Dog Training Hawaiian Style

I love getting emails like this one:

Aloha Eric!!

I am so excited I just had to write you and tell you about it!

You see, my dog Oliver has never really been leash trained, nor
do I ever let him run free, because he does NOT come when called...

Lately I have been trying to rectify that problem through training..I
have read about several methods on the internet, and even tried some
of "the dog whisperers" tips - all of which have failed miserably...

Oliver not only didnt get it, it was causing tension between us, he
was starting to listen to me even less than before! Today I came
accross your website, I skimmed through some of your articles,
and watched your video advice.

After watching them, I got inspired...the dogs looked so natural
with you that I decided I had to try some of your methods.

It really clicked. I couldnt believe it, you had mentioned in
one of your videos that in order for a dog to feel receptive
to you outside, every once in a while you have to just "let
him be a dog" and get some freedom...so I took him to the local
soccer park- first thing I did was let him just hang out, sniff
what he wanted to sniff and go where he wanted to go (all of which
I have been told is baaaaad).

Once he got himself aquainted with the trees and bushes and whatnot,
I decided Id try that "walk with the treat" thing to get him used to
the idea that walking next to me was a good thing...and didnt have
to be all tugs and jerks. I swear to God, it wasnt just the
food....his mood changed!

He was even smiling, as if to tell me "this is much nicer mom" we
walked all over that park doing the "food in hand" walk...we even
did some jogging!!!

I didnt try to force any "rules and boundaries" on him...today was
just about a great experience with being on the leash...and it was
wonderful!!

All the pulling, all the fighting and tension just melted away,
finally after weeks of getting nothing but a headache, me and
Oliver laid in the middle of that field smiling, and panting - and
watched one of the prettiest Hawaiian sunsets I have ever
seen! ~ and I owe it all to you

I know we have a long way to go, but, I am confident that with
your help, well get there!

Thanks so much for offering the great advice - Im finally a believer
that training isnt about hard work - its about fun!!!

What else can I say, your the man!

Cara

Caras email is such a great email because she explains perfectly
what happens when you use positive reinforcement to train your
dog.

Dog training does not have to be a chore. You can have a fun and get
great results using positive reinforcement.

What else can I say - I AM THE MAN!

All the best,

Eric

P.S. Dont forget to check out the same videos that Cara watched to
help train her dog at my website; AmazingDogTrainingMan.com

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Combining methods weaves revisited

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MANAGING THE MUD So you are ready to

MANAGING THE MUD So you are ready to go back inside, but you arent ready to mop the floors? What do you do if your dog has managed to get covered in mud? Even if it is just the paws, tracking mud into the house can make for a major cleaning project. Here is how to manage the mud tracking: Get doormats for each doorway to the outside. Make sure they look similar to one another. These mats will serve as a visual barrier to entry for your dog that, with your help and training, can show the dog just where to wait before coming inside. Pair each doormat with a towel for wiping down paws. Practice makes perfect. Make sure to gear up your daily practice of obedience training so that you can train your dog to apply their knowledge to the new seasons activities. Sit or Stand Stay is the perfect command to replace the wiggle worm behaviors commonly associated with paw cleaning. Remember, consistency and repetitions create habits in both humans and canines alike. Make your trips outside an adventure within limits that are clear to the dog. Show them what you do and do not want them to do over and over again before expecting them to understand and do it on their own. A few weeks of chaperoning may be a lot of work, but it will pay off in years of trustworthiness and positive behavior in your dog. While we cannot help you teach your dog to mop the floors themselves, we are here if you have any questions on how to curb spring fever.
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Russian Special Forces And Dog Training

I wondered if this guy had ever killed someone?

I mean I was only about four feet away from him and couldnt help but think that as I sat there. After all, he did call himself "The Evil Russian."

Pavel Tsatsouline was an instructor for the Russian Special Forces Spetsnaz, that fought in Afghanistan and I was in the front row listening to him discuss strenght and flexibility training.

I heard that he was going to be speaking in Providence, RI. I had been told that he was a great speaker and did not want to miss the chance to see him. As a guy that makes a big part of his living by standing in front of people and speaking, I always jump at any chance to see a pro.

Anyway, he turned out to be everything that I had heard. Mr. Tsatsouline is an excellent speaker and has a great sense of humor. If you ever get the chance to attend one of his seminars, I highly recommend going to see him.

Anyway, he sprinkled his seminar with a lot of great stories and Russian sayings. Two of his sayings really hit home with me and I have never forgotten them. His first statement was:

"If your only tool is a hammer treat everything like a nail."

I loved that statement because I am a complete moron when it comes to using tools. My beautiful girlfriend Rachael knows that asking me to fix something is not a good idea. In fact when we need something fixed around the house she usually gets the job done.

But...

If you need something demolished I am great with a hammer. It is the one tool that that I can use.

I also loved that comment because when it comes to dog training, a really good dog trainer has a whole bunch of tools in his or her tool box.

I dont talk about this too much but there are trainers out there that only have a hammer in their toolbox. They treat every problem, every training situation, like it is a nail.

Hack trainers think that every behavior problem needs to be dealt with a correction. Dog trainers that have limited tools put a choke chain on the dog and yank the leash and collar for every problem that they are confronted with.

Dog growls around his bone - apply correction with choke chain.
Dog jumps - apply correction with choke chain.
Dog wont sit - apply correction with choke chain.
Dog wont lie down - apply correction with choke chain.
Dog moves during stay - apply correction with choke chain.

A good trainer understands that there is more to training than yanking on the leash. In my book "The Amazing Dog Training Man," I discuss the M.U.T.T. Method for dealing with behavior problems.

You see, when your dog is displaying a behavior problem, there is an underlying reason for it. That is what the U stands for in the M.U.T.T. Method. Here is the complete acronym:

M - Manage
U - Underlying
T - Train
T - Time

When you are dealing with a behavior problem, you need to Manage the behavior, figure out what the Underlying reason for the behavior is, Train or teach your dog appropriate behaviors, and lastly give your dog some Time to learn the new behavior.

Training a dog by using just force will create problems. Sometimes you can temporarily suppress the behavior, but it will resurface.

A few years ago I was attacked by a dog because of another trainer. I was called in to take a look at this dog in Dartmouth, MA. When I showed up I saw an extremely nervous German Shepherd mix and believe it or not, this dogs name was Scar.

As I was talking to the owner I could see that my presence made this dog very excitable. The owner did not tell me that there was a trainer working with his dog the day before.

I did a quick evaluation and noted that the dog did not give me any warning signals. He did not growl, his hackles were not raised, he did not show me any teeth.

I decided that I would take the leash and go for a little walk, try to bond with him a little.

As soon as I had the leash I noticed a change in Scar. He panicked and before I could hand the leash back to the owner he attacked me. The dog bit me on the arm three times before I could get him into his kennel.

As I was bandaging my arm, the owner of the dog told me that the trainer that was there the day before had been very rough with Scar.

Trainer? Day before? I asked.

"Yeah, we had this other guy come in yesterday to help with some training but we didnt like him. He hung Scar with the choke collar. Every time Scar would growl, he would lift up on the leash and hold Scar there until he almost passed out."

"Every time he growled" I asked.

"Yep."

It all made sense to me now. The reason I was attacked was because Scar had been "corrected" every time he gave a warning signal. I knew the other trainer well. He only knew of one way to train dogs.

You guessed it. He treated every dog like a nail and hammered every one of them. I knew this because a big part of my business at the time was following this guy around. I would get calls from dog owners that had hired him and now had bigger problems than before they had him "train" their dogs.

You see, when a dog growls, you at least know the dog is giving you a warning. Now you can try to figure out why the dog is growling and take steps to fix the aggression problem.

A hack trainer that only has a hammer in his toolbox will try to deal with the aggression by overpowering the behavior. The problem is this: When you use aggression to deal with aggression, you escalate aggression.

In the case with the dog Scar, he had been choked every time he gave a warning signal. He growled and was choked and probably thought the trainer was going to kill him.

When I took the leash the poor dog was only thinking about survival. He did not growl at me because the behavior had been suppressed by the other trainer - but...the behavior was still there.

Even though I got pretty chewed up by Scar, I really felt sorry for him. Most aggression is fear based and Scar probably had had a tough life and became aggressive because of how he was treated.

Then, when a so called "expert" was called in, the training methods used pushed him over the edge.

Training is more than leash corrections and physical force. Training is all about understanding dogs and the reasons why they are displaying the behaviors that that they are.

Compassion, patience and an understanding of behavior is what makes a great dog trainer.

My advice to you is to be very weary of any trainer that only has a hammer in his toolbox. If you observe ANY dog trainer that deals with behavior problems by only using a choke chain and inflicting pain on the dog, you can be rest assured that you are observing someone that really does not know what they are doing and it would be wise of you to find another trainer to work with.

As always I look forward to your comments.

Peace,

Eric

P.S. If youd like more tools than just a hammer to train your dog and change behavior check out: Good K9 Manners

P.P.S. In tomorrows post Ill share the other great comment that was made during the seminar.

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What kind of punishment and when

Some mild punishment (that does not involve any harm done to the dog mentally or physically) is in some cases recommended. It is very important to choose the right timing. This means that you can raise the tone of your voice say NO and maybe also move your finger in a strict way, or take away her favorite toy when you catch her doing something wrong.

The same actions would not be effective if they take effect after the wrong has been done without you being present and the punishment takes place on the wrong timing.

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Dog Training secrets shared

This is my post about dog training. Dog Training is a very simple thing once you put your mind to it. Dog training can stop some embaressing moments.

Dog training

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INTRODUCTION TO HOUSEBREAKING Dogs are descendants of wild

INTRODUCTION TO HOUSEBREAKING Dogs are descendants of wild wolves, and although they are now domesticated, dogs and wolves still share many basic instincts. As young pups, both wild and domestic dogs are instinctively clean. Even in the wild, wolves are very reluctant to relieve themselves in or near their den. THE DEN: Wild and domestic dogs will typically establish a den. A den is a small area, normally with one opening, in which they feel safe and secure. Dogs spend lots of time in their dens: they will eat, sleep, play and whelp their puppies in there. Thus, a healthy dog will not relieve himself in his den. SCHEDULE: Your training instructor will custom design a feeding schedule for your dog. This will help you coordinate your dogs need to relieve himself with your schedule. To succeed in housebreaking your dog, it is critical that you adhere to your schedule. RELIEF STATION: You must establish a “relief station” that your dog can easily recognize. For example, you can create a 20x20 area marked by pine cones. Or if you have a natural area you’d like the dog to use, you may designate that his relief station. CORRECTION: Dogs will only learn from your correction if you catch them “red- handed”. If you don’t catch them in the act, you’re wasting your time correcting them. WATCH OR CONFINEMENT WATCH: Since after-the-fact corrections are not effective, it is sometimes necessary to watch your dog at all times. WATCH makes this practical. Your dog will be on his leash and by your side . This allows you to move about the house, catching your dog in the act of relieving himself. You will then be able to correct him -- effectively -- on the spot. Another benefit of the WATCH mode is that in forcing your dog to constantly follow your movements, you are asserting your leadership and ensuring his loyalty. CONFINEMENT: Achieves two goals: first, it establishes a den for your dog. Second, it forces your dog to rely on his instinctive desire NOT to soil his den. If your dog relieves himself in the den, he’ll quickly find this distasteful. He will learn to wait until being released from confinement to take care of his business. If, however, you do find that your dog has relieved himself in his den, leave him with the mess for 15 minutes. You want this behavior to have negative consequences for your dog. WATCH/CONFINEMENT procedures will be effective only if your housebreaking schedule is followed! PLEASE remember: it is very important to fill out your housebreaking logs completely.
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Does My Dog Smell Bad

A few months ago I met with a nice couple to help them with their dog. A few minutes into the conversation the wife asked me, "Does my dog smell bad?"

I was amazed that she asked me that question. When I walked into the house I noticed that the dog not only had a bad odor but looked awful. The dog was a golden mix of some kind and looked to be about 10 years old.

His coat was a mess, he had black gunk pouring out of his eyes and was grey all around his muzzle. I felt really bad for the old guy.

Come to find out he was only about four years old. They called me because they were having a house training problem. My first question was simple. In fact, I knew the answer before they even told me.

I asked them this simple question:

"What are feeding your dog?"

I knew that they were probably feeding a combination of some cheap brand of dry food mixed with some kind of canned food. My prediction was correct, they spent about $12.00 for a 40LBS bag of food made by a large retail chain. The canned food was what ever was on sale.

I told them that the reason they were having house training problems, the reason that their dog smelled and the reason that he looked like he was over the hill was a direct result of the food that they were feeding.

They both looked at me like I was talking Swahili. They went on to say that there was no way that the food that they were feeding was why their dog smelled and looked old. They both thought that it was just the way he was. They added that their vet said that the food they were feeding was fine.

I shared with them the story of my sheltie Sammi. I told them that Sam had some awful allergies, that her fur was falling out, that she was constantly getting fleas. In short she was a mess. I tried everything, cortisone shots, cold tar shampoos, steroids - nothing helped.

It was awful watching her in pain, scratching, chewing, rolling on the ground trying to get some relief.

I asked my vet if maybe what she was eating was effecting her. He laughed at me and said it had nothing to do with it. I ignored him and started to research everything I could on nutrition for dogs. In short, I change her diet, and within just a few short weeks she was a different dog.

Some of the books that I read and people that I studied were Dr. Pitcairn, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, and Wendy Vollard. Now my Sammi is well over 16 years old, very healthy, beautiful skin and coat, clear eyes, and still full of energy.

Your dogs diet does have a direct result on your dogs behavior, skin and coat, and general well being. If you spend just a little while learning about proper nutrition for dogs youll be amazed at how much healthier your dog will be (and how much smaller your vet bills will be).

As always I look forward to your comments.

All the best,

Eric

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Rehersals!

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Video Newsletter The Truth About Your Dog’s Body Language

Well the big day is rapidly approaching. I never knew how much work went into getting married, if I did I might have stayed single - just kidding!

I am extremely lucky and blessed to have found someone as wonderful as Rachael. As a guy that went 40 years without getting married, I didnt think it would ever happen.

The funny thing about being in a relationship is how much you learn about the other person. Without her saying a word, I can tell if she is upset, mad, worried etc. and she can do the same with me.

Its funny how non-verbal communication happens with our loved ones. As I was hinking about all of this I realized how much non-verbal communication goes on with our dogs.

Your dog is always paying attention to your body language and tone of voice. ometimes our body language does not match what we are trying to communicate to our dogs and they become confused.

Your dog has three primary drives - Pack, Prey and Defense. Your body language and tone of voice effect which drive your dog is in. When you understand drives you can understand why your dog does certain behaviors.

Here is a video that I put together to explain how your body language communicates certain messages to your dog.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=j1jFeohfvus

Enjoy!

All the best,

Eric
http://dogtraininginnercircle.com

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Dog Obedience Training

Dog Obedience Training - Welcome to our blog where over the next few weeks we will be discussing some dog obedience training tips and techniques for healthy and fun training sessions. We will also be talking about the different methods of dog obedience training used and how to choose the right method for you and your dog.

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Eddies Wheels

"Tasha may have a spinal injury."

"Not good," I said.

Jodi was telling me that her little dachshund, Tasha, may have injured her back jumping off the stairs.

Dachshunds are prone to get back injuries, their long bodies are more susceptible to back problems than other dogs.

It was ironic that Jodi told me this about her dog. The night before I had met the owner of Eddies Wheels. Eddies Wheels is a wonderful business that provides wheelchairs for dogs that have been injured and cant use their back legs (or front legs).

Eddies Wheels was started in the basement of Leslie and Eds house in Shelburne Falls, MA. Within a short period of time, the demand for the carts grew and they now send carts all over the world.

They now have representatives in Canada, Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

It really is an amazing business that is doing a lot of good for dogs and cats. You can check out their website:

Eddies Wheels

Your friend,

Eric

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Advanced Dog Training Goals It Pays to Think and Plan Ahead

Once your young dog has learned the basics of how to behave in a socially acceptable manner, its time to move on to more advanced training. Just what you will teach your dog, and how far you will take its training, depends on several considerations. First of all, what do you expect? Have you a special role in mind for the dog? Or do you just want it to learn some more advanced obedience skills? Much depends on your goals in owning your dog, and what if anything you expect it will contribute to your work or your hobbies: a guide dog, rescue dog, herding dog, gun dog, guard dog, whatever.

If you have specific plans, your training objectives and program will follow logically. The breed of your dog may determine what you can teach it, and how high you should set your expectations. Some dog breeds have been developed for show ring appearance at the expense of performance. Others have been bred to perform certain tasks better than others. The genetic material you are working with will largely determine what you can accomplish with your dog. It is far easier to train it to perform in ways that come naturally than to try and impose behaviors that seem strange and unnatural to the dog. It is a simple fact of life that a border collie will naturally want to herd stock, while a retriever will want to recover ducks you shoot. A setter or pointer will want to quarter the ground in front of you to search out game birds, while a greyhound will want to chase rabbits and hares at speed.

A dobermann pinscher will be especially alert to strangers, while a terrier is more likely to become extremely interested in digging up a rabbit hole. A dog bred for the show ring may seem to wonder what these other dogs are on about, and reveal no such specialized interests. The majority of rough coated collies of "Lassie" fame, for example, long ago lost most of the genes that once made them successful working dogs on sheep farms, as they were increasingly bred instead more for their appearance in the show ring than their herding performance. It is true that any dog can be trained to do almost whatever you want, but some things come more naturally to some breeds than to others. If you set your expectations consistent with your breed, and train to reinforce what comes naturally to that breed, you are likely to be far more satisfied with both the training process and the outcome. Beyond the basics of obedience common to all breeds, it is a lot easier if you go with the flow and you encourage your dog to build on the natural advanced skills it has inherited from generations of breeding selection. If your dog is simply to be a companion, you may decide to be content to limit your advanced training to a few useful or entertaining "tricks". Most dogs enjoy basic retrieval tasks, for example, and exhibit far more patience and energy for the repetitive chasing of balls and sticks than you have. Channeling that energy into collecting the morning paper from the front yard has much to commend it as a training objective, to make one possible suggestion, though this particular task may be a challenging concept for some breeds to get their heads around.

Whatever you choose to focus on will work much better if it becomes a routine part of your dogs daily life. You could consider advanced competitive obedience or agility training, which is a recreational and social activity pursued by many dog owners. There are clubs in most cities. This activity challenges all dogs, but you will find some breeds have a natural advantage over others in these sports. If you take up the sport to win, you should choose your breed accordingly. Showing your dog is another popular competitive club activity, especially with breeders, and requires your dog to learn presentation skills.

Just being an acceptable companion requires certain skills and familiarity with routines to be developed by your dog. Simply not running off when you take him along for a jog around the park, sitting quietly in the back of the car when you are driving, refraining from jumping all over visitors, sitting on the mat in front of the fire and not on your favorite chair, chewing a bone not your slippers, and other such learned behaviors, are themselves useful advanced social skills that can be taught. The value to you of acceptable, predictable and reliable behavior by your dog should not be underestimated as a training goal. It can develop into quite a sophisticated and challenging pattern of behavior to learn. The benefits are great if your dog is to maintain good relationships with all members of your family as they go about their daily lives.

Shelby Wright grew up working with sheep herding dogs, and later bred and showed gun dogs. For more information on easy and effective ways you can train your dog at home see how to train dogs Shelby also writes for another website on how to train a dog

Dog Training
Dogtraininglibrary
Dog Housebreaking
Puppy Housebreaking
Puppy Housetraining
Dog Obedience
Dogtraininglibrary
Dog Housebreaking

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Switching gears Handler challenged courses

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Revisionist History

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Updated USDAA Nationals page

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Running contact update

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HEEL COMMAND c Begin with your dog in

HEEL COMMAND c Begin with your dog in a SIT/STAY on your left side, both of you facing forward. Step forward with your left foot, as you say “_________, HEEL.” (command tone) Patting your left hip while praising will encourage your dog to remain at your side. c Continue walking at a moderate pace. As your dog moves out of the HEEL position, use a quick SNAP AND RELEASE in the opposite direction, as you say “NO!” (correction tone) Repeat the HEEL command (command tone) as you encourage your dog with praise. c Make it a challenge for your dog to stay by your side by changing directions rapidly without warning, and by changing your speed from very slow to a brisk walk. c When practicing the HEEL command, always begin and end with your dog in a SIT/STAY position at your left side. . c The HEEL command is one of the most difficult for your dog to master. For this reason, it is crucial that you practice every day. However, limit your practice sessions to 2 minute spurts for the first week, gradually increasing the time to 8-10 minutes. Here’s a tip for practice: try point-to-point heeling. Pick an object, like a mailbox or fire hydrant. Walk your dog in HEEL directly toward that object. Then turn about-face, and repeat the procedure with a different object. This will help you teach him to move forward in a straight line, without veering or pulling. As always, remember to praise your dog -- and make it fun! TRAINING GOAL:________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ c Remember: If you have any questions, please call our office Monday-Friday, 8:30 am -5:00 pm c (704) 573-3647
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Helping a child get over a dog bite

Helping a child get over a dog bite
As a child, Ranjan Avasthi was once bitten by the familys German shepherd. His parents responded quickly by separating the two, bandaging his wounds and gradually reintroducing healthy interaction with the dog. Fast-forward a few decades. Avasthi, now a doctor, has a wife, child and his very own German shepherd mix.

Photog captures swimming dogs
Seth Casteel never expected his photos of dogs to make a big splash, but then again, he never expected one of his canine clients to jump into a pool during a shoot.

Curb the doggie drama in your life
As a child, I hated playing outside. Even when we lived in picturesque Hawaii, my mom would send all the kids outdoors to play and I spent the time whining at the front door. Years later, my dog Lulu does the same thing. Once she has finished doing her business, Lulu sits by the door howling to come back inside.

How to manage your childs stress
We would like to think of kids as carefree creatures whose main obsessions are puppy dogs and rainbows. And yet, as anyone whose tear-stained 6-year-old has run home fresh from a playground insult knows, a kids life has disappointments and worries that feel as all-consuming as any grown-ups.

Smile! Youre on Canine Camera!
Seth Casteel never expected his photos of dogs to make a big splash, but then again, he never expected one of his canine clients to jump into a pool during a shoot.

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Importance of appraisal rewarding Part II

It is also important to make your dog desire to execute a specific command. If for example you administer a physical correction during the acquisition phase of a particular command, it may decrease the dog’s desire to perform the command at all. That is why it is usually recommended to avoid physical corrections until your dog clearly understands and obeys to your commands.

Example:If you are trying to teach your dog the command “down” and what you do is pull her with the leash or you push her down with your hand, it is likely that the dog will react by moving away from your hand or resisting from being pushed. A good alternative would be to use a cookie or any food treat to lure her and increase her desire to sit down. So FOCUS ON REWARDING your dog instead of correcting her.

If the dog is being asked to perform a difficult exercise and she makes a mistake even after you try to correct her, then you should not repeat the exercise in the same way as it caused the dog to fail. Keep in mind that any corrections should not be given often, the correct timing is very important.

Example: if you are working with a dog on a long leash to develop a dependable recall (“come” - command), the timing of the correction and what you do after it will dictate what the dog learns. When you give the “come” command, if you correct the dog too early and not give her enough time to respond, she may not feel comfortable leaving your side. If you correct her after she has turned toward you or for not coming fast enough, she may learn that coming is not a rewarding behavior. This is why it is so important for your dog to understand what you want before you use corrections.

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COME COMMAND Hide and Seek Using two

COME COMMAND Hide and Seek * Using two people-play hide and seek-having one person hold the dog in the house or yard allow him to watch one of you walk away and hide within voice range. Once in hiding place give the command "________, come" (command tone) followed by, "good boy, come on boy, good boy, come on boy, good boy come on boy(Praise Tone) , _________, come" (command tone). When he reaches you, place your left hand over his hind quarters - And your right hand under his chin then gently rotate him into the sitting position......*remember, NO CORRECTION! Round Robin * Have several people stand in a large circle-with the dog on leash in the middle. One person at a time squats placing one knee on the ground, pats their knee saying "___________, come" (praise tone) While everyone else turns their back ; continue around circle until everyone has had a turn. Formal Come * Put your dog in a sit/stay while facing him from 6-10 feet away. * With the leash in your hand give the command "__________, come" (command tone), as you use your right hand to give him a hand signal; reach straight out in front of you with right hand palm down, then draw your hand toward your chest palm in. * Use the leash to guide him straight to you while coaxing him with praise. * Once he gets to you give the command, "_________, sit", then lift gently on leash as you lightly touch his hips, once he sits-lots of praise. TRAINING GOAL:__________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ *Remember, if you have any questions, please call our office at (704) 573-3647, Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm
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Dog Training Video The AKC Canine Good Citizen Test

The Canine Good Citizen has become very popular over the past ten years. It is a program open to mix and pure breed dogs. It is a great program and I highly recommend it. Here is a quick video explaining what your dog needs to do to pass the test:



The Canine Good Citizen is offered in most communities. Many animal shelters have information when a Canine Good Citizen test is being held.

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Israeli PM to Turkey Sorry for 2010 flotilla raid

Israeli PM to Turkey: Sorry for 2010 flotilla raid
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan on Friday to apologize for a 2010 Israeli commando raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that killed several Turkish activists, the Israeli and Turkish governments confirmed.

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Dog Boarding Matthews NC

Dog Boarding Matthews,NC
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Leprechaun Snowman

Leprechaun Snowman

I built this Leprechaun Snowman today in front of our house
Ofcourse my dog Bentley helped me:)
Enjoy

Happy St Patricks Day !

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First Do No Harm

I was consulted recently to help a family with a small breed dog who had bitten a pet sitter.  The bite had barely broken the skin.  The family was concerned about the dogs behavior and whether or not it would escalate to more biting and more serious biting in the future.

We are right to be concerned about dogs who bite -- a bite is a "red flag" that the dog is experiencing some sort of stress and seeks to resolve it through biting.  It is important to realize one thing...

All dogs bite.  All dogs can bite.  If you poke, prod, chase, tease, hurt or stress any dog intensely enough it will bite you - all sentient beings have the potential to show aggression, the thresholds for this aggression vary.  The severity of the aggressive responses vary.

As a trainer and behavior consultant it is my professional responsibility to know 1. when to refer to a Certified Veterinary Behaviorist 2. to first do no harm.  

My clients often want to show me the dogs aggressive behavior first hand,  I dont need to see the dog I am visiting demonstrate any aggressive behavior whatsoever. Regardless of the problem I dont need to see the dog snarl, snap or bite to understand the nature of the problem.  Furthermore as someone hired to help the dog with the issue - creating a situation where the dog does indeed growl, snarl, snap or bites means I am making the dog worse.  Because any time a dog is triggered to make an aggressive response that behavior is being rehearsed again - each time it occurs the dog is getting better and better at being aggressive.  I was hired to help the dog and if I provoke it to bite I am making the dog worse.

In this case the dog was two years old, he had a history completely free of any biting until this incident.  He had been to the groomer many times, the veterinarian many times, to dog training classes, to doggy daycare - he had met and interacted with hundreds, if not thousands of people in his lifetime all without demonstrating any aggression whatsoever.  People had handled his collars thousands of times. So what did happen that day?

A strange man entered his home when he was in the crate, he was scared -- he let the petsitter know that through growling.  (the pet sitter made no efforts to get to know the dog)  The pet sitter opened the crate.  The dog was still scared and ran downstairs to their lower level...the stranger followed.  The dog was still scared and continued to scamper away, the man followed.  The dog was finally cornered - the dog was still scared.  He grabbed the dog by the collar...the dog bite him.  The bite barely broke the skin there was no bruising.

This is a good dog -- it is a dog who when under severe distress bit but bit with a great deal of inhibition.  The dog had said over, and over and over and over again...please I am scared, leave me alone.  The petsitters intentions were also good (I need to take you for a walk) but his behavior was at fault.  He continued to place social pressure on the dog - instead he should have taken time to get to know the dog and put it at ease.  If he could not put the dog at ease pet professionals should be knowledgeable about how to leash the dog without putting themselves at risk or being bitten.

I reassured my clients that indeed they had a good dog.  We did spend some time working on some obedience behaviors in the home they wanted to polish up.   As pet owners we do need to be concerned about aggressive responses we see in our dogs, we should consult with someone qualified to help us with the problems we are seeing right away.    And its essential that we are advocates for our dogs - no one needs to enter our homes and poke, prod, pull on or provoke our dogs into biting.  That kind of behavior is not helping our dogs - it is causing harm.

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Be THE FUN for your dog

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Happy only 4th Birthday Tangle

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Tough Week Training Dogs

This was a rough week training dogs for your friend The Amazing Dog Training Man. This past week I was called a blankhole not once but twice. Now for those of you that know me, you know that I am a very non-confrontational, laid back, easy to get along with type of guy. But I did rub a couple of people the wrong way this week.

Let me tell you about one of the instances. The local humane society asked me to take a look at a dog that they adopted out. The dog was having two problems: dog to dog aggression and housetraining.

No problem, I drove out to the house to evaluate the dog. The owner informed me that his dog wanted to kill other dogs and was urinating on his carpet. I had to wait around for about an hour for someone to walk their dog down the street so I could see the dog’s behavior. Finally a dog showed up and I quickly learned that the dog was not aggressive. He wanted to play! The owner, through no fault of his own, thought his dog was being aggressive. I informed the owner that he should take his dog to a group obedience class that I was teaching at the shelter. He agreed.

On Wednesday when he came he said that there was no way he could attend the class. He still thought that his dog was going to beat up the other dogs and be disruptive. I had one of my helpers handle his dog and we showed him that his dog was fine.

The whole time he was complaining about his dog. Every time I showed him how good his dog was, he came up with a reason why his dog was bad. He then said that his dog was peeing all over his kitchen. I told him that the easiest way to help him with the housetraining problem was to use a crate. He said that no way was he going to use a crate. He said that he would bring the dog back before he would use a crate.

I explained his options:

1. Use a crate
2. Use an x-pen to confine his dog
3. Hire a pet sitter
4. Bring the dog to dog daycare

He told me that all of those options were unacceptable. He would bring the dog back before he did any of those options. That’s when I realized that he didn’t want the dog and was looking for a way to put the blame on me because he was feeling guilty about bringing the dog back. I said that the best thing to do was to probably bring the dog back to the shelter.

That’s when he got really upset with me. I didn’t get angry because I knew that it was a difficult decision for him, and if it made him feel better to put the blame on me that was fine because in the long run the dog would be better off.

I understand why people get upset when they feel that there is no alternative but to bring their dog back to a shelter but they really shouldn’t. Not every dog is for every person, and shelter dogs especially come with their own unique set of challenges.

Adopting a dog from a shelter can be a very rewarding experience. Two of my dogs are “pound puppies,” and they’ve added tremendously to my life. A good piece of advice though before you bring home a dog from your local shelter is to get as much information from the staff and volunteers first to make sure that it has the potential to work. And then, think of the first few weeks as just a trial. If it works out – great! If not – don’t feel bad or guilty about having to bring the dog back, it just wasn’t meant to be.



All the best,

Eric

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Volunteering!

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The dogs of Westminster revealed

The dogs of Westminster revealed

The dogs of Westminster

Chic dogs take to the catwalk
Canines dressed in all their finery were on parade at the New York Pet Fashion Show in New York City on Friday, February 8. Heres a gallery of the chicest looks.

Political dog tale duel
In the RidicuList, Anderson Cooper examines which candidates dog tale will have a greater election impact.

Soccer mom has stroke in stands
For Leo Klink, the night was the payoff, the pinnacle, what you work most of your life for. It was the Hawaii state high school soccer championship, and Klink, a senior on the underdog Kalani Falcons, had state power Punahou in his sights.

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