Posts filed under 'Pet Training'
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Puppies are like children. They can get into unimaginable difficulties when their environment is not structured.
Puppies can open loose cupboard doors. Buy cupboard door protectors or get out the good old duct tape and make sure that the cupboards that are low either can not be broken into or do not contain hazardous elements!
Puppies can chew light cords. Arrange your home so that light cords, TV cables, computer cords, and so on, are hidden behind heavy immovable furniture or are enclosed behind barriers.
Large Breed puppies can put their front feet onto ALL the counters. Push back items that they can get into, take them off the counters, or be prepared to have your most valuable items (such as your TV remote control) dragged off and chewed!
Clothing articles can be DEADLY. I personally have known several puppies around the age of five to six months that have died from ingesting socks or chewing on scatter rugs…. fabric often balls up and creates an intestinal blockage. By the time the vet discovers it, it is too late.
Household poisons used for insect or rodent control should be absolutely out of the question in the puppies’ environment. Simply do not apply poisons in areas that your puppy has access to, under any circumstance!
Toys should be dog toys. Left over trucks from the kids’ toy box are NOT GOOD. Items which have small parts which can be chewed off or swallowed are NOT GOOD. Likewise, most bones are NOT GOOD. Vets will tell you of the numbers of surgeries they have performed to remove bone shards from the intestines of dogs.
Sticks are the favorite as far as retrieving, but sticks in the mouth of running puppies are dangerous. They can jam that stick into their throat if they run into an immovable object, OR they can take out the eye of another dog or even a child. Use good dog toys for retrieving…and be sure the toys are not too small for the dog’s mouth and can not be swallowed!
Nothing “settles down” a hyperactive puppy like a good exercise session. Do not over do, and be careful that you do not demand too much of your puppy before its young bones are ready….but go on walks, by all means. And make these walks a time to teach your puppy the basics of polite manners…sitting when you come to street corners, not barking at strangers that you meet. So that means these walks must be ON LEASH. (It’s better exercise for you, that way, too!) After the “controlled” walk, a good run in a dog park, off leash, or a good swim in a nearby pond are excellent ways to burn off excess energy.
Nothing is as important in the care of a puppy as regular vet checks. Be sure that your puppy is immunized at the right times, fed well, exercised well, and spends the majority of its time in a “puppy-safe” environment….and have fun bringing up your puppy!
By: Michael Russell
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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Pet Care
April 18th, 2007
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First of all there are two basic rules that are to be followed.
- Don’t reprimand or punish your cat for any unwanted behavior. This may make your cat fearful of you or else the cat will continue with the unwanted behavior in your absence.
- Reward your cat for the desired behavior. It will act as a positive reinforcement.
Excessive Meowing
Meowing is an acquired behavior of the cat. Cats have been trained to do so. Whenever pussy wants food, attention or affection, she meows. Over a period of time this becomes a self-reinforcing habit and later on cats meow just for the fun of it. The situation gets worsened when the cat is lonely or bored.
The first step in breaking this habit is to exercise and play daily with your cat. There are so many cat toys available in the market. You can choose anyone of them. But you have to really get involved in the game. If left on her own cat will soon get bored of the game.
Don’t pay attention to the pussy and give her anything when she is meowing. In fact ignore her completely whenever she does so. Fulfill her needs when she is quiet. This will instill in her mind the desired behavior that is expected of her.
Nocturnal Activities
By nature cat is a nocturnal animal. Given a choice she will sleep whole day and begin her activities late in the evening or night. If you find this behavior annoying, you have to change the biological clock of cat as per your needs.
Firstly, don’t reward cat in anyway - by playing with her or feeding her - whenever she wakes you in the night.
Don’t let your cat doze off in the day. Keep her active all day along and feed her late in the evening/early night. By following this schedule you will deprive your cat of sleep in the day and hence she will catch up with her sleep in the night. In about 2 weeks time her biological clock will match yours.
Litter Box Training
It’s important to make sure that you train the cat correctly in the first place. As a kitten, every time that she looks like she’s about to crouch or she starts sniffing near a corner (classic signs of oncoming urination or defecation), pick her up and put her in the litter box. Also, first thing in the morning, put your kitten in the litter box. Kittens learn extremely quickly.
The most important reason why a cat stops using litter box is that the litter box may not be clean. Make sure that you clean the litter box every day, and completely change all the litter and wash the box out at least once a week. That will help encourage your cat.
Unless a cat is not fully trained in the toilet habits, don’t let her a free run of your house. Keep her confined to a small area.
Cats never shit where they eat, so put her food bowl near wherever she had the accident.
Don’t punish a cat after she had made the mistake. That will make the cat fearful of you. Scolding and then taking the cat to litter box after she has eliminated will make her to associate litter box with punishment.
Reward your cat for eliminating in the litter box. In order to do so you must be present there at the time when she eliminates. You need to have an idea when the cat urinates or defecates. Most cats eliminate after waking, eating and exercise. To help predict the toilet behavior of the cat feed her at regular times. Praise her whenever she litters in litter box.
Scratching Furniture/Climbing Curtains
Cats love to scratch furniture. To prevent them from doing so place double-sided tape or masking tape left sticky side up at strategic places on the furniture. Cats don’t exactly relish having an object cling to their sensitive feet. Bring them a scratching post to satisfy their scratching instincts.
Similarly cats love to climb up curtains. Put a soda can or similar thing at the top so that it falls when the cat tries to climb up the curtain.
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June 19th, 2006
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The Reactive Barker – If your dog barks at just about anything, the wind perhaps or a falling leaf, he’s likely a reactive barker. Trying to train these dogs not to bark can be much harder. First, consult with your veterinarian to determine and address any medical contributions to this hyper-reactivity. This may include hypothyroidism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also make sure that your dog is getting an appropriate diet and adequate exercise. Otherwise, you can follow the same basic approach as you would for the territorial barker, though you may need to contribute a bit more time and effort.
Training your dog not to bark unnecessarily is part and parcel of training him to be a good and obedient companion. In this regard, obedience training and socialization from an early age is all that more important, providing a foundation to head off and/or deal with any potential problems that may arise in the future. Proper socialization will help to prevent your dog from having inappropriate reactions, in this case barking, to people, other dogs, different situations and the like. Obedience training will teach your dog basic commands like ‘No’ and ‘Sit/Stay’ that can later help you to deal with any behavior issues, in this case nuisance barking.
June 14th, 2006
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Whether you choose to let your dog on the furniture or not is really a matter of personal preference. There are pros and cons to each. If you let him on the furniture, your furniture will no doubt experience some extra wear and tear, not to mention dirt. Further, wherever you take your dog, such as to a friend or relative’s house, your dog will expect the same rules to apply. On the other hand, letting your dog up on the furniture often allows him to be closer to you. If you’re away, he may also find comfort in sitting on the couch or bed because it smells like you. And, of course, the furniture is no doubt more comfortable for your pooch than the floor is.
Whatever decision you make, the important thing is to be consistent. You cannot allow your dog on the couch one day and then reprimand him the next. Also make sure that every member of your family knows and sticks by the rules. If you or anyone else lets him up on the furniture, he may just think he’s welcome all the time.
If you decide to keep him off the furniture, first make sure that he has his own bed or other comfortable spot that’s all his own and located in a central area where he can be a part of the family. You can train your dog to get off the furniture using the ‘off’ command. This can be used when he jumps on furniture or people. You should not use the ‘down’ command if you’re using that command when you want him to lie down. If your dog gets on the furniture, say ‘off’ and then gently help him down. Once he is on the floor, reward him with a treat or your praise. Repeat this command and be consistent and patient and your dog will soon learn that he’s not allowed on the furniture.
June 14th, 2006
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Set up and enforce rules regarding proper pet care. For example, tell your children not to pull the animal’s tail, ears, or other body parts, and insist that they never tease, hit, or chase the pet. Teach children how to properly pick up, hold, and pet the animal. They need to be taught to be well-behaved and respectful around animals. They need to learn what kinds of games are appropriate, how to touch the dog properly, how to interpret the dog’s body language and when the dog is not to be disturbed. When they’re old enough to understand, kids should be involved in the training process. They should learn to give the dog commands and be able to enforce them. These simple lessons are essential to helping kids become responsible caretakers.
Living with a pet can be beneficial to children. Pets can enhance a child’s self-esteem, teach them responsibility and help them to learn empathy. However, children and dogs are not always going to automatically start off with a wonderful relationship. Parents must be willing to teach the dog and the child acceptable limits of behavior in order to make their interactions pleasant and safe. Families can live in harmony by teaching the dog and the child to mutually respect each other.
June 14th, 2006
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Some peaces of advice for the owner of the dog.
When dogs deal with other dogs, animals higher on the pecking order may elicit attention from lower ranking animals. Lower ranking animals rarely elicit attention from superiors, but when they do, they also “give” appeasement behaviors (such as groveling on their belly, laying down, licking, etc.) to the higher ranking animal. When combined with many other mixed messages, something as simple as petting your dog whenever he demands without having to give you anything in return may result in your dog believing he ranks higher than you. This in turns leads him to believe that he does not need to respect or listen to you unless it suits him. Thus, when you try to insist, he may react aggressively.
Earning your dog’s respect requires you to act in ways that he sees as worthy of respect - and the easiest way to do that is to control resources (the things that matter to him) and only provide them to him when he is cooperating with you. No need to deprive the dog, just the need to have him earn what he wants. 
The most powerful tool you have to change your dog’s behavior is your attention. DO NOT use any kind of physical correction (grabbing the lead or collar or the dog himself) to force the dog to obey you. Instead, walk away, refusing to acknowledge his existence for a few minutes. Then, in a nice tone of voice, ask again. If it is something the dog really wants, such as his food, playtime, a walk or whatever, you will usually get his cooperation within a few tries. Eventually, this new rule starts to sink in - “The ONLY time you get what you want is when you cooperate.”
Reward all positive behavior with praise. When withdrawing attention is not possible, or leads to the dog increasing his objectionable behavior, try putting him outside alone in the yard for a few minutes, or into a room or his crate for a time out. Use a treat if needed to get him outside or into the crate. This does not reward him for disregarding any previous commands, but does reward him for cooperating with your last request of “outside” or “in your crate.”
Whenever you find yourself frustrated, give yourself (and the dog!) a break with some time out. Dogs are easily confused by emotions such as anger and fear (their own or yours), so if you lose your calm, sensible approach, avoid further problems and separate yourself and the dog briefly until you feel ready to try again.
Be aware that as you change the rules, the problem behavior may escalate briefly as the dog pushes harder to see what the limits are. It is helpful to write down a daily record of aggressive incidents so that you can begin to see the patterns of frequency (how many times does the behavior occur?) and intensity (how far does the behavior go?). Changes will not occur overnight, but gradually over a period of time. A written record helps during times of frustration. For example, when it seems that nothing is happening at all, the written record may show that in fact, the behavior has decreased from 9 times a day to only 4. This is a significant improvement!
To resolve this behavior problem, you will need to change your own behavior so that your dog can begin to clearly perceive his place in the family structure as the least ranking member, and under the control of all family members, including children. All family members must agree on this program, and be faithful in adhering to it, or you will doom the dog to failure and possible death.
NO FREE LUNCH - Your dog must learn to value your attention, playtime and food. From now on, he will receive nothing from you without giving you something in return such as a sit. For example, if he would like to be petted or have a toy thrown, he must sit promptly on the FIRST command. You may then pet him briefly or throw the toy once or twice. If he fails to sit, ignore him and do not give him any attention or petting for at least 3 minutes. You may then try again.
TEACH SELF CONTROL - See the article on Teaching Self Control as well as our booklet, “Understanding & Teaching Self Control”
PUT ALL TOYS AWAY - Leave one or two toys to chew on and that the dog can play with by himself. Put all other toys away - these will now be the toys that you use to play with the dog. YOU will now choose play time, when it begins, when it ends, and what the rules are. DO play with your dog, but expect him to do something before you throw the toy. If he refuses, quietly get up, put the toy away & ignore him for at least 10 minutes
PUT FOOD UNDER YOUR CONTROL - Free choice feeding is a poor idea for dogs who are not by nature meant to nibble all day. At specific times, you feed your dog, and use this time to make him really work for his meals. Remember, you may be giving him a hundred or more “training opportunities” in each bowl - make him work by sitting for just 2-3 kibble in his bowl at a time.
Have him sit, put 2-3 kibble in his bowl, and insist that he stay sitting until you tell him “OKAY, Eat”. If he moves or jumps toward the dish, calmly put it back on the counter for a minute or so, then try again. When he will politely sit and wait, allow him to eat the few kibble, then reach down, take the bowl, move a few feet away, ask him to sit (and WAIT), put the bowl down in the new spot and repeat with a few more kibble. You can work with this all over the house & yard, expecting him to sit and wait politely in all rooms before receiving a few kibble. The 10-15 minutes to “serve” a meal in this fashion is time is well spent.
If he decides he’d rather not eat rather than play by your rules, quietly put the food away and then try again at the next meal. Dogs will not starve themselves. It may take up to 4-5 days before your dog decides that he values his food enough to work with you on your terms. If this seems a little heartless, think hard about the reason this step is necessary - you have allowed your dog to get dangerously out of control, and he has either bitten someone or threatened to. A biting dog is not only a huge legal liability, but sooner or later, may have to be put to sleep. Being firm at this stage could save your dog’s life.
CONSIDER CHANGING FOODS - Your dog may not have skin problems, diarrhea, vomiting or other obvious signs of allergies, but in my experience, behavior problems, irritability, poor appetite, excessive stool and/or gas, recurring hot spots or ear infections point to possible food allergies or food intolerances. Many dogs receive far too much protein, which is converted into energy which can be a problem if the dog has no acceptable outlet for that energy. First, evaluate the protein - see if you can lower it by switching to another food. Try a food whose main ingredients are unlike your current dog food. If, for example, your current dog food contains chicken and corn, seek out lamb & rice, turkey & barley, duck & potato, etc. Also read the labels on treats - full of calories, high protein & stuffed with chemicals, sugars, salts & preservatives, many dog treats are not a great addition to your dog’s diet.
EXERCISE - A huge percentage of problem dogs do not receive sufficient exercise. Increase your dog’s exercise by long walks, jogging, playing in the back yard or whatever he enjoys, and keep it regular and vigorous. Remember - unused energy has to go somewhere, and a tired dog is almost always a good dog.
WHEN IN DOUBT, WALK OUT. Use your dog’s natural desire for your attention to work for you. If the dog becomes aggressive when asked to do something, simply withdraw your attention. This may mean you need to go into another room and shut the door for a few minutes. When you re-enter the room, use a treat to call the dog to you, then ask him to sit or lay down, rewarding him for showing you his willingness to work with you. If he does not comply, walk away again.
USE TRAINING EQUIPMENT - Rather than grab a dog who is misbehaving, you are better off leaving a training collar and lead on him while you are with him. (Never on an unattended dog.) If appropriate, quietly pick up the leash and gently reinforce the command. Be calm but firm.
ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS - Knowing what situations may trigger your dog’s aggression and his body language changes will allow you to prevent this behavior from occurring. For example, if your dog is aggressive when people enter the house, have him on lead and sitting as they enter, instead of trying to stop him from running around out of control and biting. Whenever possible, help the dog substitute desirable behavior for his problem behavior and PRAISE!
TRAIN - Initially, you may need to work on your dog’s behavior and your relationship with your dog in private lessons. Once your dog’s basic problems are under control, enroll in a basic obedience class to help your dog become a more enjoyable companion, and improve your overall relationship with your dog. Remember, training is a lifetime process, not a quick fix. The sooner you begin, the more years you will have to truly enjoy your dog.
June 9th, 2006
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“Heel” to walk on a loose leash
Respond to “No!”
“Sit”
“Stay”
”Down”
Respond to “Release”
One reason for doing obedience training is to establish a foundation from which you and your dog can learn to effectively relate to one another. The first thing obedience training does is to create a common language for you and your dog. This, in turn, lets your dog know the proper response (behavior) that you expect in place of socially maladaptive behavior.
The obedience trained dog can respond properly to your commands, instead of neurotically trying to please and becoming ever more anxious with your displeasure. This dog acknowledges the people in the family as the leaders and becomes more secure and calm in this bond of love and authority.
Obedience training can be used to help fulfill some of your dog’s basic needs, such as exercise, the security of knowing what’s expected, a feeling of accomplishment, and constructive social interaction. Obedience training will give your pet a job to do and can be useful in redirecting some of the mental energy of an animal that was meant for work.
June 9th, 2006
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There are many styles of dog obedience training. Here I’m going 
to mention what I consider the two main types. In future articles I will explore some of the less well known styles of training, some of which are becoming quite popular. This page and the next two pages should help you decide on the best style of training for your individual pet.
The main types of training are leash/collar training and reward training. I consider the leash and collar training to be a hard training style, and reward training to be a soft training style.
Both styles are very old; however, the leash and collar has been used more and is considered the traditional style. I think this is because most obedience training has traditionally developed from military dog training. There are several reasons why this method would be preferred to using food, such as the nature of the dogs being trained, the task or mission of the animal, and the temperament and background of the military handler/trainer.
Although obedience training with reinforcement has become very popular in the last 5 years, the leash and collar is still the best way to do many kinds of dog training. Especially in situations where you need a great deal of reliability, and at times when the dog would be highly motivated for not obeying, such as obedience with a police k-9 who is highly motivated to fight.
The leash and collar can be used with varying degrees of force. This could be from very hard correction to mild leash prompts. However, when the leash is used, it is best not to nag the dog with ineffective correction.
Generally with a leash based obedience training system, the dog is first taught a behavior, usually with the leash. Once the dog displays that it knows the command, the leash is used to correct the dog for not obeying, or when the dog makes a mistake. Usually with this style of obedience training, the leash is the main form of controlling and communicating with the dog.
In order for a dog to be fully trained, I think that the dog should be trained to trust the handler and allow the handler to at least place the dog into a position or posture that the dog does not want to assume. This does not necessarily require a lot of force, but it does require some physical manipulation. This manipulation is safest and most easily done with a leash. At least this much leash training should be incorporated into even the most advanced reward training systems.
One thing that must be understood is “the leash is just a tool.” By learning to train a dog with the leash, one should in the process, eventually acquire the skills necessary to train a dog with whatever tools are at hand.
Even if the only tools at hand are your body and your intellect. One of the important skills that a handler can learn with the leash, is how to develop a leadership role in the dog’s life. In this aspect of dog training the leash is a tool to help show the handler certain principles of leadership.
Leash training can never replace developing the proper leader/follower relationship between the owner and the dog. Although doing leash training will increase the bond between you and your dog, it cannot replace the bond of trust that can only come through treating your pet fairly.
June 9th, 2006
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The best training equipment in the world is of little use if your training techniques are not appropriate for you or your dog, and if the relationship between you and your dog needs some work.
When selecting training equipment, you need to consider some factors:
1. Does the equipment allow for quiet signals easily perceived by the dog?
For the dog to perceive a signal from you, he must feel it, hear it, or see it. Most training equipment relies upon touch and therefore upon the dog’s physical sensitivity. Touch sensitivity can vary from breed to breed, individual to individual dog, as well as being highly dependent upon the situation. A calm dog at home may yelp in anguish if you so much as step on a toe, but in an excited state feel none of the leash signals you send. Be sure to choose equipment that your dog actually perceives as information. This may require several equipment choices depending upon the activity and/or situation.
As a predator, the dog is “hard wired” to react quickly to movement. The canine eye actually contains more of the components that detect movement than does the human eye. Beware of any equipment which necessitates large hand or body movements in order to be effective. Your dog’s brain will have to sort out that movement before it can work on figuring out what you were trying to communicate.
2. Does the equipment achieve the desired results?
If your dog continues to pull, ignore signals, choke himself or tune you out, you may need to switch equipment, as well as examine your handling practices and training method - you are not achieving your desired results.
While this may seem like common sense, it is astounding how many handlers continue to use equipment that frustrates them and/or the dog. By the same token, handlers often stick with a training methodology that is not effective for the dog, the handler or both.
Keep in mind the wonderful saying: “The response you get is the communication you gave.” Forget intentions - look at reality, and if you are not achieving the desired results, do something else!
3. What effect does the equipment have on you?
While it is currently in vogue to train with thick leather leads, the mere act of holding such a lead can limit your ability to use your hands and arms in refined, subtle ways, much as a thick child’s crayon inhibits fine penmanship. Remember that such heavy leads are popular because a very forceful correction can be given without hurting your hands, and without losing the full force of the correction to the dog. There are other ways to train. Softness and subtle in your lead signals is possible only when you can utilize fine motor control - instead of heavy, large movements, you can use fluttering or pulsing signals that originate with just a twitch of a finger or two. Such signals are welcomed, heard and understood by the dog.
Beyond limiting your fine motor control, holding a thick lead and/or holding your hand(s) in a clenched fist - a typical “training” position which readies you to give “corrections” - also affects your breathing. To test this for yourself, simply sit for a moment with your hands soft and open on your lap or at your sides. Pay attention to your breathing for a few breaths. Now, hold your hand(s) in your typical training position as if you had a lead in your hands - hold your imaginary lead with your usual grip. Now check your breathing. What breathing??!!! Check a little further - you may find tension in your jaw, neck and/or shoulders as well. How does this affect your emotional state? Do you feel calm, relaxed or focused? Or do you feel increasingly anxious or tense - two normal responses to interfering with your breathing? Imagine how this affects your training on many levels.
Still holding your imaginary lead, soften your hands so that your fingers are light and soft, as if you were attempting to contain a butterfly within your hand. How does this affect your breathing? Check the tension in your jaw - it should be disappearing as you relax your hands.
Your choice of equipment, as well as how you use that equipment, will have profound effects on your emotions, your patience and the results you get in your training session. Choose wisely, and with an awareness of the impact the equipment will have on both ends of the lead.
Can you be subtle?
One of the hallmarks of a novice in any activity is the rather awkward, overly large use of signals and movements. Compare the movements of someone just learning to ride a horse with the almost imperceptible movements and cues of the Olympic rider, or the lead handling of a novice handler with an experienced trainer. Unfortunately, these two images are not necessarily equal examples. In the first case, a beginning rider flails around, using large hand movements to “steer” their horse in very basic ways, while the Olympic level rider may achieve incredibly sophisticated responses with signals so subtle as to be virtually undetectable. The horse and rider seem to dance together in some pre-agreed fashion.
In the second example, you will not see too much of a difference between the typical novice handler and the experienced dog trainer in terms of subtlety. Oh, the corrections may be given with more precision and power, and no one ends up being wrapped up in the lead, but subtlety is not a quality that is taught or even sought by experienced trainers. I remember watching some of the top obedience competitors at a Gaines Regional and being surprised that at such a level of experience, there were still gross movements and forceful corrections. The only thing that set the novices apart from the “pros” was timing. The techniques were not refined to any great degree.
Mastery of any skill should include a progressive degree of subtlety. I feel this is especially true when our partners are dogs - the masters of subtle communications. Do yourself and your dog a favor - see how subtle you can get, and still achieve results. You may surprise yourself when a twitch of a finger is sufficient to “correct” a dog, or when a slight head turn is enough to give a signal across the room. Such subtlety requires precision and clarity in your signals, respect for and trust in the dog’s willingness to respond, and mastery of your self.
Is it worth it? You bet. For the casual onlooker, subtlety of signal adds an air of magic to all that you and your dog do together. For yourself, you may find, as I do, that there is a genuine joy in both giving and receiving the kind of willing and mutual attentiveness that is the hallmark of a great team.
May 24th, 2006
