A Reminder

For new dog owners and a refresher for us all.  It is summer and the temps are rising.  Dogs sweat through their pads on their feet.  Walking them on a very hot pavement will not only burn their pads but could lead to heat exhaustion or stroke.
Walk your dogs on grass at park or take them to the beach or lake where they can cool down in the water.
Ensure that they are well hydrated and even add ice cubes to their water bowl.

Do not leave your dogin a car for any length of time.  This graph demonstrates how hot it can get inside the car.  For that matter do not leave your child inside either the consequences could be devastating!

Enjoy your summer!

The art of the treat! Taking the lead!

I said this next blog was to do with training the dog for the leash but you could name it train the dog with a treat for anything.

Let us start with the bath.  Eventually you will want to bath your dog.  Either he rolled in something, got muddy or simply needs to be groomed.  If you have oodles of money you may opt to pay someone to do it for you but a bath does not have to be a test of wills.

Long before you have no choice in the matter is the best time to train the dog.  Start by taking the pooch into the bathroom and place him/her in the tub.  Place him in the tub.  Reward him/her.  That's it.  Do nothing else.
Do this for a few days where you introduce the new environment to him/her.  Each time allow him/her a few seconds at first then 30 seconds and then a minute to sniff and get the reward.  The dog will eventually associate the bath as a great place to be for a treat.
After a few days, the dry run I'll call it, then introduce running the tap.  Again he she will be startled at first but with the treat reward he/she will get used to it and again it is a great place to get a treat.

Introduce the shower and soak the dog whilst you praise the heck out of him/her for being soooooo gooooood.

Eventually with consistency your dog bathing should become memorable rather than a challenge.

Chevy actually jumps into the bath because he knows what is coming his way.

Don't have treats?

Kibble from their dog bowl will suffice.  People are so conditioned that specialty items have to be treats.
A dog can't read a label.  When we go to bed the dogs get a final treat and are so conditioned to it that we sometimes have to substitute with kibble because we ran out of their treats.

Taking the lead is basically the same routine.  First get a collar.
some recommend harnesses, some say muzzle and others say a collar works well.
A dog whose nose is on the ground is in hunt mode and will no listen to you thus it is incumbent on you to ensure his head is up and his attention is on you.
Obviously a puppy is being introduced to a collar.  This will be a challenge and he may resist and scratch at this new item wrapped around his neck
Place the collar on and leave it on and reward the put but don't go overboard.  By leaving the collar on and pre-occupying the pup with something else like chasing a ball or stick in the back yard will suffice.

Once he/she is used to the collar the next step is placing the lead on him.
Remember you are the pack leader.  You should exit the door or gate first and the dog should follow.  If you choose the other way, you indicate that he is the pack leader and that is where the mixed signals begin.

Initially a pup will cower and fight the leash.  Re-enforce the good behavior.
Your first walk may just occur in the confines of the back yard.  Eventually he will get used to the lead.
Use the word, "Heel" and as soon as the dog is at your side give him a treat.  When you get to a crosswalk or need to stop for any reason have the dog first heel and then sit.  Now give the reward.

It is all about the treat and rewarding the right behavior rather than the wrong.
Grooming or brushing the dog's hair follows the same pattern.  Use baby steps.
Bring the brush out.  Let the dog sniff it.  reward him.  Repeat without brushing.
Eventually, you may brush the dog and reward him.  Quite often the brush itself is reward enough because it feels so good.

Anything you choose to do with the dog is best broken down into its elements.  Start slow and gradually introduce the items to the mix rewarding the good behavior along the way.

Training 101 repeat

I have said before the art of training a dog is repetition.  There is no need to hit a dog.  Evaluate yourself first before you punish the dog.  Were you consistent?  Were you giving the wrong signals?
Quite often you will find that it is you that is at fault and not the dog.
What do I mean?  You see I am misleading you right now by not being forthright in my explanation.
If your dog jumps up when you get home, you may think, Wow what a wonderful and loving reaction to missing me. This happens every time you come home and you think nothing of it until one day your dog jumps up on a child or senior and due to it's size it knocks the person over.
That simple show of affection now becomes an embarrassment to you and could even end up in a legal turmoil if the senior is injured.
Now that cute, "love me tender", response is now a liability that you have to undo.
The best response to jumping up, biting, chewing up shoes and furniture is to nip it in the bud the minute it first rears it's ugly head.
Puppies will naturally bite for example.  In their environment the litter mates would  yelp and eventually they would teach one another that biting hard is not acceptable.
You are now the other litter mate and lead dog of your pack. If you want good manners it starts with you and ends with you.  A dog is a reflection of the signals you convey.
When a dog bites, say "OW!" "That hurts!" and stop the play.  When you feed the pup a treat and he grabs the food over zealously, say the same thing and also say be gentle.
The dogs understand.  Some need constant reminding.  I stated before that 2 of my five get excited at the treat and I have to show the back of my hand first so that my hand is between the food and his mouth.  I say be gentle and place the treat into the mouth.  I have only been bitten once, accidentally by our female, Dakota because I forgot to remind her to be gentle.
I believe, like humans, dogs have 2 spirits.  Some are born with an old soul and others are born with a young soul.
I know call be silly, however,. Dakota, Chevy and Shadow have young souls and Gizmo and Ciara have old souls.
An old soul dog is one who learns quickly but does not display irratic behavior.  He/she is cautious and level headed.
A young soul is the type that would jump into the water first and then test the depth.

This explains why Dakota will forget herself, ignore her world and place herself in peril at every turn.
She loves kids and if I take her out to the car without a leash, I have to scan the neighborhood for children because in a flash she will take off to be with a kid.
This means she will cross a street placing herself at risk of being hit by a car.  She will run into an open door to the surprise of the owner, just to pay a visit.
 Gizmo on the other hand is laid back, will listen to your commands, and does not need a leash.  He sniffs the food first and then gently takes the treat and lays down.  If he is not hungry he leaves the treat and the ravenous trio await for him to abandon it so they can have it.  He has the old soul.

Knowing what kind of soul your dog has is crucial to how you will train him.  If he is a puppy at heart, chances he will be that way forever.
If he has the old soul he will be laid back forever.

The young souls are the ones that will challenge you at every turn.  It is their personalty, and like humans we have those who party hard and never start from high school to middle age and the old soul group that leave that behind as soon as the children arrive.

If you get to know your dog you will know the level of effort required to keep your dog in line.  the high energy dog or young souls will require copious amounts of exercise, constant discipline, and a person who is on the ball reminding and rewarding the pup for the right reasons and not re-enforcing the wrong behavior.

Next will tackle the leash.

Why a dog?

Actually I could have entitled this as Why A Pet?  It is obvious.  Pets are therapeutic.  They are great companions and remove the void of emptiness if you find yourself alone, especially in your later years.
They have been known to reduce blood pressure and reduce the affects of depression.
They are a great excuse for you to stay mobile by getting you out of the house for a walk or two.

Pets are entertaining.  They have a personality and often is the case for my wife and I to simply watch the Antics of our 5 Shih Tzus as they play.  We have been brought to tears of laughter by their behavior.
Check out my Videos on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/loafour

Each dog has it's very unique quality.  Gizmo is grumpy yet a big softy.  Ciara is a little princess who will not jump up on the bed but has no problem scaling Everest when she is outside.  Chevy will turn his head if you try to kiss him on the face but is a real cuddler whose big bug eyes can melt the coldest heart.
Shadow is the prince.  He is the lead dog of the pack.  He loves exploring his environment and would die protecting his family.  Dakota is referred to as Dora the Explorer.  She has to know where we are going at all times and is quite persistent on getting the front seat to herself.  She has a stubborn streak a mile wide and has to be the last into the car as she explores every thing every where.
Dakota loves kids and has been known to walk into any open door on our street simply to pay whom ever a visit.
Obviously, you have your own story to share with your own pet.  If you don't have a pet or have just bought one.  You will soon have a list of stories to share with your friends and family.  I have seen my dogs over the years walk into windows, fall off the couch where they were precariously perched before they fell asleep, get chased by cats, pass wind and thus clear a room of all inhabitants.
I have seen pets grab the empty dog bowl and toss it across the room to get the owner's attention that the bowl is empty.  I have seen a dog grab the bowl and carry it to the dining room where guests were seated and demand food.
Like Chevy, who now grabs the newspaper or steals one from the recycling bin in hopes to get a treat.

Your dogs will bring you many years of pleasure.  A dog especially, will love you more than life itself and ask for nothing in return.
If you show that dog any attention he will repay you exponentially and that is a commodity that often is lacking in our human counterparts.

Some Pictures

Thats a big eye u got.

Add caption

You can't see me....

I r Lion Dog here me roar!

You Still  can't see me

Motherhood sucks....

I r Bentley

I r not ET

Say Uncle

Shadow

Lying down, crawling, You're Busted!

The treat is the most effective tool when it comes to training a dog.  Be warned that the treat should not be given regardless of whether the pup performs the trick or not.  Do not confuse the dog.  He will want to please so realize that often a pup gets excited when food is present.  This will wain as he grows but nip it in the bud by being assertive and ensure that he behaves the way you want him.  Rewarding the wrong behavior only goes to re-enforce it and now undoing that process becomes another challenge.

Once the dog can sit then simply show the treat and draw your hand away and down toward the floor until he is lying down.  Again continue to use the command "Lie Down" as your perform the process.

Once he has that mastered, try getting him to lay down then pull the treat away from him towards you and say "Crawl" or Sneak up on it", either command will suffice.  eventually with practice you can have him lay down and sneak up on a ball place a short distance away and then reward him with a treat.

To teach a dog to heal works in the same manner.  Make sure you bring ample of bite size treats with you on your walk.  Use the word "heel", and hold the treat close to your hip and when he positions himself by your hip let him have the treat.

A fun trick is holding a treat against a wall in your house, high enough for the dog to stand on his hind legs and place his front paws onto the wall.  Say "Your Busted" when he does it.  After a while, hold back giving the dog the treat until you pat him down, and say something like "Quick hide the evidence" and then give him the reward.

I had a poodle cross the performed this trick so well that I would just say "Your Busted" and she would find any wall simply for the reward.

Dogs are not stupid.  I have mentioned how I have trained Chevy to bring in the mail and the paper.
He surprised me the other day when we returned home and the paper was on the pathway wrapped in a plastic bag.  Chevy didn't hesitate, he went for the paper and dragged it inside without being asked because he knew what was coming at the end of the trick.

He has also learned that the recycle bin has, you got it, newspapers in it , and often he will try to pull one out in exchange for that treat.
So I think you will be pleasantly surprised by your dog's own creativity and craftiness.

Handling the treat...ouch that was my finger!

Obviously I am not addressing sitting today.  The art of hand feeding a dog is important.
All dogs have different strengths and attitudes.  It is important that you know your breed.  A lab should display soft mouth touch, whereas  a rottweiler may present the opposite for good reasons.  It depends upon what they were initially bred for.
A lab is a retriever  and a bird dog.  They go into the field or water to recover killed birds for their master.  If they were to chomp down on the bird it would be rendered useless to the master.  Instead a lab has such a gentle mouth I have been able to teach one to fetch a raw egg and not break it in its mouth.  His reward was the raw egg after he brought it back to me.

When giving your dog a treat it is important to ensure that he/she is calm and fully focused on you.  An excited dog will unintentionally chomp down.

I have Shih-Tzu's who weight a mere 14 lbs but when excited have drawn blood whilst retrieving said treat.

Two of my 5 are excitable while the other three can take a treat gently from my hand.  The other 2 need to be told to be gentle and then I place the treat in my fingers and lead in to their mouth with the back of my hand.
I place my hand in their mouth and as long as they do not grab my hand, I release the treat.  If they show any move to grab the treat from my hand I pull my hand away and say "No", "Be Gentle".  I then repeat the process.

With larger dogs it is best to start as a pup.  Placing the hand in the mouth gets them to taste your scent and associate it with being gentle.
If it is an older dog, make sure you know its feeding habits and how it retrieves treats.  Always lead with the back of your hand and remove it if they show a tendency to clamp down.  Larger dogs can cause more damage to you even if it is accidental.

Besides being calm, you too need to be calm and assertive at all times.  If you too are not focused on your dog then you might miss the tell tale sign that the dog is not focused and excited.  You might get bitten by accident as a result.  I know, I did this year by Dakota, and the look on her face was that of a very sorry dog.  She got the treat, was not hit or spanked.  I simply said "ow!" and then I told her "No", "Be Gentle" and gave her the treat.
For several weeks after she was ever so gentle.  Now she is back to her old ways of being excited so I have to focus on her and then she receives the treat after she sits and is calm.

If you have more than one dog, it is sometimes better to separate them at treat time especially if one is excited and prone to chomping.  Its a competition between the other dogs and sometimes it is easier to reduce the anxiety level by giving the one a treat separate from the other.