DOG PARK MANNERS

Good dog park manners could mean life or death for your dog. Dogs are often turned loose in off leash parks by owners who have no control of their dog at home, and they think a good run will help his behavior. Yes, it will allow their dog to burn off some excess energy, but it can be at the expense of other dogs using the park.

There are two main reasons why dogs are bad mannered when they encounter other dogs in an off leash park.

Firstly, the dog may not be well socialized, and he has never been shown how to properly introduce himself to other dogs. This can result in misunderstandings, and the occasional “argument”.

Secondly, the dog may think he is pack leader, and he may want to protect his pack ie his owner. This can lead to trouble in dog parks when you have 6 owners turning pack leaders loose for a run. To avoid this, learn to be a calm pack leader and your dog can then enjoy running in the off lead parks without having to worry about you.

It’s your worst nightmare. You are in the dog park throwing a Frisbee for your dog and you see them coming. Their dog is straining at the lead, pulling the owner along and is first through the gate. The owner releases the leash, and you have an aggressive torpedo heading straight for you and your dog. What do you do?

Firstly, you need to make eye contact with the approaching dog and let him know you are in charge. Ask him with a wave of your arm and a sharp short hiss to ‘leave’. This also serves to let the owner know you are not happy with their dog’s behavior. Ask the owner to take their dog to another part of the park, or put their aggressive dog back on his leash. Some people may take offense at this; under these circumstances you may choose to leave the park rather than risk your dog’s well being.

If your dog is taking you to the dog park and charging at other dogs who are happily playing then you are the one at fault. You must not allow your dog to greet other dogs with aggression. This might only be a tail held high, and you may not recognize it but other dogs do. To develop good dog park manners you first need to make sure you are the pack leader at home. Make sure your dog has undergone obedience training to teach him to obey your commands. Obedience classes will also allow your dog to meet other dogs in a controlled environment, where you can teach him the right way to say hello to other dogs.

Bringing an ill mannered dog out into public and asking him to mix with other dogs when he does not know basic manners will not only make you and your dog unwelcome, it could result in a lawsuit if your dog mauls another dog or worse, a child.

Good dog park manners start at home so ask your dog to behave in public as you would at home. Don’t be the owner who approaches the park and causes the other owners to gasp and say “Oh no, here they come”. Instead, be the owner that approaches and the other owners and their dogs as well, say ‘Oh great, here they are”.

For more information on Dog Parks visit: here.

A critical part of raising a well adjusted dog is socializing your puppy. Through socialization, they learn to fit into society, both human society and the dog hierarchy. Your goal is a calm, well adjusted dog who is doesn’t think it’s his job to keep the postman from stealing your letterbox.

Un-socialized dogs won’t know what to do in new situations or when introduced to new dogs and people. This can lead to them showing aggression or fear in unfamiliar circumstances.

Socializing starts when a puppy is still with his dam and with his breeder. A puppy’s first introduction to canine body language and pack structure starts around the three to four week mark, when he starts playing with his dam and litter mates. The breeder plays an important role in socializing a pup, by giving them positive early experiences with people.

The ideal age to bring your new puppy home is when he is eight weeks of age. From eight to twelve weeks of age is a very important period for socialization. During this time your pup is open to learning and enjoying new experiences. You need to take advantage of this small window of opportunity to increase your puppy’s social development. Invite friends and family to visit, and expose your pup to gentle children, all of which will teach him that people are friendly and nice to be with.

Puppy preschool can be good for your young puppy provided the instructor is accredited and understands pack structure. The right instructor and a well run puppy pre-school allows your puppy to meet and play with other puppies of a similar age and level of development. A good pre-school instructor can help you teach your pup some basic obedience and work on your communication skills. This will strengthen the bond between you and your new best friend.

During this time, it’s a good idea to take your pup walking, and expose him to noisy places such as busy roads, train stations and even markets. This helps him to learn that these places are not scary, and will make it easier to take him to such places in the future.

As your pup grows, continue his obedience training so that he grows into a confident, well mannered companion.

Off-leash parks and beaches are other places you can socialize your puppy but care must be taken to see that he is not intimidated. Many owners do not have control of their dogs, and your pup may be frightened by unwanted advances from a larger dog. It may be better to keep your puppy away from these areas until he is more mature. Make sure your puppy is up to date on vaccinations, as there will be an increased risk of contact with disease in public places.

Taking on a new puppy means you will need to work to socialize him well. You need to look at it as an investment in his future. A good job on your part will lead to a well adjusted and happy companion who knows his place in the mixed human-canine pack.

For more information on socializing your pet visit: Oregon Veterinary Medical Association
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Dogs naturally jump up on people as a means of greeting them, and to show their loyalty. However, some do this to excess, not to only their owners, but to strangers as well. Dogs may also do this to get the attention of their owners, or sometimes even to show dominance. It may even just be pure enthusiasm. This is natural, but can be a problem. This forceful kind of jumping, especially with big dogs, can really be scary. Regularly training your dog can help to reduce the intensity and frequency of his natural jumping behavior.

You can stop your dog’s jumping behavior more easily than you might imagine. If you use his favorite treats to train him, he’ll learn very quickly what he has to do to get the treat. Dogs love treats and praise and will do whatever it takes to get them from you. He’ll quickly catch on that you only pet and praise him when he is not jumping up.

The first thing to do is to only greet your dog if he has his front paws on the ground. If your dog jumps on you when you first enter the house, simply ignore him and turn away, continuing to ignore him until he stands with his feet on the ground. He may keep jumping on you to get your attention for a while, so be sure to completely ignore him until he’s standing still. Then, give him a treat and pet and praise him.

You can also gently put your dog’s paws on the ground each time he jumps up on you. When his feet are on the ground, say “yes”, then give him a treat. Do it again and again. It won’t take long until your dog learns that the treat comes when his feet are on the ground.

Another tactic is to train your dog to sit on command, and then when he approaches you to jump up, ask him to sit and reward him for doing as he’s asked. Teaching him an alternative behavior is very effective in breaking the jumping habit. I have very successfully used this method in my own dog. Instead of jumping up to greet me, he now sits beside me for a cuddle. Instead of jumping, he now leans against my leg when I pat him, but I can live with that.

Many people advocate putting a knee up and pushing your dog in the chest to deter him from jumping. That’s not a good way to train a dog, and may in fact hurt him. It’s much easier to show your dog what you want him to do using treats, than it is to use punishment to stop the wrong behavior. It’s also much better for your relationship.

If all else fails, you can hire the services of qualified dog trainers and behaviorists to help you teach your dog to stop his jumping behavior.

Finally, although dogs can be trained any age, the best time to train them is when they are still puppies and haven’t yet learned any bad manners. You can quickly get them to learn your preferred behaviors. Puppy pre-school and dog obedience classes are an important part of raising a well behaved dog.

For more information on this topic visit the ASPCA.

Most dog owners have heard of clicker training. It really isn’t a new training technique, but has been used for many years in training marine mammals such as dolphins and seals. As more and more people move away from choker chain training, gentle methods such as clicker training will only become more popular.

What is this clicker training anyway?

A clicker is a small plastic device with a metal strip; you press the strip and it clicks very distinctly. The key to training with it is to teach the dog that the click means a reward is coming.

When you train any animal, you need to reward them the instant that they do what you want. The problem that most people have when training their dog is that they’re too slow. They give their dog the reward after the behavior is performed, which confuses the dog. To train with a clicker, you need to teach the dog the click means a treat is coming. When he understands that, you can use the clicker to pinpoint exactly the moment your dog does the right thing.

Take your clicker, grab a few small treats and call your dog to you. Now, click and simultaneously give the dog a treat. Wait a little bit, then again click and give a treat at the same time. Repeat this ten to twenty times, and then stop. Repeat these little training sessions several times a day. When you click and you notice your dog reacts with interest, he understands that the click means treat. At this point you can start to use it for training.

One example of training with a clicker is teaching your dog to sit. Show him a treat and lift it above his head. As soon as his rump touches the ground you should click, then give them the treat. He’ll learn that to get the click and the treat, he needs to put his rump on the ground. Instead of showing your dog what he’s doing wrong, as you do when you correct him with a choker chain, you’re showing him exactly what he’s doing right. Can you see the difference, and why a dog would learn much quicker with a clicker?

The other advantage to the clicker is that it allows you to reward the dog without them being right next to you. For anyone who trains dogs for agility or teaches complicated tricks, this is very handy. Many service dogs, such as those who assist people in wheelchairs, have been taught their tasks using a clicker.

The best part of clicker training is that there is no fear or confusion for your dog. If you get the timing wrong, the worst that happens is that your dog gets a free treat. That’s quite unlike correction training, where a poorly timed check with the chain will leave your dog wondering what it was he did wrong.

There are so many positives to clicker training, and it’s also a lot of fun. So grab a clicker, and start training!

For more valuable information on clicker training click
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For more information on teaching an old dog new tricks:
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 Bark, Bark, Bark! I know that can get old really fast; especially when you have a pounding headache or are trying to concentrate on something important. You have to remember to try and be patient. There could be something wrong or your dog doesn’t have a real reason to bark. I am here to tell you that there are ways to train your dog to bark when necessary and when the barking needs to stop.

Here is a guest post I recently wrote for our friends at the Healthy Pet’s Blog: 

All dogs bark, and they bark for a number of reasons. They may have nothing to do and are seeking some attention and entertainment, they may be cross that the neighbor’s cat is daring to step inside their backyard, or they could be feeling stressed and anxious. They could also be letting you know that someone suspicious is around – I’m quite happy for my  dogs to bark  under those circumstances!

Sometimes the barking can become excessive, and it can lead to disgruntled neighbors who are annoyed by the constant intrusion on their peace and quiet. What can you do if your dog is barking too much?

Click on the link  dogs to bark  for the full article.

When you first get a dog you need to think about their safety when playing outside. They do not know that the moving car in the road could really hurt them or a stranger off the street might want to take them home. I know it is sad to think about these things but it is something we have to touch on just to make sure we are giving our  dog  the safest home possible. One of my co-workers wrote a really helpful article on which type of fence to choose from. It goes through the pro’s and con’s of each so you can make the final decision on your own. I really enjoyed reading it and thought it would be helpful to you as well; especially when you are shopping for a fence.

Here is the article from Robert Holmes from Dog Fence DIY:

Most dog owners with a nice big yard want their dog to take full advantage and enjoy the freedom of being able to roam free.

But you also want to keep them safe. There are three main options to consider, a traditional fence, an electric underground fence, or a trolley run. This article will take you through all three options and show you the pros and cons of each.

The first option is a traditional physical fence. In many respects this is the most secure option. A solid fence that is high enough and goes down deep enough will keep your dog safely contained and is the first choice of many dog owners.

Click on the link above for the full article on the different fences.

Socializationis, in a nutshell, helping your pup become familiar with its environment. Puppies are not unlike children in that they learn a lot from early experiences — including how to relate to other dogs, in addition to other animals and, of course, people. It’s vital that these experiences are positive, and that there’s little to no stress or anxiety associated with them. Pups that are unsocialized often develop behavioral problems as they grow older, such as aggression towards people or other dogs, or extreme fear in unfamiliar situations.

The best time to socialize your pup is between the ages of three and 14 weeks. At this time, their brain is very open to new experiences, and they’re better able to learn appropriate responses to the world around them.

 
Read more at : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/pets/detail?entry_id=49291

Training your dog can  be a lot of fun if you make it. This is also something that needs to be done correctly to be affective. I was give people the potty training example. If you start potty training and you are really aggravated and annoyed that your child is not getting it  then they will pick up on that and have no interest in it at all. Training defiantly takes patience and time.  If you do not feel you have much of either than maybe these tips will help with your training.

Here are a few tips when you are training your dog:

There’s nothing more enjoyable than a trained dog. They’re a pleasure to own and you can take them anywhere and be confident that they’ll behave nicely. It does take some effort, but you too can have a dog that you can be proud of.

Here are some guidelines on training your dog.

1. Start training from puppy hood. There’s no reason to wait until your dog is a certain age to start training him. He’s been learning from his mom and litter mates from a very young age, and he can continue to learn from the time you take him home.

For all 5 tips be sure to visit the link above.

 Aggression in dogs is a pretty common thing.  Training them to redirect their aggression to something else or help them understand that you are the one in charge is key.  Like with anything your dog might need a little coaching on what your expectations are for him.

Here is an example of when Tank and I had to work together for him realise that Mom was in charge:

As I sat watching a TV show the other night, the doorbell rang, on TV.  That didn’t stop my little Australian Shepherd, Tank, from leaping out of his bed and announcing the arrival of a stranger.  Standing at the door, confused that no one was getting up to answer the door, he waited.  After a few minutes Tank plunked back down in his bed to continue his nap.

This scene is common enough in households across America every day, and most people never realize that their dog was just exhibiting aggressive behavior.  We generally think of aggressive behavior as a bite or at least growling and gnashing teeth.  But aggressive behavior in a dog starts with subtle signs and develops into a problem over time, and while frequently a dog’s aggressive behavior may not start out as being dangerous, it should never be ignored.  And it is your responsibility as the pack leader to curb this behavior. 

Click on the link above to read the full article on understanding aggression in your dog.