Tracking Log 20141019 Abby

Time Laid: 9:30 AM Time Worked: 10:20 AM
Distance: 131 yards
Weather: 54°F FEELS LIKE 54° Sunny
  Wind: NW at 7 mph
  Humidity: 59%
  UV Index: 3 - Moderate
  Pressure: 30.13 in
  Dew Point: 40°
  Visibility: 10.0 mi

Comments: Worked in north field for the first time. Grass cover varied with some good cool season grass mixed with dead crabgrass and some broomstraw.  Height 4 - 8". U-shaped track from west to east to north to west.  1 article (Lil Cesar) at the end.  Worked with two lines . . . 1 flat collar, 1 prong.

Abby started nicely.  We worked on sit/wait at start.  She responded calmly to the track signal, immediately moving to the flag and finding the bait there. She tracked reasonably deep-nosed in the thick grass. As we moved into sparser cover, she lifted her head a few times and showed some distraction.  She tracked to the first corner, which she over shot.   I had to manually bring her back to the corner, after which she found the corner, and worked the second leg, finding the bait.  She moved into the second corner nicely, but then became distracted on the third leg.  This leg was in deep grass, so no reason to distract that Im aware.  Possible wildlife in the brush alongside the field. She tracked somewhat high-headed for the remainder of the leg to the end, finding the final article.

Estimated score 65.

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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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I Want Wolfie to Stop Jumping on My Friends

I just dont get it.  Wolfie seems to be such a good dog, but I cant keep him from jumping on my guests every time they come in the front door.  It was cute when he was a puppy, but now he is over 100 lbs.  What gives?

This is a classic "annoying problem" that, unfortunately, we bring on ourselves.  It is so great when you get your little puppy.  They are so full of life and just wanting affection all day long.  We have them jump on us and we give them hugs, chase them around the room, play with them when they bring us toys, pet them when they nudge our hands, and a whole lot of other "puppy things".

The problem is that we are now socializing them to particular behaviors.  We are teaching them how to jump, chase, and demand attention.  The problem is that Wolfie learns in a very black and white method.  If we teach him to jump, it is OK to jump on everybody all the time.  If we teach him to demand attention, he can demand attention from everybody all the time.

As we interact with our puppies or dogs, we must understand that whatever we ask them to do, from their perspective, they can do with anyone all the time.  "Wolfie can jump on me, but not my guests" is something that we might be able to understand, but Wolfie will not understand.  All Wolfie can understand is "I can jump".  So if Wolfie is performing any action that you would not allow him to perform anytime with anybody, you must teach him that is not what you want him to do.

The bottom line is to think of your rules, or what you want Wolfie to do through his eyes. Examples of what your rules might be are:

• No jumping.
• Off the furniture.
• Not in babys room.
• No counter surfing...

When things are simple and straightforward, Wolfie gets it.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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PIT BULLS AND OTHER DANGEROUS DOGS KEEP ON KILLING

http://www.optuszoo.com.au/news/top/news-com-au/guide-dog-killed-in-pit-bull-attack/750059

ANOTHER innocent Guide dog killed in yet ANOTHER vicious pit bull attack.  When are pit bull owners finally going to understand that their dogs are dangerous; they pose a huge danger to society!

Pit bulls are mauling, maiming and killing people, pets, and service/guide dogs at a rate UNMATCHED by any other type of dog, and WE ARE SICK OF IT!!!!

I dont really care whos at fault, whether its the dogs or the owners; it makes no difference to me. The fact is that pit bulls are dangerous, and a lot of times, so are their owners. So dont bother with your comments about who is at fault, and comment about that "its the owners fault."  I DONT CARE!!!! The FACT is, PIT BULLS CONTINUE TO MAUL, MAIM AND KILL AND IT NEEDS TO STOP, by whatever means necessary! If the damn dogs have to be removed as pets, then so be it.  This guide dog, and NO guide or service dogs, or family pets, or children, or adults deserve to be mauled to death or eaten alive by some aggressive dog, just because its owner thinks he/she has the RIGHT to own whatever dog they want.  Well, guess what....WE HAVE RIGHTS TOO!!!! WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL AND TO BE SAFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS! 
And were DAMNED TIRED of your vicious dogs harassing, threatening, mauling and attacking, and even KILLING our family members, our pets, and our service and guide dogs! 

It used to be easy for you who own pit bulls, but not anymore! We are going to FIGHT you! And we WILL NOT STOP until these vicious dogs are off of our city streets and are NO longer in homes as pets.  WE WILL FIGHT until its done; until we can live safer, and in more peace in our neighborhoods and can walk down the street with our children, or our dogs and guide/service dogs, without the fear of being mauled to death by your inherently vicious pit bull type dog! 

If you dont want the fight, THEN CONTROL YOUR VICIOUS ANIMALS! Put up an adequate fence, get a stronger leash, train your dogs, put them in a locked pen....do whatever you have to do to MAKE THIS STOP, or youre going to have the fight of your life on your hands! We are gathering an army of support, most of them victims, and we WILL fight you! 


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2186433/Dog-bite-hospital-admissions-rise--especially-children.html

"In the UK it is illegal to breed or own Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brazilieros. They were bred as aggressive fighting dogs.

It is also an offence for an owner to allow a dog of any breed to be dangerously out of control in a public place.

The Government has recognised that dog attacks is a growing problem. In 2011 police seized 1,512 illegal dogs – up from just 27 five years earlier. Meanwhile attacks on guide dogs were now running at the rate of seven a month."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2186433/Dog-bite-hospital-admissions-rise--especially-children.html#ixzz23AkD4Eoa

You CANNOT argue the FACT that pit bulls and their mixes, were bred to fight and kill, EVERYONE seems to know that except the owners of these dogs! 

These attacks are inexcusable! Unacceptable! And completely PREVENTABLE! 

You wonder why people like us want BSL?   THIS IS WHY! Because YOU pit bull owners, and owners of DANGEROUS DOGS cant seem to keep your damn killing machines under control! 

Have you ANY idea what it takes to train a service or guide dog? Have you any idea how much it costs? Do you know what kind of a bond a handler has with his/her service/guide dog?  DO YOU EVEN GIVE A DAMN?????


We Will be quiet NO MORE!!!!!!!

Join us to Walk For Victims of Pit Bulls and Other Dangerous Dogs

October 27th, 2012

12 noon- 7pm

Lincoln Park, Tucson, AZ 

ITS TIME FOR THE VOICES OF THE VICTIMS TO BE HEARD!!!

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When Wolfie is Sick

Every once in a while, Wolfie gets an upset stomach and throws up his food.  Do I need to always rush to the Vet?

If you are a new dog owner or if Wolfie is a small puppy, I would at least call your Vet, explain the situation, and ask for their advise.  If you believe that they have come in contact with anything poisonous (click here for more details), wash their mouth out and take them to the Vet.  If Wolfie isnt a puppy and you have had dogs before, I would use my common sense and experience to decide what to do. 

The big thing is observation.  After they have thrown up, are they still active?  Do they still have an apatite?  Are they hydrated?  (You can tell this by pinching their fur and see if it bounces back or stays in that "pinch".  If it bounces back, they are hydrated, if it doesnt, they are dehydrated and need to go to the Vet.)

If they are still active, have an apatite, and are hydrated, it might be a good idea to continue watching them.  This "upset stomach" might have been a one-time thing and they will be fine.

The one thing that you should do during this time is to change their diet from their regular, dry food to something more soothing for their stomach.  Just like us, we suggest white rice with a cut up boneless chicken breast.  Make sure they have all the water they want.  After about a day, everything should be fine and they can go back on their regular food.

If, from your observations, they continue to throw up, become listless, or dehydrated; off to the Vet you go!

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When Your Dog Comes Inside and Potties on the Carpet

My dog is normally pretty good about pottying, but sometimes he doesnt potty outside and as soon as we come inside, he will potty.  This is just weird.  What can I do to fix this and keep my carpet from being an over-glorified wee-wee pad?

This is a frequent question posed by many of our clients.  Their dog normally doesnt potty in the house, there are just some timing issues that need to be addressed.  If this is truly the case, we have some simple suggestions to help you out:

• When you take your dog outside to potty, actively engage him in high energy play.  Throw the ball for him.  Hide a few toys around the yard and encourage him to actively find them.  Play fetch.  Whatever you do, make sure it is high energy so that you are speeding up your dog’s metabolism.  This encourages “potty”.
• Stop your active play and simply stand back.  Let your dog calm down and begin to focus on the smells of the yard.  This encourages the potty process.  You will normally see him still romp around for a bit and then begin to intensely sniff an area.  This is a sign that he is ready to potty.
• Once he performs his #1 and #2, do not bring him in right away.  Let him “hang out” for a few more minutes.  Sometimes dogs need to potty more than once.  If we bring him in too soon, we have moved the bathroom inside.
• If your dog didn’t potty after fifteen or twenty minutes, take him inside but keep him on a leash and next to you.  Wait five minutes and take him out again.  If coming inside somehow stimulates his need to potty, as stated in our original issue, we have started the process.  The difference is that we will only be inside for a few minutes and we will constantly be with our dog.  Note:  Dogs normally don’t want to go to the bathroom right next to you.

Having your dog outside for potty and then bringing them in only to mess on your carpet is annoying and smelly.  We hope that these suggestions will help you eliminate that problem.  As always, please contact us if you have any questions at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Dog Training is a Family Event

I am trying to train Wolfie, but the rest of the family just doesnt want to get involved.. They then complain when Wolfie nips their pants and never listens.  What gives?

Having trained over 2,000 dogs, it has become quite clear to us that training your dog is a family event.  To give you a quick example, when you were a child, what if your mother was the disciplinarian and tried to teach you right and wrong?  When  your father came home, he had nothing to do with you and could care less what you did or said.  You would probably turn out as a "messed up" kid.  The same can be said about the dog-human family dynamic.

Dogs crave consistency and rules.  If one family member responds to Wolfie in a specific way, he expects that the next family member will also act in the same way.  If they dont, it creates an inconsistent environment for the dog.  This will result in the Wolfies lack of focus or obedience to you or anyone in the family.  In Wolfies eyes, why should he listen, you are all nuts!  The more the family is inconsistent, the more that Wolfie ignores and disobeys their wishes.  Frustration among the family members mounts and could even escalate to harmful, physical acts or having Wolfie surrendered to the Dog Pound.

The bottom line is that this doesnt have to happen.  Before you get a dog, have a family meeting to discuss the responsibilities the family is about to undertake.  A few things you should include in your discussion are:

• Everyone must agree that they want a dog.  (Wolfie cant be unwanted from the very first day!)
• Everyone will agree to the family rules between them and Wolfie.  Items to include are:
• What rooms will Wolfie be allowed to enter?
• On or off the furniture?
• Jumping or not jumping?
• What kind of play in the house?
• etc.
• Everyone will agree that they will be involved with Wolfies training and socialization.
• Create a feeding, playing and walking schedule.  Assign names!
• Discuss how you want Wolfie to act with anyone coming into the house.
• Talk about how these new responsibilities come at a cost.  Some of your current "free time" will now become "Wolfie time".
• Discuss how you will resolve disagreements between family members when they are treating Wolfie differently.

A family is a family.  One for all and all for one.  Having Wolfie as part of your family does not change that.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Wolfies Potty Problems While On The Road at Our Cabin

I just dont get it.  Wolfie has been potty trained for years, but when we are on a trip, he makes accidents!  What gives?

Well, our family, along with our four dogs, was on a vacation trip recently and we ran into this exact problem.  Our dogs that never made accidents for years began to have accidents in our rented cabin.  We quickly realized that we had to remember our initial potty training with each dog and the environment/schedule that we finally set up for our "pack".  It then became quite obvious that what we had established as the "norm" in their life was now drastically changed.

We went out hiking in the morning, ate at strange hours, were in and out all the time, had them in and out on our schedule, and just didnt give them the focus that we normally did when we were at home.  We broke the main rule of potty training, we were not "listening" to them telling us to let them out.

Well, when you are on a traveling vacation, it is sometimes difficult to always pay attention to your furry friends.  We had do think of something different so that we werent loosing our "cleaning deposit" at every place we stopped.  Here is what we came up with:

We went back to the basics.  We established a schedule based on our activities for the day.  Whenever possible, we tried to get them out every three hours, even if we had been playing with them earlier.  Also, we kept them in their crates when we left the cabin.  Since they really didnt want to go in their crates, it helped to strengthen the encouragement when we took them out.

Guess what?  It worked perfectly.  As soon as we put this in place we had zero accidents.  All we did was to go back to the basics of potty training.  We put them on a schedule, tried to observe them as much as possible, and crated them when we couldnt watch them.

Even though this is simple advice, it will surely help you keep your cleaning deposit the next time you travel with your pooches!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Dog Training Tips from Cooper City to Help Your Dog Eat His Food

Ideas to get Your Dog to Eat His Food

I was out at a Dog Training revisit this morning in Cooper City for a Coonhound that we haven’t seen for over seven years.  The dog had been doing great for a very long time until recently when a few things had changed in the family dynamics.  We took care of that pretty quickly (and that can be the topic of a future article).  The client then mentioned, “I just dont get it.  I spend more money on Mystie’s "holistic/good for you food" than I spend on myself.  I put the food down and she really isn’t interested in it.  I dont want to feed her the junkie food with all the additives, but I don’t want her to starve.  What can I do to get her to eat the healthy food?”

So many times we can relate our current experiences with things we have lived through in the past.  Lets think about our childhood and our mom serving us green beans.  If you are like me, there was no way I was going to take my fork and eat those green beans sitting on that plate.  But you know what?  If I mixed the beans in with some mashed potatoes and then put some melted butter on the top, I would eat them all day long.  I am not saying that we need to cover Mystie’s food in mashed potatoes and butter, but there is a way to enhance the food to make it more desirable.  There are things that we can add to Mystie’s food as “side dishes” that are healthy and will enhance the desirability of the entire eating experience.  Here is what Robin, my wife, adds to our dogs food and they just love:

• PUMPKIN PASTE.  Pumpkin is very healthy for dogs and is a great additive to the dry food.  It is a little hard to mix with the dry kibble, but a great, tasty treat for our dogs.
• LOW SODIUM CHICKEN BROTH.  Chicken is a healthy and light meat and the low sodium minimizes any additional salt added to their diet.  The moisture gives a pleasing smell to the dry food that our dogs love.
• COTTAGE CHEESE.  The wonderful aspect about cottage cheese is that it is so easy to mix up with the dry food.  The moisture that it adds helps take away the “dryness” of the kibble.  It is healthy and good for the dogs and what dog doesnt love cheese?  It is a true winner that we have been using for years for all six of our dogs.
• FREEZE DRIED RAW DOG FOOD.  Many experts are proponents of feeding dogs natural, raw food.  Although very healthy and rich with minerals and vitamins, it is just a pain to actually do.  You can now buy raw dog food in freeze dried form in many of the better dog food stores.  Put a few teaspoons of the food into a bowl, add a little water, and wait for about twenty minutes.  You now have a great, healthy treat that you can add to your dog’s food and he will love it.

Again, these are just some simple ideas to spice up your dog’s healthy diet.  The one thing that I want to emphasize is to not add wet dog food to your dog’s diet.  Although there are many good and healthy wet dog foods on the market, they all require you to brush your dogs teeth regularly.  Most of us just dont do that.  Our dogs teeth will then rot out early, causing health issues in their later years.

Try one or more of these options and I am sure you will find that your dog can’t wait for meal time.  As always, check with your vet regarding all your dog’s health and nutritional needs.  For more information about this or any dog training issues, please contact us at (954) 424-0170 or our web site at The Best Dog Trainers in Cooper City and South Florida.

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KENNEL COUGH VACCINATION ON THURSDAY

There will be a clinic at Church Langton car park on Thursday from 6:30 pm. Please email me on nij@bertiedogs.com or telephone me as soon as possible  on 07530 439 561 if you wish to attend. The cost has been significantly reduced to less than half the price to £15 cash only, as there will be no other facility to take card payments.

Members in both beginner classes from church Langton should please note that classes for this week have been cancelled. If your dog is not vaccinated it is advisable that you get them vaccinated.

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Dog Training Tips on Canine Communication

I am doing everything I can to get my dog to sit.  I say "Sit!  Sit,sit you crazy dog, sit! Just humor me this one time and put your rear on the ground!  This isn’t funny anymore, now I am getting mad, SIT SIT SIT!"  It’s just not happening....

So how was that for you?  You have run head long into a big difference in the way humans communicate and the way dogs communicate.  We have words, languages, punctuation, antonyms, synonyms, slang, accents, and other ways we verbally communicate.  Multiple people can look at the same thing and describe it using different words and we all can understand exactly what that thing might look like.

Our dog does not have the multiple communication choices that we have.  He does not have a dictionary where the same word might have multiple meanings and a list of other words that mean the same thing.  All he has are the sounds and tones that come out of his mouth.  We might call it whining, growling, or barking.  Those are all the tools that he has when he wants to verbally communicate to other animals.

In order to verbally communicate with our dog, we first have to understand that words are simply sounds to him.  If we want him to understand those sounds, they must be unique, with only one meaning.  For us, this could be equivalent an emergency vehicles siren.  We hear that siren and we know that there is an emergency vehicle nearby.  We look for the vehicle, pull over, and let it by.  The unique sound of the siren invokes a unique response from us.

That is how our dog verbally communicates.  If we want to have our dog sit, we must have a unique sound that whenever he hears it, he always sits.  Most people use "Sit".  And, by the way, "Sit, sit, sit, sit" is a different sound than “sit”.  

So remember, you must use unique sounds with your dog to have him understand you.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Quick Tips on Doggie Allergies

Wolfie was scratching and chewing himself and I knew it wasnt fleas.  A friend of ours  mentioned that he might have some skin allergies and suggested to feed him grain-free food.  I gave it a shot and he is still scratching.  What next?

I first want to make it quite clear that I am not as qualified as my Veterinarian to diagnose solutions for skin allergies and the like.  I simply want to pass on some information that my Vet told me to "try first".  

The "quick and dirty" and inexpensive solution for canine skin allergies is to switch to a grain-free food.  Many times this will solve the problem and wont incur large medical expenses.  The one thing we forget when we switch to a grain-free food is the "hidden grain" that might still remain.  A local natural dog food supplier recently provided us with an epiphany that makes perfect sense.  

When you switch to a grain-free dog food, make sure that chicken is not the meat in the food.  For most chickens, their main food is corn.  So when you have chicken in your dog food, you are also adding corn.  Pick another meat such as lamb, duck, salmon, etc. as the main meat ingredient and you will eliminate that "hidden source of grain".

As always, talk to your Vet concerning any health issues with your dog.  This is the advise given to us by our Vet and natural dog food supplier.   For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Bertie Dog Training closed this week

Both venues  - Oadby and Langtons are closed this week. Normal services will resume the following week.

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How to prepare to take your dog on a back packing trip

If youre planning on going on an extended hike or camp with the dog then you really want to put in the effort to making the necessary arrangements for life in the great outdoors. You will likely need to invest in the right equipment and supplies to make certain that the dog can be kept well and comfortable throughout the adventure. If you have one of the larger dog breeds you might wish to think about such supplies as the dog back packs to ensure they are able to help travel with some of the essential supplies.

Relying on the dog to carry some of the basics on your outdoor adventure

You are likely to find that a healthy dog equipped with the right type of dog back packs is easy able to carry a good deal of supplies when out in the wilderness. If you have a large dog breed for instance you are able to equip the backpack with supplies that may weigh in the region of a 25% of their body weight, which was on the larger dogs might mean 15 to 20-lbs. You might wish to fill the backpack with such supplies as extra food and water, and other essentials and that might be necessary for the particular type of trip you are participating in.

Making sure to train the dog to become accustomed to wearing the backpack

In order that your dog is able to take to wearing the pet back pack it will be necessary to give them some prior training, which should be done a good few months before you intend on starting on your outdoor adventure. If you are able to go through this early training with the help of dog training collars then this is certain to help the dog accept the backpack when it comes to being worn. It is likely that it will take a certain level of training before your four-legged friend is willing to accept wearing the backpack over the long-term.

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Hints on How to Correct Your Dog

I have heard all sorts of ideas and suggestions on how to correct my dog and get him to listen.  Frankly, they are all over the spectrum and doing all of them would just be nuts.  Is there anything that I can do to at least start the process?

The big hurdle that any dog owner has when their dog is misbehaving is to get their attention.  Once you have your dog’s attention, you have the ability to move forward with their training.  There are multiple methods and schools of thought regarding how to properly train your dog.  We are canine behavioral trainers.  This means that we focus on how the dog naturally responds to stimuli from the canine perspective.  There are also trainers who use positive only reward systems and trainers who use more physical methods such as e-collars in their training programs.  With this in mind, let me give you some simple hints that will help in correcting (teaching) your dog.

I think that all dog trainers using any method will agree that dogs can’t communicate like humans.  They can’t talk like Scooby-Doo, Huckleberry Hound or Augie Doggie.  Our dogs use their body language when they need to communicate.  If you have several dogs, just watch how they interact.  You might see one jumping on the other, one getting down low or lying on his back, or your dog might have his tail up like he is standing at attention.  All these actions help one dog to tell the other what they are thinking. 

Let me make it real simple and give you two hints regarding what you can do to let your dog know that you need him to listen.  I want to emphasize that this is not the only thing you must do.  What you are doing is to is to send a message to your dog that he needs to focus on you and the training you are about to employ.

• Be calm and still when you are about to correct your dog.  From your dog’s perspective, their leader is not a crazy person.  We get mad when our dog has eaten the remote or pulled the freshly marinated steak off the kitchen counter.  We then run and scream because that is how we (humans) react when something goes wrong.  Remember, we are dealing with a dog so we must portray the message that he will understand.  Running and screaming does not do that.  Being calm and still is what your dog needs to see.
• Stand up and face your dog when you are about to correct.  From your dog’s perspective, height shows leadership.  This is what they are doing when they have their tail and ears up.  The same thing occurs when they are jumping.  They are saying “Look at me.  I’m in charge around here”.  We can easily portray leadership to our dog by simply standing up.

As some people would say “easy-peasy”.  No matter if you use our canine behavior training method, the positive only training method, or a more physical method, letting your dog easily know that you are the one that demands his respect is always important.  Incorporate these two actions the next time you are working with your dog and you will see a great improvement.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in SouthFlorida.

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Book DVD on Degenerative Myelopathy

I have published a book about my Rhodesian Ridgebacks battle with Degenerative Myelopathy. It is a written and video journal of his disease and starts from the time he was diagnosed to his death.

It is available for $20.00 a copy and includes the DVD with the book. To purchase the book and DVD, send a check or money order to:

Pavlovs Dogs
4207 Rockhill Rd.
Mechanicsville Va 23111.

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Keeping Wolfie Safe on the 4th of July

I know that the 4th of July is coming up and many dogs just go crazy on that day.  What can I do to make sure that Wolfie has a great time and feels happy and safe with us?

The most important thing is to maintain a safe and consistent environment for Wolfie.  There normally arent loud bangs and vivid flashes in Wolfies environment every day.  Every day is not a pool party or picnic.  These are things that Wolfie might not understand.  In any case, we would like to give you some suggestions regarding what to do on this fun day:

• If you go to a holiday event, never leave Wolfie in the car. A partially opened window does not supply sufficient fresh air, and it creates an opportunity for your dog to be stolen.
• Always keep proper identification securely fastened to your Wolfies collar in case he gets out. Talk to your veterinarian about implanting a universal microchip in him, and make sure that your veterinary clinic and animal shelter have your correct contact information in their database.
• Dont leave Wolfie outside. If you cannot bring him inside, cover his dog house with a blanket to protect him from the bursts of bright lights and loud bangs. A dogs sense of hearing is acute-over 10 times more sensitive than humans.
• Create a special den-like area in your home where Wolfie feels safe. A properly introduced crate or kennel can be a calming refuge for him.
• Some dogs become destructive when frightened. If you dont use a crate, remove any items in the room which Wolfie could destroy or which could hurt him if he chewed them.
• Keep Wolfie away from the front and back doors. He may be under significant stress, which could result in unnecessary injury to others or cause him to dart out the door and become lost.
• Keep windows and curtains closed to reduce noise and bright flashes.
• Turn on a TV or radio at normal volume to distract Wolfie from loud noises and help him to relax.
• If possible, stay with him during the majority of the fireworks. He often reacts more intensely to loud sounds and flashes of lights when you are not with him.
• Consider hiring a pet sitter to stay with your dog while you are away from home.

All we want to do is to make sure that Wolfie understands that it is OK and you are keeping him safe and happy.  Contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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My Dog and His Dog House

I just bought a really great dog house for my doggie, but he wants nothing to do with it.  The people at the Pet Store said that all I had to do was put it in the back yard, and like “Field of Dreams”, “he will come”.  It’s not working and I am afraid it will just become filled with spiders and squirrels.  What can I do to get the Welcome Wagon out and have Wolfie happy with his new place?

We always think that just because we get something called a “dog house”, that our dog will naturally want to go there and hang out.  The question that you must ask yourself is “Why should he?”  Did you make it a place that was fun and comforting for him?  Did you make it his special retreat where he could retire and relax?  Did you even tell him that it was his?

The big thing you must do is to socialize your dog with his new abode, letting him know that it is a fun and safe place that you, as the leader of the pack, have provided for him.  Here are some ideas:

• Place the dog house in the family room where everyone convenes and shares happy times.  This allows Wolfie to see that “this new thing” is just another object in his natural play area.
• Put your dogs toys in it.  Put goodies in the dog house and even feed him there.  Play with him around the dog house so that it becomes just another fun place.
• After a week or so, move the dog house out into the back yard. 
• Put it someplace where your dog already naturally likes to hang out.  
• Make sure that you put it where the dog house will not get too hot or be “rained upon” by the lawn sprinklers.  
• Don’t put it near a spot where there is a lot of street or neighbor noise.  
• Also, don’t put it “in the farthest reach” of the yard.  This might be construed by Wolfie as being ostracized by the family.  
• Repeat what you were doing in the family room.  Feed your dog in his new house.  Make sure that his toys are around the house.  If your dog likes to dig, build a digging pit next to it.
• Make sure that the dog house stays clean and “free of vermin”.  Take a broom and sweep for cobwebs on a weekly basis.  Clean it with a non-toxic cleanser and make sure that it stays dry.
• Make the dog house part of your outside “play routine”.  As you are playing fetch, get the ball or Frisbee inside his house.  If you like to play “find it”, hide the goodie in his house.  This helps to include the dog house as part of the bonding between you and your dog.
• If the weather starts to become inclement, bring your dog inside.  Since dog houses are “hard environments”, the noise from thunder can be multiplied and the dog house could even vibrate from the “clapping”.  This could be a terrorizing experience that we don’t want our dogs to deal with. 

Follow these simple steps and we are sure that you can create a great “home away from home” for your dog in the back yard.  It will become a retreat where he can hang out and call his own.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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house dog training

To teach your dog tricks even easy ones you need to have some small reward treats, be in a quiet suitable place and keep the training sessions to 10 - 15 minutes or your dog will start to get board, remember when he gets something right lots of praise and a reward treat, just be careful not to get him over excited or he will loose concentration. Getting your dog to give you his paw, first get your dog to sit, then as you say the word paw take your dogs paw in your hand, give the dog a treat, repeat this, after a few times do not take his paw so quickly, say the word, count to one then take it, you should notice he is bringing his paw up as you say the word if he does not go back to saying it at the same time, do it a few more times then slow your response again. After 2 or 3 sessions most dogs pick this one up quite happily.

The high five, like a lot of tricks the high five is a progression of an earlier trick, in this cast the paw trick. Hold a treat in your fingers and raise your hand slightly higher than you would for the paw trick. You dog will think you want to do the paw trick and will reach for the treat with his paw as we taught him earlier, as he reaches up you say “high five” and give him the treat. Once your dog has mastered the paw trick this one should be very easy to learn and with just a few sessions he will be doing it on hand signal rather than voice control.

Getting your dog to jump through a hoop, before you start this one I would just like to ask you to be a little sensible and not hold the hoop too high as you do not want your dog to heart himself while doing the trick. Sit your dog on one side of a hoola hoop, get the dogs attention on your hand on the other side of the hoop take a treat in your hand and give the dog the command to release him from the sit, at first he may attempt to go around or under the hoop, if this happens start again, your dog wants the treat and will soon learn that going around or under does not get it so he will soon start going through it, when he does say hoopla and give him the treat. He will soon be jumping through the hoop on the command of hoopla. When I started doing this trick I had a medium sized dog (a Labrador) so I started with the hoop 6 inches from the ground and slowly raised it to waist height, if you have a smaller dog you might want to start with the hoop touching the ground so the dog just goes through the hoop and then slowly raise it as he gets used to the trick.
Are you looking for more information about dog training information? Visit our site for more helpful information about dog training information tips.

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My Dog Pulls and Goes Crazy on A Walk

My dog walks pretty well most of the time, but sometimes he sees something and just goes nuts.  He is jumping, charging, standing on his two back paws, and barking like a crazy dog.  Is there any special technique I can use to fix this problem?

We see this walking problem a lot with many dogs that are a little overactive and aren’t clearly attentive to their owners.  The normal “walk next to me” exercises are actions that you must initially use for proper, obedient walking, but this problem requires that you will take the next step. 

Don’t worry, the “next step” does not mean that we are going to use choke chains, chock collars, or anything that would scare your dog.  What we must do is to actively enforce the fact that your dog must constantly provide you with focus and attention on the walk.  By doing this, your dog is submitting that you will take charge of any “strange distraction” you might encounter and it is not his responsibility to do all those annoying and embarrassing actions.

Here are some things you should do:

• I would first think about using the right collar for the walk.  When I have to guide him with the leash, I want my dog to experience a quick tug/snapping sensation.  I do not want him to simply experience a continual pull.  We recommend the use of the Bark Busters Training Collars.  These allow you to create that quick tug/snap and also provide an audible correction sound.  If you can’t get one of these collars, try using the Martindale collar.
• Give your dog more leash than normal when you go out for your walk. 
• As soon as he begins to walk in front of you or his gaze begins to wander from you or the path directly in front of him, give the leash a quick tug (it might take several of these actions) until he returns to your side and is focusing on you.
• If he continues to walk ahead of you, stop walking and allow him to continue until he reaches the end of the leash.  Just as he reaches the end, give the leash a firm tug/snap for him to look back and see that you are far away from him.  Continue your walk in the opposite direction.
• Stop multiple times while you are walking and have him sit.
• Change directions while you are walking.  Give the leash a quick tug/snap as soon as he is not attentively changing direction with you.

Do not start this process during “busy times” in your neighborhood.  The whole purpose of this exercise is to enforce your dog’s need to constantly “check in with you”.  Start off when it is quiet so that you can constantly provide him with the proper instruction.  Ramp up the exercise by walking at progressively active times.

We just finished this program with a very large Pit Bull that wanted to go after neighbors and their animals while on a walk.  After a few sessions using these techniques, the dog was great.  If you have any additional questions regarding this technique, please contact us at Great South Florida DogTrainers.

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