Should I Let Wolfie Walk Without A Leash

I see other people walking their dogs on the street with no leash.  I am thinking about walking Wolfie without a leash.  How do you do that and is that a good idea?

You might get an idea of my answer by looking at the picture above.  The reason that I am on this subject today is because of a consultation I had with one of our clients this morning.  She told me that she would often let her dog off leash in the front yard.  Things were normally fine, but this morning her dog suddenly took off down the street chasing a truck.  Luckily there wasnt any other traffic at the time and she finally could get her dog back about a block away with the help of a neighbor.  

"This kind of thing has never happened before", she told me.  "He plays next door with the neighbor dog and I can play fetch with him at the park across the street and he always walks right back into the house after me when we are done.  He has seen trucks before and he has never gone after them in the past." 

To cut to the chase, we do not condone having dogs off leash at any time.  The reason is that the real world is full of thousands of distractions that will engage Wolfie.  Since we cant plan and train for each of these unique distractions, we cant unequivocally state that Wolfie wont take off down the street. Since we cant guarantee Wolfies safety, we strongly encourage our clients to always have their dogs on a leash when outside.

We live in South Florida where things are always busy with trucks, crazy drivers, bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, joggers, and a whole bunch of other things.  Now, if you lived in the country or a small town, I would probably answer this blog in a different way.  The reason is that there are far fewer distractions that we have to deal with.  But, this is a topic for a future blog.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Should My Kids Train Wolfie

We got a dog and I want to make sure that my kids are involved in his training!  First, I dont want him to be my sole responsibility, but I also want to teach my kids responsibility...

We get this question (request) a lot and the answer really depends on the dynamics of the family and the current issues with the dog.  Lets just walk through some scenarios that we have experienced and we will explain what needs to be done.

The kids dont want anything to do with Wolfie:
The first thing that we would do would be to get your kids involved with Wolfie around the house.  

• Ask them to take Wolfies bowl to him at feeding time.  
• Have Wolfie and your kids together with you as you are giving him s treat.  Show your kids how to do that and then ask them to try it too.  
• You can also ask them to "babysit" Woolfie while you are making dinner or on the computer.  You are still in sight of them, but you have given them a chore that involves passive interaction with him.

After they are OK with him, start involving them with come simple commands like COME and SIT.  You do the exercises first and then you invite them to join in.  You are always there to encourage them and guide them when they arent getting the exercise done correctly.  Never let them become angry or hit Wolfie.

As your kids see that Wolfie "will do what they want", it will give them a feeling of accomplishment.  Now, start to move on to other commands like STAY and WALK.  Again, this is all taken slowly and always in an atmosphere of having fun.

Wolfie seems to be a little aggressive and nips at the kids:
Usually we see a dog nipping and automatically label them as "aggressive".  Although we always suggest contacting a professional dog trainer for specific advise, this situation is normally caused by Wolfie demanding attention.

The first thing you have to do is to establish your dominance over Wolfie so that he gives you the respect and focus you require.  Have Wolfie on a leash around your kids.  As soon as he approaches them and begins to nip, correct him and direct him back to you.  You will very quickly notice the proactive signs of Wolfie wanting to nip (get attention) your kids.  Correct him ahead of time.  Wolfie will quickly learn that he cant perform that behavior.

Now, ask your kids to call Wolfie over to them in a calm manner.  Have them pet him and give him treats.  As you see that Wolfie is no longer the one demanding attention and your kids are no longer threatened by Wolfies nipping, you can start with some simple COME and SIT obedience commands.

My kids are small and Wolfie is twice their size:
I dont want the kids training Wolfie in this instance.  They can play with him under controlled visits with you always present.  Under no circumstance do you leave them alone.

The reason that I am so adamant in this situation is that I dont want Wolfie knocking them over.  It isnt that I think that Wolfie is mean or would want to hurt your kids, but they are kids and dogs.  Bumping and falling happens.  When they are small, this could scare them and make them afraid of dogs the rest of their lives.

The bottom line whenever you want your kids involved with your dog is to have them properly socialized first.  Any of the cases that we have discussed above first involves proper socialization so that a level of respect is built between your kids and Wolfie.

As I mentioned above, if you have any concern regarding your kids interaction with your dog, call a professional dog trainer.  You can reach us at http://www.BarkBustersSouthFlorida.com.

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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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Getting Wolfie to Stay

No matter what I do, I cant get Wolfie to stay.  I think he just wants to drive me nuts.  I think he is going to stay, but as soon as I walk away, he is up and following me...

What you have done is to try and teach Wolfie too many things too quickly...  Remember that we all learned that 1 + 1 = 2 before we started to work with calculus.  That is the problem we are having with Wolfie.

Lets break to the chase and let me explain exactly what you need to do to start getting your dog to stay:

• Make sure that you have your dog on a leash and that you are in a quiet place with no audible or visual distractions.
• Put your dog in a sit.  If he does not do this the first time and does not stay in a sit position with focus on you, stop the "stay exercise" and simply work on the sit.
• Once your dog is sitting and focused on you, stand in front of him, hold your hand up like a traffic cop, and tell him to "stay".
• He needs to remain in his sitting position while focused on you and, more importantly, your hand.
• After 10 seconds of your dog not moving, slowly step back a few feet (be careful not to tug or pull the leash).  Keep your hand up and always stand tall and face your dog. If he starts to move, correct him.  If he gets up, start the process again.
• Once you reach the length of the leash, make sure that your dog is focused on you and your hand and that you are focused on him.  Wait for 15 seconds.
• Now, while facing him and with your hand up, slowly walk around to your dogs left side.  Next, walk around to his right side.  Finally, return to standing in front of him. Always make sure that he is focused on you.  Again, if at any time he stands up and starts to move, start the exercise from the beginning.
• Return to your dogs side and praise him for a job well done.

It will be quite possible that you will not be able to successfully accomplish all these steps the first time you try.  The first time, you might only be able to stand right in front of him.  After several days, you might get him to stay when you take a few steps back.  It might take a week or so before you can walk to his right and left without his moving.  

It doesnt matter how long it takes to teach him these steps as long as you are ending on a winning experience and you have been consistent in your teaching.  The big thing to remember is to always face your dog while you are teaching and to hold your hand up to give him something easy to focus on.  

We are always telling our clients to understand the world from their dogs perspective.  In this matter, we are telling our dog to sit still and watch our hand.  It is something that they can easily learn and we have gained the result we require.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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How Do I Get Wolfie to Stop Nipping My Pants

It is always so annoying to be walking down a hallway and all of s sudden have Wolfie pulling on your pants or nipping your shoes.  Just shaking him off only seems to make him want to do it more!  I dont want to kick him.  What can I do?

We need to understand why Wolfie is doing this and what we must do to let him know that it is wrong.  

Wolfie is always trying to understand what we want from him and what the rules for the group are.  The main way that he accomplishes this is through body language.  Wolfie does not have words and sentences, so his main form of communication are the nuances of stance and movement from body language.  With this in mind, lets see what we are telling Wolfie when we pass him and walk down the hall.

As we approach Wolfie, we are facing him.  Facing another animal is a natural act of dominance.  We are telling Wolfie "I am the boss.  I am in charge.  Obey me."  This is all fine and dandy until we pass him.  

Now we are walking away and Wolfie sees our back.  The back is always the submissive or weak side.  (When wolves attack other animals, they always try and come at them from behind.)  We have now changed our language from "I am the boss" to "I dont care, everything is fine with me, do what ever you want".  This now puts Wolfie in charge and he just might want to play "tag" with us.  We all know what happens next.

So, what can we do about this?  The answer is that we must use our body language in the appropriate way to send a clear signal to Wolfie that he can not take charge and play tag with us.  Here is what you do:

• As you approach Wolfie, give him a low, stern "No" just before you pass him.  
• As you pass, turn so that you continue to face him and repeat your low, stern "No" several more times.
• Continue to walk backwards so that you continue to face him.
• If Wolfie ever starts to get up and move towards you, repeat the low, stern "No".
• As you move away, you become less of a "playful" distraction and Wolfie should quickly loose focus.
• You can now turn around and keep walking, always looking back slightly to make sure that Wolfie has not reengaged.

You will need to repeat this every time you pass Wolfie for the next few days.  Through your consistent and repeated acts of clearly explaining to Wolfie (through body language) that you wont accept his nipping, he will learn that it is not right and will stop.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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