Dog Obedience Training Blog » Manners

Misconceptions about Shelter Dogs

Chet — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:51:51 +0000

Image courtesy of: Cecelia / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

While many people want to purchase a new puppy from a good breeder, there is an alternative for those who don’t want to fork out the big bucks just to get a great pet. Consider a shelter dog. Many of these dogs are just waiting for someone like you to come along and rescue them, and they are more than ready, willing, and eager to provide you all the love and companionship you could possibly want!

Common Misconceptions about Shelter Dogs

by RenewTrients March 15, 2010 10:25 am

Bringing home a shelter dog can be very rewarding. Not only can they be as loving, loyal and amusing as dogs raised by breeders, you’ll also feel a good about the fact that you’re saving a wonderful animal from an uncertain fate inside the shelter. While there are those people who will love their pets no matter where they come from, there are also those who would think twice about getting a shelter dog. Most of the time, they are apprehensive about bringing home a rescued dog because of established misconceptions. Here are some of them:

Shelter dogs were abandoned because they are bad pets. Absolutely not true! A shelter dog might have been taken to the facility because of a number of possible reasons including death of the original owner or maybe because the owner was neglectful or abusive so the authorities took the pet away from his custody.

Shelter dogs have behavioral problems. Instead of making generalizations, you can try to see the dogs for yourself and ask the shelter staff about their history and disposition. Most shelter dogs are only too happy to be adopted by a new owner that they end up rewarding them with love and loyalty and often make full emotional recovery.

Dogs in shelters are old and sickly. While it is possible that some shelter dogs have medical conditions, most are, young, vibrant and healthy. And so what if some of the dogs are old? Many shelter dogs that become very good companion animals are senior dogs. They usually make great pets for people who are old or less active themselves.

I can’t get purebred dogs in shelters. As a matter of fact, you can get dogs belonging to even the rarest of breeds in animal shelters. But mixed breeds make great pets too, especially because they often experience less medical problems than purebred dogs.

Shelter dogs can’t adapt to new homes. Dogs are social animals so yes, an adopted shelter dog might miss his previous family and might need to adjust to being in a new environment with new companions. However, most of these animals are eager to have new families because of their experience of losing the previous ones. As the new owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that a shelter dog adjusts well to his new surroundings.

In any case, getting a dog from a shelter puts you in an advantage because you will have access to the opinions of trustworthy individuals like shelter volunteers. These people work in that place simply because they love the animals and not because they want your money, unlike when you’re buying puppies from unscrupulous breeders.

Read more dog care articles on the AKC Blog and learn more about canine nutritional supplements on the AKC Wellness site.

Misconceptions about Shelter Dogs is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Is Your Dog Right for You?

Chet — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:07:37 +0000

courtesy of www.dogstardaily.com

If you are thinking about getting a dog, or perhaps adding another one to your household, you might want to read this article to see if you have done your homework on figuring out just what type of dog is really right for you and the best methods for training your dogs to fit in with your lifestyle.

An Un-Tapped Resource

by Marie Finnegan, January 17, 2010

Dog Star Daily

As dog trainers we regularly see people who have chosen to add a dog to their home that isn’t always the best match for them. Our job is to teach them how to live together in spite of the challenges a mismatch may bring with it. Most of the time we can help, but sometimes sadly the dog ends up in rescue instead, despite our best efforts.

What I don’t understand is why more people don’t ask trainers their opinion in finding the right dog for them. We see and work with more breeds and shelter dogs regularly than they will ever meet in a lifetime. Some of us even live with multiple breeds in our own homes. Not to mention the fact that dog trainers know about dog behavior and breed traits because it is our job to know this information.

I know some people end up with a puppy because they are cute and people can be impulsive, but that isn’t everyone. There are also people who go to shelters, or try to find breeders, that do have an idea what they want. Unfortunatly looking at a dog in a shelter can bring up emotional responses and people can then make a bad choice based on that emotion.

Or maybe people don’t know how to find a reputable breeder that will tell them the truth about any negative traits of the breed they choose to share their life with. Those breeders also conviently say nothing of the health issues that their breed may be prone to. Non-reputable breeders, who don’t do any health testing nor care about temperment, only care about making a sale.

Read the rest of Marie’s story.

Is Your Dog Right for You? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Lessons We Can Learn From Our Dogs

Chet — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:30:16 +0000

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

(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

Is Your Puppy Like a Child?

Chet — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:01:42 +0000

Are puppies like children? I believe we can all agree that children must be taught, at a very early age, how to behave, what foods are healthy for them, things they should not touch, etc. And, the same is true for our puppies. They need to be properly trained so they know what is, or is not, acceptable behavior.

This article addresses some of the similarities, but also the differences.

Dogs are like little children

by Roberta Baxter, Eugene Dogs Examiner, December 19

When we leave the home, unless we have a video camera, a pet owner does not know everything that goes on while they are away. Even if the camera is set and ready to record, don’t bank on it telling you everything. The mind and brain of a dog can be sneaky. Do you wonder if they know what is right and wrong? Just remember the canine is a dog and is not human. Pet owners sometimes think of their dogs as children, but they are dogs, folks.

Some similarities of dogs and children ring a familiar bell. One such event that comes to my mind is putting things in the mouth. Puppies chew on EVERYTHING even if it not palatable. Try to imagine a jumping bean alone in the house with your pain meds by the bedside table, conveniently left so you will take them for comfort. The caps are tamper proof, but not dog proof. Dogs cannot read. The bottle might have your scent on it, or the dog could have viewed you eating from that prescription bottle at one time.

Read the rest of Roberta’s story.

Is Your Puppy Like a Child? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Holiday Entertaining and Your Dog

Chet — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:05:25 +0000

Many of us will be entertaining during the holidays with family and friends. And, let’s face it, not everyone loves our dogs like we do, and the fact is, many dogs are not as well-trained as we’d like them to be when it comes to interacting with company. Here’s an article with some great tips on how to make entertaining a more pleasant experience for both you and your dog.

The Life of the Party: Holiday Entertaining Success for Dog Owners

by Casey Lomonaco KPA CTP

The holidays are here and many of us are expecting to welcome company into our homes to celebrate the season.

While the holidays are a wonderful time, they can also be stressful for dogs and their people. When we entertain, we hope to enjoy a nice, relaxing time and provide our guests with the same enjoyable experience. A significant contributing factor to the likelihood of accomplishing this goal is the behavior of the family dog. At our holiday parties, our dogs can be a significant source of pride if they are well-behaved, or can turn the fun quickly into a nightmare if they are behaving at their worst.

Read the rest of Casey’s article on successful holiday entertaining.

Holiday Entertaining and Your Dog is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Is Your Dog as Smart as a 2-Year Old?

Chet — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:42:06 +0000

Canine researcher Stanley Coren says dogs are as smart as 2-year-old kids and can comprehend more than 150 words. Brit / Flickr

Most dog owners think their canines are pretty smart, don’t they? After all, they each have their own unique personalities, and through proper dog training, they can all learn, right? That being true, here’s an interesting article about recent research to determine the top 7 smartest breeds.

Read on to find out if your pet ranks in the Top 7.

Which Dog is the Smartest?

by Miller-McCune Staff, December 22, 2009

A leading canine researcher says dogs understand more than 150 words and can count up to four or five. He has compiled a list of the world’s smartest dogs. See if your pooch cracks his Top 7.

The American Psychological Association’s 117th annual convention featured psychologist and leading canine researcher Stanley Coren, widely published author from the University of British Columbia. The subject of his talk: “How Dogs Think.”

The good news: Dogs are as smart as 2-year-old kids, can comprehend more than 150 words (although “super dogs” can understand 250), and can count up to four or five. The bad news: They are “consciously deceptive” and trick people into giving them what they want. “And they are nearly as successful in deceiving humans as humans are in deceiving dogs,” Coren said. But you knew that.

To settle the Mother of All Dog Park Arguments, Coren studied data from 208 dog-obedience judges in the United States and Canada to determine the differences in working and obedience intelligence across different dog breeds. And the results of the smartest pooch competition are in:

No. 1: Border collies.

No. 2: Poodles (in what has to be called an upset, surely).

No. 3: German shepherds.

No. 4: Golden retrievers (sorry, folks, still not convinced).

No. 5: Dobermans.

No. 6: Shetland sheepdogs (this one’s for you, MacDuff*).

No. 7: Labrador retrievers.

* The Napkin’s boyhood dog

The Cocktail Napkin appears at the back page of each issue of Miller-McCune magazine, highlighting current research that merits a raised eyebow or a painful grin.

Is Your Dog as Smart as a 2-Year Old? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

What Pillow?

Chet — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:24:47 +0000

Courtesy of faildogs.com

Have you ever come home only to find something like this? I have! So cute, but so wrong! Makes you want to turn and just walk back out the door…

What Pillow? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

What is Clicker Training?

Chet — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:30:25 +0000

Clicker training is based on the behavioral psychology concept of operant conditioning. Without getting too technical, because this is not Psych 101, operant conditioning states that when you use consequences you can modify behavior and training.

However clicker training doesn’t use punishment as consequences like older more traditional forms of dog training, but rather uses rewards to modify behavior and training. There are of course, many benefits to using clicker training and positive reinforcement.

A Clicker is a Conditioned Reinforcer

A clicker, a small handheld device which makes a clicking noise when pressed, is a conditioned reinforcer. Meaning that the specific sound a clicker makes marks a desired behavior. You can pick them up at most pet stores for just a couple bucks.

For example, you ask your dog to sit and he sits, you click and that signal marks the behavior. Your reward so that he begins to make associations. Your dog begins to relate the treat to the click and the click to performing the behavior you request.

Why Clicker Training is Important

Why this is so important to learning. While sit isn’t such a difficult behavior for dogs to learn many behaviors are. Many behaviors take several steps to perform correctly and therefore it’s very important your dog knows when he’s performed all or part of the behavior correctly. Now you might be asking, “Why can’t I just say ‘good dog?’”

Our voices change inflection, we use different words, and we’re unable to speak as accurately as a simple click. That being said, you will absolutely need to practice clicking to achieve the accuracy necessary for it to be useful.

You certainly don’t want to click a split second later when your dog has decided to stand up again after the sit command because now you’ve just marked the standing up behavior – not what you were intending on teaching!

Tomorrow I’ll post the benefits of Clicker Training. You can also read some more on Clicker Training For Dogs here.

What is Clicker Training? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Training Dogs To Actually Obey You

Chet — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:57:17 +0000

This week I had an interesting interview with Chris from TheBalancedDog.com where we talked about a topic that I see a HUGE need for… teaching dog’s House manners!

And when I say house manners, I’m not talking about House Training, I’m talking about MANNERS, like greeting people nicely at the door, not digging, not jumping up… those kind of manners.

You can listen to this interview here:

Enjoy!

Chet

Training Dogs To Actually Obey You is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog