in 2-5 years due to a lack of
experience in running a business or other factors.
2. What kind of methods do you use and how did you develop them?
There are three main schools of thought in dog training. The person you are talking with will
likely reveal their methods right away by how they describe them to you. First at the far left
of the spectrum you have your head halter and click and treat style trainers. These methods
are generally best suited to dogs with naturally subordinate natures. This method relies on
the giving and withholding of reward as a base method with the clicker to "mark" the correct
behavior. While there is nothing "wrong" with this method it does not work well for producing
practical daily behavior in a large number of dogs. It is best used as an introduction to commands
with young puppies and dogs with compliant temperaments. People are usually not willing to have
a clicker on them at all times. In addition head halters may look more humane than training collars
but if they are not used properly they can wrench or even break a dogs neck. Head halters
are good for controlling the head of a dog who may be aggressive, or an extreme puller but
there are other methods that work for these situations as well.
The second school of thought is the better known training collar method which can include
various types of collars dependent on the needs of the dog. Standard jerk and release training
methods are applied here. Generally ritual behavioral parameters will be set for the dog
around the house and corrections utilizing sound, taste, and smell associations will also be
applied. There should never be abuse such as kicking, hitting, or hanging, associated with
this method. There should be reward associated with this method as well. Such rewards
can be intermittent food, toy, verbal, and physical praise. This is a centrist style of training.
The third and final style of training is the far right extreme of using a shock collar as the basis
or part of Pet Dog Training. Shock collars are tempting to people simply because you push a
button to to correct the dog and do not need the physicality of using a manual correction.
The basic problem with this is that shock tends to make such an impression on the dog that
it effect the entire nervous system. Dogs with weak nervous systems to begin with can become
extremely nervous anticipating the next shock and can shut down all together. It is a sad
fact that the same pets store chains that will not allow their "trainers" to us any sort of correction
for fear of legal repercussions will sell a shock collar to an unsuspecting customer in a heart beat
simply because it is a high ticket item.
It is true that there are uses for shock collars in more advanced applications such as sport and
police dogs but the difference here is that they are utilized in most cases by seasoned trainers
and not shock happy owners who have no understanding of the proper use of this device, let
alone the consequences of using it on the wrong dog or improperly. It is our opinion that shock
should never be used by Pet Dog Owners. The possible exception to this rule is extreme dog on
dog aggression. Even in this situation the collar should be first utilized by the trainer, and the follow up training with the owner should be extensive.
3. Once you determine the method that is right for you a type of training must be selected.
There are 4 basic types of training available: Group Classes, Private On Field, Private In
Home, and In Kennel Training (this should always be followed up by lessons for the owner
preferably on the trainers field and in your home).
Group Classes: The least expensive but typically also the least effective. The reason that group
classes are less effective is that you share time with several other people and dogs. There is
also a high drop out rate due to the fact that life happens, people get ill, something comes up
with the kids etc., and the class goes on without you. Past a certain point it is hard to rejoin the
class.
Private On Field: One step above group classes is Private On Field. These are generally offered
at the trainers field once per week but the lesson is strictly for you and your dog. Like group
classes there is very little if any problem solving because the trainer is never in your home.
The good thing about Private Field Lessons is that they are yours and therefore can be rescheduled
in most cases if you are ill or find yourself otherwise engaged. Because the trainer doesn't have to
drive to your location this is less expensive than In Home Lessons.
In Home Training: This form of training works well for problems and manners around the home
because the trainer is there in your environment to help you with these issues. As with the two
courses outlined above the training depends almost exclusively on your following your homework with
the dog daily. This training is more expensive than the courses above because it is based on
your convenience and the trainer driving to your home each week.
In Kennel Training: This form of training is the most popular with extraordinarily busy people.
It has all of the instant gratification that people want. You drop your dog off at a kennel facility,
and pick him up 3-4 weeks later trained. But it is not really that easy! First you need to make sure of the facility that you are intrusting your dog to. Make sure that the trainer actually owns
the facility or you may end up with a disappearing trainer or worse a disappearing dog if the owner
of the kennel and the trainer part ways. In addition, the trainer in this situation is only at the
kennel for a brief amount of time each day and your dog is actually being cared for most of the
day by the staff of the kennel. Since the trainer has no say in the employees performance they
can be undoing the training as fast as the trainer is training. Contrast this to the trainer who
owns the facility and is responsible for 100% of the care your dog gets. In this situation you
know who is the bottom line in responsibility for your dog, and you know that your trainer isn't
going anywhere anytime soon because kennel facilities tend to cost hundreds of thousands if
not millions.
An in kennel course should always be followed by field and preferably in home lessons for the
owner. This is crucial to the success of the owner living with the dog. The owner may wish to
have a push button dog when the trainer is finished but the reality is that the training is just
fast tracked for the owner. It is still the owners responsibility to work the dog and establish
parameters for the dogs behavior within the home environment. This can be facilitated by the
trainer but cannot be accomplished by the trainer alone.
Choosing the right type of course for you has allot to do with your own temperament and trainability
and that of your dog. As funny as that sounds it is really true. Any trainer will tell you that it is much harder to train the human end of the leash than it is the dog. Your trainer should always
want to evaluate your dog and sit down and speak with you in a consultation before helping you
decide what is right for you. Beware of people that will quote you an exact price and time frame
over the phone. How do they even know if your dog is trainable? Not all dogs are. Dogs can have
genetic issues or medical issues that render them untrainable or at least requires them to visit
their veterinarian prior to starting training. Your trainer should council you as to what type of
training is right for your particular schedule and your dogs particular issues.
One final word about interviewing potential trainers. Do so with finesse. Don't approach this
process as though you were interrogating the trainer. A good trainer should not mind answering
your questions but the conversation should have the tone of give and take. The trainer may want
to ask you some questions about yourself and the dog as well. If you approach the trainer in a
fashion that is one sided they may assume that you are a competitor doing a competition survey.
This is quite common in the business and questions that are overly sophisticated may set off the
alarm bells with the person you are speaking to. It is much more pleasant for everyone concerned
if you go about your interview by having a pleasant conversation.
For more information on how to select a trainer I suggest reading my latest book:
Dog Training 101- The Book You Need To Take Control
You can purchase it on Amazon.com or visit my web site at:
http://www.K-9Companions.com
Karen Duet is co-owner of K-9 Companions Dog Trainng and K-9 Security & Detection Int'l LLC. She is the author of 4 internationally recognized books on dog training: Dog Training 101, Advanced Schutzhund (nominated for a Maxwell Award), The Business Security K-9, and The Home & Family Protection Dog. She can be reached through her web site at: http://www.K-9Companions.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Duet
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