Dog Reports

Posts Tagged ‘Dog Trainers’

How to Choose A Good Dog Trainer

If you find that you are not being successful in training your own dog, or maybe you don’t have the time or the inclination, then you may wish to consider the use of a professional dog trainer. Professional dog trainers are also a great benefit if you have a particularly difficult or unruly dog with bad behavior problems. But, how do you go about choosing a good dog trainer?

There are no licensing requirements for someone to set themselves up as a dog trainer so you can’t simply pick the first one out of the phone-book and assume that they will be value for money. You will need to spend some time searching for a good dog trainer so that you dog’s behavior improves rather than worsens.

Possibly one of the best ways to find a good dog trainer would be to ask for recommendations from other dog owners you already know who perhaps have used a dog training service in the past. Other good sources are veterinarians, dog breeders, and pet storeowners who will have been asked similar questions before. By asking around, you can find out which trainers are most highly regarded in your area.

Once you have selected a particular dog trainer, your work is not yet done. You may first wish to ask them to provide written testimonials from previous clients or possibly telephone numbers so you can check with some of those previous clients personally. Any trainer unwilling to do this should be treated with some caution. Most good dog trainers will have no problem with your request and will be happy to provide you with proof of their past successes.

Ideally, you should try to find a dog trainer who has been in business for a long time and at least a couple of years. Experienced dog trainers will have more success in dealing with the particular personality of your dog. They will have encountered a variety of dogs and behavior problems and will have learned what can be expected and the quickest way to train a dog or solve behavior problems.

Similarly, the longer the dog trainer has been in service is a good indication of their successes. After all, it’s unlikely their business would have survived without clients who were happy to pay for the service they received.

If you are unable to find a dog trainer who has been in business for a long time then be prepared to ask a lot of questions to any other potential trainers. Find out what successes they have had and what training they have taken to call themselves a dog trainer.

Finally, find out what the price range is for dog training services in your area. Get several quotations from different trainers and ensure you get value for money. You may need to pay a little extra for the services of an experienced dog trainer but balance this against the time it will take to get your dog trained to your satisfaction.

About the Author

Garnett Johnston runs and maintains a free information site for anyone seeking advice or tips on dog training. The site can be found by visiting http://www.dogtraininghut.com

Dog Training – Training Your Dog To Pee And Poop On Command

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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.

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” Josh Billings (1818-1885, US Humorist)

This morning I was driving along a busy street, in a fog, sipping strong tea when I saw the geese. I have come to think of geese as very large rats with wings. The outlying Chicagoland area is so infested with these birds that you have to be careful where you step. The best thing I can normally say about them is that it’s fun for the dogs to run them off, and I frequently use the cantankerous fowl as distractions. When you can call a six month old pet Lab off a flock of geese, I figure you have a recall.

Now I never said geese were stupid. That has never been my opinion. They seem to know it is more likely they will be harassed by dogs on my property than on my neighbor’s. Therefore, they avoid my grass. Or perhaps they just have an aversion to dog urine. Either way, we’ve reached an understanding.

Frankly, with the vast numbers of them around, I never understood why we weren’t eating them. Then I saw the pair of geese along the road.

One was lying dead on the median. The second was crossing two lanes of busy traffic. Cars were whizzing past the live goose, back drafts unbalancing it. But it waddled on, unaware or unconcerned of the hazard. That goose appeared to have one single minded purpose…reach its unmoving mate.

Before I continue, let me emphasize that I am not a scientist, geneticist, nor a zoologist. I am a dog trainer. I am well read, and most of what I believe comes from what I have read combined with what I observe. Can one even be a good dog trainer without keen powers of observation, reading and interpreting what one sees?

Geese, as most people know, mate for life. Their bond is undoubtedly instinctual, a product of natural selection in which strongly bonded pairs must have a greater likelihood of successfully raising young, thereby propagating the species. If the gene succeeds, the gene continues.

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

But it got me to thinking about the nature of bonding. And of course, that got me to thinking about dogs, and the nature of their bond to humans. While it has been proven that a duck will “imprint” on and follow a human if it is the first thing it sees after hatching, I think of “imprinting” and “bonding” as two different things.

Imprinting is a simple instinct stamped into the brain that dictates the duckling will follow its mother. She is likely to lead that duckling to sources of food and shelter. This increases the offspring’s chances of surviving infancy, reaching sexual maturity, mating, and propagating the species. Again, the gene succeeds, the gene continues.

But what is bonding?

I think of it as something more complex. Something more bound to social order. Instinctual? Probably. Still related to survival? Definitely. But still complex.

Dogs in the wild, since their earliest descendants, understand social order and collaborative hunting. A well ordered pack of wolves can successfully hunt, shelter, raise offspring, and pass on their genes. A pack suffering from social strife will not have clear leadership or collaboration, and will eventually die.

Dogs understand this on a genetic level. It is why a properly socialized dog understands how to communicate with other dogs using their species’ unique and understandable body language. It is why we, as dog trainers, are sometimes described as being able to “read” dogs. We’re simply recognizing attitude and thoughts, and yes, even emotions, by interpreting body language. And that is precisely what allows us to shape dog behavior by using our own body language to clearly show a dog what we want from them.

But why do dogs CARE about what we want from them? That is the question that has both mystified and thrilled me ever since I got my first dog at the age of 11. Why is a dog willing to be trained? Why do they thrive on it in fact? Why is a dog remotely interested in what we want from them?

A cow doesn’t much care. So we eat them. Most horses I have known and ridden will yield to humans, but they seem to me to prefer their own company to mine when given a choice. But because they yield to us, and helped us form our nation, as a culture, we’re horrified at the idea of eating them.

Wolves, I am told, are canids whose behavior can be somewhat modified by men. But they will generally return to behaviors for which they are genetically programmed, regardless of what training they have had.

So what is it about dogs? Why do they care about what we want? Why did my first dog remember and perform his utility signals exercise into his dotage, way after deafness, strokes and until shortly before he died at seventeen and a half?

His name was Gus. He was a Sheltie born April 29, 1969. He came to me in a dream several years ago and he spoke to me in words that did not come out of his mouth, but which I heard in my head. These are the exact words of the interchange.

“Where are you?” he asked, intense in his sadness.

“I’ll come to you one day,” I told him.

“But I have been waiting so long,” he said.

“Because it’s not my time yet,” I told him. “But I will come.”

He paused, but only briefly.

“I’ll wait for you,” he said.

“Find Bobbi and Frannie,” I said. “They are Greyhounds They are mine too, and they will know you. They will wait with you.”

“I will,” he said, and he left me slowly, reluctantly, at my bidding. I woke up crying, as I cry now recounting the experience.

I have always known that dogs care about us on the deepest possible levels but only recently did I put together my own concept of why. I think it was that dream of Gus. I told you he spoke to me in words. The words did not come from his mouth. They came from his mind into mine. But they had a voice. And that voice was my own.

 My waiting dog spoke to me in my own voice. We love our dogs. But they adore us on a level beyond love. They are what we ask them to be, becoming part of us if we ask them to. I think Gus came to me that night, or perhaps my unconscious summoned him, because I was finally ready to understand the answer to my long held question.

Dogs care about what we want from them because, when led properly by man, they consider us to be more than their pack mates. We provide more than food, shelter and more than comfort. We provide dogs what the concept of God provides to us, a sense of meaning, comfort, a sense of purpose, a sense that we are not alone.

Dogs do not love us. They worship us. But not from afar. They live with their gods. They worship us from the foot of our beds, they adore us as they look at us, and they long for us even as we touch them.

Trained dogs submit and yield to this worship readily. It satisfies them on a level which humans with our questioning mentalities may not fully comprehend. The faith of a dog, particularly a trained dog, is absolute. He never questions or has a crisis of faith. He doesn’t believe. He knows.

Have you ever noticed that after putting a dog through even a basic course of obedience, other behaviors change for which you have not trained? If you do your work artfully, the dog gives up undesirable behaviors without even being commanded.

This occurs because the dog always knew his owner didn’t like the behaviors. After all, they grumped and yelled when he did it. He simply didn’t care. He felt no particular compulsion to give up a treasured behavior such as jumping on guests.

But when a dog is trained, he learns to look at his humans in a whole new way. He learns that the bond has more meaning that he ever knew before. He learns that he no longer has to make every decision for his life. It’s not satisfying to a dog to pull on the leash and be out of control. Yet, if that behavior is all he knows, he’ll do it over and over. I now see that behavior as a cry
for help, the way the dog shows his profound need for leadership.

But once the dog has learned to yield his decision making to a human, a bond between dog and handler is formed that knows no limits of depth. So why do dogs care about what we want? Why are they willing to do what we ask of them if we can only show them clearly what we want? Why will they yield their willpower to ours?

They do it for the love of man. They do it because they love us more than they love themselves.

Is it genetic? The gene succeeds so the gene continues? Probably. But I think it’s more than that. I think the dog has a void that only we humans can fill. Even those of us who succeed the most with dogs don’t quite have the same love for dogs that they have for us. We can’t. We don’t have that gene. But we can understand and honor the dog’s need for leadership.

We can bring a dog to a place where his need for us is absolute yet doesn’t destabilize the independent nature of his being. Lest you take from my words the idea that I am a tree hugging dog spiritualist, I will tell you flat out that I am not. I am a dog trainer. I both correct and reward my dogs. That’s pretty much the way life treats me.

The ultimate reward for us both is a bond during the dog’s lifetime that exceeds any other comfort he can ever know. And after the dog’s death, he brings a form of comfort that some, like me, have not known before.

Someone is waiting. Someone who loves me more than he loves himself.