Your Dog Needs You

Dog Training Tips Part III: Let Your Dog Win!

Mia — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 06:07:36 +0000

In my previous two blogs in this series, I talked about having a training goal in place and rewarding effort. If you apply these tips correctly, eventually your dog will be getting it right most of the time. If your dog is constantly failing, then you have not clearly communicated your goal to your dog or you have expected too much. A dog that is contantly failing (and also gets punished for it), becomes helpess. Helpless dogs lose all interest in training because it’s not fun or rewarding. In order to avoid your dog becoming helpess, you must set it up for regular wins. Success equals rewards, which equals fun, which means the dog is more receptive to learning new behavior. As you can see, the formula is simple: frequent... [Read the rest or post a comment]

Dog Training Tips Part II: Reward Improvement

Mia — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:06:17 +0000

This is the second of my ten part blog series on basic dog training principles. This series will focus on the foundations of dog training; knowing these principles and strategies will make training your dog easier, simpler and faster. These principles are used by professional dog trainers to get the best from any dog they train. You, too, can easily apply these tips so dog training is no longer frustrating. With my tips, you and your dog can actually enjoy training together! In part I of this series, I talked about having an ultimate goal for any command. The operative word here is ‘ultimate’; this means you can’t expect immediate perfection from your dog. Any dog, even those trained by professionals, need time and repeated reinforcement before they learn any... [Read the rest or post a comment]

Dog Training Tips Part I: Know Your Goal

Mia — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:33:40 +0000

This is the first of my ten part series on basic dog training principles. This series will focus on the foundations of dog training; knowing these principles and strategies will make training your dog easier, simpler and faster. These principles are used by professional dog trainers to get the best from any dog they train. You, too, can easily apply these tips so dog training is no longer frustrating. With my tips you and your dog can actually enjoy training together. Whenever you want your dog to learn a new trick, command or behavior, you must have the outcome in mind. Always begin any training program with this question: What command do I want my dog to understand and perform? As an example your goal might be: I would like... [Read the rest or post a comment]

Dog Obedience Basics: Release Me!

Mia — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:25:56 +0000

Always use a release after you have given your dog a command. A release word is the equivalent of giving your dog permission to be ‘at ease’. By using a release, you are teaching your dog that she should stay in a position, such as sit or drop, until she is released or given another command. If you use a release word correctly, you will never have to teach your dog ‘stay’ because your dog will stay in any position until you release her. The release word can be anything, as long as you use that word consistently. I use the word ‘free.’ Some people use ‘okay’, but many professional dog trainers say ‘okay’ may cause the dog confusion because it is used commonly in general conversation. Whether you have... [Read the rest or post a comment]

A Tip to Stop Your Dog’s Restless Nights

Mia — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 09:25:14 +0000

I would often hear my boy Frodo rustle around at night as a puppy. I thought his nocturnal roaming was just his nature; that he loved to ‘guard the perimeter’ or scare off any nocturnal bugs that caught his attention. As Frodo got older his restlessness continued -he even started to bark late at night. Frodo was normally such a quiet soul and when his barking got worse I began to wonder what is this little guy’s problem? Now that I’m a dog trainer and understand dogs better, I’ve come to realise that Frodo’s nocturnal activity was probably a result of him feeling somewhat insecure and maybe a little cold too. You see, the barking and night roaming diminished drastically when I did one simple thing: I got him the right bed.... [Read the rest or post a comment]

Is Your Dog Trying to be Your Boss?

Mia — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:26:43 +0000

In one of my training guides I say that it’s not always a good idea to allow your dog on the bed or couch. I say this because some dogs can get a little too comfy and see the bed or couch as their territory; you may have seen (or even owned) a dog that growls or snaps when you or another tries to sit on the couch with the dog. In this situation the dog’s reaction is a sign that it is ‘guarding’ an important resource, that is, the comfy bed or couch! If your dog is quite obedient and tends to listen to you, then I think it’s okay to relax that rule. This is especially true if your dog has never snapped or growled at you. If... [Read the rest or post a comment]

Don’t Pat Your Dog!

Mia — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:34:06 +0000

The other day at the puppy class I run, I came across an angry little boy named Carter. Despite being only 12 weeks old, this little fellow snapped and growled at the other pups. The class had not even started, yet tension amongst the owners was high. This was understandable – they were nervous because this little pup was menacing their own beloved pups. I must admit, I was taken aback. It was the first time I’d ever come across this behaviour in such a young dog. What could I do to reassure the class? What could I do to help Carter? As I observed Carter being patted by his owner, I realised that Carter was being rewarded for this behaviour. I immediately said to Carter’s owner “Don’t pat your dog!”... [Read the rest or post a comment]

Should I allow my dog on the couch or bed?

Mia — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:32:17 +0000

I admit that I am an advocate of strong leadership when it comes to an owner’s relationship with their dog, but I have softened on one of my rules… In the past I have said: “When sitting or sleeping you must be on a higher level than your dog – your dog should not be allowed on your bed or couch.” My reason for this advice was that our relationship with dogs is based on physical cues. Dogs respond well to strong, consistent, literal body language. As such, in the canine world leaders should be literally higher than their subordinates; by being physically higher than your dog, you can assert authority and command respect. Whilst I still think this is true, I also know that many dog owners – including... [Read the rest or post a comment]

My Dog Won’t Come When Called

Mia — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:12:25 +0000

It’s so frustrating when your dog won’t come when called. Even when you have taught your dog to come on command in the backyard, the presence of other dogs or food in the park can be too much of a temptation. Many owners say that, although their dog is relatively well-behaved and obedient, the dogs seem to ‘lose it’ in open space and run off easily. I, too, have experienced this problem with one of my dogs. Through careful preparation and a planned training program, I can now have this ‘runaway’ walk beside me off-lead in a suburban street, and he does not run off. However, I always remain vigilant. Now my dog walks beside me with the lead draped over his back. If you were to ask dogs why they... [Read the rest or post a comment]

Why Isn’t My Dog Learning Quicker?

Mia — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:30:43 +0000

When it comes to reducing a dog’s unwanted behaviour, many owners tell me they have moments when they get frustrated. This is because, despite their best training efforts, the dogs’ behaviour gets worse. This usually results in the owners giving up because they believe what they’re doing to address the problem is simply not working. My advice? Don’t give up! Any training plan that addresses a dog’s unwanted behaviour should be followed through, even if the dog’s behaviour appears, for a time, to get worse. This is because when a dog is introduced to a new behaviour, the dog will attempt to desperately cling to what she knows best. If you were to ask the dog why she does this, she’d say: “What I have done has always worked for me, but my... [Read the rest or post a comment]