Archive for February, 2010
Do you have to put your dog away when visitors come to your house in the fear of your dog jumping on someone? Do you get greeted at the door with sharp paws and a slobbery wet kiss everyday after a long day at work? No matter how ofter you scold or punish your dog, does he keep jumping up on you and others when you walk though the door? A dog jumping up on you and your visitors is a very common problem and one that can be eliminated rather quickly if you know what to do.
Unintentionally you may have encourage this behavior for the start. You see when a new puppy comes into our lives they are cute and cuddly, they meet us with excitement and come running. And what is our natural reaction to this? Well, we bend down and pet them or pick them up.
You have just taught your puppy a very important lesson, “when I jump up on my owners leg he/she gives me love!” Fast foreword a few months and now that once small little puppy is 3, 4, maybe 5 times the size he once was. He doesn’t understand the difference, he just wants the love that he knows how to get by jumping on you.
Before we move on to how to stop dogs jumping on you, let me make it clear that there are two main reasons why a dog may jump on you.
The first being out of extreme excitement. Usually rejoicing after a long absents from you.(come home from work)
The second and much more serious reason why some dogs jump on people is to show dominance. Dominance issues are a more complicated problem of communication and attitude. Dominance, If let unchecked for too long could really be difficult to over come. If you feel that you may be dealing with a dog that is jumping on people to display dominance, I suggest that you brush up on your alpha dog skills.
Your success in stop dog jumping will depend greatly on how you react to this problem. You must make a committed effort as with any dog training to be consistent. You have to make it clear to your dog that jumping on people is no longer allowed what so ever.
This means that you must fallow your stop jumping techniques always. You can’t expect your dog to understand the difference between playtime and greetings, nice cloths and play cloths, rainy days or sunny days. If you let your dog jump at anytime, he will feel free to jump whenever he feels like it.
The most effective way to change any dog behavior happens to also be the easiest way to change unwanted dog behavior, and that is to “ignore the bad and reward the good”. Or what is also know as positive reinforcement training. I know that is the last thing you are thinking of when your dog just put a new run in your patty hose or knocked a small child down but with a little pre-planning positive reinforcement works really well.
When your dog goes to jump on you, turn your back on him right away. Dogs understand body language much more than the spoken word. So, what you need to do here is use your posture to get your message though loud and clear. As soon as he gets his paws are back on the ground, reward him with praise. If he gets excited again and goes to jump, turn your back, head and eyes away from him (the cold shoulder). You can repeat this cycle several times in a matter of seconds. Don’t concern yourself with confusing your dog because they can only comprehend your reaction to their
Dog biting is probably the most serious of all dog behavioral problems. Peeing on the carpet, going on the couch or any other behavioral problem will not raise such dire results as biting, as many communities demand to put down a dog if it bites someone seriously. If your dog exhibits biting tendency then it might cost his life, which makes it vital to train your dog to not bite anyone ever.
Of course, puppy biting problems are normal. When puppies are teething, they naturally chew on everything and everyone. Although a puppy can give you a nasty enough bite to break the skin, you probably will not be seriously injured by anything your puppy dog can dish out. Nonetheless, teething is probably when you should start tackling your dog biting problem.
You do not have to be cruel or give harsh punishments to train your puppy. They are very sensitive creatures and all you need to make them repent is a firm No! or a censorious Bad Dog, whenever they try to bite you. When your puppy bites you, pull your hand away and repeat the firm phrase again and again which will make him realize that he is hurting you.
Most dog biting problems have a physiological cause behind them. You see, dogs do not only bite when they want to hurt something. They bite something if they want to hold onto it, they bite to play, and they bite as a way to warn people or other dogs do not go any further. The problem is that dogs have thicker skins than people. Your dog thinks of you as just another dog, so he can easily bite through your skin accidentally. If you don’t address the dog biting problem while he is still a puppy, it can become serious. If you do train him not to bite too hard, he will grow up to be a great pet.
Of course, some dog biting problems occur because of aggression. You might just have a temperamentally difficult dog that gets angry and tries to hurt. If this is the case, you really need to send him to obedience school. These sorts of dog biting problems often lead to another dog being seriously injured, or even a person being hurt.
You have to take this problem very seriously and take steps to find the best help. Getting help from professional dog trainers are probably the only option to solve this problem.
In case your neighborhood has a dog with biting problem, your defence is to keep a pepper spray handy. Do not hesitate to use the pepper spray when a dog tries to bite you. If you are squeamish about using a pepper spray, then try to make friends with that particular dog with the help of a beef jerky.
Bringing home your puppy will be a joyful time but it can also be quite stressful. Especially if this is the first time you are trying to take care of a dog. There will be plenty of things to learn.
The first thing you need to do is to ensure that your new pet feels loved and secure in their new home. Talk to your dog in a gentle tone of voice and be sure not to yell at them, even when they do something you don’t like. Yelling at your dog can make them afraid of you and leave them with mental scars; they may never look at you quite the same again! As soon as you can after bringing home your new puppy, you should go to dog training classes.
There are plenty of good reasons to have your dog trained? And remember it’s not just your new dog that needs to learn some things; you will have some lessons to learn as well. You need to learn how to handle your new pet and just as importantly, how not to handle it.
You’ll understand the need for training your puppy almost the minute you bring them home. Your new dog will be extremely energetic and will run all over the house, chewing on everything, possibly breaking things and peeing on the floor.
The commands and the way to tone your words will be an important part of the dog training classes. But quickly learning the tricks and by practicing as often as possible will avoid most of the damages to your home.
You’ll need to walk your dog at least once (preferably two or three) times each day. Your dog has to learn to follow your commands so that they will walk without you having to yank on their leash.
Not being able to control your dog when going for a walk and especially if it is not held in a leash can have catastrophic consequences. If your dog sees a cat or a squirrel running across the road in front of it your dog will most likely want to chase it.
Traffic accidents are one of the major killers of especially dogs and often times it are because the owner can’t control the dog with words and commands. That is why the training part is so vitally important in order to keep your dog from harm.
1. Shouting and being to violent with your dog and especially when it is just a puppy can have incurable consequences to its mental condition. It might end up feeling unworthy and can become unhappy for the rest of its life.
2. Just like human beings it is truly important to not give your dog any more food than it requires. Extra calories will end up as fat and when your dog gains fat it will also slowly loose its vitality and energy only to end up like a sleeping dog torso.
3. Food for people is not dog food. Do not feed your dog food from the dinner table. Ask your VET what is recommended for the specific breed as every breed might require different things for optimal nutritional intake.
4. Walking your dog on a daily basis is vitally important to satisfy the basic physical needs of your dog. Smaller dogs will need shorter walks and larger breeds and most above average size breeds will even need more walks per day.
5. One of the most important things when it comes to training your dog and having it use its body the way it was designed is to go play. Through a stick or a frisbee will not only be fun but it will also be a great workout for your dog.
6. Attend dog training classes to learn how to properly manage, train and get your dog obey commands. A dog needs to know who is in charge and it is important that you are that leader.
7. You must be sure to show your dog that you care for it and that it can feel secure and loved around your. Not only will it remain happier but it will also return your love ten-fold as you are its master and leader.
8. Showing your dog respect and fairness will go a long way. Your dog can sense much more than your think and if it feels that its leader respects it you can be sure that it will respect you back and be much more willing to follow your commands.
If you’re trying to find the right dog training book, you might feel as though the options are limitless and it is difficult to find just the perfect one. Unfortunately, many books on the market are simply rehashed information that someone has quickly thrown together while others are quality information that can really help you.
The best place to find the right dog training book is online. Not only can you purchase regular physical books online, but you can also look at e-books. E-books have more up-to-date information because they can be updated quickly. These are often more current than books you would find at a store or library.
Before you choose a dog training book, it is important to consider the breed that you’re trying to train. Because full-blooded breeds have particular characteristics that come with their genetic makeup, it is important to cater the training methods to the breed. What will work for one breed may not work for another.
For instance, Jack Russell terriers were bred to chase foxes. This means that you may have to take a different approach when you’re trying to train them because sometimes their sense of smell will overpower them in certain situations. The same can be said for Beagles.
Before you buy a dog training book, you want to make sure to read the summary to see if you will be comfortable with the training methods being used. There is no need to invest in a training program that you don’t feel comfortable with.
Another thing to consider is who actually wrote the book that you are thinking of buying. You want to make sure that the author actually has experience with what they are writing about and is not simply putting together information in book form.
In conclusion, you want to make sure that any dog training method you use does not involve punishment. Disciplining a dog is fine, but physical punishment should never be used as it breaks down the relationship between the dog and their owner. Plus, it simply doesn’t work. By doing some research, it is possible to find the right dog training book for your needs





