Tag: dog obedience


Pet Etiquette for the Holiday Season

A Well Behaved Dog Guest is only SOMETIMES Welcome

Often we become so attached to our canine companions that we don’t think about NOT taking them along with us when we travel.  But, there are times when it is just better to consider traveling by yourself and making the holiday season with your beloved canine friend, something that you share in the comfort of your own surroundings.

If you do plan to take your furry friend for visits at the holidays it is prudent to check ahead with your host.  Not everyplace that welcomes you will do the same with your dog, even it the dog is very well behaved.

Better Left at Home, Sometimes
Crowds often annoy a dog and they may find themselves getting snappish, growly and short tempered when otherwise nicely temperamented.

Fancy holiday foods, while they are treats for us, can make a dog very ill.

Decorations may end up being tempting treats for your dog and ribbons, cords and tinsel pose health threats.

If They Go With You…
Pack a "Dog-E Bag" that includes every possible essential that you can think of for your dog friend and try to remember to include a special surprise, whether a toy or a small treat.

Take medications, vet records, leash, collar and additional identification.

Pack a gift for your dog hosts, both human and canine.

Don’t leave your dog unattended in the house with the host dog.  Things can happen and the results may not be what you had anticipated.

Happy howl-i-days and remember to give your dog a bit of extra attention at this time of the year.

 

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A Walk about Town

Walking Your Dog: City Dog Walking

Navigating Around Obstacles
 
Once you start walking your puppy, you will be amazed at the obstacles that will crop up as you walk down the street. Light posts, parking meters, bus and stop signs, bike rails, waste barrels, fire hydrants, groups of people waiting for a bus or getting off a bus, along with other dogs and people are only some of the obstacles you and your puppy will face.
 
These obstacles may not seem like a big deal until you combine them with pedestrians and groups of people congregating on the sidewalk. And one of the best ways to avoid large groups of oncoming people is to navigate your puppy onto the curb side of lights posts and parking meters.
 
Moving Obstacles
 
Also be aware of moving obstacles such as bicyclists, in-line skaters, kids running and dogs walking on or off-leash ahead of their owners. When approaching moving obstacles, don’t have your puppy on a long lead. You don’t want your puppy or your lead getting wrapped around a moving obstacle.
 
Your best action with a moving obstacle is to shorten the lead and give it room to pass. Don’t get tense by choking your puppy with too tight of a lead. Another good option is to stand still with your puppy and relax while the moving obstacle passes you by.
 
Safety Zones
 
A safety zone is any area that widens the space between your puppy and an oncoming object. It can be an entrance way to a store, the curb side of a parking meter, or an area that’s off to the side. The curb side of parking meters are perfect safety zones because most people don’t walk on that part of the sidewalk. Think of safety zones as a way of controlling your space on the street. For example, if you see a couple of kids on bikes racing down the sidewalk or a person running, you can navigate to a safety zone and keep you and your puppy in a safe position. This is the best way to avoid accidents or close calls.
 
By controlling your space, you also send a strong message to other owners coming by with their dogs that you are protecting yourself and your puppy. You gain control of your space and this can diffuse a tense situation, particularly if a full-grown dog does not like your puppy.
 
You can also use the safety zone method if you see another puppy owner approaching and you are in a hurry and do not wish to spend the time having the puppies mingle with each other. Here’s a good safety tip: Puppies on leashes should never play with each other. Their leashes will get tangled and you will put your puppy in a precarious situation when you have to drop your lead to get out of the entanglement.
 
Don’t forget to read more in Turn This Way…and That Way Too.

 

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It’s a Private thing

Dog Training: How to Train Your Dog to Stop Licking “Private Places”

A nose thrust may be acceptable among dogs, but it’s not so pleasant for the two-legged visitors in their lives. Every dog can learn to greet people in more acceptable ways. The secret is to teach them an alternative to that ancient, secret handshake they know so well.
 
Start with a Shake
 
The standard greeting among people is the handshake, and dogs can learn it too. Have your dog sit, then stick out your hand, putting it slightly below her nose. Most dogs will instinctively raise a paw to meet it. If your dog doesn’t get it and won’t raise a paw, pick up her paw for her and give it a shake. Then say, "Good shake!" and give her something to eat. Keep practicing, and have other people do it too. As long as there’s the potential for food, dogs will remember this trick and try it every chance they get.
 
Take her Everywhere
 
Dogs spend most of their time at home, and when they do get out they’re so excited and hungry for information that they can hardly keep their noses to themselves. Take them out in public more often so they meet a lot of new people. Eventually, they’ll start getting used to everyone and everything, in part because they’ll have collected so much information in the past that they won’t feel the burning need to collect more. This will make it easier for them to remember to sit and shake rather than lunge and sniff.
 
Quick Tip
 
Dogs despise the smell of minty breath spray, and you can take advantage of this to discourage them from sniffing people. When you’re going to be in a situation in which your dog will be meeting new people, arm yourself beforehand with a canister of breath spray. When she moves in for the inevitable sniff, quickly spritz some of the spray toward her mouth. Aim downward so that the irritating spray doesn’t hit her eyes. The unpleasant smell and taste, combined with the psst sound, is a very strong discouragement.
 
This type of "aversion therapy" works because dogs link the unpleasant experience with the behavior that caused it, and the memory will stay with them. For the most part, however, dogs learn fastest when they’re praised for doing things right, rather than scolded for doing them wrong. So reward your dog well when she sits and shakes. You should even reward her when she does nothing at all. As long as she’s not sniffing, she’s being a good dog and deserves a special treat.
 

 

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Every Dog Should Know to COME

The Most Important Command Every Dog Should Know

"Come" is a command every puppy needs respect. Here again, control is essential. When you say "Come," the puppy must have no alternative. Consistency in your conditioning is imperative, for once the puppy realizes he does not have to come, your troubles begin! The come is taught using a puppy collar and a twenty-five-foot line.
 
1. When you first put your puppy out in the yard on his line, the very first time, allow him to explore until he seems to be getting tired.
 
2. At that point, kneel and say "Come" and give the line a small, sharp tug. The tug will turn the puppy toward you. He may then:
 
a) Come - If he does this, really love, cuddle and praise him. Pick him up and carry him into the house and give him a tiny tidbit.
B) Turn and sit - If he does this, continue to give gentle little tugs, along with lots of verbal encouragement, until he gets to you. Then praise as if he had come on his own.
b) Buck and holler at the end of the line - If he does this, sit quietly until he quits (sometimes it takes a while). Then give another "Come" and tug the line again. Repeat - even if it takes fifty waits, fifty "comes," and fifty tugs. When he reaches you, love him and praise him as if he had come on the first call, on his own.
c) Sulk, roll over on his back, wrap his feet around the line and say, "No way, Jose!" - If he does this, stay calm, wait until he freezes in some position, then repeat "come," and give a tug on the line. If he repeats his previous actions, repeat yours. When he finally comes to you, reward him and praise him as if he had come the first time. As you pick your puppy up and carry him into the house, you may tell him anything as long as your voice is happy - you have won - no matter how long it has taken you!
 
Always remember, the only way you can lose a come battle is to lose your temper. Once you do that the puppy has won because you have given him something to react to. He will know he has upset you and that little piece of information will get stored in his memory bank. So, stay cool!
 
3. Take the puppy on a twenty-minute walk. Let him go to the end of the line and sniff and snuffle to his heart’s content.
 
4. Four times during that walk - when he is on the end of the line - say "Come" and snap the line toward you and run away from the puppy. When he "catches" up with you, get down to his level and love him, praise him and reward him!
 
6. Try to take another walk, later on in the day, in a different area and repeat the four calls.
 
If you use these exercises on the come daily, both at home and on walks, the puppy will grow up knowing that "come" means a problem for him when he remains where he is and does not come, and that safety and praise are his when he does come. Later on, when he is truly free to choose, if you have been consistent, he will choose you.

For more great training information, check out Shouldn’t Your Dog Know Enough?

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It’s a Kiss

Dog Licking: Can Dogs Give You Germs When They Lick Your Face?

Dogs use their long tongues for mopping up lunch crumbs, removing mud from their feet, and cleaning their privates. And yet, when they give our faces sloppy licks, there’s something endearing about it. Apart from occasional attempts to retrieve bits of glazed doughnut from our chins, dogs lick us because they like us. It isn’t a kiss, but it’s close.
 
Almost as soon as they’re born, dogs experience the soft warmth of their mothers’ tongue,
which bathes them with maternal affection. The licking never really stops after that. Mothers take advantage of their puppies’ relative immobility during nursing to lick them clean. They also lick their bottoms to jump-start their impulses to relieve themselves.
 
Puppies do their share of licking too. They lick older dogs’ chins and faces to greet them and show respect. And when they’re hungry - and puppies are perpetually in search of something to eat - licking their mother will sometimes stimulate her to regurgitate a meal, which the puppies regard as an appetizing lunch.
 
As dogs get older, they lick each other less often, but they never quit entirely. At the very least, in the absence of hands and hairbrushes, they do each other’s hair with their tongues.
 
A Show Of Respect
 
Dogs don’t lick people because they’re hoping for a hot meal. They lick because we’re their parents, or at least the head folks in the house. Even when dogs are old, gray, and grizzled, they see themselves in some ways as being our children, and a lick shows how much they respect us.
 
You can tell a little bit about your dog’s personality by how much licking she does. Dogs who are very bold or independent are restrained with their licking because they don’t feel as though there is anyone they have to win over. Outgoing, sociable dogs, on the other hand, lick everyone all the time.
 
We play a role in all this licking too. It doesn’t take dogs very long to learn that laying a wet one on the cheek is a great way to get cooed over and rubbed the right way. So in a way, the instinct to lick is both ancient and immediate; dogs do it naturally, and we en- courage them to do it more.
 
People are never sure how to react to licks. The first emotion is generally "Aw, that’s cute," closely followed by "Yuck." Imagine where that tongue has been! But it’s not as unhygienic as it seems. At worst, dog licks are like wiping your face with a slightly dirty washcloth. Not exactly cleansing, but hardly worth worrying about. In fact, there’s some evidence that it may be good for you.
 
Learn more about the different training methods for your dog in Evolving the Training Methods.

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Getting Around in the Big City

City Dog Walking: Handling Obstacles & Safety Zones

Navigating Around Obstacles
 
Once you start walking your puppy, you will be amazed at the obstacles that will crop up as you walk down the street. Light posts, parking meters, bus and stop signs, bike rails, waste barrels, fire hydrants, groups of people waiting for a bus or getting off a bus, along with other dogs and people are only some of the obstacles you and your puppy will face.
 
These obstacles may not seem like a big deal until you combine them with pedestrians and groups of people congregating on the sidewalk. And one of the best ways to avoid large groups of oncoming people is to navigate your puppy onto the curb side of lights posts and parking meters.
 
Moving Obstacles
 
Also be aware of moving obstacles such as bicyclists, in-line skaters, kids running and dogs walking on or off-leash ahead of their owners. When approaching moving obstacles, don’t have your puppy on a long lead. You don’t want your puppy or your lead getting wrapped around a moving obstacle.
 
Your best action with a moving obstacle is to shorten the lead and give it room to pass. Don’t get tense by choking your puppy with too tight of a lead. Another good option is to stand still with your puppy and relax while the moving obstacle passes you by.
 
Safety Zones
 
A safety zone is any area that widens the space between your puppy and an oncoming object. It can be an entrance way to a store, the curb side of a parking meter, or an area that’s off to the side. The curb side of parking meters are perfect safety zones because most people don’t walk on that part of the sidewalk. Think of safety zones as a way of controlling your space on the street. For example, if you see a couple of kids on bikes racing down the sidewalk or a person running, you can navigate to a safety zone and keep you and your puppy in a safe position. This is the best way to avoid accidents or close calls.
 
By controlling your space, you also send a strong message to other owners coming by with their dogs that you are protecting yourself and your puppy. You gain control of your space and this can diffuse a tense situation, particularly if a full-grown dog does not like your puppy.
 
You can also use the safety zone method if you see another puppy owner approaching and you are in a hurry and do not wish to spend the time having the puppies mingle with each other. Here’s a good safety tip: Puppies on leashes should never play with each other. Their leashes will get tangled and you will put your puppy in a precarious situation when you have to drop your lead to get out of the entanglement.
 
You will want to get a few tips on Quick Dog Discipline for helping you out.

 

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Proper Dog Table Manners

Please, Thank you and May I Be Excused: Dog Table Etiquette

Your puppy needs to learn proper table manners if he is to become a good house-dog. He must learn to give up his food to you without a struggle. He must also learn not to take food that does not belong to him. Training your puppy both aspects of table manner early on will prevent biting over his meal or over a stolen food later on. Since both aspects go against the dog’s natural instinct, they are necessary lessons to learn for him when he lives with humans. It is often necessary for dogs to be trained against their natural instincts or they can become threats to their families.
 
Every time you feed your puppy, tell him “Ok” as you place his dish in front of him. Nothing conscious will get through for the first few weeks, but something is definitely getting absorbed. Your puppy is beginning to learn that you will give permission when he is to eat.
 
After a few weeks of this automatic training, put the bowl down and do not say ok. In fact, do not say anything. If he waits for you, in about 2 seconds say “Ok” followed by “Good dog” and let him enjoy his meal. If, on the other hand, he goes for his food, gently pull him back with your hands on his collar and say “No.” You may have to repeat this if necessary. When he looks up at you or waits for about two seconds, say “Ok” followed by “Good dog.”
 
Continue with the “Ok” every time you feed your puppy. Twice a week, have him wait for the “Ok” until he knows to wait for the command before he starts with his meal. You can then continue to say “Ok” when you feed him without testing him every week. This is not and should not be a contest of wills. Never use this exercise as a trick to show off to your friends and other people that you have this control over your dog that he would not touch a piece of meat unless you told him he could. It is not supposed to be a trick, but proper etiquette to teach him not to take food that does not belong to him.
 
In about a month or so, your puppy should have no problem waiting for the “Ok” signal. While you are teaching him restraint, occasionally add food to his bowl while he is eating using your bare hand. If he growls when your hand comes near his bowl, say “NO!” and take away the food. Feed him again at his next scheduled mealtime.
 
Once every other week, when he is in the middle of his meal, call his name to get his attention or say “No” and take away his dish. If he does not growl, add a treat to his meal and return the dish immediately, followed by saying “Ok, good boy.” Once your puppy allows hands near his bowl, accepts the removal of his food and waits for his “ok,” you have successfully communicated to your dog that he does not have to protect his meal as he would have in the wild.

Further details will be found in Training Your Dog Not to Beg.

 

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