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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.

Permissive is not the same at all. The term permissive implies something far more tolerant and liberal. When dog owner become permissive with their pets, we find they are giving consent to their dog to do a certain behavior and permission with no guidelines is when the problems can arise.

Rewarding a dog for a job well done is positive dog training. It does not mean that we want dog owners to allow their dogs to take charge or to call the shots.

Read the rest of Gillian’s article.

Are You Being Positive or Just Permissive? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

What dog behaviors should I encourage?

by Nicole S. Silvers, March 3, 2010, dogstardaily.com

Behaviors to Encourage is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

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.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your pooch vacate the room or at least the table area and go lay on his bed while you eat?  Imagine the doorbell rings and “Fido”  runs to his bed while the front door is opened and friends are welcomed into your home.  And, if you need another half hour of sleep you could tell your dog to go lay on his bed while you hit the snooze button!

The “Take a Break” command is one of my favorite commands in my obedience arsenal.  I don’t over use it, mostly because I like hanging out with my furry kids, and I want them to enjoy their beds on their own, but I do use it when I need an area cleared of “doggy helpers”.

The most important thing when teaching this command is making sure that everyone is having fun.  If your dog ends up detesting his bed, this command becomes counterproductive.  Another important facet of this, in my opinion, is having several beds throughout your house.

If the doorbell rings and your dog’s bed is in the bedroom it is not realistic for most people to dash down to the bedroom, grab the dog’s bed, and work on training before the door is opened.  So make your life easier by placing beds throughout the house.  I put one bed in the living room, one in the kitchen (so they don’t help me prepare dinner) one in the bedroom and one placed near the door or front area of the home.

I try and make almost all of my dog training a game.  Who doesn’t like a game?  Adults like games, children like games, and even dogs like games.  Sometimes I use a leash. I think it helps to increase my dog’s excitement in the beginning however leashing is not necessary because we are not going to use force.  Get some high value treats.  You want to keep your dog’s focus and attention on you and the better the treat the more fun the game is for everyone.  Lead your dog toward the dog bed.As soon as your dog’s paw touches the bed, praise and give a treat.  Take a step back so your dog is off the bed again, then lure him forward and again as soon as his paw hits the bed praise and reward.

I Finally Get It!

Do this several times in succession.  When you think your dog is putting 2 and 2 together and understanding that touching the bed equals praise and treat, begin to tell your dog what he is doing.  DO NOT give the command first.  Your dog doesn’t speak English, you must teach him what commands mean and giving a command several seconds before the action happens only hampers your pet’s learning.

Once your dog seems to understand what he is doing, start telling him by saying “Take a Break” each time he makes contact with the bed then praise and reward. Now is when I also begin to treat him for choosing to stay on his bed.  If he stays there I will continue to reward him at random intervals.  I don’t want my dog to think the objective of this game is to pounce the bed and fly off it just as quickly.  The stay will be essential in a few steps. Do this several times and end on a good note.

Next, encourage more of your dog’s body to make contact with the bed.  Now it is going to require 2 feet on the bed to get praise and reward.  Hold out your command and wait until your dog gets more of himself onto the bed.  It is important that your dog figures this out for himself, because learning to play the game is part of the fun.  Once you are reliably getting two paws or more on the bed begin adding the command.  You have upped the ante, now “Take a Break” means two feet or more need to be on the bed.

Do this until your dog has this step mastered.  Then, up the ante: four feet must be on the bed in order to get praise and reward.  When your dog is reliably putting his whole body on the bed, add the command.  Do this for several days, until there is no question that your dog knows the command and is enjoying playing this game with you.  I also suggest that you use several beds during this training.  If you only train in the living room, it may be hard for your dog to understand that the command is the same for the bed in the bedroom.  Dogs learn differently than we do, we must help them to be successful by teaching them that commands mean the same thing in different places.

Now I like to add a little more excitement to the scenario.  Once I know my dog knows what the command means and what I want (utilizing all the beds in the house), I start having a race to his bed.  At first, the distance between me and the bed is only a few short feet.  I get really excited “Take a Break” and together we dash to the bed praise and reward.  Now, it is not a scheduled training session.  My dog never knows when this fun game my start (I am setting him up for real life).

I keep treats on my body and surprise my dog with a sprint toward beds throughout the house all through the day.  Next I up the ante yet again.  This time I don’t sprint with him to the bed, I say “Take a Break” and point to the closest bed, as he is racing to get there to acquire his treat I am following quickly behind to give him his treat.

Once you have this step under your belt, you can start to slow your approach to him on his bed, if he gets off his bed, simply ignore him until he is on it again.  He needs to start to learn patience.  It isn’t until now that I begin to give the command “Stay” once you have told him to “Stay”  you have to have a release command when you are done training.

Giving the “Stay” command early in the learning process, makes this game a chore instead of pure fun, we have already conditioned him to think this is a fun game, so adding “Stay” should just be another facet of the command.  If he gets off the bed ignore him until he is on the bed, then reward for his patience. I also start to add the “Down” command at this point.  Release him with “All Done” and praise and reward when you are done working.

Dog training is a small step process.  You must now begin to extend the time your dog is staying until he is rewarded and then released, but you shouldn’t always extend.  It is like learning to play the piano.  You start by learning easy pieces and then begin to learn more and more difficult numbers, but sometimes you like to go back to playing the easy pieces as an enjoyable break.  In order for dogs to find this enjoyable, they need to be successful fairly frequently.

You don’t want to follow a schedule (every minute) or your dog will begin to anticipate and jump up if you are late.  You want a variable schedule of reinforcement so that he never knows when the treat is coming but he knows if he is patient he will be rewarded.  Eventually you can really extend the time he is staying on his bed and giving very few treats.  However, if you are having problems with your dog popping up; go back a step or two and lower your expectations until the previous step is solid.

Also, you will need to practice with distractions like the doorbell ringing, cooking, eating, or people wandering around the house.  You may have to go back to the very first step, but because you have laid a good foundation you should see improvement quickly.  Ring the doorbell, give the “Take a Break” command and reward your dog’s compliance.  Eventually the sound of the doorbell should equal going to his bed, but you must do this several times a day for a long time for it to become habit.

Opening the door may add another distraction, ring the doorbell give the command reward and then open the door if your dog stays reward him, if he gets up close the door and try again, until you can open the door wide with your dog’s attention on you.  (For safety with the door open, I suggest utilizing a leash!)  Train for the scenarios you will be using for this command.  Be patient remember this is a process and have fun!

Imagine your doorbell rings and your dog automatically darts to his bed, because it’s fun and he knows his reward is coming, your friends and family will be so impressed they will be asking you to come and train their dogs!

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The Take A Break Command is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

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.”

More than 40 years later, the gratitude and love Dorr, 59, feels for the dog he served with is as strong as ever. And it’s for this reason that Dorr, president of the Vietnam Dog Handler Association, drove from his Yoakum, Texas, home to be in Southern California last week.

About 200 Vietnam War dog handlers, who were trained to read and communicate with their canine partners, gathered for a reunion. On Saturday they joined several thousand others for the 10th anniversary rededication of the War Dog Memorial at the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside.

Read the rest of Jessica’s article.

Vietnam War Dogs Remembered is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

>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…

Share on Twitter

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!

How To Stop your Dog from Begging (Video) is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Crate 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.

As your dog sees it, the crate is a room of his very own – a “security blanket”. The crate helps to satisfy the “den instinct” inherited from his den-dwelling ancestors and relatives. Your pet will feel secure, not frustrated once accustomed to his crate. Your pet wants to please you and you want to enjoy him. The crate can help you achieve a better relationship with your pet by preventing unwanted behavior when you aren’t available to supervise him.

Read the rest of this article.

Does Crate Training Work? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

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.

Back yard breeders also tend to disregard breeding for health, rather they breed for cuteness.  If a person wants a long lived purebred dog they are best off to select one from a reputable breeder.  Sadly many people in the market for a puppy have no idea how to determine if a breeder is reputable.  Quite simply put, a reputable breeder takes their dogs to shows to prove their worth as breeding animals and has them tested by a veterinarian against any genetic health problems.  They do not breed any dogs where problems have been shown to exist.  They do not advertise puppies for sale, rather they get waiting lists before they breed.

Read the rest of Brenda’s article.

Helping Your Dog Live a Long and Healthy Life is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Bob Schieffer Says Humans Would Be Better Off If We Let Dogs Be Our Teachers

(CBS) I have no idea where this came from or who wrote it – if I did I’d give them credit – but a friend who knows I love dogs e-mailed the following, which I pass along today only because it seems a nice thing to share at the beginning of a new year.

It’s a list of what we would learn if dogs were our teachers. Such as:

Always run to greet loved ones when they come home.

Never pass the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Recognize the ecstasy of fresh air and wind in your face.

Take naps. (I do that!)

Stretch before rising.

Read the rest of the CBS article.

Lessons We Can Learn From Our Dogs is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

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?

Watch this FOX News report and find out just how our furry friends
are saving the lives of our soldiers.

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com

Military Working Dogs is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

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!

December 6th, 2009 by Eric Goebelbecker

A few months ago the Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science published an article titled Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors”. Two of the researchers participated in the research regarding children and dog bites that I wrote about earlier, so I decided to plunk down my $31.50 and read it for myself.

Similar to the research on canine aggression directed toward children, the researchers had access to people seeking helping from a veterinary behavioral service. This time, rather than examining records, surveys were distributed to families requesting information about the methods that had been used prior to common to the veterinarian and whether they had a positive, negative, or no, effect on the dog’s behavior. The survey also asked whether aggressive behavior was seen in association with the particular method. One hundred forty surveys were completed in one year’s time.

Read the entire article on DogStarDaily.com’s blog

Please leave your thoughts in the comments!

The Debate! Confrontational Dog Training Methods is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog