Creative Poodle Grooming

ok, this has gone a little too far, but you have to admit it’s pretty cool.

To see more poodle creations: http://www.pinkcoyote.net/creativegrooming.html

Teach your dog “Sit”

Using a clicker and treats

HOUSEBREAKING A PUPPY

As a dog trainer/behaviorist, I get more calls about housebreaking than any other behavioral problem. When housebreaking is done correctly, puppies should eliminate only outside and in the place of your choosing.  Puppies also should be 100% housebroken by 10 to 12 weeks of age.

Housebreaking any age dog is the first thing to get out of the way.  For young puppies it can take a few weeks for them to develop the knowledge and muscle control needed to completely grasp the concept of eliminating outside.  The speed at which housebreaking takes, depends on several things, the breed, age of dog, where the puppy came from (pet shop, shelter, breeder) how big the home is and how much time the owner can devote to the training.  With proper training and/or knowledge you will see results sooner than later. Although the general rule is when in doubt , take them out, there are more techniques that can help speed things along.  If I can toilet train a cat and teach him to flush when he’s done. I can housebreak any dog.

“Den” training.

To me there is no better training tool for housebreaking.  It works perfectly with a dog’s natural den predisposition.  Your dog’s ancestors would find some sort of small cave, hole or tree trunk to hide or have a litter of pups in.  Thankfully, our dogs feel more comfortable in a small area and most understand not to eliminate where they eat, sleep or on you.  Tip; Feeding their meals inside the small area,  placing an article of clothing from you, will help give them reason to “hold it”.  Then as their teacher you show them through frequency and consistency what area you want them to eliminate.

VERY IMPORTANT, even though crate training a dog is BEST, an owner MUST understand how to properly acclimate them to their new confined space!   If the acclimation process is done too fast or not done correctly, your dog will not be a happy camper, they will be barking, whining, panting or trying to dig their way out.  If they end up eliminating inside the crate more than a few times, then you’re really going to have a problem with housebreaking. Hiring a dog-friendly trainer is worth every penny.

If you bought a dog from a pet shop, usually those puppies eat, sleep and eliminate in the same small space.  Some of those puppies have lost that natural understanding and they must be rehabilitated.  Using a crate at first with these puppies is not recommended.

Once 100% acclimated, It’s very important to move the crate around to all areas of your home or wherever you want your dog not to eliminate.  Always start with the crate at night in the bedroom, next your bed.  During the day it can be in another room.  I’ve had clients with crate-trained dogs that still eliminate in the home, but not in the room where the crate was.  That’s the beauty of the crate and how a dog is wired.  If a dog spends the appropriate amount of time in a particular area while inside the crate, once you take the crate away,  9 times out of 10 they won’t eliminate in that spot.

If you subscribe with just your email you will be notified when I post something new.  If you need further assistance with your housebreaking problem, I offer Skype lessons, where I can help you right away and at a discount to hiring me in person.  Use the comment form below to contact me.

Learning from an Old Dog?

The only thing an older dog directly teaches a younger dog are a few basic ground rules, like playing on their terms, not stealing toys, food, or sleeping spot (resource guarding). Older dogs understand the importance of first establishing good communication, teaching a younger dog to read their body language. Even a snarl, growl or snap is a normal form of communication. This is why many older dogs will first ignore a young puppy from a few minutes to a few weeks to establish these rules. Of course dog owners do the complete opposite, we spend the first few weeks giving our puppies anything they want.

Younger dogs can indirectly learn some good things from an older dog, a few examples would be-when they follow an older dog onto the grass and around in circles, this triggers the younger dogs need to eliminate. If the older dog is trained to “come”, the younger dog by following the older dog may indirectly learn to come, to the older dog’s name.

Most of the time it’s the bad behaviors not the good ones an older dog influence. Like when an older dog is digging, chewing (or other behaviors) the younger dog might join in. These behaviors are natural dog behaviors, but not every dog displays them, and young dogs can be influenced at an early age. The older dog can also influence where the digging is done or what is being chewed.

How well your older dogs behaves has an effect on which good and bad behaviors they can influence, not directly teach. The second dog gets the least amount of  ”proper training”  from the older dog and the second dog needs training the most. Don’t rely on your older dog to do anything, in this case you are the older dog, uh, I mean teacher, they need to learn from you.

Because your dogs are too distracted by each other to learn new things, and the younger dog is more focused on the older dog than on you, they need first to be trained separately before they can learn together, It’s also advisable to separate them from time to time by taking just the younger dog on walks or car rides. If possible have your older dog spend a few weeks at a trusted friend or relative. For faster results practice shorter training sessions using the 1-minute training session.

If you have any comments on this blog, feel free to leave them below.

Boarding Your Dog

Part 1:  As the manager of a Pet Hotel for several years I have some insight and tips to help you find a good safe place for your pet to stay.

Referrals are best; find a friend who likes a particular place, or ask a Vet or any dog business.

When you first call a boarding facility, make sure you ask what the business hours are. I only mention this because many people would arrive at our place after business hours and never called or checked our website to find out. I guess some people just thought because the dogs are there all the time the facility must be open to humans all the time.

Price: Some places charge by the night some by the day; some places have specific  check in and check out times. If they charge by the day, they usually throw in a free bath or at least they should. Some throw in a free bath with several nights stay.  Charging by the night is the best, that way you don’t have to worry about specific check in and out times and your dog can have fun all day before picking them up. Just make clear what your being charged for  before any bookings. The facility I managed charged by the night and no check in or out times. We also offered (for a small fee) after hours drop off and pick-up as late as 9pm.

I used to laugh when clients would tell me other facilities needed to meet their dog before allowing them to board. What are they Dr. Doolittle? Having to meet your dog would only be if your dog was going to be socializing with other dogs, and you can’t tell a dog’s aggressive nature just by meeting them. Usually just a few questions over the phone is enough a knowledgeable dog person needs to determine a dogs aggressive nature, as long as owners were being honest. I could usually tell if something didn’t sound right. If we still had doubts about the compatibility of the dog, we would require them to come stay for a doggy day care session (minimum 5 hours). The fact is some dogs are overly assertive once they get there and then mellow out. Other dogs are really mellow when they first arrive but get more aggressive as the day goes on. There’s a process to determine which dogs are aggressive (or not) without any dog getting hurt, but you can’t tell in all cases just by “meeting” the dog.

If the facility offers doggy day care, it might be a good idea to bring them a few times or for an overnight stay. This helps them get used to the place and people before a longer stay.

Ask the manager if they can show you around. They may not be able to show you the full facility but if they have nothing to hide they should be able to show you enough to satisfy you.  I’ve heard of places that say because of their insurance they are not allowed to let people in. We never had problems with our insurance. I would just ask those people, “You expect me to leave my dog here, without seeing what the conditions are?”

On your dog’s first day of boarding, when you first arrive at the facility, don’t read into your dog’s reaction. Our facility was a great place for a dog to socialize and build their confidence, but occasionally when a new dog came in, they appeared so frightened we practically had to carry them inside. After an hour or so they were running around having the best time. Dogs do adapt quickly to things, especially if the owners aren’t around. It also helps if you find a place with a knowledgeable staff and great clientele with great dogs. Hopefully the managers has a lot of experience working with dogs like a trainer, behaviorist, veterinarian and not someone who just thought it would be nice to open a kennel.

If the facility states they walk the dogs on leash twice a day and when you’re there inspecting the place, you should see dogs being walked. It’s a very time consuming process. Especially if it’s around a holiday weekend, facilities usually double or triple the amount of dogs they have, so walking dogs on leash is almost impossible during those times. Some places will still charge you for the walks but don’t walk the dogs! Our facility had 5 one hour long (off leash) group play times, even a late night play session between 8 and 9pm. It didn’t matter if it was a holiday or not. The dogs all got out and by the end of the day, they were all pooped out.

Keep in mind that the reality of group dog play sessions, on occasion, a dog can get hurt, just like kids at a playground. One dog pushes a dog who bangs into another, like when kids play, every once in a while someone gets a scraped knee.

I will post part 2 at another time.  If you subscribe with just your email you will be notified when I post something new.

Boarding your dog part 2 BOARDING PART 2

SHOCK COLLARS

10 Breeds to Avoid

This is not a list of stupid breeds or breeds that are bad. Obviously there are exceptions to every rule and don’t take this personally. I’m just informing people if they get one of these breeds, they may have trouble leading a normal dog-owner life such as having a calm and orderly home, being able go to the dog park, allow the dog off leash, be around kids, dogs or other animals, or being allowed back into doggy daycare or a boarding facility.

In no particular order:

Siberian Husky

Jack Russell terrier

Chow Chow

Basenji

Pekingese

Alaskan-Malamute

Beagle

Samoyed

Pit bulls (just for the aggressive nature) smart and trainable

Presa Canario or American Bulldog

There are many more breeds I could have put on this list. If your breed is not listed here you should still follow the helpful tips below.

If you are thinking about getting one of the listed breeds or any breed for that matter, do your homework and find a good breeder. Meet the puppy’s parents as good sound parents produce good sound puppies. Learn everything there is to know about the breed. EARLY socialization (before 4 months old) training and exercise is the key.

If your dog shows aggression or other negative behavioral issues, get help right away, don’t make excuses for the dog and don’t be in denial. It’s OK to ask for professional help.  Known aggressive breeds should be spayed or neutered before 4- months of age (or earlier). All other temperaments you can fix at 6 months.

OLD vs. NEW

Why the pack leader mentality for training and living with your dog is out of date and inappropriate.

In the dog-training world, there is “Old School” training and there is “New School” training. Both styles are effective because dogs are eager for attention, shelter and food – this is why they are so easy to persuade. However, it’s important to me how a dog feels in its home and when it’s being trained.

Here are some things old school trainers might do or believe as part of their training style. An old school trainer will take a more dominant approach, having less patience while expecting more immediate results. Old school trainers want dogs to be submissive to them; they may use praise but use more correction or redirection techniques without reward.

In old school training, the trainer focuses more on what a dog is doing wrong vs. what a dog is doing right. Old school trainers see certain behaviors a dog does as the dog trying to be “pack leader” or “dominate you.”

Old school trainers are fond of using the “pack leader” analogy to describe the relationship between owner and dog.  In the wolf society the pack leader is the one sitting alone most of the time. He’s usually up high. When he walks around he’s the tough guy. Other members of the pack will lick his face and keep their tails tucked under and ears back. This signals to the pack leader that they are not a threat and that they are not going to challenge him for mating rights. Which is the pack leader’s role – mating! This doesn’t sound like the relationship I want to have with my dog.

On the other hand, new school trainers and their techniques focus on what a dog is doing right rather than wrong. New school trainers use motivation and redirection techniques and incorporate food, toys, clickers, praise and patience. New school trainers don’t relate everything a dog does as an act of dominance or positioning as pack leader or follower. Instead, they understand that much of a dog’s behavior is a product of its early education and socialization.

New school trainers want a dog’s state of mind to be confident, not submissive. They understand that dogs don’t need to be submissive to listen. They also understand that dogs like to work as a team, they love to succeed and that it’s better to be a dog’s teacher than its pack leader.

Education and practice helps build good communication skills with your dog. With practice, patience and proper teachings, a dog can learn to behave appropriately for any situation that comes its way.

Preaching old school style of training only helps to perpetuate the dumbing down of dogs and dog owners. When we think the old school way we become lazy and our expectations become too high. I say give the dog a break. Educate – be its teacher, not its pack leader.

Pet Shops & Puppy Mills

Many reputable breeders will not sell their dogs to pet shops. Why? Because breeders take pride in their work and absolutely care where the puppies are placed (homed).  Breeders want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, they don’t want their dogs offspring to end up being abandoned or given to a shelter or worst?  Many Pet shops only care if you have the money to pay for the over- inflated priced dogs. I’ve read up to 95% of Pet shops in the U.S. get their puppies from puppy mill type operations and big corporations are backing puppy mills. The sad fact is these operations care more about the money and not about the living conditions of the dogs.  Big Corporations are getting into the action and making lots of money because people don’t think things through before buying a puppy and mostly buy on impulse. Some of the pet shops show what appears to be legitimate paper work from a reputable breeder but you can trace it back to a puppy mill operation. Many new regulations have made it more difficult for pet shops to buy puppies from puppy mills but like everything, they find a way around it.  So unless you have time to do the research I would stay clear purchasing a puppy from a pet shop.  Here’s some advice on what to do and what not to do if you want a puppy.

Don’t be spontaneous! I know that puppy in the window is cute, but all puppies are cute and you dont know without research where that puppy in the window came from.

Do your homework. Getting a dog is a big responsibility and you need the right breed to fit your lifestyle.

Take the family and go to a dog show. There you will learn about the breed you are interested in. Talk to the breeders who know the breed the best. They may even tell you about a litter of puppies that are due in a week or so.

Here are some more reasons to buy directly from a reputable breeder:

1. Puppies are in better living and health conditions.

2. Puppies stay with the mother and litter-mates through the crucial imprint period 6-8 weeks.

3. Most Breeders make sure the puppies are handled by adults and children. They also become familiar with household sounds.

4. Breeders introduce the puppy to the concept of housebreaking; they may have been introduced to a crate. This will make housebreaking much easier for you.

5.  Breeders have a health history of the puppy’s parents. Good sound and healthy parents produce good sound healthy puppies!

Problems that could arise when buying from a pet shop:

1. Puppies may be taken too early from the mother and litter-mates, this can have an affect on their temperament latter in life.

2. In pet shops, puppies can be confined for sometimes weeks. Eating, playing and going to the bathroom all in the same small area, can make it extremely difficult to housebreak them.

3. If the pet shop is getting dogs from puppy mills, those dogs are not the best of that breed. Health risks are usually inherited by parents. The puppy may look healthy, but problems can arise later in the dog’s life. Sick, genetically defective or ill tempered dogs reproduce the same.

Another option instead of a breeder or pet shop, you can always adopt a dog from a shelter. When I trained animal actors we would rescue dogs from the shelter and make them working actors. Adopting a pure or mix breed from a shelter is a good thing.  Mix breeds tend to be more intelligent and have less health issues than pure breeds.

My experiences about this subject is primarily directed to the U.S.A. I am not aware of other countries practices, although I’ve heard from one pet shop owner, that Australia has strict guidelines for pet shops who sell puppies. Let’s hope they all adhere to the rules. (oopps I guess they dont either, read comments below)

Here is a group that works very hard to get the word out about puppymills http://www.dogs-r-us.org/news.shtml