The Lucy's Dog House Blog

Getting the right trainer for your dog or puppy is critical in training your pet the way that you, as the owner, feel comfortable. A trainer is just like a teacher or a coach for children, if you don’t feel comfortable with how they are handling your pet you will not likely continue the training method at home which will lead to confusion and non-compliance with your dog. A good trainer or professional will always be willing to share their views on dog training as well as explain their methods and philosophy for training.

Points To Consider

Before deciding on the professional trainer to work with both yourself and you dog do a bit of research. The following questions are important to consider to be certain that the trainer that you choose will be the correct match.

1. What type of training does the kennel or trainer offer?

There are different types of trainers and various training methods. If you want a hunting dog or scent dog then the trainer should have experience in this type of specialization. Guard dogs or dogs for home protection require additional training over basic obedience and should only be trained by someone experienced with guard dog. Obedience training is different than event training and be sure the trainer has some experience in the area you are interested in.

2. What qualifications does the trainer have?

Trainers may be certified or recognized by a training association in your area or location, or they may simply have been working for a long period of time in the area and we well known by breeders and event competitors. Never be afraid to ask what qualifications or experience the trainer has.

3. What references are available?

Does the trainer have a list of references that he or she is willing to provide regarding the services they have provided. If the trainer has a certification ask what agencies granted it and do a bit of research. References should be local people or breeders and they should be open to talking about their experiences and results of using the particular trainer.

4. How should I find a trainer?

There are many different ways to locate a trainer. One of the best ways to locate a trainer in your area is to simply ask your veterinarian which professional trainer they recommend. Another option is to talk to other dog owners, especially ones with well-behaved dogs, and find out what trainers or training methods that they have used.

Attending dog shows and other events may also be helpful. Watch for handlers and owners that respond to their dogs the same way that you would like to have your dog treated and ask who has assisted with the training.

Dog owners tend to be very good references and are always happy to discuss a positive experience with a trainer. Equally most dog owners will also indicate that they had an unpleasant experience if that is the case. Remember that each trainer has their own unique style and personality so attending one or two classes and watching how the trainer responds to both the people and the dogs is a great way to get an insight into the philosophy of the training methods.



About The Author Kelly Marshall is a popular contributor at http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com - where you can find dog beds, dog steps, pet ramps, and more unique dog gear that you'll never find at your local pet store.

Keywords: pet meds, dog toys, dog beds, dog collars, pet supplies, dog training, dog bowls

Posted by lucysdoghouse at 08:30 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

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You live with a predator.

He is not human.

He is armed with fangs for slashing flesh and molars for crushing bone. His jaw may exert nine hundred pounds per square inch of pressure. He has forty-two teeth in all.

His sense of smell is so powerful that we, with our human limitations, can barely comprehend. Our olfactory sense does not detect odors unless they are painfully obvious. The nose of this more efficient hunter collects and concentrates minute traces of scent until they create a mental picture more detailed than a visual image. When he smells the ground, he knows every thing that has passed within many, many hours, days even.

While our human eyes process a wealth of colorful detail, his eyes are specialized organs tuned to detect movement above all.

Aligned above his eyes and nose, aimed forward, preternatural ears detect frequencies and sound which easily escape us. Noises such as the softest rodent squeak beneath a thick blanket of snow do not evade him. The footfall of a stranger on an outside porch step does not escape his attention. He hears the breath of large prey even from a distance.

He is swift. The fastest of his kind can sprint at forty miles per hour, covering ten feet in a single bound.

He is agile and he is strong. He can crawl. He can jump. He has a high ratio of muscle to fat. He is an efficient predator. A carnivore designed to detect prey, catch it, to kill, to eat, to reproduce.

He is a social animal. Left to his own kind, he will live in a clearly organized pack led by a dominant male and a dominant female. Serious challenges to the social structure will be met swiftly and violently. Yet a strong survival and social instinct inhibits this killer from harming his own kind unless necessary to maintain order. Thus, he speaks a complex and rich language with which he can advertise his intentions. He assures his pack mates that he means no harm, but that he will defend his rank within the pack.

He is an animal. He is a predator. He is opportunistic. He understands social order, his place in that order, and lacking strong leadership from above, he is ready to assume control of his pack. He is ready to defend his pack from outsiders. And he is ready to protect it from social unrest within.

He is your dog.

He has forsaken life with his kind to inhabit your world. But he has not forsaken his nature. He retains his predatory nature. He remains a social animal. You and your family members are his pack mates. You are his leader.

Or he is yours.

Make no mistake about it. Your dog understands the hierarchy in his pack, the organizational flow chart if you will. He will yield to pack mates above him on the chart, but not below.

For example, if you give your dog a high value treat such as a meaty bone, can you take it away? Does your dog remove the bone and run away with it as soon as you’ve given it? That is a low level form of resource guarding behavior. Higher up on the scale is when your dog freezes and stiffens over the bone. In his language, your dog is very clearly stating an intention to guard the resource.

The only question is to what length he will go in order to retain it. Perhaps he is bluffing. If you reach in closer to touch the bone he may give it up. Or perhaps he will begin to growl, stiffening further over the treat, revealing his fangs. Whether he decides to bite you is a question determined not only by his perception of your ranking versus his, but also by the level of aggression he is willing to employ in defending this resource from you on this day.

If he is your leader, then he decides whether or not you touch the bone, and if that act will cost you an injury. If you are his leader, then when you make clear your intent to take the bone, he drops it into your hand without protest.

Dogs do not bite by accident. They decide. They choose. They make conscious decisions in a split second. If your dog permits you to take food and other valuable resources away and is willing to follow your direction, chances are good that he regards you as his leader. Therefore, he will give you all the privileges due your rank.

However, you may find that the dog does not treat all members of your family the same. If he respects you, but not your spouse or children, this can lead to serious problems. Be on the look out for ranking issues in the family.

If you find that your dog does not accept your leadership role, consider contacting us or another professional dog trainer to assist you. Not all dominant dogs are aggressive. Some dogs are very benign dictators who never bother to reinforce their rules upon you. But if your dog is the leader in your home, things can go wrong in this backward relationship.

The beauty of dog training is that, much like counseling, it can put the relationship back on track so the love affair can flourish.



About The Author Marc Goldberg is a dog trainer specializing in the rehabilitation of difficult dogs and improving relationships. He is Vice President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and Editor of SafeHands Journal. The author also educates professional dog trainers in his techniques. Visit him on the web at http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com or http://www.dogtraininginchicago.com. http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com

Keywords: dog toys, dog beds, dog collars, pet supplies, dog training, dog health

Posted by lucysdoghouse at 08:27 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

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Punishment is a controversial subject in dog training, though it is widely used by both traditional and positive trainers.

The most common punishment is positive punishment. It consists in stopping an undesired behavior by adding an unpleasant thing or situation. Therefore, leash tugs are positive punishments.

On the other hand, negative punishment consists in stopping an undesired behavior by removing a pleasant thing or situation. Thus, you would be applying negative punishment if you remove a food treat or a toy from your dog's sight.

Positive punishment is widely used by traditional trainers and seldom used by positive trainers. Negative punishment is mostly used by positive trainers and seldom used by traditional trainers.

Typical positive punishers in dog training are: a pinch from the prong collar, an unpleasant and perhaps painful sensation when the choke chain closes, the "No" command, water squirts on the dog's face, loud sounds produced by objects thrown near the dog, electric shocks produced by electric collars and electric fences, etc.

Typical negative punishers in dog training are: ignoring your dog, a food treat removed from the scene, a toy removed from the scene, the end of a game, the end of a walk, stopping the walk when the dog pulls the leash, etc.

Although punishment is so widely used to train dogs, even in positive training, most trainers are not aware of its risks and limitations. Both positive and negative punishments could produce collateral adverse effects which include stress, anxiety and a reduction of learning abilities. Besides, when used too often, punishments could also lead to shyness and/or aggression. Of course, negative punishment tend to have less (or at least less intense) adverse effects.

Another disadvantage of punishment is that it has no long term effects. While you can use punishment to stop your dog from doing an unwanted behavior, this does not ensure that the behavior's frequency will be reduced. Punished behaviors tend to be maintained when the punishment is not applied frequently. That is the reason why prong, choke and electric collars are used even on dogs that have already being trained.

Despite the short term span of punishment, punished behaviors' frequency seems to be reduced in dogs that have been trained in such way. However, this usually is an erroneous interpretation because those behaviors don't appear when the punisher (maybe the trainer) is present. Then, after the punisher has been removed, the frequency of those behaviors tends to increase again.

It is very easy to see what I explained in the previous paragraph. Just look for a traditional trained dog which has not been trained by his owner. The dog will work perfectly when the trainer is present but stop working when the trainer is absent. Therefore, you can infer that the dog experiences some kind of anxiety when the trainer is present, because that man is somehow associated with punishment.

This does not mean that traditional trainers are cruel or violent. Of course there are stupid and cruel guys who call themselves trainers, but most traditional trainers can train dogs that obey happily and without fear. However, to achieve this level of training while using punishment and negative reinforcement, you must be very experienced. It is not easy to become a good traditional dog trainer.

A similar situation occurs when using negative punishment. For instance, you can stop your dog from jumping on you just by ignoring him when that behavior is displayed. However, it takes just one reinforcing episode (giving attention to your dog when he jumps on you) to take back the unwanted behavior. Even worst, it is very likely that the jumping behavior will be strengthened by that reinforcing episode, so you will need much more time to retrain your dog.

Ok, at this point it seems that this article is just an anti-punishment propaganda. Please believe me, it is not such thing. Punishment could be useful to train animals, which has been proven by scientific studies on experimental psychology. However, it could also have really big drawbacks.

So, if you are thinking to use punishment to train your dog, please don't rely only on reading about it. Call an expert and ask him/her to teach you the proper way to use punishments. And please don't believe the false statement that "choke chains, prong collars and electric collars are not punishing devices, but corrective ones". They are punishers. Therefore, if you are going to use those devices to train your dog, learn it from an expert.

On the other hand, you have a lot of alternatives to train your dog without punishment. There are several proven methods to stop your dog from doing unwanted behaviors without using punishment: training an incompatible behavior, putting the unwanted behavior on command, reinforcing every behavior except the undesired one, changing the motivation, etc.



About The Author Rodrigo Trigosso is a biologist and professional dog trainer. His website at http://www.dog-training-tutorial.com provides objective and reliable information on dog training and behavior.

Keywords: pet meds, dog toys, dog beds, dog collars, pet supplies, dog training, dog bowls

Posted by lucysdoghouse at 03:17 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

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Dog behavior training is both an art and a science. Some experts say that a dog can have up to an 800-word vocabulary. I’m not so convinced of the number of words but I can verify that many of my dogs showed an uncanny ability to figure out exactly what I was trying to communicate.

One of the best dog training tips I ever got was from a neighbor when I got my first puppy. I was about 9 years old and this was the best present my parents had ever given me. My neighbor was an old hand at training dogs and had living proof in his own dog.

The first thing I did when I got Skipper (not sure why I picked that name, it just sounded right) was to rush over and show my neighbor. His name was hard to pronounce so every one in the neighborhood just called him Mr. D. So Mr. D was kind enough to run through some dog training basics and taught me a lot about how to take care of my new puppy.

Mr. D’s dog was a Jack Terrier called Willie. Willie could do any trick and would respond to almost any request. Willie pretty much had the run of the neighborhood and was known by all. In those days people just let their dog out since there were no leash laws and no one complained. My Mom often gave Willie any leftovers or a soup bones when he would stop by for a visit.

So when I showed up with Skipper, Willie was as excited as I was to have a new playmate. Skipper was a Springer Spaniel that we had rescued from the city dog pound. Skipper was probably about 6 months old but we never knew for sure since the dog pound didn’t know when he was born.

The first order of business was your basic dog house training. I got off pretty easy on this phase since Skipper seemed to prefer going outside to do his bathroom chores. From day one Skipper would go to the door and want to be let out when he needed to go.

Mr. D explained that the two most important things about any kind of dog training were rewards and repetition. The reward could be as simple as praise or a pat on the head. And that I should spend at least 30 minutes a day working with Skipper on anything I wanted to teach him to do.

So each day I would spend 30 minutes teaching Skipper how to stay, sit, fetch, and come when I called. Willie would come over and help too. I don’t know if they actually communicated but having another dog around that already knew all these tricks had to be beneficial.

Skipper also showed a high aptitude for retrieving. Of course I didn’t know at the time that he was a natural born retriever and took credit for being a great and skilled dog trainer. Once I got the basics down I worked on teaching Skipper how to heel, play dead, and not to jump on people.

Skipper started learning on his own too. When I was at school or somewhere that Skipper couldn’t go, my mother would be his next choice in companion. In those days we had what was called a Bookmobile that was a bus from the local library that would come to the neighborhood twice a week.

Skipper figured out that when the Bookmobile came he got to go for a walk with my mother. So like clockwork, Skipper would come to get my mother when it was about 2:00 pm on Tuesday and Friday. Skipper loved to go since he got to sit at the door and welcome every one that showed up each day.

Skipper also knew when it was Saturday. Saturday was grocery-shopping day and when my mother went to the store she always asked the meat department for some bones. Skipper knew that he would get his favorite snack on Saturday afternoons when my mother came back from the store.

For the next 14 years Skipper was my constant companion and escort. Skipper was an exceptional dog in disposition, learning ability, and affection. I also had a big advantage having a helpful neighbor and watching him and his dog. Mr. D and Willie were both a huge help and positive influence.

Dog training does require some dedicated effort but the rewards are more than worth the investment. My current dog, Tuxcitto, is a 24/7 project since he is a Border Collie and full of vim and vigor. But Tuxcitto is a lot like Skipper in that he is a fast learner and extremely affectionate companion.



About The Author John Dow owns http://www.freedogtrainingarticles.com, a website that provides free information on dog training. John gets to test his dog training skills daily with his new dog Tuxcitto. You can learn more here: http://www.freedogtrainingarticles.com

Keywords: pet meds, dog toys, dog beds, dog collars, pet supplies, dog training, dog bowls

Posted by lucysdoghouse at 03:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

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Dogs love to dig, let's face it, it is a very natural and instinctual part of their makeup, and "it is a very enjoyable behavior for them" says Deborah L. Forthman, Ph.D. digging is something that dogs have been doing from the beginning, but there are ways to reduce the amount your dog digs.

Here are 7 different methods to help train your dog not to dig.

1.Before you begin with your dog obedience training on how to stop him from digging, try to figure out exactly what is causing your dog to behave that way. If he is very persistent into digging in one area, you may use the dog training command “leave” while using treats to distract him. You can also distract him by using a particular smell that excites him. These dog behavior modification methods typically work very well.

2. Try not to do any type of gardening and digging when your dog is around because remember that your dog looks up to you and wants to obey you, that being the case when your dog sees you digging and playing in the yard of course he will also think that is what he should be doing.

3. Exercise is a very important aspect of your dog's health, and not only that, the more exercise your dog gets, and the more energy the expends, the less likely that your dog will be able to muster up the energy, or the desire to go digging up your yard. If you find that your dog tends to like to dig at particular times of the day, then make sure you give him plenty of exercise around those times if possible so that he just can't be bothered digging.

4. Make sure that you are more understanding and less scolding with your dogs digging habit, particularly during the winter months. Often during the winter months dogs will dig more than the rest of the year the reasons that these years that your dog has a natural instinct for finding warmer places and dogs sense that by digging, they will get into a warmer area and this is certainly correct. If and when you do notice that your dog is digging more frequently when the temperature is cooler outside, then it is very important to be understanding and not to scold your dog for doing that, but relieve the situation by providing the right environment for him.

5. There are some dogs that absolutely positively can't resist digging, so rather than trying to go against nature and stop them altogether, let's take a different approach and create a special spot for your dog to dig in. Most dog experts agree that for some breeds it is almost impossible to prevent them from digging 100% of the time, and because your dog enjoys digging so much, train him to only dig in his special spot. The area you provide for him to did in doesn't need to be that big, something around three or four foot by six-foot should do the trick nicely.

6. Having your dog neutered or spade is one sure way to reduce their desire to dig because their drive to mate is drastically reduced, and without your dog having a strong desire to mate you almost certainly have a lot less holes in your yard.

7. Be very careful that if you do correct your dog when you catch him digging in the yard that you only do it with warmth and compassion, and that you absolutely must do it at the moment in time that he is digging and that you don't wait for him to stop and then correct him. This will reinforce whatever he is doing with your response, if you wait until he is finished and you scold him then he will get the wrong message.

Instead when you catch him digging try to immediately replace one activity with another, so therefore distract him from his digging and replace it with an enjoyable activity for him to do. If you continually do this it will help modify his behavior and reduce your dogs digging adventures.



About The Author Michael Weber is a passionate dog owner who studies the psychology of dogs, Michael helps people communicate properly with their dogs and to fix dog behavior problems fast. Visit here for Your Free Multi Media Mini Course: http://www.doginfoworld.com

Keywords: pet meds, dog toys, dog beds, dog collars, pet supplies, dog training, dog bowls

Posted by lucysdoghouse at 10:54 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

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