Discourage Nipping
First, teach your dog an appropriate alternative to mouthing, such as KISSES, which means licking, not biting tongue, not teeth. Spread butter or another creamy spread on your hand and say KISSES as your dog licks it off. Puppies under twelve weeks are very mouthy. Do not correct soft nipping until they are older. Teach them to inhibit their bite by shouting OUCH when they bite down too hard. Remember, too, that young dogs nip to communicate needs, similar to an infant's cry. Immediately...
Your Dogs Worldview
Before you jump into training your dog and strengthening your relationship, it is important to understand exactly what motivates your dog's happiness. Understanding how your dog thinks, views your home, and communicates with you is possible once you look at the world from your dog's perspective. The impulses that relate him to a breed or a mix of breeds , his personality, and his energy level are all aspects of your dog that will shape his worldview and his association to you. Your first step...
Read Your Dogs Postures
Learning to read your dog's postures may be easier than controlling your own. When trying to understand what your dog is experiencing, look to her ears, tail, mouth, body posture, and eyes. Rigid forward pitch assertive, assertive and dominant posture Moving back to front aware of surrounding sounds Angled back submission, invitation to play Hanging loosely relaxed TAIL Arched high above the back high alert, dominance Tucked under belly fear, submission Just above rear end alert but open and...
Selecting an Older Dog
Adopting an older dog can be a lot easier than taking in a puppy. The cute factor isn't a distraction. You usually test one dog at a time, not ten. But if you have a bleeding heart, a dog's story can draw you in, even though her temperament may not be suited for your lifestyle. Nothing is sadder than rescuing an older dog and then having to return her because she doesn't mesh with your lifestyle. Here are some things to consider ahead of time Do you have children Make sure you introduce them...
Displacement Activities
If your hope is that your puppy will stay with you while you relax with a good book, give him a comfortable place to sit and a good bone to chew. Have one special chew bone or object that your puppy only sees at dinnertime or when company visits. Stuffing a little peanut butter into his regular chew can be exciting. Use this object for those times when you really need your dog to calm down. If suddenly your puppy starts to fidget, ask yourself if he needs to go out or wants some water. Pet him...
Teach Your Dog WAITOKAY
O Bring your dog on her training collar and leash to the threshold of a doorway. As you approach the doorway, say WAIT. 2 If she stops, praise her. If she doesn't, say NO and tug her back to your side. 3 Reinstruct WAIT, saying OKAY and leading her forward only after she has complied. 4 Go to your front door and repeat steps 1-3, both going in and coming out. Note If you have a fenced-in environment, there may be times when you don't need to accompany your dog out the door. In that case,...
The Invisible Leash
If your dog can control himself while he's off-leash, you have even more freedom and more opportunities to have fun together. Off-leash training gives you a companion who will choose to respond to your direction over distractions, one who will listen to you reliably and choose to follow your direction. The transition from on-leash to off-leash control takes patience and time, and it means constantly reading your dog and being aware that your dog is also reading you. Because you have relied on...
Distraction Exercises
Lay distractions on the floor in your living room. Try an open potato chip bag, a used wrapper, or a paper towel. Bring your dog into the room on his leash and training collar. Tug the leash if necessary and say NO if he focuses more on the object than on you review the exercise on page 84 . Next, increase the level of floor distractions. Add some bits of food or another pet. Work through the commands SIT, DOWN, HEEL, and COME, correcting any lack of focus with the command NO. Redirect your dog...
Recognize Spatial Aggression
Dogs have five levels of aggression. The first two levels are Coveting laying her head over the object A short warning growl emanating from her throat. By demonstrating aggression at these levels, your dog is letting you know that she does not want to be bothered and would prefer privacy when eating, chewing, or playing with an object this is known as spatial aggression. She must learn to share if she is to live happily with people.
Flip Negatives to Positives
It is easy to get frustrated or angry at a dog or a child, and sometimes a mix of the two can be overwhelming. Plan ahead of time and make a list of activities you can use as an alternative to yelling at either one of them. Close shop cross your arms over your face and look up instead of saying, Don't push the dog when he jumps. Teach KISSES with butter instead of getting angry at perpetual nipping. Use treat cups and games to motivate your children's participation in lessons versus pinning...
Learning to Speak Doglish
When training your dog, it's important to look at the world from her perspective. She simply can't understand your world or your interactions as another human being would. In fact, your dog thinks of you and your family as other dogs in her pack. Understanding her way of communicating and how she learns and views your interactions is the topic of this chapter. Understand Pack Understand Your Dog's Play on the Same Team Encourage More Than You Discourage 15 Learn to Interpret Doglish 16 Read...