Dog Obedience Training Blog
Category : Dog Obedience Training
Are You Being Positive or Just Permissive?
Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Using positive training methods to train your dog is the only way to ensure that the behaviors you train are predictable and repeatable. However, there is a big difference between being positive and letting your dog get away with just anything. Read Gillian’s article to learn more.
Why is a Positive a Negative?
March 10th, 2010 by Gillian Ridgeway, Dog Star Daily
Why is it that the word “positive” can strike such a chord in a dog owner’s mind? Having been involved in the dog world since 1972 and spending the great majority of my adult life working with dogs, it has been an uphill battle to increase awareness in the theory of learning for dogs. There has been a vast increase in awareness of this theory for children, but the dog owners are still lagging behind. Although, giving credit where it is due, it is leaps and bounds better than in the middle 1980’s, when dog training took a surge from being a novelty to a necessity.
Positive doesn’t mean permissive. That sentence, while not originated by me, is a powerful message and one that all dog owners can relate to. Positive means helpful and constructive, and a positive response from a dog owner to his canine companion means that the dog will receive something pleasurable after he does the desired behavior, which in turn will increase the likelihood of the behavior re-occurring. Sounds simple? The more you give your dog positive feedback for what you want, the more likely it is that he will repeat that exact behavior.
Behaviors to Encourage
We all want a dog that behaves well, don’t we? So, when you see your dog exhibiting a behavior that is a ‘good’ one, be sure that you reinforce that behavior. Read this article to find out one way to do that.
What dog behaviors should I encourage?
by Nicole S. Silvers, March 3, 2010, dogstardaily.com
Most owners know that they want their dogs to SIT, DOWN, STAY, COME, HEEL. When it comes to general behaviors, owners have little idea of what behaviors they even want to encourage, let alone how to accomplish the encouragement. By contrast, ask an owner what they are trying to stop, and there are multiple answers. Even the most mannerly dogs’ “rap sheets” tend to be read out when meeting other dog people.
The Take A Break Command
I rolled over this morning, stretched and opened my eyes only to have a wooly pink bunny dropped into my newly opened peepers. My dogs lay quietly until they see any sign of me rising, and movement is often celebrated with a fuzzy gift and a little dance of joy about the bedroom, luckily for me gifts aren’t usually shoved in my eye.
But this morning, I wanted a chance to catch up on some missing sleep. 
Later, while doing Yoga and in a very precarious and painful position a fuzzy rump was thrust my way in an attempt to get a scratching. Sometimes I simply need a break or some space. I prefer working out on the floor without furry people sitting on my face.
I like to eat without heated dog breath exhaled in my face or drool dripping onto my lap or down my leg. And, I prefer welcoming visitors without the help of hairy feet dancing about in front of them and jumping their way. So, I teach my dogs to go and lay on their beds until distractions are gone, or they are told otherwise. Read the rest of this entry »
Vietnam War Dogs Remembered
This memorial at the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside pays tribute to the war dogs that served in the Vietnam War and their handlers. courtesy of www.wavenewspapers.com
Dogs have served in the military for decades. Their contributions through various wars have saved the lives of many. Read more about the much-deserved memorial dedicated in their honor and the lives of those they have touched.
Decades later, Vietnam War dogs are remembered
By JESSICA RAVITZ, CNN, Feb 18, 2010
www.wavenewspapers.com
Maybe it was the sound of the wind cutting through the wire. Perhaps he caught a small vibration with his keen eyes. Or it could have been a slight difference in the air’s smell.
Whatever it was, when Sarge noticed that his Marine Corps handler, Fred Dorr, was creeping down the wrong path in the Vietnam jungle, the German shepherd did something he’d never done out in the field: He looked at Dorr and barked, before taking a seat.
“When he sat down, I knew there was a trip wire. I was one step away from it,” remembered Dorr, who with his dog in 1969 was “walking point,” leading the way for a dozen soldiers. Had the hidden explosive device been tripped, “It would have gotten half of us.”
How To Stop your Dog from Begging (Video)
>NOTE: If you have not yet downloaded the free report, Off Limits Training that I reference in the video, please click on the image of the report to download it now.
The training video above was designed for you to watch AFTER reading my special report. So if you have not yet read through it, please do so now.
If you have already read the report that set the stage for this video, please tell me…
Did you find this video helpful?
If so, please leave me a comment, or post any questions you have about this technique below. I’d love to hear from you.
And if you feel this video would be something your dog owning friends and family might enjoy…
Please Share it Facebook with your fans, or…
Then go and USE this technique on your dog and report back! I’m excited to see how this can start to change how compliant your dog is in your life.
Stay tuned for another great video in a few days!
Does Crate Training Work?
Crate training your dog is an important decision. Does it really work? The truth is that for most dogs, the crate provides a secure area where they feel safe and protected. Crate training is also a great method to lead your pet right into house training.
Does Crate Training Dogs Work?
www.obediencetrainingfordogsblog.com
A dog crate is a cage made of wire or molded plastic. The purpose of crate training dogs is to provide confinement for reasons of security, safety, housebreaking, protection of household goods, travel or illness. You may think that putting your pet in a crate is mean or inhumane and might cause your pet to resent you or to be psychologically damaged. However, dogs view the world differently than people.
Helping Your Dog Live a Long and Healthy Life
courtesy of www.factoidz.com
Since our beloved dogs become such a big part of our families, we want them to live as long as they possibly can. Find out more about how you can help.
How to Help Your Dog Live a Healthy and Long Life
by Brenda Nelson, www.factoidz.com
Although we know that our beloved dog will probably die before we do, there are many things an owner can do to help their dog live a longer life.
Dog Selection
Right from the start, the dog you buy, and the place you buy it from, can have a huge impact on how long it will live. Pups sold in pet stores come from mass breeders, places who only breed for profit. As such these pups may typically have genetic health problems or predispositions to some problems. Of course, most owners know that small dogs live longer than big ones, and most pets stores sell only small breed pups.
Lessons We Can Learn From Our Dogs
Dogs are so forgiving, so eager to please. They can be trained to behave with manners that would make anyone proud. What if we were more like them? Here’s an article from CBS’s Bob Schieffer, with a whimsical look at how much better off we might be if we took a few lessons from our dogs.
Bob Schieffer Says Humans Would Be Better Off If We Let Dogs Be Our Teachers Read the rest of this entry »
Military Working Dogs
We all have family members or know someone who is serving in our U.S.
military, but did you realize that there are many canines that are
protecting and serving as well?
The Debate! Confrontational Dog Training Methods
There is so much confusing and contradictory information out there these days on training animals. Some well known dog trainers would have you believe that you need to dominate a dog to get any lasting results. They suggest you really need to understand your dogs need for you to be a pack leader and the alpha. While I believe there are certain truths to that some take it to far. You can see my complete thoughts on that here in a webinar I did entitled Alpha Myths Revealed.
Then you have others who suggest that you use dog friendly training methods. These utilize positive reinforcement and do not stress dominating your dog. The belief is that those techniques may work short term but the results will not be lasting. With so much confusion information out there Eric Goebelbecker decided to write a blog post on the subject. It’s worth the read and you should check it out!
