Exercise the Crucial Element

Probably the second most important facet in dog training is exercise.  Those of you who are getting use to my writing know that I think the number one most important point of good dog training is mental stimulation, but the next most important is exercise!  When I trained police dogs, I often had them run next to my bicycle or scooter until they were exhausted.  They needed the physical exercise to calm their minds and spirits.

Most all dogs and people can benefit to adding to their exercise regimen, unless of course they have a heart condition.  Exercise lowers our blood pressure, can uplift our moods, and can even decrease our chances for developing certain diseases.  These benefits are also obtainable to your dog.

A tired dog is a good dog!!  This is probably my favorite quote, and the truest statement in dealing with your dog.  There are many ways to attain a tired dog, but exercise is a fairly easy way to get what you want.

Almost 100% without a doubt when I do a behavior consult with someone having difficulty with their dog, I recommend increasing the amount of exercise their dog is getting.  Dogs without exercise and mental stimulation begin to rot mentally and that leads to a lot of naughtiness and problem behaviors.  Dogs that have jobs and work all day for their people or those that get a lot of exercise are much less likely to suffer from behavior problems.  Exercise is also helpful for almost all behavior problems, it very rarely increases problems.

Imagine taking a room full of small children locking them up and not giving them any exercise or allowing them to play or to mentally stimulate themselves; they would go insane and they would drive YOU insane.  The more exercise, learning and structure our children get the happier they are and less they likely they are to get into trouble.  Your dog has the same requirements, but most people buy a dog and expect it to take care of its own needs.  Dogs require stimulation and exercise to be happy.

Almost all dogs can benefit from exercise; fat dogs, old dogs, young dogs, skinny dogs, puppies can all benefit from an exercise program.  You may have to cater an exercise program to fit your dog’s needs but in any case most dogs need some way to rid themselves of excess steam.

The joy of exercise is that it comes in all forms; hiking, biking, swimming, walking, running, skijoring, retrieving, games, weight pulling, drafting and numerous others all qualify as good forms of exercise.  If you do it right, you and your dog will never tire of a boring routine.

• Just take caution with puppies and geriatric dogs.  Puppies of medium to large breeds should not exercise on hard ground or pull weights until they are at least 2 years old, extra large breeds like Rottweilers and Great Danes should wait until they are 3 or until their vet says it is safe.  Excessive exercise on growing dogs can cause the breakdown of cartilage and bones and can cause dysplasia and arthritis.  Young dogs and puppies must be exercised on soft ground.  Geriatric dogs should be allowed to lightly exercise to build muscles and flexibility which can also help with arthritis.

The majority of people who have dogs that are suffering from behavior problems have adult dogs between the ages of 1-5 and this is the time when exercise is at its most important!  Adult dogs should be exercised at a minimum of 3 times a day, morning, afternoon and evening.  Adding exercise will help to decrease your dog’s boredom and increase his success of becoming a good pet.

“I don’t have time to exercise my dog!”

“My dog has a big back yard to run in he doesn’t need exercise”

I have heard all of the excuses!  Your dog is an investment not only in money but also in time and companionship.  Your dog has needs and sometimes you have to inconvenience yourself in order to ensure success and happiness for your dog.  Get up early if you have to, or go to bed later but make sure you are devoting the time he needs to his success as a good companion and friend.

Dog’s don’t “run laps” on their own, very rarely do dogs utilize a big back yard as a means to exercise and run out their energy.  Even with the biggest back yard or acres to run he needs someone else to help him and encourage him to exercise.  He is not going to set his own exercise goals, you have to do that for him.

If you sincerely want to give your dog a shot at being a good pet and pleasing you, you need to give him sufficient exercise.  Not only will his body benefit from the payback of exercise, but he will be spending time with you listening to your voice and hopefully working on obedience and your bond as he exercises and becomes weary.

Let him run next to a bike, take him swimming, have him pull a tire; whatever you decide that is appropriate for his breed, age, size and his abilities allow him to blow off steam in a constructive manner and you will see the benefits through his behavior in a few short days!

Training for a Relaxed and Calm Dog

Relaxation and meditation is known for having such health benefits as decreased heart and respiratory rates and decreasing anxiety.  Relaxation can also be taught to your dog as a conditioned response.    Just like Pavlov taught a dog to drool in response to the ringing of a bell, you can teach your dog to decrease his anxiety, and relax in times of stress.  This type of training can be essential for owners looking for ways to help treat dogs with behavior problems and anxiety disorders, and is also crucial for any good training program.

Often, I think we unknowingly condition our dogs to get excited as a response to most exciting things that go on in our world.  Our dogs are unknowingly conditioned to get overly excited when people come over to visit, when we take them out on a leash, when we come home; almost everything we do in some ways encourages our dogs to get excited.

Let me explain; when people come over it is normal for most dogs to get excited the inherent problem therein lies when we allow them to be rewarded for this behavior, we pet them, we allow our company to pet them or we shriek at them to get down and get off of people; therefore giving them attention for their poor behavior.  After a few visits, this excitement, which has previously been rewarded, gets to be the custom and your dog thinks he must show this behavior in order to be interacted with; i.e. a conditioned response to exciting stimulus.

I once worked with a client who allowed his dog to bark and scream and pull him toward the beach each time they arrived.  When the dog was a puppy, he thought it was cute, but he didn’t realize he was conditioning the barking and screaming and pulling as a response to being at the beach.  The dog thought this was a part of a ritual he had to perform to get to the beach.  We had to regress and teach this dog calming techniques and teach him that only when he was calm was he allow access to walks and play on the beach.  They had to drive to and away from the beach several times before the dog realized that he would only be rewarded while he was calm.

Relaxation must be taught as a response to exciting stimulus, and can even be used to help focus dogs with mild aggression problems.  (Dogs with severe aggression problems should seek the advice of a Veterinary Behaviorist before trying any training program.)  Do not pet or reward your dog if he is showing signs of stress, teach him to be calm.

Take your dog to a quiet room, one that is free of distractions.  Next take a treat in each hand and show them both to your dog, then bring them up toward your eyes.  Your dog should look from one treat to another and back and forth until finally in a moment of frustration he looks directly into your pupils.  As his eyes look into yours tell him what he is doing by saying “Watch” in a calm tone.  Dogs often mirror our behavior, in order to teach your dog to be calm you must show the same attributes.  After a few brief seconds of holding your gaze, praise and give your dog the treat.  If your dog is tense, do NOT reward!  If he is showing signs of stress stop this lesson and try again later.   Do not reprimand him, just discontinue the session.

Your dog MUST be relaxed!!  Relaxation is the purpose of this exercise.  Your dog’s posture should be malleable and tranquil, if he is stiff, trembling or shivering then try again later.  His pupils should be small in size not large and hard.

Continue this until he is readily looking into your eyes.  Once you think your dog has mastered this command, take the treats away from your eyes and take them out at arm’s length out to each side.  If your dog is still staring deep into your eyes and not looking at your hands your dog has mastered the command.  If your dog is still watching the treats in your hands, he is not yet ready.

If you are having trouble getting your dog to relax, try this exercise just after your dog has taken a nap and is already relaxed, or when he is tired, just prior to a nap.

Once your dog is looking at you in a peaceful manner, hold the treat behind your back and give the “watch” command.  Wait until eye contact is made then reward.  If your dog can do this with no problem, wait to reward until he holds your gaze for a longer period of time.  Every time you change the difficulty level expect some failures and just back up a few steps in training if needed.  DO NOT get frustrated, this does not encourage relaxation, simply back up and praise him for something that is easier for him to achieve.

Practice on and off throughout the day at random times.  Just remember not to reward your dog for any signs of stress i.e. panting, whining, crying, pacing or trembling.  Extend this until he can stare into your eyes for 15 to 20 seconds.

Once your dog is 95% reliable with the command in an environment without distractions, take him to a room with a few distractions (like windows or your kids playing).  When he has mastered (95% reliable) in a room with minor distractions, take him outside to the backyard and work until he has mastered the command in that environment.  As he masters the command in a multitude of environments you can continue to increase the level of difficulty while still expecting some failure or learning events, just back up in your training as these occur.  Remember don’t get frustrated, this is a normal step when learning any new behavior.

When your dog can stare into your eyes reliably with a multitude of distractions, you can begin using this command for all kinds of situations:

• When you have a dog that is fearful or mildly aggressive
• In situations when you are unsure how your dog will react
• To bring your dog’s focus and attention back to you before you give a command or after a distraction is added
• And even when preparing for competition obedience

Eye contact is the foundation to good obedience, and it is a great way to strengthen the bond between you and your canine companion.

Want My Personal Help w/Your Dog… Just answer These 3 Questions

If you would like me to personally address your dog training challenges, and help you overcome them… please read the three questions below and answer them by leaving a comment in the comment section of this blog.

Questions:

1) Clearly discribe the problem you want to fix with your dog.

2) Describe the training concepts you’ve tried that HAVE worked.

3) And I need you to describe the training concepts that DON’T seem to be working.

Looking forward to reading your questions!

Chet

Dog Training Mistakes To Avoid

Training a dog is an art and not all of us good at this art. When we set out to train our dogs we make a number of mistakes. These mistakes happen because of our ignorance. We do not realize that our faulty approach affects our dog very badly. Things that we think are helping our pet while training them indeed make them regress to their old ways or make them into fussy pets.

If you know the common mistakes that people make while training their puppy, you can easily avoid them. Here are list of common mistakes that you should avoid in your puppy potty training and puppy house training.

Consistency Is KEY

The first mistake that you should avoid is inconsistency. When you are inconsistent with your training you will only confuse your dog. Remember your pets have their own limitations as an animal to understand and interpret your commands and your language.

So if you want your dog to understand your commands and to obey you, it is always best to have your list of commands written down for each and just use those commands every time you want your dog to perform that act.

Consistency will improve the pace of your dog’s training progress. It is not only with your commands that you should be consistent, it is also your reactions to your dog’s behavior that should be consistent.

If your dog makes a particular mistake let your reaction be consistent every time it repeats that mistake. Do not try to be rigid one time and soft the next time. This does not help your pet to learn fast.

Punishment Is NOT The Answer

Secondly, when you notice that your dog has made some mistake like messing up in the wrong place do not call your dog and punish it. This will lead to your dog thinking that you are calling it to punish it and it will try to run away every time you call.

This is the most common and the biggest mistake many people make with their dog training. Not rewarding your dog when they maintain good behavior.

Your pets should know that their behavior is appreciated and which type of behavior is appreciated. So give your pets small treats they love for good behavior. This will encourage your dog to develop good behavior fast.

Don’t Put It Off!

Pet owners think that their dog is too young to be put to training and wait for too long. Habit formation will become very difficult once the dog grows big so all habit formation has to be handled in the tender age. So time your dog training correctly. Check with a professional dog trainer if required to know when you should start your training.

You can also Grab Our Hands Off Training Program which walks you through the early stages of training and will teach you the basics that are absolutely essential for any puppy to learn!

Achieving a Higher Level of Reliable Obedience

If you have ever taken an obedience class with your dog, and actually done your homework, you will remember and notice that for that period of time (usually 6 to 8 weeks) your dog begins to listen to you faster and his obedience improved.  But weeks after the class is over, his skills begin to wan and the dynamics of life before class take over and it seems as if he never completed an obedience class.

WHY?

It’s simple if you think about it; if you practice something together you are better at it, the more practice and time you devote to something the better you get at it.  However, once you stop practicing and working on something, often, the more things go back to the way things were and you forget what you had once learned.

Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader?

Most of us have either watched this show on TV or at least know the concept; adults (sometimes even doctors, lawyers and Yale graduates) are asked simple questions along the lines of the curriculum that we learned in and up to the 5^th grade.  Most of us learned these things a number of years ago, but how much do we truly remember?  To have a child in school and needing help with homework is sometimes humbling!

Without practice or applying our knowledge, we often forget what we have learned.  The same is true of your dog!  If you don’t make obedience and training a part of your daily lives together, you and your dog will slip back into the same patterns of life that lead you to frustration and into obedience class.

But, often instead of understanding that dogs, too, forget and slip back into previous habits, we often blame them, think they didn’t learn or that they are being obstinate and refusing to comply, when really they are probably reverting back to what they knew and know best which is the dynamics of your household “before” obedience class.

What to Do?

Set a goal

• Sit down as a family and come up with a plan.  What is going wrong in your current relationship with your dog?  Come up with a plan to address your issues and stick with it!  Consistency is the key to good dog obedience so everyone must be on board.

Take a Class

• You may need to take a class or re-take a basic class if things have deteriorated severely.  A class leads to accountability and homework.  A class often coerces people to make time to work with their dogs.
• I have been training dog professionally for almost 17 years and I still take obedience classes (I just don’t admit I am a trainer).

Compete

• I HATE competition!  I hated competition as a child and I continue to hate it to this day.  I also hate getting up in front of people.  Ironically, I can lecture to a convention center full of people about dog obedience and behavior, but I hate that competitive feeling and being put on display.  However, I often make myself face my fears and compete anyway.
• Competition takes a high level of practice and work, and the more time I spend with my dog the more he learns to listen to me in all facets of life.   Although I hate the feeling of the final competition (I am getting better ha ha) I LOVE the time we spend together preparing for our moment, and I also love our numerous blue ribbons!

Find a hobby you can both enjoy

• You can take classes for advanced obedience, tracking (nose work), clicker training, games, agility, or weight puling, sledding and skijoring.
• You can even play control games together.
• Invite your friends and family to get together and play doggie games and have your own competition.   You can also find dog board games online like Funagle and Do You Mind by Darfinc©.
• Buy a book and teach your dog as many tricks and commands as you can then have a party to show off your new skills!

To my clients I am known as the “fun” trainer.  I have been training dogs for almost 17 years and have seen all kinds of methods and I have taken my years of experience and knowledge and I have sculpted them into a program where I focus on games and fun ways to achieve my obedience goals.  I do this so that my dog enjoys his training but most of all I do it so that “I” enjoy training and working with my dog.  Fun does not mean there is a lack of skill or that my dogs are sloppy, it just means that my goal is to have a high level of performance and we both enjoy ourselves. The more things I can teach my dog, the happier we both are!  Even if I am just teaching him tricks, he is listening and learning and enjoying himself, and I am ending up with another skill to show off to my friends.

I try and make a point to spend time with my dog and invite him to join me as often as possible.  If I go hiking, biking or to the beach, I want to include him in my plans.  I enjoy teaching him new things and watching him enjoy life and excel at obedience.  It is a joy to have a well trained companion.

Every time you work with your dog in a fun and positive manner and you work together towards a common goal, you are solidifying your place in your furry pack and your dog is learning to have fun listening to you.  The more fun you have together, the more time you will find to spend together and you build a bond of respect that will last a lifetime.  So get out there and spend some fun time together as you reestablish your bond and your dog learns to listen to your every command!

Nose Work 2 Continuing Nose Games

Sniffing and following scent is instinctual, natural, and fun for dogs; it is fun to teach them to use their noses appropriately and on command, and it allows them to hone a natural instinct.  This is a game that can be taught and played by puppies and geriatric dogs; there is no age limit for Nose Games!  In Nose Work 1 we discussed getting your dog ready for more nose games and the beginning of teaching him to use his nose.  Next we worked on the Scent Discrimination and the Passive Alert.

Nose Work 2 will teach you how to do intermediate nose games and begin to put this information together at home and away for more fun and games for both of you.   There are two main ways that your dog follows a scent:

• Air scenting: following his nose quickly and through the air
• Tracking or ground scenting: following a scent foot step to foot step,

Nose Work 2 will discuss mostly air scenting although most dogs will also sniff the ground occasionally, their focus is generally following the scent through the air.   In Nose Work 3 we will discuss tracking.

Now you can begin hiding the scent all over the house (use the PVC pipe with holes drilled in it so your dog can’t access the scent rag), and hide it on all levels low, mid and high.  Your dog should be laying down immediately when he finds the scent!  Remember to reward and praise!

It is normal for your dog to have difficulty finding the scent occasionally, and even going back to previous spots you have hidden it, because the scent is still strong there for him.  If he is wrong, or is having trouble finding it, don’t panic or give up!  To help him when he is having trouble, simply walk toward the room or the object, don’t show it to him or say anything just walk in the general vicinity and continue to give him the command and praise him for footsteps in the correct direction.

Never give up or show him where it is hiding!  Be patient, give him a chance to make mistakes and learn, this is all part of the process.  Soon you will be having other people hide the scent without your knowledge of where it is, so you will need to trust in his nose and be patient that he can work out the problem on his own!  Each success will bring confidence!

Next have friends and family hide the scent throughout the house while you distract him, and eventually work with your dog not knowing where the scent is hidden.  When your dog’s nose is reliable and he is passively alerting you can move the game outside.

Start in your own front yard or somewhere familiar and not overly exciting to your dog.  Go back a few steps and make the first few hides easy to find so that your dog can succeed easily and quickly.  Also start by hiding the scent fairly close to the dog, the farther away you hide the scent the more skill it will take for your dog to find the scent.

I always use a long leash and either a buckle collar or a harness.  Scent work is the only time I like to use a harness, but when teaching your dog to use his nose it is important that you allow him to lead you to the scent.  He must be out in front of you and able to dart from side to side sniffing and trying to locate the object, so this is the one time I allow my dogs to lightly pull on the leash, however, I still do not want to be aggressively pulled from one area to another.

If your dog does not have good leash manners you may want to back up and work on those first!  My dogs know exactly how long their leashes are and how vigorously they can pull when we play this game.  I want them to be exuberant about having fun and enjoying themselves but I require respect anytime they are working on a leash.  It is imperative that you don’t lose good obedience skills in order to play these games.  Games are a privilege, obedience and respect is a requirement!

Once you dog has mastered being outside and locating the scent in a fairly easy to find and close proximity, then you can start hiding the pipe and rag in more difficult places and begin placing it further.  Normally I chose to add one difficulty level at a time: stay within a short proximity and hide the object in a more difficult place i.e. “in” bushes and under things like cars, trucks, rocks OR I hide the object further away but in a fairly easy to find place.  Once your dog has continually successfully accomplished one of these tasks then move to the next level of training.

Be sure that you are hiding the scent on variable levels outside too; on top of things, underneath things and even up out of his reach!  There are no rules to this game except to work up slowly with your dog and back up when necessary if he is having trouble.  Be careful and use common sense and do not trespass!  This is a great game to play in the local children’s park, in a field or even along a walk.

Have fun with this game and training!  This is good exercise for you and also good for your dog, for his mind and his body!  This is also something that can be played inside on a rainy day, or a HOT Southern day, and can be taken outside basically anywhere.  You can play this with friends and family and you can also play this with multiple dogs and see whose nose is better.  I love playing this game and adding more distractions and levels of difficulty for my dog.

Once my dog is an expert I can even add another scent to the mix.  Remember, when you add a new scent you, must go back to step one and a new scent box (remember only one scent per box) and work your way through the training list, teaching him that this is a new scent you want him to alert you too.   The more scents you add the more variety and difficulty you can add to this game, but just make sure he is ready!

Teach him to utilize his nose in a manner that pleases you both and you will be in for years of fun and enjoyment, and this is a even great party trick to impress your friends!

Consistency

Consistency or the lack there of, I believe, is the root of all evil when it comes to dog training.  We as humans are often inconsistent, we may be consistently inconsistent or work on a variable consistency; meaning depending on certain variables we are consistent.  Dogs don’t understand inconsistency they need black and white, right and wrong especially when they are learning.

Inconsistency With- in Yourself

I often work with people who care about their dog’s behavior one minute, or in one situation but not another.

• “I usually don’t mind if my dog jumps up on me, but I hate it when he gets muddy paws on my work clothes, or snags my nylons”
• “I don’t mind if my dog gets on the sofa at night with me, but I don’t want him on the couch during the day when I am gone”
• “I don’t want my dog to bark, but I hate getting up in the middle of the night to tell him to be quiet”

Your dog does not understand the differences in these situations he lives for the moment he gets to do what he wants or what comes naturally for him; jumping up on you, laying on the comfortable sofa, and barking.  He does not understand the variable or contingent to the situation, he only remembers he gets to do it sometimes, and that keeps him consistently trying.  If 9 out of 10 times you keep him out of the bed but on that 10^th time you relent, it is that moment of success and enjoyment that he remembers and will make subsequent attempts worse!

Inconsistency With-in the Family Structure

Often the inability of a family or couple to work as a team on dog training aids in the deterioration of the dog’s obedience.  I have even worked with couples who use different commands.  One person can’t say “Come” while the other person says “Get over here!” and have it be as affective for the dog.

I often run into couples who can’t come to some kind of agreement about how to treat the dog:

• “I don’t mind the dog on the sofa with me, but my husband doesn’t want him on the furniture”
• “I don’t feed the dog table scraps but my wife and kids sneak them to him under the table”
• “I don’t want my dog to play rough, but my husband and my oldest son wrestle with him, and now he is tackling my 5 year old”

You need to pick a plan and an ideal that you as a family.  Sit down and come up with consistent commands that mean the same thing to everyone and that everyone will utilize.  Decide whether or not you will allow your dog on the furniture, and what behaviors you will reward and what behaviors you intend to change and come up with a plan for how you will install the changes as a family.  Explain to everyone in the family how inconsistency hurts your dog’s ability to please everyone and therefore leads to him getting in trouble.

Inconsistency With Strangers

This is a big one!  Most people don’t realize how just being inconsistent when they have company over, or when their dog meets a new person undermines the dog’s training in other areas of its life.

• “We don’t mind Sparky jumping on us but we don’t want him to jump on company”
• “Our dog listens great at home, but he does not listen when we have company over or if we take him away from the house”
• “Sparky never runs out the front door until we have people visit”

Once again, inconsistency is to blame for your dog’s confusion.  Dogs are very adept at reading situations, they recognize very quickly when we don’t want to exert the time and effort needed to work on their training and their behavior.

Your dog might never ignore a command given when you are at home alone, but add the distraction of another person or take your dog somewhere and he doesn’t listen.  Part of this is the addition of distractions which have to be added and worked on with training in mind, but another part is inconsistent training.  People often don’t want to embarrass themselves or inconvenience themselves by working with their dogs when other people are around, so the dog learns he doesn’t have to obey when company is present.

The key to dog training is to be consistent, especially in the learning stages, with your dog.  Your dog cannot reason or understand the minute differences.  In order to set your dog up for success, you must make sure that you remain consistent, always.  Make a plan and stick to it, make sure everyone in the household listens and accepts responsibility for training and working with your dog.  And, when you have company or there are distractions let them know that you must devote some time to your furry friend to be consistent so he learns to obey and becomes a good family pet.

Inconsistency is unfair.  One minute your dog gets away with or is rewarded for a bad behavior and the next minute he is chastised and/or punished for the same act.  This type of environment makes it hard, if not impossible to learn.  You must be firm but gentle; have fun and be CONSISTENT.

Learing To Be Firm But Gentle With Your Dog

All of us love our pets and most of us consider dog as one of our family members. This makes us difficult for many of us to train our dogs. So we let them do whatever they like and our puppies turn out to be naughty rogues and sometimes even unruly.

When they turnout to be unruly dogs, we will have no other go but to send them away to pet orphanage or to some other similar place. If only you knew how to train your puppy or your dog, it would not have gone to that extent of sending away your dog.

When it comes to dog training many of us think that we need to be tough with our dogs or puppies to make them obey to their masters. So many of us think that we cannot be tough with our dogs and thereby we fail to train them properly. Some of us even end up being tough with our puppies wanting them to be a well disciplined dog. These are extremes and both approaches will hurt your puppies one way or the other.

So what it takes to train your dog or puppy well is a firm but a gentle master. When you engage in dog training or puppy training, you must learn to be firm but gentle with them and just not tough. Dogs are very sensitive animals and they can easily sense when you are angry. This can make your dogs sulk and withdraw leading to behavioral problems.

Before you set out to train your dog or puppy for puppy house training or puppy potty training, you will need to find a good dog training program or dog training courses. You need to first be well equipped before you take the trainer’s seat.

Do Your Homework On What’s Available!

Don’t choose your dog training course randomly, before you buy your dog training course review them closely and make sure that it is a suitable course for training your puppy because poor choice of dog training course can hurt your puppy. You can even turn a healthy puppy into a rogue dog through inappropriate training.

Your dog or puppy will take some time before it understands your commands. So until then you need to be firm with your dog without being tough. It requires a lot of patience too to train dogs. By finding the right dog training course you will be able to accomplish things fast.

Good dog training courses will be developed based on sound dog psychology. Only such dog training courses will be effective. So it is your responsibility to pick to dog training course. You cannot blame your dog later for your poor choice of dog training course and your faulty approach to dog training.

Check Out Our Hands Off Dog Training Course Today!

Scent Discrimination and the Passive Alert

Scent Discrimination is fun for your dog, you are teaching him how to use his nose to please you  and which scent you want him to locate.  This training is exciting for him and should be a fun game for you both.

Passive alerting means that your dog either sits or lays down and waits once it finds the scent.  Grabbing the item, barking or scratching is not an active alert and can pose dangers or problems for some dogs. Read the rest of this entry »

Nose Work 1 an Introduction to Nose Games

Dogs can’t read books, they don’t watch television, (well at least not for very long), they don’t scrap book, or build things but they still need hobbies!  If a dog’s mind is not entertained, he will find his own hobby to engage in, but often dogs choose inappropriate behavior such as; barking, digging, chewing, ripping up carpeting, eating drywall, chasing children, stealing, and other general naughtiness.

Most often when I hear my clients complain about these behaviors I wonder if the dog is truly mentally and physically stimulated at home.  If I was locked in a room with 4 white walls and one sofa with nothing to do for days on end, sooner or later I would shred the sofa too!  You must find ways to entertain your dog’s mind to help him stay well behaved.

A dog’s sense of smell is 2000 greater than that of a human.  I often liken reading a book or watching a movie to a dog following a scent or even digging through layers of ground scents (although we consider this naughty, each layer of ground has a new and different story for your dog’s nose)

Read the rest of this entry »