Potty Training When You Are Away For A Long Time

I am in the middle of potty training my four month old puppy and things are going relatively well when I am home.  When I go to work, I can’t always get home at lunch to take him out.  What can I do to make sure that I don’t mess up the training when I have to be gone a long time?

We have a good number of clients who get new puppies and then have to leave them while they go to work.  The mistake that most of them make is to either leave them in their crate or give them the run of the house.  The problem is that their little puppy physically can’t hold it for the time they are left alone.

Let’s first talk about what you are doing wrong and then discuss what you should correctly do…

Leaving your puppy in the crate for an extended period of time is wrong.  Dogs naturally don’t want to go to the bathroom in their crate.  They see the crate as their den and they don’t want to leave their scent there because it might “draw in their enemies”.  They also don’t want to go to the bathroom on themselves because of the same reason.  Because of this, they will try to hold it as long as possible.  If you are gone longer that they can hold it, they will reluctantly toilet on themselves and in their crate. 

If you continually force them to toilet in their crate, their drive to try and hold it while they are in there will diminish and eventually disappear.  Since you use the crate as a place where they do not toilet, you have eliminated an important potty training tool.

Letting the puppy out in the entire house or an extended portion of the house while you are gone a long time is also bad.  Since you are away for a period of time that is longer that your dog can hold it, he is naturally going to toilet somewhere.  The key word here is “somewhere”.  Sometimes it is very hard or impossible to find where your puppy has toileted while you were away.  When this happens, your puppy has left the smell of a toilet somewhere in the house.  If it smells like a toilet, it must be a toilet.  This smell will constantly entice your puppy to return to that spot to go to the bathroom. 

Here is what you should do if you are going to be gone from the house and you know your puppy will probably go to the bathroom:

• Pick a small room with a tile or linoleum floor such as a laundry room or bath room. 
• Pick up all the items that your puppy might destroy.
• If there is access to any “inappropriate area” such as behind the washer, block that access.
• Clean the floor with a mild cleanser such as Lavender Fabuloso.
• Cordon off the room with a doggie gate that your puppy can’t knock over, climb over, or jump over.
• Place some toys, his bed, and a small amount of water & food in the room.
• Place a wee-wee pad in the room. (Entice him to go in that area but not require him.)

Put your puppy in that room when you leave.  You have now confined him to a comfortable area that you can manage once you return.  The important thing here is that you are not diminishing the importance of the crate or possibly creating an “invisible toilet” (as noted above).

When you return home you can remove him from this area.  If he has gone on the wee-wee pad, simply pick that up and throw it away.  If he has gone anywhere else in the enclosed area, simply clean that up with an appropriate cleanser.  Close the door to this room and do not allow him in the room except when you are going out for an extended period and you have appropriately set it up for his use (mentioned earlier).

What we have established here is a “time out” in the potty process.  Your goal is to maintain the importance of the crate and not to have the house smell of urine.  You have created a place that he can go, if necessary.  Since he is not allowed in this area except during long absences by you, this will have a minimal impact on your potty training process.  As always, if you have any questions, please be sure to contact us at TheBest Dog Trainers in South Florida

Read More..

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.

Read More..

Dog Training Tips for Potty Training and Food Management

Dont you just love it when there is a free buffet? Guess what? Your little puppy loves it too...

One of the most common errors that our clients make when attempting to potty training their puppy is food management. They leave the puppy’s water and food bowls down and available to the puppy all day long.  With this said, they wonder why their puppy is going to the bathroom all over the place at different times.

Except for health reasons (consult your vet) or hydration reasons (it is really hot, your puppy is playing like a crazy dog), you don’t need to leave his water and food bowls down filled with food and water for him all day long. The one exception to that is in regards to the special needs of a young puppy and water.  We will get to that in a second.

Many times a puppy will drink or eat out of boredom.

"I have nothing to do. Look! There is a bowl of water! I think I will wonder over there and have some water..."

This leads to the puppy over eating and over drinking. They will go to the bathroom more frequently with less predictability.

So here is what you do:

Put the food and water down at meal time and then pick it up when the meal is done. I normally like to leave the bowls down for about 30 minutes. This will allow you to clearly manage the amount of intake and the time of intake. 

Now, let’s discuss the water and special hydration needs of a young puppy.  What I want you to do is to pour the water out of the water bowl and then to refill it with about ¾ inch of water (this is about the thickness of one of your fingers).  Put the water down for him and manage it.  Check the water every 90 minutes.  If he has consumed all the water, wait for 30 minutes and then give him another ¾ inch of water.

What we are accomplishing here is to manage when our puppy eats and drinks.  If we know when he eats and drinks, we can have a far better idea when he will need to go to the bathroom.

Please note: This is only part of the Potty Training process, contact Bruce and Robin Edwards for complete Puppy Potty Training Information at The Best DogTrainers in South Florida.

Read More..

Small Dog Training Obedience School 101

Having problems training your small dog? Is there a difference in training a regular-sized pup and a toy dog? Are there helpful tips that can make your small dog training life easier?

The truth is there’s really no difference when it comes to training all kinds of dogs, no matter what their breed or size. The challenges my older brother went through while training his Labrador retriever, for example, were the same challenges I had to face in training my much smaller cocker spaniel. However, how different kinds of dogs respond to training may vary. Labs are typically friendlier and more good-natured, while spaniels are a little moodier and more apt to snap.

What about small dogs or toy dogs? What’s the best way to train them? Here are some tips you might find helpful in small dog training.

1. Avoid carrying small dogs around

People who own small dogs tend to carry the pup around with them instead of letting them walk on a leash. This habit can be detrimental to your training, especially when you’re trying to potty train them. Carrying your dog to the garden or the potty box when it needs to go will give it the impression that you will always be around to do so. And when you’re not – ah, the horror. So, use a leash. And next time your dog makes a mess on your carpet, walk him to the spot, let him smell it, say “bad dog” firmly and then lead him to the proper potty place. Hopefully, he’ll get the picture before the 10th try.

2. Aggressive behavior in small dogs

Watch out for aggressive behavior in your small dog. Don’t allow your small dog to get away with it because of his size. Many behaviors which are not condoned in larger dogs seem to be allowed very often in small dogs. For example, if a small dog growls at a larger dog, it is sometimes seen as cute. This is dominant, aggressive behavior, and you should try to change it.

3. Reward and punishment

Using the reward and punishment system is perhaps the best way to train a dog – big or small. Dogs (and humans too!) learn through good and bad experiences. Humanely punishing your dog when he chews your couch will help him remember not to do it again. And rewarding him for, say, pooping in the right place, will reinforce the behavior.

Even though there is no difference between small dog training and training larger dogs, the above factors do influence their training. So watch out for behaviors that you are unintentionally letting them get away with, and you will have a more balanced pup.

Feel free to check out this great resource for small dog training advice.

For more information on small dog training visit Cris Santeiro’s Dog Training With Love blog.

Read More..

Things To Consider When Bringing An Additional Dog To Your Family

I have had Wolfie as a great member of our family for years and am thinking about adding another dog.  Ive heard stories, good and bad, about families bringing additional dogs into their fold.  What are some things that I should watch out for and what things should I consider?

The very first thing that you should consider about getting a second dog is if you are prepared for the additional responsibilities of owning a second dog.  Your neighbor that was fine in baby sitting one dog while you were away for the weekend might not have the ability to watch two dogs.  The places you travel that dont mind you bring Wolfie might not accept a second canine guest.  Your Vet bills and dog food bills will now be twice as much.  Your association might not allow a second dog.  Do you have time for a second dog? Your home owners insurance might drastically change.  Again, these are just a few real life things to consider before you even continue your thoughts about more doggies.

Now, lets way you got past those first, few hurdles.  You need to consider Wolfies temperament and the type of breed you might consider.  Here are some tips:

• If Wolfie is dog aggressive, territorial, or over protective of you, you might want to stop thinking about another dog.
• If Wolfie is more of a "couch potato" or over seven years old, you probably dont want to consider getting a puppy.
• Consider a dog that is roughly the same size as Wolfie.  This will make play time safer for both of them.
• In my opinion, I would make sure that both dogs have been neutered or fixed.
• If you are not prepared for a high energy environment, do not consider breeds like Jack Russels, Boxers, Labs, or Dalmatians.  (Great dogs, just high energy!)  

With these things handled, it is now time to start your search.  Here are some more tips:

• Start your search with a family meeting with the open ended question, "What kind of dog would you like?".  Dogs you have had in the past, favorite neighbor dogs, or the "I always wanted a ..." normally will be mentioned.  Go on the internet and research these breeds to see if there are any red flags that would pop up about them.  Dog Breeder Info Center is a great place to look.
• If you have small children, large, high energy dogs might not be a good fit.
• Large dogs in apartments or homes with small back yards might not be a good idea.
• If you work long hours, dogs that require a good amount of exercise or require a good amount of interaction might not be a good match.
• Check out the local Humane Society, Animal Shelters, and Rescue Groups to locate your next doggie.  There are so many great dogs already out there, it really isnt necessary to go to the pet stores or local breeders.

Now, you have found your next doggie and he appears to meet all the above criteria.  Now is the time to see if it is really going to work.  Now is the time to see if Wolfie will really get along with this potentially new member of the family.  More tips for you:

• Have Wolfie and your potential doggie meet at the Shelter, Humane Society, or Rescue location.  Be in a fence enclosed, outside environment and have both doggies on leashes.  Allow them to approach each other and exchange their doggie sniffs.  If there is any sign of fear or aggression, separate them and try again.  Once they are "used to each other", drop the leashes and allow them to wander.  Always be right there in the event they become aggressive.  If needed, step on the leash, pick it up, and separate them.
• Repeat the above process for a second and possibly third visit to assure that they are fine with each other.  If, after three sessions, there are still signs of aggression or fear, this is not the right fit.
• If they appear to be the right fit, it is now time to bring the new canine family member home.  Have your new doggie and Wolfie meet in the front of your house.  Let them sniff and re-greet each other.  You might want to take both of them on a little walk up and down the street.
• Now, take Wolfie inside the house to an open area in sight of the front door.  Bring your new doggie in and have Wolfie and him greet again.  Walk them around the house (on leashes).  Now you can drop the leashes but still keep both of them in sight.
• Take both of them to the back yard and let them play.  Use new toys so that there will not be a "possessive issue" with Wolfie.
• Feed them separately for the first few days.  After that, try feeding them together (much easier) while being on the lookout for any food possessive/aggression issues.

If you follow these guidelines, you are on your way to having a great life with your larger human/canine family.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.. 

Read More..

Dog Training Tips from Davie Florida about Potty

Great Dog Training Tips about Pottying and the Rain

I was revisiting a dog training client in Davie yesterday when, all of a sudden, we had a massive rain storm.  Although that was not the dog training issue that my client had called me out for, it did initiate another question.  It appeared that his dog was doing quite well with his puppy potty routine until about ten days ago when we started to get into our “summer rain” routine.  All of a sudden, this great dog who would want to run outside to potty is now making accidents on the carpet. 

Like many things, simply describing the problem starts to explain the answer.  We had helped the client work with his dog to understand about going potty outside.  We had conditioned the dog to go on the dry grass during nice days and nights when it was not showering down on him.  Now the outside is wet and muddy and he is trying to go potty while he is constantly getting wet.  All in all, it is just not a potty experience to which he had been conditioned.  Some dogs are OK with the wet and rain and some dogs just don’t want to potty in the wet and rain…

What my client’s dog was telling him was "No thank you, I wont go here, I will just wait until I get back inside.  By the way, when is it going to be dry again?"

Rainy season lasts until November and there is no way that you want your dog pottying on your carpet until then.  So, what do we do?  The answer, as with most of my blogs, is pretty simple.  What I always teach my clients is to first understand the situation when everything was working.  After that, we need to find the moment when things began to all fall apart.  From there, we simply need to analyze the divergent operating conditions between the situations and make the appropriate adjustments.  Here we go:

• The first and obvious observation is that when the ground is dry, the puppy goes to the bathroom with no problem.
• When the ground is wet and mushy and it is raining, the puppy doesnt want to have anything to do with the "outside potty".
• The obvious conclusion rests on the wet grass and being rained upon.
• What we need to do is to find a place that is not mushy and is protected when it is raining.

Here is what you do:

• You must find a place that is out of the rain in your back yard.  This can be a covered area off your cabana bath door, patio, etc.
• Go to Lowes or Home Depot and get two pieces of sod from the garden department.  Place the sod in the protected area you have chosen.  It would be a good idea to place a plastic tarp or plastic garbage bag under the sod so that it will be easy to remove it, when needed.
• Direct your dog to the sod whenever it is rainy outside or the ground is mushy.
• Change out the sod every few weeks so it doesn’t start to smell too bad.

You have now given your puppy the bathroom he wants and your carpets are now safe!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in Davie and South Florida.

Read More..

When Training Always Keep it Slow

We South Floridians always like things fast. We always want to drive in the fast lane on the highway.  We love our fast food quick pickup lines. We read the Cliff Notes and not the Book.... This might be great for these things, but “doing it fast” is not how it works when building a relationship with our dog.

One of the biggest reasons that we have problems training our dog is that we are impatient and want the training to be fast. Our dog learns through the simple processes of consistency and repetition.  The last time I looked, neither of these had anything to do with “fast”. 

The best way to train our dog is to take "baby steps".  If our dog is having a hard time sitting, lets first make sure that he can stand next to us and look at us.  If he cant do that, there is now way that he wont be able to sit.  If our dog is misbehaving while in a room full of people, lets first make sure that he can behave in a quiet room just with us.

The secret to this process is to break down our training exercise into many "little steps".  Each step is obtainable and is required before we move on to the next "little step".  We will now be able to be successful because we have forced ourselves to take "baby steps" that we can easily manage and evaluate.

This will allow us to be consistent, repetitive; and succeed. Our dog will feel better because he will have the ability to obey us and we will gain much needed confidence. The relationship between us and your dog will be a happy, loving, and learning experience.

If you have any questions on dog training or any other canine behavior issue, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida. 

Read More..

Potty Training Away a Long Time

Sometimes my work requires long days and I have to leave Wolfie alone in the house for ten or twelve hours.  He is still a puppy and I am still working on Potty Training.  Thats a long time to keep him inside!  What do I do?

We all know that "life happens" and we cant get home to let our little puppy out to go potty.  There is a rule of thumb that the number of hours a puppy can "hold it" is their age in months.  (After 8 months, that is where it stops...)  So what do I do with my four month old puppy when I am working twelve hours that day?

First of all, you dont want to leave him in his crate.  Part of crate training and potty training is enforcing your puppy not to potty in his crate.  As long as we stay within the limits of your puppy physical abilities, this is a pretty easy process.  If we surpass his physical limits to hold it, of course he will go in his crate.  This will undermine this part of the potty training process.

What you must do is to find an area that you can allow your puppy to potty.  It must be enclosed and away from your puppys normal "roam of the house".  The best areas would be a bath room or washer/dryer room.  Pick up any rug and remove anything that your puppy "could get into" (toilet paper, boxes on the ground, etc.).  You might even put down a wee-wee pad just to see if he would use it.  I would also suggest that you get a doggie gate to enclose the area so it wont appear so confining.

When you have to be away from the house for extended periods of time longer than your puppys "ability to hold it", you put him in that area.  If he potties, you have a small area to clean and you havent damaged your crate training process.  

Be sure to clean the area well with an enzyme cleaner like Natures Miracle and then a normal cleaner like Lavender Fabuloso.  Also, as I alluded to earlier, keep the door closed to this area to keep him out.  You only want him in here when you are away for a long time.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

Read More..

Clicker Training Dogs Dog Psychology for the Most Mischievous of Dogs

Looking for new ways to train your dog? Heard about clicker training dogs and curious about what it is? And what exactly is a clicker?

A clicker is a basically a tool used by dog owners to help train their dogs. It looks like a small box with a metal strip on it that makes a “clicking” noise when pushed down. Clicker training basically applies the age-old reward-and-punishment concept, albeit making it a tad easier by eventually teaching your dog to respond to the clicking noises and not the treats.

Not quite sure you get it? Okay, let’s paint a picture. Imagine that you are trying to teach your dog to stay. You let it follow you around a bit and then you turn around, put your hand up and say “stay” firmly while pressing the clicker. The dog wags his tail and keeps in stride when you start walking. You turn around once again, do the same hand signal, say “stay” while pressing the clicker and (gently!) force your dog into a sitting/resting position. You give it a treat.

Eventually, with enough repetition (and patience), your dog will begin to associate the command with the click and the treat. Soon, it will be responding to the sound of the clicker alone. Then later on, with some luck, you’ll even get your dog to respond to your command itself – without the use of clickers or treats.

So, to answer the question about what clicker training dogs is all about, it is basically dog psychology at its simplest and finest.

How about the success rate in training dogs using a clicker? Well, clicker training dogs is said to be efficient in teaching even the rowdiest pups around, so you are pretty much guaranteed to succeed.

Feel free to check out this resource if you need more information on training your dog.

Read More..

New Dog Obedience Training Guide

Train any adult dog or puppy in as little time as possible. Website optimized to dramatically increase sales rates and conversions. 75% commission, never had a refund.

Check it out!

Read More..

Wolfie Seems Afraid of Me What Can I Do

I am not sure what it is, but Wolfie seems afraid of me.  Hell always stay away from me and never comes!  What can I do that wont make the situation worse?

Unfortunately, we see this more times that we would like.  All doggie owners try to be good doggie owners, but sometimes we just blow our stacks.  We get mad, yell & scream, and sometimes whack our "best friend".  Bad experiences can leave very strong impressions with dogs and can last a long time.

So we messed up.  What can we do to make it right with Wolfie?  

One way is to practice an exercise called "V Feeding".  This is a process where we use small treats or kibble to entice Wolfie to come to us, feel safe, and then allow him to move away.  The entire point of this exercise is that we are allowing Wolfie to feel safe the entire time.  Here is what you do:

1. Get some small treats (Zukes Doggie Treats are perfect) or Wolfies kibble.
2. Have Wolfie about eight feet away from you.  Throw a goodie to the left of Wolfie about seven feet from you.  Allow Wolfie to go and get it.
3. Now, throw a goodie to the right of Wolfie about six feet from you.  Allow Wolfie to go and get it.
4. Repeat the left and right process with the food, moving Wolfie closer and closer to you.
5. When you have Wolfie about three feet from you, kneel down low to see if he will come to you.  If he does, that is great.  If he does not, that is not a problem.
6. Now, start throwing goodies to your left and right at increasing distances from you.  All you are doing here is reversing the process where you had Wolfie come to you.
7. Once Wolfie is about eight feet away from you, praise Wolfie in your high voice.  Stand still for a moment or two and then walk away.

Repeat this process two or three times a day.  What you are doing is to remove the notion that you are "the boogie man" in Wolfies eyes.  Coming and going from you is a pleasurable experience.  After about one week, toss the goodies so that Wolfie is right next to you.  Continue that for a week and then start to slowly pet Wolfie when he is right next to you.  (Remember that you are kneeling down low when you are doing this.)

Do not pet Wolfie by extending your hand over his head.  Show him the back of your hand and slowly move it along the ground towards his chest.  (If he flinches, do not press the matter.  You will try it again the next time.)  Once you reach his chest, slowly rub him.  Make sure that he is looking at you and you are looking at him.  Next, slowly move your hand around to his back and continue the rubbing.  

What we have done is to "reintroduce" yourself to Wolfie in a non-aggressive way.  We have allowed Wolfie to come to the conclusion that you will not harm him.  You will then have the opportunity to regain his respect and focus  and he will once again feel safe and secure around you.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

Read More..

Competition Training Managing Handler Nerves in Dog Sport Competition

Handler nerves can destroy a performance, even when the handler and dog have engaged in adequate pre-trial training. Some dogs are very sensitive to the handler, and they can quickly lose confidence and focus if the handler becomes nervous during competition. Although handler nerves can affect performance in any venue, I compete in both AKC events and in schutzhund, and my nerves have NEVER been as bad there as they are in schutzhund style events. I have gotten so that I almost hate to compete in schutzhund because of the nerves both before and during the performance.

Some exhibitors may take a light drink prior to competition to calm nerves. I keep threatening to drink before a performance, but strangely enough I havent done it yet. Im too afraid that my already garbled brain will become even more garbled. Some alternate suggestions for reducing handler nervousness can be found below.

PRIOR TO COMPETITION

1. Train beyond adequate. Your dog should be able to perform each exercise at 90-95% correct in practice before you consider competition. That is nine successive times out of ten that your dog performs correctly.

2. Build procedural and muscle memory for yourself. Leave your dog out of it and ask a dog savvy friend to be your dog to go through the pattern ad nauseum. At first your friend should be an obedient dog ... attentive, always stopping properly and responding properly, but after you are sure you know the pattern, ask your friend to misbehave, and then practice how you will handle the OOPS factor. Also, your friend should be quick to let you know that you have not praised when you can.

One of the problems with schutzhund trialing is that we may only trial once at each level ... not enough to become familiar with the patterns and all of the rules, unlike AKC obedience where you MUST compete at least three times to earn a title. Not to mention the fact that the rules have changed quite a bit over the last few years! Its hard to be confident on the field if you dont REALLY know the procedure or the rules. Get out there and trial! Work with others who are serious about competition to set up mock trials. Use mock trials to identify problem areas, not to try to conduct full-blown training sessions.

Also, in my opinion, schutzhund scoring is a LOT more subjective than AKC judging, and schutzhund judges have an unusual propensity for changing the performance parameters to their liking ... hence the "ask the judge" session at the draw party. This adds to the stress on the handler, even when the handler knows the rules. Theres not much you can do about this, but be aware of it and understand that this may be a source of stress for you.

2. Vary reinforcement patterns. For every 5 times that you practice heeling in a non-pattern on the schutzhund field or anywhere else, work the pattern once. For every 5 times you work the pattern, praise and treat only at the end of each exercise once, as if in a trial. For every 5 times that you praise and treat only between exercises, withhold praise and treat until completing several exercises.

Sometimes we get in the habit of reinforcing too often, and we dont build the dogs tolerance for continued performance without immediate reinforcement. When you move toward more variable reinforcement for extended behavior, the paypoff should be bigger.

3. Take your training on the road. Remember to practice in MANY locations, not just on a a field. Work in a parking lot, a park (with lots of squirrels), at a pet store beside the hamster cages. Generalizing training is not about perfectly replicating the trial field ... its about teaching the dog FOCUS regardless of where you are. Once a dog knows a behavior in his home environment, its time to train it in multiple locations. Be prepared to reinforce heavily for correct behavior in a new context, until the dog acclimates to the new environment.

DURING COMPETITION

Before you begin, congratulate yourself on participating in competition. United Doberman Club member Laura Baugh offers this inspiring advice,

" Its an achievement being here. No matter what happens today, I have worked with my dog to the point at which I felt comfortable taking him into an enormous multi-acre unfenced field, surrounded by wildlife in woods and more unfenced fields, removing the leash and asking him to work with me in the presence of unlimited freedom and distractions. We have developed a relationship advanced enough that I and others had good reason to think this was possible. Even if today is the day that something goes wrong, I can look back at why Im even here and know that, well, today was something going wrong, a deviation from the norm, because look how far weve come together."

1. Defrock the judge. If you are intimidated by the judge, like I often am, go on the field and imagine the judge with no clothes on, or with a funny hat, or with a booger hanging from his or her nose. If you are a Harry Potter fan, youll know what I mean when I say consider the judge a bogart. If you can laugh at him, he suddenly becomes much less intimidating! I often find some judges to be very rigid and intimidating, and boy it has traveled right down the leash!

2. Meditate between each exercise. Practice taking a deep breath and meditating for 3 seconds before starting an exercise. Tell yourself this is the "running stand" or this is the "sit in motion". You can practice this without a dog or dog friend. The point is to build the procedural memory so that when you hear the exercise description in your head, you have an automatic visualization of the entire exercise. For example: This is the "SIT IN MOTION". Im going to walk 12 paces, command sit, continue 30 paces, turn to face dog, wait 3 seconds, return to dog. You are NOT thinking about what your dog is going to do ... only what YOU are going to do. If your training has been beyond adequate, then as long as you do your job, your dog will do his job!

3. Let each exercise stand alone. Just because you or your dog have blown one exercise doesnt mean that you wont nail the next. Smile, let your dog know that you are pleased with him, and focus for the next exercise.

4. Make it fun. Focus on making this performance FUN for the dog. After all, this is not about world peace ... it is a dog sport competition. Your dogs long-term enjoyment of the work is much more important than a single competition or score.

5. Pray. I pray to God to help me do the best I can do and support my dog to the best of my ability. Sometimes turning it over to a higher authority can help ease the nerves and allow "what will be will be".

AFTER COMPETITION

Analyze your performance. Every time that I compete I learn something new about my dog and about trialing. Mistakes I have made: wearing sunglasses that I dont normally wear in training(dog couldnt see my eyes!), mixing up the pattern, not training my dog for a right arm sleeve presentation, inadequate proofing of stays prior to competition, giving a command in a totally unfamiliar voice, pulling my dog off the track ... I could go on and on. But the important thing is to build your experience so that you hopefully avoid those mistakes in the future.

Read More..

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

Read More..

How To Housetrain Potty Train Any Dog

Learn How To House Break Your Dog Or Puppy The Quickest Way Possible. Never Had Refund. Very High Conversion Rates. Converts 1.5% to 4% in sales on average.

Check it out!

Read More..