Dog Reports

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Dog instruction is a tremendously rewarding career choice. Due to many popular TV Shows like “The Dog Whisperer” and “Its Me or The Dog” there has been a big movement toward being better pet owners and more importantly providing dog training to help keep our pets happy. With this increase in demand for canine obedience training we also see the need for more certified dog trainers. Now is the time to become a certified trainer as more and more people want to have a well trained and well maintained dog. If you want to be your own boss, have a mobile job, and have fun then keep reading this article about dog training certification.

I would suggest getting certified because it enhances the reputation of a profession. These programs provide an endorsement of an individual specifying that the person has passed the requirements. This process is totally voluntary for each person and there are lots of different programs you can choose from. Although there is take home and online programs, I would suggest you take a program that is hands on. This type will give you the best really world experience with animal training.

The first thing I suggest is that you get familiar with the different certification programs available. With a quick search on the web I found the (APDT) Association of PET DOG Trainers, and (CCPDT) The certification council of Professional Dog Trainers. According to their website the CCPDT’s certification program is the first national certification for dog trainers.(CCPDT). Their testing program was originally created by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. They created this because they saw the need for a certification for this profession. They state that approximately 20 nationally-know dog training professionals worked for three years to research and develop the written examination. The exam is administered two times a year at 700 sites in the USA. The candidates that pass earn the Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed and can use the “CPDT-KA” designation after their names.

I also visited the Association for Pet Dog Trainers website. “APDT is a professional organization of individual trainers who are committed to becoming better trainers through education. (APDT)” This organization offers individual pet dog instructors a voice for the dog community and works to increase dog friendly training techniques. The APDT really gives you good information and really answers lots of the questions you will probably have as you move forward with your certification. Both organizations will be invaluable resources as you move toward your certification.

There are tons of canine obedience instructor training schools. On my website I do discuss programs that I think will be great online resources to help you become a great dog instructor. Visit my site here to read more about these programs and I thank you for visiting with me today.

Stay tuned for more articles about pet training.

Creator of:
Dog Training Tools site
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Dog Training : Dog Training Certification

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Most people love the idea of being able to take their beloved dog out to the park to ‘play’ with all the other canines. In theory this sounds like your pet will have a great time meeting new friends of the same species, playing, sniffing and generally goofing off.

The reality is a little different.

Many mature dogs don’t like to meet strange dogs in a park. This is a human idea. They just aren’t technically social creatures when outside of their pack, although it is possible for them to make friends with other canines.

You may also find your dog becomes aggressive toward other dogs, lunging at the other one or growling & raising his hackles. Even non-aggressive canines can display these characteristics when they’re confronted with an uncertain situation.

Some of them also display aggression out of fear, deciding that the best defense is offense, and they’ll show aggressive signs to ward off the other ones.

Socializing Your Dog

The term ’socializing’ doesn’t mean allowing your dog to play freely with any other canine it meets. It simply means teaching them to behave well when he should come across other dogs. When you visit dog training schools, mature dogs aren’t left to romp around together playfully. They are expected to work alongside their handlers while tolerating the presence of other dogs gracefully.

The most effective way to socialize a dog is to begin from a very young age. If you have a puppy, enroll in puppy school immediately. All good puppy schools will have a ‘play time’ as part of training, in which puppies are encouraged to meet each other and get to know other dogs.

However, if you have an adult dog that needs socializing, begin by using the praise and reward method and keep your dog on a leash when in public places. When you notice another dog coming toward you, tell your dog to ‘Say Hello!’ to the other one. You can begin this at 10 or even 20 yards away from the other dog.

The moment you notice your dog tensing up or you see hackles rising, get his attention by calling his name or turning at a 90 degree angle sharply. The instant your dog looks at you instead of the other canine, say “good dog!” in a happy, high-pitched tone and give him a small treat or reward.

This distraction can often be enough to stop your dog from perceiving the other dog as a threat. It can also teach your dog that you are the pack leader and you are controlling the situation. Your dog learns that there was no need to fear the other dog, as no confrontation took place, and he also learns to trust that you will be there to take care of the pack even when you’re out together in public.

Discipline

When you’re working to control a dog around other dogs, never yell, scream, scold or hit them. These forms of discipline simply don’t work and can often have the opposite effect. A canine who displays aggressive signs around other canines might be fearful, so hitting him is likely to make him retaliate, snapping or biting in response.

The best form of control in any situation is to teach your dog when it’s time to look away from any distractions and focus on you for positive rewards and treats. You’ll find walk-time much more enjoyable.

Jeff McNamee loves dogs and enjoys helping others find the perfect dog for their kids and families. His website provides more information and articles at GoodDogsForKids.com

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As a dog trainer, living a structured life with my dogs comes as second nature to me. Their lives are neatly divided into three categories: work, rest and play. Because my personal dogs are free from the major problems plaguing most of my clients, I also allow them a certain amount of liberty in the home. I Have No Idea What The Dog Is Doing most of the time.

This article is not about training dogs. Whatever method you use to train dogs cannot succeed if the dog is living in pandemonium when not training. I’d like to write about living with dogs, not training them.

Unlike most civilians, my life revolves around the dogs. I know where they are and what they are doing almost every moment of their lives. They have earned those moments when they are loose and unattended. Yet loose dogs, not carefully observed by their owners, are those who cause the most trouble and bring trainers the most business.

Housebreaking errors, chewing and incessant barking are crimes, yes. But typically, they are crimes of opportunity. Eliminate the opportunity and you also eliminate the crime. Simply stated, do that for long enough and the dog becomes so accustomed to good behavior that he barely remembers how to be naughty.

Another major contributor to dog behavior problems is when the relationship between dog and owner is not in good order. For example, dogs do not bite or growl up the flow chart, unless the behavior is driven be fear. However, dogs may guard space and resources from their owners when they perceive themselves to be above the owner on the flow chart of authority.

Since I’m talking about authority and relationship, the question arises as to whether this concept is the same as dominance and submission. It also brings to mind the question of whether humans and dogs can enjoy partnership as opposed to relationship based strictly on authority and respect for same. To speak to this issue, let’s first examine how dogs relate in the pack.

In observing my own three dogs as they live with one another I have come to some conclusions about this matter. My Doberman is the pack leader. Either of the other two will yield to him on any issue he chooses. The Border Collie mix is next in line. He does not challenge the Dobe on any issue of importance. Yet, he does demand this same respect from the Rat Terrier, who will yield to either of them if they demand.

Does this mean that the pecking order is clear, and ever present? Yes and no. Many a time have I seen the Rat Terrier playfully grab my tolerant Dobe by the throat, or bite his rear hock as heâ??s walking away. She’ll also steal a bone right out from under him if heâ??s not careful.

How can this happen and how does the structure of the dog pack permit such acts of defiance? Simple. The Dobe only puts his foot down on matters which truly concern him. From her body language, he realizes that the terrier isn’t seriously challenging him when she bites at him. So he responds playfully if heâ??s in the mood. Or he stops her with a hard look if heâ??s not. He does the same with the Border Collie, and so forth down the line.

And up the line. No superior pack member can or will force a subordinate to play if the subordinate does not wish. Each has a certain control over his own life and the lives of the others.

There is little serious discipline to be practiced among them precisely because the pack structure is well understood by each of the dogs. I represent the most critical aspect of the hierarchy. There is an unassailable law which applies to the entire pack, whether they are acting as individuals or as a group. They must each obey me, individually and as a pack. I have the right to place any of their bodies where I wish them to go. I have the right to take each of their resources. And I have the right to reinforce known rules upon any member.

It is this clarity of authority which allows the pack to function as a partnership. Even lower ranking members feel comfortable demanding their share of resources, whether it be jockeying for my touch, dividing bones, or sleeping space on the dog beds. I am quite sure that there would be a great deal more squabbling if my presence was not foremost in the dogsâ?? minds.

But the concept of work, rest and play has been deeply instilled into each of these dogs. Therefore, the abundant use of obvious authority is not necessary anywhere within the food chain. It is not often that my Dobe must fix the terrier with a hard glare. And it is not often that I must shoot one at him. Thatâ??s because I have rigged their lives with such a high degree of structure that each knows his place relative to the other, and to me. My dogs are under specific obedience commands only occasionally, when necessary. Life is relatively peaceful, and power is shared most of the time.

I constantly see clients in my home. They bring unruly or aggressive dogs into my environment. Therefore, my dogs are all accustomed to being crated when I need them out of the way. They cope easily with this confinement (rest) because they also receive adequate play and work time. Itâ??s just part of the balance of life.

This balance is also the centerpiece of my training with client dogs. If the dog is living in my house, his schedule is quickly meshed with those of my pack. There are defined moments when we work, when we rest in the crate or on tether, and there are specific times when we play. Play is supervised and has rules. All good games have rules. My primary rule for playing dogs is that they not fight over resources such as toys or space, and that they moderate their play style so as not to overwhelm any dog. This does not come natural to most client dogs. They have to be shown that they can share and that they can play without overpowering. But once the dog realizes he will have access to all this, heâ??s willing to access them on my terms. That yielding to my rules doesnâ??t happen without gentle insistence on my part. I do insist. And it does happen.

For example, many of the dogs I train do not like the crate, according to their owners. Yes, for the first couple of days I find I must insist they step into the crate and remain quiet in there. Generally, by the third day, most dogs are cheerfully hopping into the crate for me under their own steam. Thatâ??s because they know they may randomly receive a treat for loading. They also accord me the power to ask them to place themselves within.  I also feed in crates, building the concept that this is the dogâ??s private, happy space.

Usually, a dog who respects your authority to place his body in a crate, is also a dog who will not growl at you for moving him off a couch, or otherwise taking resources. I believe a dog demonstrates this respect by crating himself when you point at the open door.

Quiet in the home as well as the crate is very important to me. I cannot abide meaningless barking. I do permit the occasional bark of happiness or alert. But barking without purpose merely serves as expression of a dogâ??s needless frustration. Once I have stopped useless barking, I find the dog far likelier to remain in a calm frame of mind. That is the state in which I want him to live most of the time.

It is a good idea to walk through the dogâ??s space occasionally instead of walking around. The subtle message is: all the space in the world belongs to me, yet I do share it with you. I think similarly of toys. I do have a bunch of dog toys, but they’re not scattered all around the house. I keep them put away in a box. When I want the dogs to enjoy them, I pull a few out and distribute them. Sometimes I even put my own saliva on them, marking them as mine. Not so curiously, those are the most sought after of the dog toys. If they’re good enough to belong to the boss.

I have a confession to make. Probably sixty percent of the learning experience I give to client dogs comes from highly structured, managed animal husbandry. It doesn’t come from training at all, at least not what we
would label traditional dog training. Yet it is the most powerful form of dog training there isâ?¦living with dogs in a way that makes sense to them, and encourages them to collaborate within the pack.

Partnership does not mean equality. It means fulfillment to each, and to each his fair share of the stuff of life. Respecting the authority of the boss and respecting the needs of the dog enables each to partake of the relationship in a way that deeply satisfies both dog and owner.

Recently I trained a 14 week old Labrador puppy. I nicknamed him the Pirhana. This puppy was a major biter, with no bite inhibition. The owner’s girlfriend is covered in scars and scratches. I found the Pirhana detached from humans in that he neither asked for nor accepted any form of affection. He was not housebroken. And his play with my dogs was aggressive.

I lived with this dog for only ten days. But that ten days was composed of 240 hours, or 14,400 minutes, or 864,000 seconds. For each of those 864,000 seconds I managed that dog, whether it was how he was permitted to use his mouth, when he ate and where he eliminated. The result was a puppy who finally began to solicit affection, did not bite me, played appropriately with the other dogs, and who did not have a single accident in his last nine days of living with me. I also trained him to walk nicely on a leash, not to jump, and to come when called. Those skills took only a couple of hours to teach. The Pirhana , really named Frank, is an incredibly smart dog. However, he was a puppy completely devoid of respect for authority, and in fact, ignorant of the entire concept. It was the management of living with me that turned him around. The dog training was a small bonus.

The day after he went home his owner wrote to me:

Today was the first day Frank was truly a member of our family. Sara (the owner’s three year old daughter) and Frank spent the entire day with each other and I have never seen either of them so happy.Frank has become the affectionate and wonderful puppy that we knew was inside. We have seen too many positive changes to even list. The most important, and most evident, is that he is HAPPY! Rather than limiting him, his boundaries and rules have set him free. We realize that there is a lot of work to be done. This is work we look forward to. We have no doubt that the investment of time will pay dividends for a lifetime.We look forward to working with you as Frank continues to grow and develop into the best friend he was meant to be. Thanks so much,Kelly, Sara and Karl

 

You can do get the same great results with your dog. Iâ??m no miracle worker. All I did for Frank, formerly known as the Pirhana, was to manage his life and his resources long enough for his true nature to come forward. Frank is a dog. A dog is most comfortable in a pack. To collaborate with the leader and receive his share of resources including food, water, space, playtime, and love.