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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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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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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Why It Is Important That I Train My Dog

I have so many friends that send their dogs off to a canine boot camp to have the trainers there train their dog. I have been thinking about this, but is it really a good idea?  I am not sure that I want someone else to be the leader of Wolfie!

I know that there are the dog owners that dont have the time to train their dog or just dont want to train their dog.  As we can all attest, there is so little time in this world and finding the time to train our dog just might not be there.

Let me answer this question by coming at it from another angle.  First, the reason that I got Wolfie was to have the relationship of unending love and complete trust.  I want Wolfie to know what is right and wrong and I want him to respect me as his ultimate provider.

To accomplish this, Wolfie and I need a great deal of face time.  As he does something wrong, I need to clearly let him know that his action was inappropriate.  I also need to bond with him by engaging in safe and stimulating play activities.  I must never "trick him" into doing something that might scare or hurt himself.

I must provide stimulating activities that will teach him actions I need him to perform.  I need him to "come" when he needs to be by my side.  I need him to "sit" when I need him calm and respectful.  I need him to "stay" so that he will be safe when I need to answer the door or to allow an activity to occur without his involvement.

I need Wolfie to understand that whatever I ask him to do or wherever I take him, he will be safe.  If a situation arises where he might feel his safety in question, he will look towards me to resolve the situation.

If I can accomplish these things, I will have a great dog.  I will have built the bond, trust, and respect that is needed for our relationship.  The only way that this will occur is if I am Wolfies teacher.  I must be the one in charge.  I must be the one that is always guiding and showing Wolfie the proper direction.

Sending Wolfie off to a Canine Boot Camp with someone else doing the training just doesnt accomplish what needs to be done.  The relationship between Wolfie and me is my responsibility.  Wolfie and I will have a great relationship because of the time that Wolfie and I have invested. For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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House Training Your Dog Quick Before You Can’t Take It Anymore

Just about had it with trying to house train your dog? Are you tired of coming home to find pee all over the carpet, pillows helter-skelter and garbage littered (and chewed) all over the floor?

Well, I know I was. The first few weeks after I got my new puppy, I was just about ready to call the pound. (Well, not really, I loved my dog; but you get the picture). I hardly got any sleep at night because my yelping charge was terrified of spending the night alone and I had to keep him company until he fell asleep. He would then proceed to make a mess at 2 in the morning and I would have to get up to clean it. I would come home late in the afternoon to find the garbage can turned over, pee all over the floor and furniture ridden with teeth marks. I knew I had to successfully train him soon – or I would go crazy.

Does my story sound familiar to you? How do you house train your dog to behave when he spends his time acting like a – dog?

You know you have to take action sooner rather than later. There are alternatives out there. If you get a trainer, it will be very expensive. There are dog schools, which can also be pricey, and with your busy schedule, this proposition might be a little more than you can handle right now.

The good news is that there is a great method that you can use to house train your dog. Dogs are naturally clean. They do not like to soil the place where they sleep, so they will cooperate with you. And all dogs can be trained, even older dogs.

This simple but straightforward method has made it very easy for thousands of people to house train their dogs. For more information, visit Cris Santeiro’s Dog Training With Love blog.

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Is There a Quick Dirty Fix When Wolfie Is Afraid of Thunderstorms

As a professional dog trainer, I go through an in-depth process with my clients to help them and their pooches regarding the fear of thunderstorms.  I just talked to a client this week who used a product we recommend and achieved remarkable results....

There is a product that was introduced on the market about a year or so ago called a "Thunder Shirt"  (http://www.thundershirt.com)  From the documentation I have read, it works on pressure points to naturally calm Wolfie.  It is called a "Thunder Shirt", but it also can be very useful for anything that might agitate or frighten Wolfie.  These things can be car rides, separation anxiety, etc.

I dont want to imply or state that this is a replacement for the proper training to create the bond, trust, and relationship to allow Wolfie to understand his place in your pack and the fact that, no matter what, you will always keep him safe.  This is an enhancement to the training process that has the possibility of speeding up the proper results.

You can find this product in most of the pet stores in South Florida.  Another great thing about this is that they are currently offering a 45 day 100% money back guarantee if the shirt doesnt work.

Again, I want to state that this does not replace the proper training, but is a product many of my clients have used in conjunction with the training to receive positive results.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Should Wolfie Like His Crate

So many people tell me so many things!  Dont put your dog in a crate, it is mean and he feels he is being punished!  Always use a crate because your dog loves it!  These are pretty different views and there doesnt seem to be a lot of middle ground on it.  So, what should it be?  To crate or not to crate?

Look at the picture and you can probably guess the direction this blog posting will take.  As a canine behavioral trainer, I love the crate.  The reason is simple.  Dogs (canines) naturally see the world at three distinct levels of safety.  The first, and most important, is their den.  This is the place that, if they feel threatened or "simply want to leave the party", they can retreat to and be assured that they are 100% safe from anything.  This is their den, their safe place.  The lions, tigers, and bears can NEVER get them in there.  (I will discuss the other levels in another posting.  That information is not pertinent regarding this discussion.) 

Some dogs naturally love the crate (Wolfie does) and some dogs seem to have a hard time with the crate.  These dogs might have come from pet stores or puppy mills where the crate was used as a containment area instead of a safety area.  They might have been inappropriately introduced to the crate as a "time out place" and physically thrown into the crate while their master was yelling and screaming.  The crate might have been kept in the garage or outside in the far corner of the yard where they felt ostracized from the rest of the pack.

So what do you do if your dog is fearful of the crate or you have a new puppy and you want to make sure that they will like the crate?

• Make sure the crate is a fun place.  Put his toys in the crate or feed him in the crate.  Do not initially close the door.  Let him wander in and out so that he will get the feeling that "this is a cool place to be".
• Have the crate near you.  Move the crate during the day so that it is near the rest of the family.  He can be in the crate and the rest of the pack is there too.  This will remove any appearance of being ostracized by being in the crate.
• Open and close the crate door.  We want to start to let him know that the door can be opened or closed and everything is still fine.  You do this by removing the fact that closing the door means anything.  Open the door for a while and then close it (while he is inside).  Do this at different times and make no big deal of it.
• Leave him for a bit.  Walk out of the room or out of site for a moment while he is in the crate.  This helps to remove us as the main safety resource and to reinforce the crate as the safety resource.  It is also a critical part of separation anxiety training.
• Actively engage him while he is in the crate.  Wolfie shouldnt feel like "bubble boy" while he is in the crate.  Get down next to the crate and engage him with conversation or play with the door open or closed.  This will further disengage the crate as a possible inappropriate enclosure.  

Start working on these items above and you will be long on your way to have a doggie that loves his crate and has a safe place he can always visit!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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