SHOW HANDLING

SHOW HANDLING - CONFORMATION

No age limit - Current Rabies & Distemper Vaccinations or Current Titer Required

Class Description

This 7 week course is designed for handlers who have no or some experience in the show ring. Experienced handlers who have dogs that they want to get used to the ring and a show atmosphere are also welcome to join these classes. You may attend with a novice dog or an experienced dog. This course covers gaiting, ring patterns, stacking and baiting. Many aspects of how to succeed at showing your dog in the conformation ring are covered in this course. Learn handling techniques that will make you stand out from the crowd! Get tuned up for an upcoming show!

Easy Ways to Protect, Educate Children

The statistics are scary: Every 40 seconds someone seeks medical attention for a dog bite, and the majority of victims are children under the age of 15.

According to data tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25 different dog breeds were involved in biting incidents in 2006, a statistic that shows that any dog can bite if provoked.

To keep pets and people safe, veterinary professionals have joined forces. The third full week in May is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and doctors promote year-round education of pet owners and parents. Teaching children how to approach dogs slowly and carefully as well as how to recognize warning signs are critical components of dog bite prevention. Remember, not all dogs are friendly and not all dogs want to be touched.

“Any dog may bite, even your family pet,” said Marie Wheatley, president of American Humane, an organization that works to protect children and animals. “Adults should always supervise children when they play with any dog, and they should teach children the best ways to approach and treat animals to avoid being bitten.”

Some children, eager to play or touch an animal’s soft fur, move quickly or lunge at dogs. Such abrupt actions can be misinterpreted by dogs as an attack, and dogs may try to protect themselves by snarling or biting.

Here are a few suggestions to help keep kids and pets safe:

• Never approach unknown dogs or dogs whose owners are not present


• Always ask an owner’s permission before petting a dog


• Stand still, like a tree, if an unfamiliar dog approaches you


• Never run from or scream around a dog


• If you believe a dog is about to attack you, place something (backpack, bicycle) between yourself and the dog


• If a dog knocks you over, roll into a ball, cover your face, and stay still


• Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies

-Provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)

Dog Bite Statistics:

• Children under 15 years of age represent 70 percent of dog bite victims


• At least 25 different breeds of dogs were involved in 238 dog-bite–related deaths. Out of all the human deaths that resulted from dog attacks, 24 percent involved unrestrained dogs off their property and 58 percent involved unrestrained dogs on their property.

Dog Weight Problems

The single most important step in any weight-reduction program is acknowledging that obesity is unhealthy and that weight-reduction is necessary. Unless an owner is convinced that obesity is dangerous to their pet's health, the commitment for weight reduction will be incomplete and the diet program will be doomed to fail.

The aim of any weight reduction program is to decrease the caloric intake (i.e. less food) and increase energy expenditure (i.e. more exercise). The first step in a successful weight reduction program is to have your pet examined by a veterinarian. The reasons for this are two-fold: (1) to make sure there is no underlying medical reason for the obesity, and (2) to make sure your pet can safely be put on a diet.

Treatments

Once a veterinarian has examined your pet, it should be weighed and a goal should be set for how much weight is to be lost within a specific period of time. Ideally, your pet should be placed on a reducing diet (available from your veterinarian). These diets are balanced rations that have all the necessary nutrients your pet needs, but less calories than full rations. Commercially available "light" or calorie-reduced diets are good for maintaining weight loss or preventing obesity, but are not recommended for a weight-reduction program.

Three to four small feedings a day actually results in more energy loss (i.e. calories burned) than one or two large feedings. You should feed your pet the required daily ration of food but divide it into three to four small feedings. At the same time, keep your pet out of the kitchen or dining room when meals are being prepared or eaten, since these tend to be the times that begging occurs and snacks are more likely to be fed to pets. Snacks and treats are probably the single most likely cause of obesity in pets and they account for the failure of most weight reduction programs. All snacks and treats including milk bones and table scraps/treats, should be discontinued for the dieting pet.

In addition to following your pet's diet, be sure to take your pet for a brisk walk at least twice daily for 15 to 20 minutes. For cats, schedule at least two 15-minute play times daily. During the weight reduction program, you should monitor your pet's weight regularly. This involves weighing your pet on a weekly basis and then charting the weight loss on a graph. Weighing should be done at the same time of the day, preferably before feeding. Pets should be reassessed once the desired weight loss has been achieved so that the pet can be changed from a reducing diet to a maintenance diet. Otherwise, your pet will continue to lose weight.

Once the ideal weight has been reached and to make sure your pet does not regain the lost weight, be sure to avoid in-between meals snacks, make sure your pet gets enough exercise daily, continue to chart your pet's weight on a graph and feed a restricted-calorie diet. Regularly scheduled visits (e.g. every three months) to the veterinarian to monitor your pet's health and weight may help prevent relapses.

Dog Bloody Diarrhea

Parvovirus

Canine parvoviral enteritis, caused by the canine parvovirus, is a highly contagious disease in dogs that affects their digestive system. Before the late 1970's, parvoviral enteritis did not even exist and most of what we now know of this disease has been discovered since then. It is now known that the diseases is transmitted via the oral/fecal route. Huge numbers of virus are shed in the stools of infected dogs for up to two weeks after infection. Since the virus is extremely hardy, it can survive and remain infectious for months in the environment and is extremely difficult to kill with disinfectants.

Dog Parvoviral Enteritis Symptoms

Once an unprotected dog is exposed to the virus, it only takes about 5 days to show signs of the disease. These signs can include loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, vomiting, and profuse and usually bloody diarrhea. Death occurs in severe cases, usually as a result of dehydration, overwhelming infection, or shock. This is especially true in young unprotected dogs (especially puppies between weaning and six months of age), although dogs of any age can become infected. Certain breeds such as Rottweiler and Doberman pinschers are at higher risk.

Parvoviral infections can occur inside the uterus during pregnancy or shortly after birth, causing acute inflammation of the puppies' heart muscles (called myocarditis). While this was quite common in the early days of the disease, this rarely occurs now since most dams are protected against the virus (usually via vaccination) and pass on their immunity to their puppies.

Parvoviral enteritis is often suspected when bloody diarrhea occurs in a dog. A simple test is available that can be performed quickly and inexpensively at a veterinary hospital. Fortunately, most dogs recover with early treatment. In fact, if an animal can survive the first 3-4 days of illness, a full recovery can be anticipated barring an unforeseen complications.

Dog Parvoviral Enteritis Treatments

Since the virus is so tough and can survive in the environment for such a long time, it is almost impossible to prevent exposure. Vaccination is the only truly effective way of preventing and controlling this disease. Your veterinarian can advise you on which vaccination schedule is best suited for your dog.

When should i start dog training ?

Formal obedience training - puppy training in a class situation - can start anywhere from 9 to 12 weeks of age.  Most schools like to see the pup receive a series of 2 vaccinations given before starting in a class - for the pup's protection, as well as the protection of all other pups in the class.  A Bordatella (a type of kennel cough) vaccination and negative stool sample also need to be done beforehand.

TRAINING of your puppy - the stuff you teach them at home - should start the DAY you bring your puppy home!  This does not mean training needs to be intensive right away.  Training at this stage should be done in many little lessons, in short spans of time (5-10 minutes per session).  Then it goes on from there!

Puppies and dogs learn from the instant they are born.  At first their world is small and their learning comes from their mother, other littermates, and the whelping box (their environment).  By the time they are weaned and sent on their way to new homes, they have learned a vast amount of things - all from their mom, their littermates, and from any environmental influences they had.  Hopefully, if the pup comes from a reputable breeder (or from a mixed-breed home with understanding about raising puppies), they have had a good foundation set for future learning.  This is one of the biggest reasons to purchase a pup from a knowledgeable and reputable breeder.

Learning comprises many factors:

• Socialization - positive exposure to many different people, animals, environments, surfaces, situations, sounds, etc, and teaching the pup how to best react to new things


• Innate personality - there is a set type of personality all animals and people are born with.


• Environment - an enriched environment will provide positive experiences and socialization.


• In-home work with potty training, crate training, leash & collar training, teaching appropriate stuff to chew on, your household routine, words, basic home manners.


• Training classes outside the home - where you teach your puppy the essentials of obedience commands, manners, and ability to do everything with the distraction of other people and dogs.


• Serendipity - what the up learns on his own - a huge part of early learning!

As you are reading this article, YOU are learning, but so is your dog!  What is your dog doing righ this moment?  One big thing pups learn is that when your are busy or distracted, they are free to make their own decisions, good OR bad!

At what age should training start?  The answer is "RIGHT AWAY!"

POTTY TRAINING

Potty training methods

Confinement
Training
Timing
Praise

Confinement

Puppies (or dogs who don't yet understand where it is appropriate to eliminate) need to be confined in order to facilitate the easiest potty training. The BEST and most effective place to confine is in a crate or cage (more about crates in an upcoming article). At this point (new introduction to potty training) don't leave anything on the bottom of the crate (blanket, newspaper, etc.). Puppy will make a project out of destroying it. Most dogs do NOT want to eliminate where they live, therefore the crate needs to be just large enough for puppy to turn around and lay down. Anything larger will encourage a puppy to eliminate at one end and sleep in the other. For those puppies who will grow quite a bit larger, use a crate that is sized for an adult and partition it to a smaller size using a homemade insert or a crate insert made by the crate company to fit your crate.

Training and Praise

When I teach a new dog (or puppy) where to eliminate, I ALWAYS use a leash. Leashes keep your dog close to you, where you can supervise and control everything that happens. Puppies, especially, are easily distracted. A blowing leaf, new flower, stick, another animal - all can take a puppy's mind off the matter at hand. If you are near the puppy (or dog) with the leash in hand, a gentle tug will redirect away from the curiosity. Leashes are also good to help teach an AREA to eliminate (behind the garage, etc.). With a leash, you just take the dog there every time.

I also teach words for elimination. This way, when the puppy understands what the words mean, he will understand WHAT I want as well as WHEN I want it to happen. My words are "go potty" for urination and "go poop" for defecation. Your choice can be ANY word or phrase you want to use consistently (such as, "hurry up", "do your business", "get busy", "let's go", "tinkles", etc.). Remember when you choose your word or phrase that you will be repeating it A LOT!

As I take my dog outside on a leash, I start to teach him the word "OUTSIDE". "Let's go OUTSIDE!". "Do you have to go "OUTSIDE"? "OUTSIDE! OUTSIDE!" In time, the dog will learn that the word OUTSIDE is associated with elimination. Eventually you will be able to ask the dog "do you have to go OUTSIDE?" and get a response like barking, running to the door or tail wagging.

Using the Leash & Words to Teach

A slip-type leash is quick and easy to slip on the puppy to take him outside. If the puppy isn't used to the leash yet, slip the leash on and carry the puppy from his crate to outside, saying the entire time "Do you want to go outside? Let's go outside! Outside! Outside! Yay! Outside!". Your emphasis should be on the word "OUTSIDE". Once outside, set puppy down and change your mantra to your word/phrase "Go Potty! Go Potty! Let's Go Potty!". Let puppy sniff and move around a little, but keep him in a general area. Each time he gets distracted (leaf, squirrel, etc.) give the leash a tug and repeat "Go Potty!". The command is generally not said in a firm or angry way and not in a soft or pleading way either - it is usually said in an encouraging tone. When elimination occurs, use a happy tone and repeat "GOOD Go Potty! Yay! Go Potty!". I prefer to use WORDS ONLY to reinforce elimination, because petting or treats can interrupt the act. Verbal praise needs to happen DURING the act, not after! Usually dogs will urinate first, then defecate. You need to become familiar with your dog's habits so you can wait for defecation and use a command for it (i.e.; "more potty", "go poop", etc.).

Did you know??

Contrary to popular belief, winter is usually the EASIEST time to potty train. Nobody wants to spend much time outside, especially puppy, and distractions are at a minimum.

Timing

Puppies (and dogs) earn freedom by eliminating appropriately. The best time for a puppy to be out of his crate is AFTER eliminating appropriately outside. This free time will still need to be strictly supervised, so any inclination toward inappropriate elimination can be immediately addressed. Baby gates are great for limiting a puppy's area of freedom. A short, inexpensive leash (4ft or so) attached to the puppy's collar (ALWAYS SUPERVISED, of course) works well and enables the owner to catch a quick puppy without grabbing for him (which, ultimately, can create a fearful dog). This works well when he needs to be corrected for inappropriate behaviors like chewing, eating things, digging or eliminating indoors.

The BEST rule of thumb is to ANTICIPATE the need!

As a general rule, the length of time a puppy can be left confined in his create without going outside is roughly equal to his age in months:
2 months old = 2 hours of confinement without a potty break
3 months old = 3 hours of confinement without a potty break
4 months old = 4 hours of confinement without a potty break
etc. - up to about 6 - 8 months of age.

ANY time there is a change in activity, such as after waking, playing, or eating, puppy MUST be taken outside!

Your puppy will also give certain indications each time he needs to eliminate: abrupt stop of play, circling, sniffing, running out of the room, a "look" on his face. You will eventually become familiar with these "warning signs".

Accidents

All is not lost if puppy eliminates in the house or in his crate! If you catch him in the act, make an abrupt noise (clap hands, say Angh Angh) and use a firm low voice to illustrate your displeasure. "Bad dog! Bad! Outside to do this!" (voice starts to get friendlier now) "Let's go OUTSIDE! Outside!" (now in normal command voice) "Go Potty. GOOD DOG go potty!" Use a lot of cheerful praise if he finishes outside.

Remember, you MUST catch puppy IN THE ACT of inappropriate elimination to facilitate an effective lesson. Rubbing his nose in "it" afterward (even by just a few moments) only teaches him that "doo doo" in the house gets him in trouble. "Oh no", you say, "my dog KNOWS!". Well, not really. A behaviorist once told me he illustrated this to a skeptical client by sending the client out of the house while he collected stool from the backyard and set it in the middle of the living room. The client was invited back into the house and the dog ran and hid! Here's another example of how dogs think: Puppy poops where he shouldn't and wanders into another room to quietly chew a bone. The owner finds the poop, locates the puppy and drags him to the mess and stuffs his nose in it. Puppy wonders, "I was off chewing my bone and now I'm getting my nose shoved into this mess! I just don't get it! I get punished for chewing my bone?"

TIMING...of catching the puppy in the act in order to correct and teach...of PRAISE for appropriate elimination...is everything and CONSISTENCY is the key! Proper behavior must be praised EVERY TIME you give a command and it is followed. I still do it for Bailey, and she is 9 years old!

One last thought to ponder while dealing with the frustrations of potty training:

A puppy that has NEVER eliminated in the house and been CAUGHT and CORRECTED has not yet learned that it is wrong. There MUST be "accidents" in order for REAL learning to take place!

Common Questions and Problems

"What about paper-training?"

The old method of paper training can still be effective, however it adds unnecessary time and mess to the whole picture. Owners will have MUCH more cleanup and mess and smell with papers and they will STILL have to use the papers to transition puppy to the outside.

"My puppy goes outside, then comes in and poops on the floor...!"

You, as the owner/trainer, are at fault here. You are missing the two BIG keys in successful potty training:

1. You MUST accompany your puppy outside WITH a leash on to supervise elimination and


2. Freedom in the house is only earned by appropriate elimination outside. No pees or poos - NO FREEDOM, and puppy goes back in his crate. Next, the owner checks again in a time frame of 20 minutes to an hour and takes puppy outside on the LEASH for another opportunity to eliminate appropriately and earn freedom.

"I stand at the door and watch while my puppy goes potty outside. When he is finished and comes back in, he gets a treat. Why do I have to go out with my puppy?"

Your puppy is getting his treat for coming back into the house, NOT for appropriate elimination. Praise MUST happen DURING elimination to make the connection in puppy's mind. Some dogs will run outside and run back in without eliminating because they know they'll get a treat. This can also encourage frequent demands to go out - just so they can get a treat when they come in!

"I leave my puppy outside to play for an hour or more, then I bring him in and he eliminates. Why couldn't he just do it while he was outside?"

Well, he probably DID eliminate when he first went out, but he didn't have to go later, and he certainly doesn't have the human capacity to think "Well, my owner is probably going to take me inside soon, so I'd better get my business done while I'm outside!" YOU need to remind a puppy who has been outside for a while to "Go Potty!".

"When will I know if my dog is housebroken?"

Appropriate elimination FIRST happens primarily because we, as owners, control it. We are working, when we potty train, to establish a HABIT, and that will usually take two to three months, depending on how consistent and persistent you are as the owner/trainer.

Here are some indications your dog/puppy understands the program:

• "Accidents" in the house and/or crate have decreased during the training period to none or almost none.


• When you use your commands for elimination, your puppy responds by eliminating.


• Your puppy starts to "ask" to go outside by barking, running to the door, staring at you, or in some other way.


• The freedom you give your puppy is mostly "accident" free.

"My puppy wakes me up at 3AM EVERY NIGHT! I take him out, he pees and then wants to play. I play with him for a while and put him back in his crate where he cries for some time before he settles down. How do I break him of this?"

Nighttime needs should diminish quickly as the puppy gets older. At first, you may need to get up 2-3 times nightly for a 7-week-old pup. That frequency should quickly reduce to once a night for a 9-week-old pup. When a puppy cries in the night, you DO have to check on him - it's the only way he has to tell you there is a problem. YOU will soon learn which cries are "fussing" and which indicate a real need. Remember when I said you are working to establish a HABIT when potty training? Well, if you get up during the night to take puppy out and then play with him, you are establishing a nighttime play routine habit! Any nighttime trips outside should be all "business only": outside then back in the crate - PERIOD! Temporarily removing access to water by 7 or 8 p.m. will also help.

Special problems...

Dogs or puppies purchased from a pet shop or other place where they were always kept in a small cage.

These dogs never had a choice and HAD to eliminate where they lived. Owners must devote extra time to take such dogs outside more frequently in order to get elimination outside rather than in the crate. Elaborate praise when they "go" is essential so they learn that life is better all around when they eliminate outside. Elimination in the crate should be ignored and just cleaned up at first - with no correction or harsh words. Later, as the dog starts to understand "going outside" a little better, the same corrections used when your dog has an accident on the floor (see "Accidents" above) can be used for crate soiling. Training these dogs takes a lot of patience and time.

About small breeds and "Sneaking"

Some people say that small breeds can be difficult, if not impossible to potty train. This is NOT because they are stupid - actually they are rather smart; smart enough to sneak to out of the way places to make their deposits instead of asking to go outside. This just requires MORE vigilance on the owner's part, and LESS freedom for the dog. If necessary, the owner needs to attach the other end of the leash the dog is dragging to their belt loop to keep closer track of the sneak!

Submissive Urination

"When I come home from work and let my dog out of her crate, she urinates all over when I'm greeting her. I yell at her and she pees more! Why does she DO that?"

What you dog is doing is called submissive urination. It is NOT a housebreaking problem. She is telling you that she recognizes that you are the leader. When you yell at her, she pees more to say "Yes, I KNOW that you are alpha!" Usually submissive urination resolved by 2 years of age, but Bailey, my Golden Retriever, sometimes still does it at 9 years.

Things you can do to deter submissive urination:

1. DO NOT bend over the top of the dog, especially when greeting. That is a dominant position.


2. For some reason, sweet, happy talk makes dogs urinate - so happy greetings with a lot of conversation should be avoided.


3. DO NOT pet your dog to greet her - the best thing to do when greeting a submissive urinator is to fold your arms across your chest, turn and ignore, but encourage your dog to go outside right away. Praise when she urinates outside, and then you should be able to greet.


4. When visitors come over, have them greet your dog (on leash) outside on the porch or grass to avoid messes in the house.


5. DO NOT yell at your dog for being "bad" - this isn't being "bad" at all! It is actually dog language affirming your leadership.

Spitefulness?

"When I leave the house, my dog frequently leaves me "presents" of stool and/or urine. I know he hates me to leave, and I'm sure he's doing it out of spite."

Dogs by nature are not spiteful animals. That is too much of a human emotion and too much reasoning: "If she leaves, then I'm going to poop on the floor because I know she HATES that! That'll teach her to leave me here alone!"

Usually, if there is an "accident" when the owner is gone these are usually the real reasons.

• I forgot to do my business outside (this is where my own dogs fit in!)


• I'm really not reliably potty trained and I don't completely understand the concept.


• I waited by the door to go outside but I couldn't get out and I just couldn't wait any longer!


• You left me all alone in this house! This is a BIG job, and we usually watch over the house together as a pack. This is too stressful for me. I'm so stressed I have to poop!


• I have too much freedom - and too soon - without supervision.

If you come home to "accidents", you need to consider these steps:

1. Backtrack on potty training - no matter what your dog's age. (We just had a brain glitch and need a refresher course)


2. Reduce the space of freedom - either with a crate, baby gates or a room.


3. Back to outside supervised potty breaks - with leash on so praise can be used at the right time.


4. Make sure there is no physical cause for the problem (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)

Questions to ask yourself if you are having problems...

• Am I taking the dog out enough?


• Do I know every time he goes?


• Does he have too much freedom in the house?


• Am I watching him carefully when he is free in the house?


• Is there any physical reason (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)?


• Am I trying to move things along faster than this dog is able to learn - therefore skipping steps so the entire picture is unclear to my dog?


• Am I consistently praising for appropriate behavior so he gets the idea?

Green Park, Delhi

Green Park is a locality, in the South Delhi district of Delhi, India. Today it is known as an important shopping districts of Delhi, the Green Park market.

It was established in early 1960s and today has all the amenities of a cosmopolitan culture along with large residential and commercial areas and many religious places. Green Park is considered by some as the "lungs" of Delhi, as it is near one of the largest green areas in the city. It is part of the South Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency), and its current electorate member is Ramesh Kumar of INC

Historical places

The adjoining areas of Green Park is Hauz Khas, of great historical significance with numerous monuments dating back to the medieval period,and the Deer Park, which is a large public space with greenery and also the DLTA Tennis courts.

Toilet training - Dog Training

Toilet training for your puppy should start as soon as the puppy is home with you. You must be prepared to be patient and observant!

For Puppies and for Older Dogs

Toilet training for your puppy should start as soon as the puppy is home with you. You must be prepared to be patient and observant!

Times When Your Puppy Will Need to Relieve Himself

There are mainly six times a puppy should be accompanied outside for up to 20 minutes to toilet:

* before going to bed for the night
* as soon as he wakes up
* after a nap during the day
* after eating
* after exuberant play
* after you return home from an outing.

Many people take their puppies out for a walk only to see the puppies relieve themselves as soon as they get back indoors. To avoid this, walk the puppy to his toilet area. Stand still and stay with him, allowing the puppy to lose interest in you. Do not sit down as this will only encourage the pup to jump on you and forget what he is out there for.

Praise him if he performs. NEVER rub his nose in any mistakes! Positive reinforcement when he does the right thing in the right place is the best and quickest training method.

Outside Training:

When training the puppy to go outside to relieve himself, LEAD him to where you want him to go, stay with him, praise him when he performs. Note that a male puppy sometimes takes longer to perform than a female.

Service Dog - Special Dog Training

Step 1

Begin your service dog's training when he is very young. Basic commands and familiarization with his surroundings can begin as young as eight weeks, and he will be much more at ease in strange settings with early socialization. Place a collar on your pup as soon as you bring him home, and allow him to get used to wearing it and the lead. His collar will become an important part of his training, since it allows you to easily contain him during training sessions.

Step 2

Start with basic obedience commands. Your puppy will need to quickly respond to requests, such as sit, down and stay in order to be an asset to her handler, and the sooner she gets these basics down the smoother your training will go. Place her collar and lead on her for every training session, and be sure to offer plenty of praise and reward for a properly performed command.

Step 3

Dress your puppy in his service vest and allow him to become acclimated to it. The service vest will be made of a heavy, durable material with pockets or handles depending on the owner's needs, and will identify the puppy as a service dog. The vest can make some dogs nervous, so put it on him for a few minutes at a time and reward him when he remains calm.

Step 4

Teach your dog more advanced commands, such as "hold it." Place a small, clean object in front of your dog's nose, such as a wooden dowel. Give your dog the command to take it, and move the object towards the dog's mouth. You can put a small bit of cheese or peanut butter on it to entice the dog to open her mouth. Praise her as soon as she takes it, and remove it from her mouth. Continue this process, gradually increasing the durations the dog holds the object until she readily takes it.

Step 5

Add in new commands as your dog masters old ones. "Pick it up" is another useful command for those who are not able to grab things on their own. Place your dowel on a flat surface, such as a table, and give your dog the command to pick it up. She should readily put it in her mouth since she is already familiar with the hold it command. Once she is consistently picking up the dowel, move onto other object, such as pencils, controls and clothing, so that she will pick up any object you request.

Step 6

Take your service dog in training out in public with you. She will be in close contact with a number of people on a daily basis as a service dog, so familiarizing her with various people and situations is important. According to the Americans With Disabilities act, a service dog is permitted everywhere, including airplanes without certification, although the dog does need to be well-behaved and well-trained.

Step 7

Enroll your dog in a service dog training course to help round out your training. Service dog training schools can give you tips and pointers on how to train your dog to fit your needs perfectly, and can help you work through problems in your training. Be patient, praise your dog generously and be consistent and you will have a well-trained service dog in no time.

Special Task Dog Training

Step 1

Make a list of activities you can no longer do yourself because of your disability.

Step 2

Choose one activity you would like your dog to help with.

Step 3

Break down the activity into steps. For example, if you want your dog to open a cupboard, the steps would be: 1. Grab cloth handle/ strap with mouth. 2. Pull handle while walking backward. 3. Stop pulling and let go of cloth handle/strap when cupboard door is open.Write down each step.

Step 4

Look at each step, and break it down further. From Step 3 above, "Grab cloth handle/strap with mouth" might become:1. Take cloth or strap from owner's hand with mouth.2. Take and hold cloth or strap in mouth for a set period of time.3. Take and hold cloth or strap that is attached to cupboard.

Step 5

Take an honest look at your dog's ability, fears and maturity to decide if tasks should be broken down further.

Teaching the Task

Step 1

Start with the first task on your list. For our example, we'll use "Take cloth in mouth, from owner's hand." Get your dog's attention and say your cue word for "Take the object." Use something simple, like TAKE, TAKE IT or GET. Offer the cloth to your dog.

Step 2

If your dog takes the cloth, give her a treat and make a huge fuss over her. You want your dog to absolutely sure she did what you wanted.If your dog does not take the cloth, put a small piece of his favorite treat on the cloth, or smear a bit of peanut butter on the cloth. When your dog leans down to take the treat, praise him.

Step 3

Continue Step 2 until your dog has mastered, and is comfortable with, taking the cloth in her mouth. As your dog gains confidence and reliability with this task, decrease the treat from every time to every other time, then every third time she completes the task. Finally, treat randomly. As you decrease the treats, remember to tell your dog she did what you wanted by saying "Good dog," or whatever your phrase is.

Step 4

Begin shaping the behavior of taking the cloth or handle by now asking your dog to TAKE and HOLD the cloth. When your dog TAKES the cloth, don't offer a treat or praise right away. Wait for several seconds, give a release command, and then treat and praise your dog.

Step 5

Continue adding steps to further shape the behavior until your dog is preforming the desired task

Dog Psychology - Dog Behaviour

Developed through decades of practical field experience with hundreds of trainers and hundreds of thousands of dogs, Our dog training philosophy is based upon five core principles.

1. Dogs are a unique subspecies whose behaviour can best be explained in dog terms.

Canis lupus familiars (the dog) is a complex creature evolved with and by humans for some 15,000 years. Dog owners often find it difficult to relate to dogs without anthropomorphizing; researchers find it difficult to study dogs of their own accord, without comparison to wolves or other species entirely. This creates both a conflict over "which" theories should hold sway, and whether one truly can.We believes that our vast set of practical knowledge has produced a working model for dog behaviour that is more functionally complete than narrow academic findings, and has more predictive validity than common folk theories. As students of dog behaviour, we respect and apply relevant findings in the latest research to bridge the gap between academic findings and household application.

2. Undesirable behaviour is a symptom of some underlying cause, not a problem in and of itself.

Therefore, training solutions must account for the precipitating factors of a dog's choice, not simply the proximal components of the behaviour. Many behaviours can be changed by simple conditioning. However, in many circumstances, if the impetus for the behaviour has not changed, the problem will not resolve and symptoms will recur, or new ones will develop.

3. Dogs are social animals and interpret most behaviour according to their social context.

Many behavioural issues can be traced to pack dysfunctions, while many solutions are created through pack re-organization. How the overall training regimen affects the dog's assessment of the pack is of primary importance in creating sustainable results.

4. Dog perceptive and communicative abilities govern how and what they learn.

What is it like to be a dog? Certainly dogs and humans have much in common, however, significant differences remain. We look and act differently. We perceive the world differently too. An integral element of dog training is how a trainer communicates, which is a primary determinant on whether or not he will be understood. Our Training structures - our communications with this in mind. With body language, voice tones, timing, and sequence we replicate the canine communications model. By doing so, we foster better understanding, and therefore, more complete learning.

5. The training tactics we employ emulate the same tactics dogs use to train each other and humans.

There is no better standard for canine education than that which dogs are predisposed to use and understand. Contrary to common assumptions, dogs do not typically use pain or fear to communicate with each other, so our Dog training approach doesn't either. Additionally, dogs learn through a number of processes, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, inference and imitation are chief among them. Our Dog training tactics take advantage of all of these learning processes in a dog-friendly way. Without physical force or cajoling - we use measured and responsible techniques to take advantage of dogs' full intellectual capabilities.

Saket

Saket is one of the many middle-class-dominated areas located in the south of Delhi, the capital of India. The neighborhood is named after the city of Ayodhya, an ancient, religiously significant city in Uttar Pradesh. The name Saket in Sanskrit means a place that is close to the heavens.


Restaurants

The Great Kabab Factory is premimum dinning place in DLF Place mall in SaketThe PVR Complex has a variety of coffee shops, restaurants and fast-food joints. These include McDonalds, Ruby Tuesday, Barista Coffee, Subway (restaurant), Pizza Hut, Sbarro, Azzuro and many others. The complex also has several trendy pubs/bars, like T'zers, Voda, Bennigan's and Buzz. The addition of some more upscale eateries has led it to become more of a hotspot for citizens of Delhi seeking finer fare. A list of all restaurants may be located on Foodiebay's Saket page.
Entertainment

Saket is home to the PVR Cinemas Anupam-4 Multiplex Theatre, which was the first multiplex in India. The place was originally called Anupam and was owned by the Ansals Group, a group that also ran the Gyan Bharti School and shared a common boundary with the Anupam complex. The Ansals Group eventually leased the cinema hall to the PVR Venture Group (Joint venture between Mr. Ajay Bijli and PVR of Australia). The nearby Select Citywalk mall also houses the PVR Premier, a newer 6-screen multiplex.

Around the area is also a video game parlor (featuring bumper cars, a virtual reality game, and a bowling alley; it was closed recently), an Archies gallery, and several other novelty shops.
Schools

There are a lot of schools in and near Saket:

* Red Roses Public School[1]
* Apeejay School[2]
* Amity International School
* Gyan Bharati School [3]
* Birla Vidya Niketan
* New Green Fields Public School
* Delhi Public School International also known as DPS International
* [Amrita Vidyalayam]http://www.amritavidyalayam.org
* Vidya Niketan Senior Secondary School
* Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pushp Vihar
* Several government schools

The majority of these schools are well-known and of high quality in the city of Delhi.
Hotels

The ITC WelcomGroup owns a 5-Star Deluxe Hotel. It has 220 rooms.
Shopping Malls

* Select Citywalk
* MGF Metropolitan Mall
* DLF Courtyard
* DLF Place
* Square One Mall

Medical facilities

The medical facilities of Saket include Max Devki Devi Heart and Vascular Institute, Max Super Specialty Hospital and the G.M. Modi Hospital.
[edit] Getting there and orientation

The easiest way to reach Saket is to take any of the following buses: 427, 448A, 500, 501, 512, 522A, 532, 534, 680 at the Bahri Mudrika (Outer Ring Road). There are many auto and taxi stands here as well. The Metro is expected to run through Saket by 2010.

Saket is close to Mehrauli (where Qutub Minar, the largest brick minaret in the world, can be found), Pushp Vihar, Malviya Nagar, Madan Giri, Khanpur, Gitanjali Enclave, Paryavaran Complex and Sainik Farms.
[edit] Future expansion

As India's economy continues to grow and major Indian cities continue to expand, neighborhoods are quickly changing and upgrading throughout the country and Saket is no exception. It is on the verge of becoming the "Mall Hub" of South Delhi since four major malls have opened on the Press Enclave Marg at the Saket District Centre. The road is named after the most recognisable enclave in Saket,"Press Enclave" where many journalists from media organizations around the country and the world live. The presence of many good schools in the area also makes it an education hub of south delhi. Another route to reach Saket will also open up by 2010 when the Metro will pass through on its way from Central Delhi towards Gurgaon.

Dog Training - Boredom

Home Dog Training suggestions to keep your dog entertained and out of mischief.

The Buster Cube (available from most good pet shops):
This award-winning dog toy is a great distraction. Fill the toy with treats and as your dog rolls it around on the ground, the treats fall out from multiple compartments. This motivates your dog to work for his food and keeps his brain active for hours.

Scatter Feeding:
Turn feeding into a game. Scatter a variety of natural foods (such as whole carrots, celery, peas, broccoli, beans, apples etc…) around the yard or garden when you leave. This gives your dog something to forage for as well as some nutritious food to chew on (rather than your furniture). If your dog is fed on dry food you can also scatter some of this around too. Some items (especially raw, meaty bones or dried liver bits) can be hidden in a digging pit, such as a child’s sand pit, or even under bushes. Be careful in summer as wasps are attracted to raw meats left out in the open. If a dog is bitten on the tongue, the tongue could swell causing breathing difficulties.

The Kong:
This durable rubber toy has a hollow center that can be stuffed with delicious treats. Seal the ends with a biscuit to make it harder to get the goodies inside. Fill it with food then freeze it before giving it to your dog to enjoy.

Dog Training Aggression

This is a very serious problem and must be handled as soon as possible by a professional behavioural therapist.

The worst case scenario for an uncontrollable, aggressive dog is that he injures a person or child and the dog is then ordered to be put to sleep (euthanised).

This does not need to be the case! Most aggression is caused by fear.

By addressing this problem, you can reduce your dog’s fear, which in turn will reduce his stress. You will be happier not having to worry that your dog might bite someone.

Early warning signs: Growling and barking at strangers is the earliest sign of aggression. Curing the problem at this early stage is best for all parties involved.

Dog Training- Choosing a Puppy

How can anyone resist their big sad eyes - they're all adorable so how do you decide which puppy will turn out to be the right dog for you? Here are some pointers that might keep you on the straight and narrow and stop you from being seduced by the wrong one, especially if there are small children in the family.

Firstly, make sure you see the mother with the puppies. If she's laid back about you being near her puppies, chances are she's a pretty cool customer. Puppies mostly inherit their mother's temperament. The following Do's and Don'ts might keep you on the right path to owning a great dog:

• DON'T choose a puppy that won't approach strangers freely. Crouch down amongst the puppies and watch their reaction to you.


• DON'T pick the one sitting by itself and looking all sad. There is a very good reason why this one won't or can't interact with the rest of the litter. It's either too shy, scared, sick or aloof. Either way, it will more than likely grow up to be a problem dog.


• DON'T choose a listless puppy. It could have an underlying illness. It's costly enough to purchase and raise a puppy without veterinary bills for an illness you didn't expect. You want one that is happily active but not overbearing.


• DON'T choose the biggest or the smallest in the litter. They're either greedy bullies or weedy weaklings who will end up giving you more headaches than joy.


• DON'T rush. Spend at least an hour watching the puppies playing.


• DON'T choose the puppy that the breeder bottle fed because the mother rejected it. She rejected it because she knew there was something wrong with it. We humans can't bear to see a puppy starve. That puppy will almost certainly be a problem dog.


• DON'T choose and collect on the same day. Allow a cooling down period so that you can educate yourself on the responsibilities and cost of raising a puppy.


• DON’T let your puppy go out of the door ahead of you. It is important that from the beginning you establish yourself as the leader, so you always go first and he follows.


• DO take along some bedding or a cuddly toy to leave with the litter to pick up the smell. You can collect this when you pick up your puppy.


• DO visit several vets in your area and choose one that you like and who has time to show an interest in you.


• DO ensure that your garden area is properly and safely fenced for something as small as your puppy.


• DO think about purchasing a sleeping crate. Puppies love small, enclosed places to sleep. It will also need a place away from the children.


• DO supervise all the interaction between your children and the puppy. Children can be rough or not properly co-ordinated to hold a wriggly puppy. Don't let the children over handle the puppy.


• DO educate yourself on diet. There is a lot of information on the internet on this subject.


• DO seek the services of a good trainer or training club. Your puppy will need education in the ways of the human world. He's a dog and he won't know how to behave in our world unless we teach him.

How To Teach Your Dog To Say Hello

Start by sitting on a chair. While holding a treat, put your hand between your knees and encourage your dog to get it. As soon as your dog's chin touches your leg, say "Say Hello!". Then say "Release" or "OK" and give him the treat after he lifts his head.

Only give your dog the treat after you have released him. Increase the time his chin is touching your leg, so eventually your dog will keep it there while you pet him. Then release him and reward him. Your dog will soon charm your friends with this trick!

How To Teach Your Dog To Crawl

Start by having your dog lie down. Hold a treat just in front of his nose and say, "Crawl." If he starts to stand up, say, "No, down...crawl." Pull the treat away, keeping it low, near the ground and say, "Craaawl." When your dog moves even an inch or two without standing up, praise him and say, "Good dog! Craaawl."

Your dog must know 'Down' ' before he can learn this trick.

How To Teach Your Dog To Twirl

"Twirl" is the same trick as "Turn Around"
but this time your dog turns to the right (counterclockwise), instead of to the left.

Start by having your dog stand up facing you. Stand still and say, "Twirl". Lead the dog's nose around to the right with the treat so he walks in a circle. When he comes back to where he's facing you again, say, "Good dog!" and give him the treat.

If you choose to use the words, "Turn Right", use them all the time. Don't use "Twirl" sometimes, and "Turn Right" other times. Be consistent.

TIP:
After your dog has learned "Turn Around" (or Turn Left) and "Twirl" (or Turn Right), you can put them together and have your dog look really smart. First have your dog "Turn Around" (turn to the left), and then say "Twirl" (turn to the right). Be careful, though, don't get your dog dizzy!

Be sure to teach Turn Around and Twirl separately. Wait until your dog has learned the first one very well.

How To Teach Your Dog To Turn Around

Start by having your dog stand up facing you. Let your dog see a treat in your hand. Stand still and say, "Turn around". Lead the dog's nose around to the left (clockwise) with the treat so he walks in a circle. When he comes back to where he's facing you again, say, "Good dog!" and give him the treat.

After some practice, hold the treat in front of you so your dog can see it and say, "Turn around," but don't lead his nose. See if he is ready to turn around by himself and get the treat. Pretty soon, he will turn around faster than you can say 'Lassie!"

If you choose to use the words, "Turn Left", use them all the time. Don't use "Turn around" sometimes, and "Turn Left" other times. Be consistent.

How To Teach Your Dog To Shake Hand

Start by having your dog sit. Say, "Shake hands," and take his paw with your hand. Hold his paw and say, "Good dog!" Let go of his paw. Do this a few times every day.

TIP:
After a while, say, "Shake hands," but don't take his paw. See if he raises his paw by himself. If not, keep showing him what to do by saying, "Shake hands," and taking his paw with your hand. Your dog is not slow; he is just learning!

How To Teach Your Dog To Speak

Choose a game that your dog loves to play, like catch with a ball, or hide and seek with a toy. Then get him excited by saying, "Let's play! Want to play?" and show him the ball or toy. Jump and act silly so he barks and then say, "Good dog, speak!" Then play the game as his reward for learning "Speak".

TIP:
You can't make a dog bark, but you can get him happy and excited so he wants to bark. After a while, your dog will bark when you say, "Speak."

Caution! If you have a dog that already causes trouble because of his barking, you might not want to encourage this behavior. If you decide it's ok to teach it, be sure to teach "Quiet", too.

Serious Dog Bite Punctures

Two days ago one rottweiler gave me some Punctures deep very painful punctures...i found this dog bite treatment i thought i should share with you people:

1. Stay Safe. Secure the dog or the victim. Move one away from the other. If the dog's owner is around, instruct him or her to secure the dog. If not, move the victim to a safe location. Dogs may bite because their territory is threatened. Don't start any treatment until there is a reasonable expectation that the dog won't attack again.

2. If you are not the victim, practice universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if available.

3. Control any bleeding by following the appropriate steps. Avoid using a tourniquet unless there is severe bleeding that cannot be controlled any other way.

4. Once the bleeding is controlled, clean the wound with soap and warm water. Do not be afraid to clean inside the wound. Be sure to rinse all the soap away, or it will cause irritation later.

5. Cover the wound with a clean, dry dressing. You can put antibiotic ointment on the wound before covering. Watch for signs of infection:
* Redness
* Swelling
* Heat
* Weeping pus

6. Always call a physician to determine if you should be seen. Some dog bites need antibiotics, particularly if they are deep puncture wounds. Additionally, many municipalities have regulations for reporting dog bites and monitoring the dogs, and that is often initiated by contact with a doctor.

7. Any unidentified dog runs the risk of carrying rabies. If the dog cannot be identified and the owner cannot show proof of rabies vaccination, the victim must seek medical attention. Rabies is always fatal to humans if not treated.

8. The wound may need stitches. If the edges of a laceration are unable to touch, or if there are any avulsions, the wound will need emergency medical attention. Wounds on the face or hands should be seen by a physician because of the likelihood of scarring and loss of function.

source:
firstaid.about.com/od/softtissueinjuries/a/06_stitches

Off Leash Training

The heel off leash starts from the heel position. Unsnap
the leash and have your dog sitting squarely at your heel.
Upon the command, “Forward”, from your instructor, step
off on your left foot while saying the dog’s name and
“Heel”. If he lags or heels wide, give him encouragement to
heel by saying his name and repeating the command. If he
bolts away, put him back on the leash immediately. Do not
let him think you lack control over him because he is off
the leash.
It is important that you show confidence in your dog
when training but especially when he is doing exercises off
leash. When you step off to heel, give the command in a
confident manner and step out briskly. Do not hesitate and
look to see if he is keeping up or your dog will almost
certainly lag behind and stop. Do the heel off leash for
short periods of time; then place him back on leash for
more heeling.
Most dogs will become bored at some level of training.
In the 4-H program, your dog will probably receive the
Beginner’s training the first year, the Graduate Beginner’s
training the second year and so on. Spreading out the
training will help prevent boredom, but it may still be a
problem in Novice and Graduate Novice courses. Training
only once or twice a week or stopping entirely for a week
or two may help a dog that is obviously bored with
training.

Stay Sit

The handler is out of sight for three minutes.
If your dog well understands when he is being trained and when he is
released from training. Take him to a familiar training area
where there are buildings, trees or bushes you can easily
hide behind. Do not try to hide behind a single tree, a car
or other object which might enable him to see a part of
you.
Go through several exercises he does best to let him
know he is training. Heel him where he can see the corner
or edge of your hiding place. Order him to stay and then
walk briskly and confidently away without a backward
glance. The first several times you should not be out of
sight more than a few moments. When you return, pause
momentarily before praising and repeating the exercises. It
is important that your dog have confidence that you will
return to him. This can be accomplished by being out of
sight for short periods of time at first and gradually
extending the time to three minutes. First, disappear from
his sight at short distances and gradually extend to the
distance of as much as 100 feet.
If your dog breaks from the position to wander off or
look for you, you will need a person to signal you so that
you can take the dog back to the exact same spot and
sternly give him the command to stay again. You may give
him a jerk backward with the training collar to further
emphasize his staying in that position.

Drop on Recall

First week of training: Place your dog in the sitting
position and step two or three feet away in front of him.
While saying “Down”, quickly raise your right hand, palm
open, slightly higher than your head; pause for only a
moment and bring your hand down sharply. If your dog
does not obey, use your left hand to jerk downward on the
training collar. After he has been down for a short time,
give him the command “Sit”. You may need to give a jerk
upward with the leash. Your dog should go down when
your hand goes up. Holding your hand up for a moment the
first few days of training may help him learn the signal, but
it should soon be a quick up and down motion.
Vary your method of changing your dog from the down
to the sitting position. Sometimes command him to sit
when you are directly in front of him; other times go back
to the heel position, pause a moment and then command
him to sit.
After it appears that he understands the hand signal,
occasionally leave off the verbal command. Gradually move
to the end of the six-foot leash and give the signal and
command, “Down”.
Hold your hands together at your waist when doing the
recall. Your dog may be tempted to nose them if you let
them hang.
Second week: When teaching the down, insist on an
immediate drop, not a slow sinking to the ground. Do not
forget the praise. This is most important.
When your dog seems to understand and obeys your
command when you are standing at the end of the leash,
you may then remove it and drop him at short distances,
gradually moving to 40 feet away. If he does not obey
when off leash or at a distance of 40 feet, place him back
on leash and repeat the training. For more control at a
distance, you may attach a 40-foot lightweight cord, If he
does not work well off leash, you will usually make faster
progress by placing him back on the six-foot leash.
Third week: The next procedure is teaching your dog to
go down from the standing position. Follow the same steps
for teaching him the down from the sitting position: Leave
him in the standing position, step two or three feet away in
front of him and give the hand signal and command,
“Down”.
Fourth week: Gradually move back to the end of the
40-foot leash, finally removing the leash and dropping him
at this distance. Remember not to say his name before the
command “Down”.
Fifth week: Teaching the dog to drop in motion is the
next step, but first be sure he understands the other steps.
While heeling on leash, suddenly stop and quickly step
backward saying your dog’s name and “Come”. When he
starts coming toward you, stop suddenly and give the signal
and command, “Down”. If your training has been complete
up to this point, he should drop on your first attempt. If he
does not, give him a sharp correction by putting him down
with a jerk on the training collar. After he has been down a
few moments, give him the command, “Sit”. Then step
backward quickly and say his name and “Come”. Continue
backward until he is in full motion; then stop and have him
sit directly to your front just as when doing a recall. Be
ready to pull up on the leash to put him in the sit as he may
have learned too well on the first try and anticipates a
down command. After he has sat in front, send him to heel
as the finish of the recall.
Alternate the down and coming to you as the recall. DO
not allow him to anticipate commands.
Sixth week: The next step is taught off leash. Place your
dog in the sit-stay and take a position 25 feet to his front.
Say his name and “Come”. When halfway to you, give the
command and signal to down. Gradually increase the
distance to 40 feet. Drop him at various distances.
Alternate with straight recalls so that he will not anticipate
commands.
If he slows down when coming to you in anticipation of
a drop, start running backward and say “Come”, encour-
aging him to speed up, Never drop him unless he is coming
at full speed as it will only cause him to come in slower and
drop without a command or signal.
Do not forget to vary the exercises to prevent boredom.
Do not forget the praise.
In an obedience trial, you may use either the command
or signal to down your dog. Using both is considered a double command and will be scored against you. Using the
signal is preferred as the dog will be more alert and will give
you his undivided attention.

Understanding Dog Psychology

What is dog thinking? My be quantum mechanics or could it be simply regular food, warmth, companionship, safety, protection, sleep, defecate, sex, its position in the hierarchy of the pack and to do as little work as possible. I suppose not much different to us.

In the very early times Dog Training combined with our talents of the hunter gatherer were able to use the dogs agility, sense of smell and natural herding instincts to each others advantage. Man could kill and plan the best ways of obtaining the most regular supplies of food for all including the dogs. Man could make fire producing warmth and the added protection against wolves and other animals afraid of fire allowing a safer deeper sleep. Whilst our old brain still runs some of our basic instinctive responses, we have evolved beyond them whilst the Dog Training have not. To a major degree, we have forgotten how to communicate with the dog’s simplistic view on life. If I do this for you what is in it for me? It is possible to make a dog do almost anything by using pain as a teaching aid or food but it is far better to see a dog work because it enjoys what it is doing with its reward being in pleasing its handler and its obvious pleasure it receives in the mutual companionship. So strong can the bond become that the pain is so obvious in a dog whose’ owner has died.

First of all basics of a dog is its position within the pack hierarchy but how big is the pack and this is one of the most fundamental lessons a dog must learn to being sociable. The pack is infinity but all those that walk on two legs are ALWAYS higher in the hierarchy than any dog. If you teach the dog that just his family is the size of the pack then all those outside are another pack and aggression tendencies will form. Once such tendencies begin to show, the owners begin a protection regime to keep people at a distance and so producing a kill zone of your personal and property boundaries. As people require access to you, they see the dog and they display fear stances that make the dog feel bolder, so the dog is locked away or chained up and again producing resentment by the dog. So begins the subsequent training for a dangerous dog. The numbers of attacks that have followed this type of involuntary training are very common.Dog Training will do one of three things freeze flee or fight to the sight of possible aggression. The number of times a small child waddling towards a dogs basket with full eye to eye contact with arms swinging in the air for balance has been miss-read by the dog as aggressive behavior and having no where to go has attacked the child. Trying to understand the way a dog thinks helps us to speed up the training of dogs and correct any problems we find along the way. One common question has been why do dogs seem more aggressive on a lead than off. This goes back to the bitch protecting a bullied pup from the other pups. By lifting the pup up by the scruff of the neck creating a supportive tightness so, the pup with the aid of the bitch feels bolder and can now take on the world. Consequently, the tightness felt by pulling on the collar and close proximity of the handler gives the same feeling of support to the older aggressive dog.

When we start to train a dog or puppy there is one basic law that dogs will only do things that produce a pleasant consequence and will repeat these but to those that do not these will not be repeated. It is then up to us to teach with immediate praise and punishment. If you praise or punish even two seconds after the event is doomed to failure. (Dog Training)

If we look at the one exercise we, all have to teach a dog is house training. The bitch trains the puppy not to foul it bedding. That is fine but the puppy soon realize that to save standing in a puddle a carpet soaks it up just fine. We have to continue the training and teach the puppy the type of surface we want the puppy to use. If we look at the commonest scene and see if you recognize it. The puppy wakes up staggers about for a moment then usually over the carpet it lets flow as if it were attached the cold water supply. Up jumps this raging bull, fire flowing from the nostrils shouting No and grabbing the pup still in full flow throws it through the open door to give the pup it first flying lesson. Yelp, yelp, and yelp so the landing needs improvement. The next time the pup wakes up and gets as far as the carpet and once flow has commenced thinks I have been here before and takes flight still in full flow being chased all round the house and again grabbed up and slung out the door again taking flying lesson number two. Yelp, yelp so the landing improving. Next time the pup wakes up it remembers and wonders off with legs squeezed together until it arrives at the back of the settee, and commences with the water works once again. If the sound of running water was not heard over the television the smell will probably start about half an hour later and the now sleeping pup is grabbed up again taking flying lesson number three. Yelp landing improved. We also have the incidence of a puddle found sometime later, the pup is once again grabbed, and for a nose so sensitive that it seems it can now detect cancer cells has this shoved into the mess. Having got the dog to dive outside every time it needs the loo it goes a little further with the dog doing its toilet now out in the garage on the path in the flowerbed or on the lawn and then probably booted out onto the street. Then the street becomes a no fowling zone so even here is wrong. This is the tried and tested method and it appears to work. What has the pup learned? It has learned that the house garden etc are a kill zone for this huge bull that charges like a steam train every time it needs the loo. Defiantly such behavior will not get the owner onto the pups Christmas card list. The dog would have gained muscle control quite quickly and gone outside naturally but because of the mess the owners have simply retaliated with a show of anger. You can tell the dogs walking in the street that have had their noses rubbed in the excrement because as soon as they see any in the street they jump to one side in fear.

Initially puppies have little control over them selves but do not wish to foul their bed or home but when you have to go you have to go. Puppies if you feed food in one end then something comes out the other usually just a little latter. After feeding, your pup let them rest then take them for a walk and get into a regular routine. Puppies that have just woken up usually go almost immediately. Therefore, with this knowledge what are our aims for a clean dog? You can train to litter trays for dogs that stay in the house you can even train them to use the toilet and pull the chain. You can train them to only go in long grass wasteland or over drains. However, best of all you can train them to go on command. Most Police and competition dogs need this command for obvious reasons. I would not walk a dog round the town if I knew the dog had not relieved its self so I find a rough area and give the command. When complete I can take my dog into town. Dogs trained to use particular types of surface will indicate to the handler that they need to go and will hold on until the right surface is found. Most male dogs and particularly un-neutered dogs do try to save their urine for scent marking of their territory so this practice should be completely discouraged. If your dog does try then say no and pull the dog over a drain then let it relieve itself then give praise. It will grow out of this habit quite quickly. How many owners do you see suddenly come to a halt as a dog wee up a telegraph pole or tree. If allowed to continue there can be a problem if there is another dog that also claims the same territory so a conflict can arise and result in a fight. This is also an exercise in domination training that help the dog understand its place in the family.

So, be vigilant on the times the puppy needs the loo and having decided now on where you want your dog to go. When you believe they need to go take them outside or to rough ground over a useful drain over the litter try or over the outside toilet if you have one or if you’re brave try the ordinary house loo and wait. Tip running water somewhere does seem to make the waterworks start. Once the dog has commenced repeat the command clean or wee for whichever or any words you like and stick to them. Once finished give uncontrollable praise not just good dog in a monotone voice. Let the dog know unequivocally that you are over the moon with pleasure. Dog thinks I like this as it is comfortably relived and sees it has given you pleasure. It will opt for this next time. Soon you will find the dog nudging you can we do it again please because I like that. Eventually you can go to where ever, give the command and your dog will go and then receive praise. Shortly the praise will not be so over the top as the dog will begin to recognize that a simple smile and or touching is all that the dog requires seeing it has pleased you. Remember dogs in the wild do not use words but body language. You can train older dogs to do this just use praise each time. A training aid here is to take some of your dogs’ excrement from your garden, take it, and leave it in an area where you want your dog to go. Also, do not let your dog see you cleaning (not ammonia products) up any mistakes, as some dogs will leave a mess to gain your attention.

When you are house-training your puppy getting angry serves no purpose. Use the No command but do not frighten the pup to death in the process. If you failed to catch the pup just accept you were just not quick enough and be more vigilant. As to how you want your dog go to the toilet is up to you the training is the same. I have used two commands here “wee” and “clean” but they are unimportant to body language signs. I use hand over fist for clean and praying hands for wee standing face onto the dogs. As you need to hold the dog initially, hand signs are impossible but later you can replace the word command for visual commands. Dogs can handle about 100 to 150 single word commands but can handle far more body language commands. It also looks good. I had thoughts of someone one day saying to me that he had just seen a big German shepherd sat on my toilet reading the paper. To which my reply would be that I must teach him to bolt the door. You never know.

A Very Handy Dog Obedience Training Command

The Go To Your Spot command a fantastic behavior to teach your dog.

I find the "Go To Your Bed" command to be one of the most useful and most used of all of the dog obedience commands. It is great for practical and also safety reasons - I find myself calling on this command in many situations everyday including:

* When visitors arrive at my home. Instead of my dogs getting all excitable and jumping all over guests I use the "Go To Your Bed" command to redirect their behavior.

* If a dog is barking excessively you can call on this obedience command which acts as an alternate behavior for your dog to perform.

* When me and my family sit down for a meal I send my dogs to their spot to give us a bit of space.

puppy-for-sale

One thing to always keep in mind when applying the Go To Your Spot command is that you don't want it to feel like a punishment to your dog. In other words don't always use it when your dog is in trouble, try to make it a positive, fun place for your dog to retreat to.

Follow the steps below to build the Go To Your Spot command slowly. Start out so it's easy for your dog to understand, then gradually make it harder by adding other variables (duration, distance and distractions).

Go To Your Spot - Step by Step

1. Choose your designated spot (make sure it's a nice and comfortable place), attach a label to it ("Go To Your Bed" "Go To Your Mat" etc.) and stick with it.

2. Stand with your dog about 1-2 meters from the chosen spot. Say "Go To Your Bed" while pointing towards the spot. At the same time throw one of your dogs very favorite treats onto the bed. Your dog is sure to rush over to the bed to collect the tasty treat. As soon as he/she collects the treat be sure to praise her enthusiastically.

3. Repeat step 2 many many times to reinforce the behavior. This also builds a connection in your dogs mind between you saying "Go To Your Bed" and pointing with the act of going over to her bed. At this point it's important to note that the treat is acting as a lure to entice your dog over to the bed - this will eventually change.

4. Now gradually increase the distance between where you and your dog are standing and the bed. Continue to practice "Go To Your Bed", point, throw the treat and then praise.

5. It's now time to change the job of the treat from being a lure to being a reward for the desired behavior. It goes like this - say "Go To Your Bed" while pointing towards the bed, but this time do not throw the treat. By now your dog will most probably understand that your verbal command and pointing means that you want her to go to her spot. If she responds to your command by going to her bed you then give the treat (rewarding the behavior) and lavish her with praise. If your dog doesn't "get it" go back a step by using the treat as a lure again.

6. Continue step 5 over and over again. You can practice at any time throughout the day, it doesn't have to be a set training time. Also mix up the place where you request your dog to "Go To Your Bed". Say it close to the bed, then further away and eventually even from a different room (don't move too fast though).

7. You can now add other elements to this command. One at a time you could add a distraction such as having another person in the room bouncing a ball or put your dogs food bowl down then request the "Go To Your Bed".

8. You may choose to add the dog obedience down command to this exercise.

9. After a while you should fade and vary your rewards. You can give the treat every second or third time your dog goes to her bed, or you could throw a ball for her to chase as the reward instead of the tasty treat.

terrier-puppy-training

Teaching A Dog To Heel

Firstly I should say that teaching a dog to heel is a different skill than training a dog to walk on a loose leash. Training a dog to heel relies on getting and holding the attention of your dog. The heel can be called upon for short periods (like when other dogs or children are around) but is not suitable for your long daily walks.
Dog Training - The Heel
When your dog is in the heeling position it means he/she is virtually pinned to your left leg (not touching though) and must stay there until released by you. Heeling is a difficult skill for your dog to master, it must be taught slowly and built piece by piece.

I find that short, sharp and intense training sessions work best with my dogs. This is because learning to heel requires heaps of concentration from your dog and lots of repetition - don't expect too much to soon. Start out simple, set your dog up to succeed and don't move too quickly.

Ok lets have a go at building a good solid and reliable heel. You can go through these steps off leash (if possible) or on leash. The leash is there for security only, it is not used to drag your dog around or hold him in position. The idea is to condition your dog to want to be by your side rather than to force him to be there. This is the method I use to teach my dogs to heel - as with building any obedience command, start in an environment that is familiar to your dog and free from distractions.

1. Stand with your dog closely next to your left leg, both of you facing the same way.

2. Have one of your dogs favorite treats in your left hand, hold it up near your waist, not directly in front of your dogs nose. Now say "Harry" (your dog's name) to get his attention and to gain eye contact. Immediately take two steps forward then stop. If your dog moves with you and is still in the heel position enthusiastically praise him and give a treat.

3. As soon as your dog swallows his reward from step 2 repeat the heeling process again, then do it again. Say "Harry", take two steps forward offering encouragement to your dog ("come on" or "that's a good boy"), stop, praise and treat. Only ever give the reward when your dog is still in the heel position.

4. At this point your dog will be very interested and attentive. It's important to note that you are using the treat to reward his behavior rather than to lure or bribe him.

5. If at any time your dog lags behind or forges ahead of you hold off with your praise and reward. Simply say "aah-aah" and start again.

6. Continue to practice your heel training and when 2 steps forward becomes easy for your dog, increase to 4 steps, then 6 steps and so on... Keep up your encouragement, praise and tasty rewards.

7. When your dog is reliably heeling for 10 or more steps it's time to attach a verbal cue to the behavior. The process is the same as you have been practicing except now you say "Harry Heel", then step forward. Over time and plenty of repetition this builds up the association in your dog's mind between the verbal "heel" cue or command and the act of heeling.

8. You've now got the very basic heel going well and on cue, it's time to build upon it and add some more variables. Introduce the following elements one at a time and make it as easy as possible for your dog to succeed. Mix it up - continue with your enthusiasm, encouragement, praise and treats.

* Walk slowly, speed up, stop, speed up etc...

* Take your training session to a new location.

* Add some left and right turns and then some obstacles.

* Practice your heeling around other people and animals.

* Increase the duration of the heel.

* Roll a ball in front of you - what does your dog do?

That's the heel training process I follow and have experienced good results with. Always remember to keep your training sessions fun and don't expect too much from your young puppies, it will take some time.

Training A Dog To Stay

After you and your dog have mastered the sit and down commands, the logical extension on them is training your dog to stay.

Really when you think about it your sit and down commands aren't much value if your dog merely gets into those positions and then bounces back up straight away.

That's why I like to add the stay command, although some dog trainers believe it to be an unnecessary extra command. Their theory being that when they request that their dog sits or goes into the down position, the dog should stay in that position until they are told otherwise.

For those of you choose to use the stay command - read on.

Training a dog to stay can be difficult at first. In a way it goes against what your dog is used to (following you around) and also his/her natural instincts (being close to their pack). With this in mind keep the stay command very simple to begin with and build upon your dogs successes slowly.

Once you have trained your dog to hold a reliable stay in any situation you will find it handy on many occasions. It's a great behavior to request when visitors come to your home, if you need to duck inside a shop or if you have a dog who likes to bolt out the front door.

Right let's get started - it's a good idea to first train your dog to stay when he/she is calm and not all hyped up - after a walk is a good time. Your first training session should be in a familiar environment to your dog, free from any distractions and should only last for a few minutes.
Training A Dog To Stay - Step by Step
1. Put your dog into the position you would like him/her to stay in (use your sit, down or stand commands) and stand directly in front of him. After about 1 or 2 seconds, if your dog is still in the position you requested, give him some praise and a treat. You are rewarding the behavior you are looking for which is a stay, even if it is only 1 seconds worth to start with. As soon as you give your praise and treat, the behavior is over (this is your signal for your dog to release from his stay) so it is fine if your dog moves off.

Then you begin the process again from the start, this time maybe hold your praise and treat off for 3 or 4 seconds. Just take it slowly and if your dog breaks out of the stay at any time before you have given him the release command, simply say "aah-aah"! Don't give the treat, but simply start the process again.

2. The next step is to add a verbal command and hand signal to step 1. It goes like this - once again stand directly in front of your dog and place him in the position you would like him to stay in. Now as soon as he is in the desired position say "stay" and at the same time hold your hand out in front of you, with your palm facing out towards your dog's nose (like a stop sign motion).

Now after waiting a second or two praise and reward your dog for staying in this position (sit-stay or down-stay etc.). As was the case in step 1 you can now repeat this process over and over, gradually increasing the time between your "stay" command and your praise and treat. What you are doing is building an association in your dog's mind between your verbal "stay" command and the act of staying in the one spot.

3. You've now got the stay command sorted - in it's most basic form anyway.

It's now time to add some other variables and build upon it. Many trainers label this proofing stage as the three D's - Duration, Distance and Distractions. Up until now (in steps 1 and 2) you have been working in a familiar environment free from distractions and you've just been standing right in front of your dog. Let's mix it up a little, adding one new variable at a time.

Start out by issuing your "stay" command with your hand signal, now take a step backwards, pause, then step back towards your dog. If your dog has remained in his sit-stay or down-stay, praise him and give him a tasty treat. Continue to repeat this process, gradually increasing the amount of steps you take back - always remember to return back to your dog before you reward him. Keep in mind what it is you are actually rewarding him for (the stay) and if he gets up to move away he shouldn't be receiving a reward or treat.

The next challenge you can add to the stay command is to move your training session to a different location, possibly somewhere with a few distractions such as other people or animals. Remember take it slowly and only add one new variable at a time. Another good idea is to practice your stays anytime throughout the day. For example make your dog "stay" when you go out to collect the mail or "stay" when you are preparing his dinner.

A game you can play with your dog to reinforce the "stay" command is hide and seek. This game is heaps of fun and all you do is place your dog in a down-stay then run off and hide. When you are ready, sing out your release command and your dog will set off to track you down.

To Walk On A Leash

One of the first things you need to teach your young puppy is how to behave on a leash. It is a crucial skill to master for both you and your dog's future. After training a puppy to walk on a leash they are much safer and more manageable, plus it means walkies is an experience you can both look forward to and enjoy.

puppy leash training

The fact that you are reading this article "Training A Puppy To Walk On A Leash" probably means that you have a young puppy who needs to be leash trained. This is a great position to be in, as it is much easier to train a puppy the right way to walk on a leash, rather than trying to re-train an older dog.

If you follow the steps outlined below you should have your puppy leash trained within a couple of weeks. When my Dalmation, Harrison was a young pup we used these steps to have him leash trained in three days. If it takes you and your dog a little longer, don't panic, it will be worth it in the end.

Don't just expect your puppy to know this stuff! Your goal is to clearly communicate to your dog, what is acceptable behavior on the leash, and what is not. Please be aware that everybody who takes your puppy for an on leash walk must convery a consistent message or set of rules to your dog.


To Walk On A Leash
Step 1
This first step can begin as soon as your puppy arrives at his new home. All it involves is getting your young pup familiar with and comfortable wearing a collar. A simple light weight leather collar is ideal for this task.

Place it on your puppy when you feed him or as you are playing, this provides a bit of a distraction from the collar. He'll probably roll around trying to dislodge it, or try his best to scratch it off. When he is doing this it is important that you don't take it off him. Wait till he has settled down and forgotten about it before you take it off.
Step 2
Once your puppy is happy wearing his new collar, it is time to introduce the leash. Same thing again here, you just want to get him comfortable with the leash, and to show him the leash is not to be feared. Any light weight, thin leash is fine for this step. You can buy your puppy a fancy leather leash after he is properly leash trained if you choose. All you need to do is clip the leash onto his collar, let him check it out and drag it around the house (always under your supervision). He'll forget about it after a while.

dog leash training
Step 3
Now that your puppy is comfortable in his collar and with the leash, it is time to pick up the other end of the leash. Make these first leash training sessions short, sharp and fun. At this early stage you will probably find that your puppy loves to follow you around everywhere - use this to your advantage.

To start with just walk around the house with the leash in hand, and your puppy trotting along side you. When he is walking along on a loose leash give him plenty of praise, petting and even some treats. When he strains on the leash, stop immediately. Don't yank him back over to you with the leash, just call him back over to you and praise him when he comes. Never ever keep walking when your puppy is pulling on the leash, this only rewards his behavior and reinforces the habit.

Your puppy has to learn that when he pulls on the leash, he gets nowhere. If he wants to continue walking, it has to be by your side on a loose leash. The same rule applies if your puppy sits down when you are walking. Don't yank him forward towards you, just call him over and reward him when he arrives. Then set off walking again with your puppy by your side.

training a puppy to walk on a leash

This method of training a puppy to walk on a leash is suited to very young puppies, it requires no pulling from you or your dog. The result is a nice loose leash hanging down between you and your dog. All it takes to achieve this is to follow the above steps, then apply some patience and persistence. Please read this article for leash training older dogs. You can also teach your puppy or older dog to walk on a loose leash using a clicker - loose leash walking.

Come or Recall Command

Apart from being essential for safety reasons, when your dog has mastered the dog training come command he/she can be allowed greater freedom in many situations. Like when you are down at the beach or out hiking your dog can go off exploring on her own but will always be alert and dog training come command ready to respond to your come command. This gives all of us dog owners piece of mind and is very reassuring.

Your ultimate goal when teaching the dog training come command (sometimes called recall) is to receive an immediate response from your dog upon hearing your command, every time, regardless of what else is happening in the area at that time.

Lets not kid ourselves though, this type of response is not always easy to achieve. The dog training come command can take a lot of work, and the truth is that it is very difficult for some dogs to get 100% right. For certain breeds and dogs that love to chase or have a strong scent drive the come command actually works against their natural instincts.

Don't let this put you off though, you can succeed using the techniques outlined below. Basically you can teach the fast come command as soon as you get your new puppy (the earlier the better) or even an older dog, and you'll be reinforcing it every time you are with your dog throughout his/her life.
Why Doesn't Your Dog Come When Called?

These are the most common reasons why our lovely dogs seemingly ignore us and don't come when we call out to them.

* Your dog does not understand what the "come" command means, she simply doesn't know what you are requesting her to do.

* Your dog may have been allowed to get away with disobeying your come command in the past and was not held accountable for her actions (or lack of action!).

* Your dog may believe that following the scent trail of a squirrel or continuing to romp around with other dogs at the park is more appealing than coming back to you.

* Maybe your dog has responded well to your command in the past but was inadvertently punished for her good behavior. This could mean that you called her over then immediately locked her in a crate, or called her over and plonked her straight into a soapy bath (which she hates!).

General Rules To Keep In Mind When Training Your Dog The Fast Come Command

1. Never under any circumstances punish your dog when she comes back to you. Even if your dog seems to take an eternity to respond to you and you've got smoke coming out of your ears through frustration, it's important that you don't get angry with your dog. She'll associate your anger with the last action she did - which was coming to you.

2. Your goal is to make coming to you a more attractive option to your dog than any other alternative action.

3. Never let your dog off leash in public before you have your dog responding very well to your come command. Your dog has to work her way up to this privilege - see the steps involved in the dog training come command below.

4. Your come command should be something your dog looks forward to hearing, something she has a positive association with. You do this by making it wonderful each she comes to you, make it worth her while. Certainly do not only use the command to call your dog over to snap the leash back on after an off leash run, or to call her away from fun.

5. Incorporate the come command training into your daily activities. Use it to call your dog over for her dinner or call her over at anytime just to give her a scratch behind the ear or a tasty treat.

6. When you are teaching your dog the come command off leash and your dog doesn't respond, don't chase after her, first try waiting for her. If you do have to go and retrieve her don't punish her when you catch up with her, just go home or start your training session again, this time on leash.

7. Never call your dog in situations where you know your dog won't come to you. You don't want your dog to think that sometimes it is ok if she doesn't respond to your "come" command. It has to be every time, and your dog must never get away with not respecting it.

8. As with all obedience training commands start your training sessions out easy, master one step then move on and build upon it. Challenge your dog along the way, but don't move too quickly. Your dog will gain confidence all the way along this process.

Depending on what level you and your dog are up to in your obedience training, you can apply one or all of the steps outlined below. I've found that if you apply repetition, reinforcement and patience to these training techniques, you and your dog will achieve great results.

dog training recall command
Dog Training - The Fast Come Command!
1. Young puppies love to follow you around and often bound up to you with great delight - use this to your advantage. At this early stage all you need to do is make it clear to your puppy that you are happy to see her each time she comes to you. Make it a very pleasant and rewarding experience, every time.

2. The next step is to introduce the verbal "come" command so that your dog connects its use with the act of coming to you.

Start inside your home with no distractions around, crouch down or kneel, then in a friendly and welcoming voice say "Macy come" (Macy's my little Shih Tzu puppy), you can even wave a tasty treat around to lure your dog over if necessary. When your puppy (or older dog) gets to you, immediately praise and reward her effort. Repeat this exercise many times throughout the day to reinforce the connection.

3. If you have someone else there to help, you can now introduce the "back and forth" game. Position yourself at one side of the room and your helper on the other side. Call your dog over "Macy come" (only once, but you can encourage her over), then reward when she arrives. Next your helper calls her over and rewards her when she arrives.

This game is a lot of fun for your dog and teaches her to respect the "come" command from a person other than youself. You can extend this exercise into a game of hide and seek by going into a different room to your partner, call your dog and let her find you. Make it worth her while when she does track you down - mosts dogs love this game.

4. Now you are confident your dog understands and is responding quickly to your "come" command you can reinforce it in different environments and situations. Put your dog on a leash (just the one you take her on walks with) and head outside. Call your dog with the same "come" command and walk backwards, when she comes close to you give her a treat and a nice scratch behind the ear. Practice this at various stages throughout your normal walk, don't forget to always praise your dog's good work!

5. The next step you can take is similar to step 4 but this time clip a long line on instead. This is a lightweight piece of rope which you can buy at pet shops or from hardware and camping stores. To start with put the long line on in a familiar environment (like your yard) and then you can progress to public places (like the dog park) when you are ready.

The long line just trails along behind your dog (she will forget it is there after a while), she will feel that she has complete freedom, but in reality you can catch her whenever you please. Continue to call your dog over "come" and praise her when she does, then send her on her way again. Please note that the trailing long line is not used to "reel your dog in", it's there as a precautionary measure to stop your dog bolting away from you. It's very hard for any dog to outrun you with the trailing leash clipped on, and hopefully you won't need to be chasing your dog anyway. For further information on using a long line and properly teaching obedience commands I recommend Secrets To Dog Training.

6. Next you can challenge your dog with a fun game. Again you should introduce this game in a safe confined area free from distractions, then progress from there. You need your helper again for this exercise. Stand about 50 feet from your helper, with your dog wandering around without a leash (you can have a tab leash on if you choose). Then throw a ball so it lands near your helper. As soon as the ball leaves your hand say "Macy come!", by doing this you are giving your dog a choice to make. She can either come to you as requested (which you would reward her for) or set off after the ball.

If she decides the ball is a better option, your helper leans down and picks it up before she arrives. Your helper just holds onto the ball and ignores your dog. When your dog decides it's time to go back to you, just give her a bit of a pat, but don't make a fuss. It's a good idea to mix it up a bit and throw the ball without issuing your "come" command at times, just let your dog get the ball.

If at any time while working through these steps your dog doesn't seem to be "getting it" just take it back a step and work on an easier level. Remember that training your dog is an ongoing process, continue to build upon and proof your good work each day.

If you plan to obedience train your dog at home I would suggest using this complete dog training package as your guide.