Five Great Dog Training Tips

We were at a home dog training session recently and our client was really passionate about being a great dog owner. “I really want to be a great dog owner but there are so many opinions and suggestions of what I should do!  Are there some general things that I really need to focus on?”

There are bookstores and on-line resources just packed full of dog books.  If we wanted to, we could spend years just reading about what we should do with our dogs.  I don’t know about you, but I have would rather spend that time enjoying my dog.  With that in mind, let me cut to the chase and give you the five "you really shoulds" for your dog:

• First, good dog owners walk and exercise their dogs. Most dogs love to run and play. It is both a physical and mental release and helps keep them emotionally happy and physically strong. 
• Feed a good quality food. Good nutrition is one way a dog owner can proactively make a difference in their dogs health. Over the past two decades, there has been a lot of research and scientific information used to properly formulate dogs foods to optimize health. Many of the foods that we recommend have these enhanced formulas that helps burn fat, develop muscle and promote healthy digestion. They were developed by nutritionists and veterinarians, so these complete, all-in-one diets have the right balance of proteins, fats and fibers to help protect your dogs health. Please do your own research and select a great food for your dog.  Please check out a food we highly recommend at Really Good Dog Food in South Florida.
• Good daily care. Daily monitoring of your dogs appetite and potty habits are a part of be a good responsible dog owner. Healthy dogs have a good appetite, standard potty habbits, and maintain an ideal weight. Any abnormalities should be noted and any persistent changes should be reported to your veterinarian. 
• Yearly check-ups. Ensuring that your dog has yearly check-ups to help identify any medical problems before they become problems is a very good habit. During the yearly exam, your veterinarian will also determine if your dog requires any vaccines, flea control or heart worm preventative medications. These measures will help to keep your dog healthy and comfortable. Many veterinarians offer plans that provide check-ups at discounted rates.  Be sure to ask your veterinarian if they offer this service.
• Daily grooming. Monitoring your dogs nails and trim them when needed, brush his teeth at least every other day and daily brush his hair are important ways to prevent unnecessary problems such as dental disease, torn nails, matting, and needless shedding around your home.

Do these things and your dog will thank you with better health and months, if not years added to their lives.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in SouthFlorida.

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Dog Training Tips from Coral Springs When the Family is Crazy

We were at a Dog Training revisit session with a family in Coral Springs last week and their dog that was fine when we had left the first time had gone back to showing the same bad behavior we observed at the beginning of our first session.  The entire family was there for our current visit and we observed that the family dynamics was “nuts”.  Everyone was all over the place.  At one point the mother looked at us and asked “Can our family be making our dog go nuts?”

To paraphrase Charlie Sheen... "Duh, Yes!"

We always try to reinforce the idea that in order to have your dog learn, you must first establish a calm and consistent environment. This will allow your dog have the opportunity to provide focus and allows you to have the opportunity to command that focus.  Your ability to show a passive, assertive nature towards your dog will naturally have him drawn towards you as the one telling him what to do next. 

Guess what, if the environment is full of yelling and screaming, you can’t be focused on your dog and he will naturally draw away from “crazy you”.  What is imperative is that your entire family take a deep breath and “think good thoughts”.  This will provide the essence of what is required to begin the respectful relationship between you and your dog.  This can be really hard to accomplish, but let me provide you with some ideas:

• As a family, you (and I mean all of you) must have a family meeting to discuss how you want your dog to act.  Make a list of rules that you will all agree is correct and you all will agree to enforce.  If you feel that a rule might be too hard for everyone to enforce, change it before you begin.
• Review each rule and discuss how each family member will enforce that rule.  It might be that a sibling just might not engage in a particular act that encourages the inappropriate action.
• Every family member must agree to their tasks and the results they wish to accomplish.  This is not only for them, but for the greater good of the entire family.
• Have every member of the family work with your dog on a daily basis on one or more of the issues your family has identified.  Have them work in teams so that they can make sure that they stay consistent.

As you are doing all this, be sure not to:

·                     Scream your dog

·                     Hit, kick, push, or do anything hurtful or frightening to him

·                     Play rough with him

·                     Give him treats to do what you want him to do.

As we always tell our clients, remain calm and stay consistent.  This might sound really easy to do, but when you have a crazy family; it is hard to put into action.  For more information on this subject or tips on other dog training issues, please call us at (954) 424-0170 or contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in Coral Springs and South Florida.

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More Quick Tips When Walking Your Puppy

There are so many things I have to remember when walking my puppy.  What is a quick safety tip that I could be overlooking?

Down here in South Florida it is hot and humid most of the year.  Because of this, we have a lot of standing water and mold.  Little puppies love to sniff and lick just about anything.  The one thing you dont want them to do is to ingest mold and run the risk of stomach infections, loose stools, or even worse.  Here are a few, simple suggestions you might employ while walking your little puppy, Wolfie:

• Always be aware of your environment and avoid standing water or really dirty sidewalks.
• Walk at a brisk pace and stop only when you think it is safe for Wolfie to sniff and just be a puppy.
• Dont just blindly look off into the distance when you are walking.  Always keep your eye on Wolfie to make sure he is keeping his nose and mouth off the ground.
• Walk Wolfie on a short leash.  This takes away a great deal of the opportunity for him to get into trouble.  It also make is easier for you to keep him in control.

Always be observant of Wolfie when you are home.  If you see he is having loose stool, becomes listless, or his eating habits change, give your Veterinarian a call right away and discuss the problem.  It is our responsibility to keep our little puppy safe for his entire life and part of that is just being a smart and observant leader.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Five Great Things a Good Dog Owner Should Do for Their Dog

I really want to be a great dog owner for Wolfie and there are so many opinions and suggestions of what I should do!  Are there some general things that I really need to focus on?

There are bookstores and bookstores full of dog books.  We could spend the rest of our lives just reading about what we should do with our dogs.  Since we probably dont have time for that, let me cut to the chase and give you the five "you really shoulds" for your dog:

1. First, good dog owners walk and exercise their dogs. Most dogs love to run and play. It is both a physical and mental release and helps keep them physically strong and emotionally happy. 
2. Yearly check-ups. Ensuring that your dog has yearly check-ups to help identify any medical problems before they become problems is a very good habit. During the yearly exam, your veterinarian will also determine if your dog requires any vaccines, flea control or heart worm preventative medications. These measures will help to keep your dog healthy and comfortable. 
3. Good daily care. Daily monitoring of your dogs appetite, urinations, bowel movements are a part of be a good responsible dog owner. Healthy dogs have a good appetite, normal urinations, healthy bowel movements and maintain an ideal weight. Any abnormalities should be noted and any persistent changes should be reported to your veterinarian. 
4. Feed a good quality food. Good nutrition is one way a dog owner can proactively make a difference in their dogs health. Over the past two decades, there has been a lot of research and scientific information used to properly formulate dogs foods to optimize health. Many of the foods that we recommend have these enhanced formulas that helps burn fat, develop muscle and promote healthy digestion. They were developed by nutritionists and veterinarians, so these complete, all-in-one diets have the right balance of proteins, fats and fibers to help protect your dogs health. Please do your own research and select a great food for your dog.
5. Daily grooming. Monitoring your dogs nails and trim them when needed, brush his teeth at least every other day and daily brush his hair are important ways to prevent unnecessary problems such as dental disease, torn nails, matting, and needless shedding around your home.

Do these things and your dog will thank you with better health and months, if not years added to their lives.

For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.. 

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Dog Training Tips from Plantation about Extension Dog Leashes

Pardon me if I just get on my high horse for a moment and talk about one of my biggest dog training pet peeves…  People who use extension leashes with their dogs!

First of all, I have to state that we all just love things with buttons, widgets, and gizmos.  We always think that the more buttons, the better it is.  Let’s check out an extension leash.  Wow!  It has a handle and several buttons.  Look at all these things you can do with it!  You just have to get it because you need to be pushing those buttons!

No you dont. Bad, bad dog owner!

I always teach my clients that the most important thing that we must do when we have our dogs out with us is to let them know we are keeping them safe and protected.  We might be walking in our neighborhood, at the park, or at the mall.  In order to do this, we must have their focus so that we can let them know how they need to act.  If we are walking and change direction, they must understand that they need to change direction too.  If we slow down and stop, they must do the same thing.  This allows them to follow our lead and stay safe.

To be able to do this, our dog must always have an eye on us and we must have an eye on him. The only way this can happen is if he is by our side. If he starts to deviate from our side, we must be able to guide him back.  When this takes place, we are providing the proper consistency and repetition of our actions to communicate to our dog "dont worry, you are with me."

Now let’s talk about the horrible extension leash. The only thing this leash does is to give your dog the ability to do whatever he wants.  He can be twenty feet in front of you, behind you sniffing the bushes, or even in the street.  The one thing he is not is by your side, focused on your actions.  When this occurs in the canine world, and you allow it to occur, you are placing the "Boss Hat" on your dog. He gets to do whatever he wants because you are letting him.

With the extension leash, when another dog or person starts to approach you, your dog will bark and jump at them.  He is simply taking the leadership/protective role in the situation. You might get mad and yell at your dog, but you are still allowing him to lead.  He is the leader.

The good old fashioned six foot leash allows you can keep your dog right next to you and naturally provides the leadership your dog requires. You will have a great "walkies" and a dog that will be well behaved on and off the leash.

I could go on and on about this subject, but I will stop now.  If you would like to hear more why I hate the extension dog leash or have any other dog training questions, please call us at (954) 424-0170 or go to The Best Dog Trainers in Plantation and South Florida.

Labels: dog training leash walking extension

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