New Course 27th July

Bertie are now enrolling for their course commencing 27th July at Brockshill. Please look at previous blog message for details of the talk on Sundaywhich new members should attend.

The website is nearly complete , just making the final checks.

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Quality time

December 19, 2010 by Minette dogs love to go for car rides!

Just pass the quality time with your dog can improve your health!  Today, I want to take a break and away holidays all anxiety.  Invite your family sneak or just off the coast with your dog, according to which helps you bust some stress!

I was stay informed on the blogs and do my daily tasks with my dogs every day.  However I think today I could ignore this event if I wanted to, because today was day of Yoga.  I cant seem to do Yoga without the aid of some doggies rumps and faces in my face.  It may be because they can here the video instructor say «downward Dog» and "upward Dog" or perhaps its due to my grumbling, but most probably its because I am a captive audience on the floor!

Although I made some great connections with my dogs today, I will still go out and make this cause of task, its easy and fun!

Bring the entire family!

All I really want do you, is to take your car and keys of your dog and head for a little holiday drive to see Christmas lights.  When I was a child there were several blocks and neighborhoods in my city where almost everyone went to work to decorate the size of their homes.  The city even gave prizes for the most well decorated area.  Each year we either walk through the streets of the city or the drive and sing some songs.  Its one of my favorite memories and things to do during the holidays!

Thus find a grouse neighbourhood and will enjoy the lights of Christmas with hot chocolate and your best friend.

View the original article here

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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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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

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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.

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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.. 

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A good time at Waggine!

December 21, 2010 by the Minette allows to obtain tails Goin !

Hi all!  Well, that time of year and tomorrow I go to pick up the kids for the Christmas holiday, but I couldnt hide my promise to write a new article every day before Christmas.  I am committed to help you find fun ways to spend time with your furry friend!  Thus, it will be one of the three today, and Ill be back on the eve of Christmas, animate things once again!

If your happy and you know it… .wag your tail!

It is a simple command and behavior that offer dogs easier, but there is no doubt that pleased to control this on command.

What you need

TreatsClickerYour dogLots of praise!

To get started

Grab your dog and go to a place where you can work together.Start by renting your dog and applause with excitementWhen tail Marnie, click treatWait tail stops shake till then start again with festivitiesClick and praise and treat when the tail starts to wagAs as soon as your dog is shake easily you can begin to add a command to the "wag" behavior "What?", or whatever saying you think would be cute with a tail wag

Once you have obtained this behavior on command, it should be fairly easy to click and treat for a spectacular stirring stopover.

Wait until your dog knows the command wag and easily it offers scheduled, on the other hand, you are liable to confuse him.Remember when you were taught, and you waited for the tail stop the wagging…so, you can rent and obtain new wag?Well now you click and treat when the tail stops shake!Yet once contained a command, you think that would be cute "you think huh?

Finally working with it until it is too reliable and easy to understand by your dog.

Now when company is more you can say "he does what?" and as he Marnie boxes say you "Oh you think huh?" and tail must stop.  Go back and forth with your dialog box shake and stop then rewards with a jackpot!

This is a great game and fun for you both!

View the original article here

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Make Time for Doggie!

With the Holidays upon us and all the extra things taking up my time, I just don’t have as much time to spend with Wolfie.  Is this going to cause a problem or can I just make it up by getting him a bunch of great gifts?

First thing, you can’t bribe dogs like you can bribe your kids.  Just getting Wolfie a bunch of great gifts is not going to make up for the time you are neglecting him.  Dogs are social animals and need companionship to maintain the bond between you and him that is so critical in your relationship.

When you don’t give him the time needed to maintain your relationship, your dog will start to test you to see “what he can get away with”.  Let’s say that you have taught him that it is not OK to jump on people.  He will challenge you by taking a few “test jumps” to see what will happen.  If you are distracted with guests or out of town family members, you probably won’t react to his “breaking of your rules”.  You have now shown your dog that he can start to do whatever he wants.  You are not correcting, so why should he obey your rules?

When you leave Wolfie alone at home or in his crate for longer than normal, you are going to increase his need to play and get all of that pent up energy out.  Not being outside with him throwing the ball or going for a jog means that he will have to find another way to release all his “crazy”.  That normally means that he will be far more active in the house, demanding your attention and the attention of your guests.  Since you are already engaged in other activities, this normally means that he is going back in his crate or outside. 

With no bonding and interaction, Wolfie will have to escalate his actions to, “in his mind”, continue the bond you had established.  This normally means that he will start stealing things, showing you that he has them, and then run like a crazy dog around the house as you chase and scream at him.  This only puts you in a bad light as his leader and care giver.  It builds up your dog’s canine perception that he better be the boss and take charge.

If you notice, I am not painting a very rosy picture.  If you simply ignore or minimize the play and bonding time between you and your dog during the holidays, you will have an unpleasant holiday and a crazy, internally focused dog for the New Year.  Let’s make sure that this doesnt happen.

The answer is organization.  You must be organized enough to take the minimal free time you have during the holiday season and use it wisely.  Here are some simple steps:

• Write down your schedule for the upcoming week.  Put in your work, shopping, family obligations, church, parties, etc.  Now, find 45 minutes every day (broken down in 15 and 30 minutes) that you will devote to your “best friend”.  If you have to take some time away from another event, so be it.
• Make a promise to yourself and Wolfie that you will not miss those two times daily where it will be your bonding time.
• Make sure that those times are for you and Wolfie!  Do not be throwing the ball while you are on the phone. 
• After each play time, make sure that Wolfie is still with the family.  Do not simply put him back in the crate and say “Adios”.

As your dog’s leader and care giver, it is your responsibility to maintain a constant bond so that he will respect and obey you.  When you break that bond and trust, you are minimizing your relationship with him.  I know that you are going to tell me “But I am so busy with this, I am so busy with that!”  My response to you is to ask yourself if “this and that” is more important than Wolfie who gives you unconditional love, is always there for you, always wants to please, and always makes you feel great when you are down. I think you know the answer.

If you have any questions, we will be happy to help.  Please contact us at TheBest Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Why Wolfie Has a Hard Time Learning

I just dont know what is going on!  Everyone can teach their dogs stuff and all I want Wolfie to do is to come to me.  I say "come" and he doesnt come.  I say "come" and he doesnt come.  I yell "COME" and he walks away.  What gives?  Why cant I teach Wolfie anything?  Cant Wolfie learn?

The answer is, of course, Wolfie can learn.  Just about all dogs can learn.  The problem is that we dont understand how to teach Wolfie.  The good news is that the answer is really simple.

Just like people, some dogs are smarter than others.  Just like people, all dogs have different prior life and learning experiences before their first day of class.  Just like people, students have different levels of respect and obedience towards their teacher.

On "Day One" of teaching Wolfie anything, we first have to understand where he has the ability to learn the lesson we are about to teach.  To do this, we have to determine "where he gets it" and "where he doesnt get it".  This will determine where we begin.  This is very similar as a child going to a new school and the principle determining which grade that student should enter.  

In this example, I will use the simple command of "Come" to determine where I should start to teach Wolfie...

First, I have to pick a base point to see if Wolfie already understands the command.  I stand about six feet away from Wolfie, go down low and say "Come".  I now watch to see what Wolfie does.  He doesnt do a thing and just sits there.  I will try once more.  I get down low and say "Come" with the same response.  This tells me that this is too advanced for Wolfie and have to drop down a grade.

I now put a leash on Wolfie so that I can help to show and guide him when I ask him to come from six feet.  I go down low again and say "Come".  This time I give the leash a very slight, brief tug in my direction.  Wolfie now begins to walk towards me.  As he slows, I give the leash a very slight, brief tug again to encourage him to continue to walk to me.  He reaches me and I give him a big "Good Wolfie!".  I now know where I can start teaching him.  

I continue the process with the leash until I no longer have to guide him with the slight tug.  From this point, I can continue the learning process by increasing the distance between Wolfie and myself.

As you can see, once I find the place where Wolfie is able to learn, his ability to grasp the lesson will progress rapidly.  This will work with any lesson you want to teach Wolfie.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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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. 

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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.

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Jades First Time at the Movie Theater

Tonight my better half and I went to the movies, and for the first time took Jade with us.  Shes never been to the movie theater, and Ive always been weary of bringing her just because the movies are always so loud. Ive always wondered if itd ruin her hearing, or cause her unneeded stress.  Its true that  a Service Dog is allowed to accompany a disabled person WHEREVER that person can go, or decides to go....but a good and smart Service Dog handler considers the situation in which they place their Service Dog.

I wasnt sure if Jade was ready, but again, she amazed me, as usual.  She was just as calm and relaxed as could be, as she always is when on the job. I brought her a small blanket that Id crocheted a long time ago to help her feel more comfortable. Its the same blanket I keep on her bed.

We entered the mall where the theater is located and Jades been in there several times in the past.  Nothing unusual, but it was fairly packed; which was odd for a Monday evening.  We found out why when we arrived to see some people dressed in costume as Star Trekies. Jades used to being in large crowds and that doesnt phase her at all. Once we bought our tickets, we headed for the elevator, because as Ive stated on my blog many times, the one thing you should NEVER do as a SD handler is to take your dog on an escalator.  Its way too dangerous for your dog, but some handlers are less inclined to consider their dogs safety.  Jade is great with elevators....never had a problem.  The first time she got on an elevator was at the mall, and it was as though shed ridden in them her whole life.

Jade at 11 weeks

So we arrived on the top floor to get our popcorn and drinks, and Jade waiting patiently in line with us, doing a "front."  This is where she moves to the front position, in front of me, sideways, parallel to the service counter, and sits and waits patiently.  Once we had our goodies, we headed to the theater, and I thought, this is where she could get a bit stressed since this is totally new to her.  Its not like the old days anymore, where the lights are on in the theater and its very bright until the previews start and the lights dim; the theater is already dark upon entry. Without hesitation, so as not to make Jade think something was wrong, we entered the theater and found the handicap seating toward the front. I squatted down to avoid getting in peoples way, and spread the little blanket next to my seat for her.  Jade got right on the blanket and did a perfect down/stay.  For a little while, she watched the big screen intently, with her ears up and alert, turning her head from side to side.  It was as if she was watching the movie, but Im certain she was trying to ascertain whether the people on the screen were real or inside that screen-like thing, like the one we have at home, only smaller.  :)  I watched her out of the corner of my eye for a while looking for any signs of stress, but then she lay her head between her front paws and began to doze a bit.  She stayed right there until the movie was over!

What an amazing dog! I swear this dog NEVER ceases to amaze me.  She makes me proud!

The one very NOT new experience we had was all the folks at the theater staring at us as we entered the building, waited in line, entered the theater, exited the theater, etc.  I really dont like people staring at us, but I suppose its to be expected.  People dont usually see service dogs every day, although I wish they did.  I wish there were more of them out and about.  Theres always at least one small child that says something like, "Look mommy, theres a dog!" or "Hey that lady has a dog!"  Cant get anything passed the children, especially a dog! :)

Jade hanging out with buddies

What I  absolutely get tired of and find absolutely RUDE and DISRESPECTFUL are those people who say things like "Whats wrong with you?"  or "Why do you need a dog, youre not blind?!" or "What are you training her for?" and the most annoying one...."Isnt it hard to give them away once you have them trained?!"

I really dont mind people asking questions, inquiring about her training, her breed or making conversation about service dogs, etc.  I dont even mind when people stop to tell me about their Uncles friends service dog, etc. as long as Im not in a rush, and Im MORE than willing to take a moment to help educate others on the value of service dogs and such, or even to let someone pet her, especially children...that is, IF THEY ASK!

In summary, it was the very first time Jade attended the movies with me, and she was masterful! It was as though shed been doing this her whole life.  You amaze me, Jade! Youre the BEST DOG in the world!

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