Top Ten Excuses
December 14, 2009
Nobody wants to face reality or they’re being too politically correct. Quite often I hear people making excuses as to “Why” their child (I mean dog) doesn’t behave or listen to them like they should. I hear things like: They’re too tired, too distracted, not in the mood, I didn’t exercise them enough, etc. When the real reason is, a) They never took the time to teach them b) They don’t know exactly how to teach them or how dogs learn c) They keep doing the wrong things without seeking professional help d) They treat them like a human baby e) They’re afraid of scaring them emotionally by challenging them and their intelligence.
Excuses I hear from dog owners:
Too tired
Too distracted
They only listen when I have a treat
They’re a rescue dog; they’ve had a tough life
They didn’t get their exercise today
I guess they don’t feel like it
They must smell something
My dog is too young or too old (set in their ways)
He’s mad at me?
He’s trying to be Pack Leader or dominating me? This is my favorite, from the perspective of an animal behaviorist, this is equivalent to: Say you’re helping your child study for a test and you ask your child a question and they don’t know the answer; they must be dominating you.
Do I hear more excuses down here in Australia vs. in the States? Well, I’ve only been here a year and I do hear excuses but in the States is where I’ve heard most of them. This blog was kind of directed at the people of Australia because almost all dogs in this area are being walked on harnesses and of course pulling the owners everywhere. I believe the owners don’t realize the true potential or intelligence of dogs and just make yet another excuse that dog’s pull on leash because they’re dogs. To me, it’s a waste of a dogs mind, talent and well-being.
Top Tweets
November 10, 2009
I’ve posted over 1800 tweets on twitter and have over 5000 followers. The 10 tweets listed below are ones that other people have either responded to or re-tweeted to their followers.
1. NEVER use laser pointers as a chase game for dogs! It may be entertaining 2 U, but it literally drives dogs crazy! Really!..Warning About Laser Pointers
2. If you’re wondering if you should get a dog or not? I say, Don’t Get A Dog ….(DON\’T GET A DOG)
3. You’re saying “goodbye, be a good doggy”, they hear nah nah I’m leaving you all alone, all by… (NO EMOTIONAL HELLO’S)
4. Pointing only gets them to look at your finger, it’s not until they’re trained do they know what your pointing at.
5. Around 5 MILLION dogs and cats (in U.S.) are euthanized each year. Leave breeding 2 professionals. Spay /neuter your pet!
6. Dogs are unaware of the dangers and social expectations within the human world. It’s your job to educate them
7. It’s just a tennis ball to us, to them it’s NIRVANA!
8. Your dog’s mind is a terrible thing to waste, educate, don’t dominate
9. For many years I’ve questioned the veterinarian immunization schedule for dogs because I believe immunizations can…(SHORTNING A DOGS LIFE)
10. Why the pack leader mentality 4 training and living with your dog is out of date and inappropriate. The dog training…(Old vs. New)
A few of my favorites:
Little dogs don’t know they’re little but owners keep trying to convince them they are.
A dogs “G” spot is behind the ears, the chest or tummy and right b 4 the tail on their back.
A dog living in the backyard will only learn things that will keep them there.
Follow me @ MalibuDogTrainr
THINK LIKE A TRAINER
July 18, 2009
Tip #5 Teaching a dog to ” Check in”. Dogs are not aware of the dangers in the world and for their own safety you need to teach them to check in or wait until you give permission to do the things they want. Things like jumping in or out of the car, running to play with another dog, greeting someone, jumping up on the sofa or on you, may sound innocent but there can be dangers associated with these activities. To condition them to “Check in” you need to teach them a good ”STAY” and more importantly, a “Release” command, “OKAY”, “FREE” or “BREAK.
Tip #4 Don’t use one word that has different meanings. If you want your dog to get off you, don’t say “Down!”, say “off!” if you want your dog to sit, don’t say “Sit Down”, say “sit!” if you want your dog to jump off of the couch, don’t say “Get Down” because they will be very confused if you then want them to “Lay Down”. At first your dog will not learn the position that you are rewarding them for, they’re learning how they got there, so try to think of using a word or words per body movement.
If you have a bad habit of saying “down”, use “Drop” “flat” “Lie” or “banana” for down
Tip #3 Teach Basic Obedience commands. People don’t give this one the credit it deserves. As humans we start out learning the basics, from there we can achieve greatness. Dogs need to understand at least 5 basic commands and 3 advanced ones (shaking paws doesn’t count as one) I’m not talking about in the kitchen holding a treat in front of their nose, luring them into position. I’m talking about control from a distance, around distractions with or without treats. If done correctly obedience training not only teaches them what to do, but also teaches them what not to do.
Tip #2. Never ask a dog to do something unless you’re going to back it up. I see so many people make this mistake. If a dog doesn’t listen, you need to follow through, if a dog listens, you need to follow through. If you don’t follow through, a dog will start to ignore you!
Tip #1. Dogs need to learn to earn. Dog are always being rewarded for their actions all the time anyway, so why not reward them for listening to you instead of rewarding them for just standing there looking at you, jumping up on you, getting all excited and plowing into your leg? You have something a dog wants and needs: treats, toys, praise etc. You need to teach a dog to “earn it” in order to get it. Have them do something like sit, stay, fetch a ball or come on command etc.
I will be posting a new “Think like a trainer” tip soon, please keep checking back. If you subscribe with just your email, you will be notified when I post something new
Top 10 Smartest Breeds
July 10, 2009
Some of the more-trainable breeds were tested to determine which breeds might be smarter. The tests judged how quickly they learned obedience commands and how quickly they solved problems. Regardless of who’s #1 a lot of our dogs potential depends on us, the more active we are with them, the more knowledge we have, the more training we do, our dogs will become smarter. So keep reading from blog sites like mine and your dog will be competing for a spot in the top ten. However, don’t get your hopes too high as I think the breed in the #1 spot has nothing to worry about.
10. Australian cattle dog
9. Rottweiler
8. Papillon
7. Labrador
6. Shetland Sheepdog
5. Doberman
4. Golden Retriever
3. German Shepherd
2. Poodle
1. Border Collie
Top Ten Regrets
July 9, 2009
Top Ten regrets for dog owners. There are certain behaviors or tricks that you think are cute and you’d like your puppy to do, but once you allow your puppy to do that behaviour, you may soon have regrets.
1. Teaching a puppy to shake paws at an early age. This is a very simple behavior to teach but a tough one to stop. It should really be discouraged in the beggining, then when the puppy is 10 months or older- you can teach it as a trick. The rule is if you don’t ask for their paw you shouldn’t take it. If you do, be prepared to get your leg, arm or even face scratched.
2. Same thing here, easy to teach- hard to stop once you allow it. If you have a new puppy, do not allow them to jump. When they get older, you can train them what they can jump on and when.
3. Giving your dog food at the dinner table or giving too many treats. I probably don’t need to explain this one, its common sense. If you give a dog food from your table or anywhere for no reason, they will always expect food from you, especially near the dinner table. Another pet peeve of mine is don’t give food to a dog that is not yours, unless of course the owner gives permission.
Just before a walk, people get they’re dog all excited and say“Ya wanna go for a walk“? I’m not sure why people do this, but they do.
Allowing a puppy to carry his leash around. A dog should understand the leash is an extension of your arm, you don’t want a puppy to disrespect the leash.
4. Allowing a dog to sleep with you in bed. Yes, dogs have a highly social bond with us, but the reality is you’re not always going to be available 24/7 as your dog would like. Letting them sleep in bed in the first year of their life is a false sense of attachment, this can lead to severe separation issues. They should have their own sleeping spot, preferably next to your bed.
5. Allowing or encouraging the dog to bark. Dogs are little warning machines, they love to alert you when something is outside. As your dog goes from puppy to adult that natural instinct to warn you of intruders increases. It’s advisable to teach the command “quiet” from the start suing redirection techniques. In some cases teaching a dog to bark also teaches them not to bark. I would consult a professional for this one Fact: A dog actually thinks they chased the mailman away?
6. Letting a puppy lick your face excessively. It might be cute but if you encourage it too much it can become an obsession problem. Your puppy will want to lick every hand and face of every person you know and every person you don’t know.
7. Letting a puppy play with your old clothing. Your dog can’t distinguish between old and new, your child’s stuffed animal, kitchen utensils, old shoes or slippers etc. To be clear to your puppy, they should only have dog toys to play with.
8. Just before a walk, getting your dog all excited and saying, “You wanna go for a walk?” Over time your dog will become too over excited and hard to control. They also can develop other behavioral issues.
9. Allowing them to jump in the pool without being asked. It is important to teach a dog where the steps are so if they fall or jump in they know how to get out. You still want to teach some good pool side manners.
10. Teasing them with a lazer pointer, flashlight or garden hose; read my story Warning About Laser Pointers. I also don’t recommend using the garden hose as a play toy, this can turn into a obsessive problem and can lead to sprinkler destroying.
