Archive for the 'dog training' Category
My previous dog Brittni was trained to follow the commands “stay” and “wait.” Each command had a clear meaning, and I was consistent about how I used each.
The trainer I worked with at the time taught me to use the two commands because stay should always mean stay here in this exact position until I return and release you. Wait should always mean wait here until I give you the next command.
A ...
Note: This is a guest post from Minette at TheDogTrainingSecret.com. Her tips are a good reminder for all of us to be consistent with our dogs – something I need work on!
One of the problems I deal with frequently is that the dog or dogs in the house only listen to one of the owners or family members and not everyone. There are several possibilities and reasons that this problem occurs, and it is important to ...
I’m not a big fan of using treats for dog training. Treats encourage begging and obsessive behavior, and treats make some dogs too excited.
I’m all for positive reinforcement and use a lot of treats when teaching a new concept, but other than that I expect my dog to listen regardless of whether I have a treat or not. It annoys me when some dogs will not obey a command unless they think they will get a fo ...
Off-leash dogs approach me more and more often while I’m out running. Two large mutts ran at me when their owner wasn’t paying attention. The next day a border collie charged because his owner had no control. The same afternoon a pitbull followed me for three miles.
All of these dogs got back to their owners safely, but that isn’t always the case.
The people reading this are responsible dog owner ...
Dogs’ needs are often overlooked during holiday road trips, so I thought I’d list a few reminders if your dog is lucky enough to come along. Dogs are usually extra naughty when visiting somewhere new, right?
1. Hide the chocolate from your dog.
When the car is stuffed with goodies, keep all the tempting presents in the trunk if your dog will be alone in the car. Wrapping paper and boxes will not stop a ...
Note: It’s interesting how many people tell me my dog is too thin. Ace is at his ideal weight, but people are used to looking at fat dogs. The following is a guest post by Matt Papa, a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University School of Medicine. Matt’s medical research includes ways in which the human-animal bond can help dogs and their owners maintain a healthy weight.
As people around the world str ...
Dogs pick up on more words than we give them credit for. They are very capable of learning 100 to 200 words and some learn more.
In the book “The Loved Dog” Tamar Geller encourages dog owners to teach their dogs as many words as possible by saying words like “walk,” “drink,” “cat” or “play” over and over.
I made a list of every word I know my mutt Ace recogn ...
Elli the Pomeranian mix was adopted last week, but I have more to say about small dog training.
In addition to exercise, small dogs need training. If I won’t tolerate the behavior from a lab-sized dog, I won’t tolerate it from a Pomeranian.
When I adopted my mutt Ace, he was immediately expected to follow rules. The first six months and especially the first two weeks set the scene for what I expected from ...
My current foster dog is a tan Pomeranian mix I named Elli. I can’t tell you how cute and sweet she is. She wants to be with me at all times, and she will be a great companion for the right person.
Elli gets along with my mutt Ace, and she does not bother my cats. She knows sit, shake and comes when called. She also seems to be housebroken. No dog is perfect, though, including Elli. Her main issue right now is ...
A slip lead works like a choke collar and will help with training the dog to walk on a loose leash. It also puts the owner in control rather than the dog.
One of the easiest ways to make an emergency slip lead is to loop the handle of the leash through itself and put it around the dog’s neck. The “clip” end of the leash will already be attached to the dog’s collar like normal.
This trick has c ...
