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- Maggie gets to enjoy a summer day swimming and
playing because she is safe in public and has
wonderful manners. - An untrained dog is doomed to have to stay at home.
- A well-trained dog is welcome just about anywhere!
| Here are the items I use to train dogs; treats, a treat bag, and a clicker. Supplies shown here cost less than $20! This is vastly different from methods some schools adhere to that require you to buy expensive leashes, collars and electronics in order to take part in their classes. |
www.livingwithkidsanddogs.com Excellent resource for parents or parents to be trying to manage the joys and responsibilities of parenthood with the joys and responsibilities of pet ownership. www.controlunleashed.net The ultimate training book now has a website! This book has completely revolutionized the way I train and approach all of my classes! www.dogstardaily.com - A Fabulous collection of articles, tips and videos to help you with your dog. www.abrionline.org - Another collection of wonderful examples of positive training in action. Nail Trimming Video An Exceptional example of positive training to overcome handling challenges! www.clickersolutions.com This is an excellent source for clicker training articles. www.dragonflyllama.com This is one of my personal favorites. It is my measuring stick to evaluate where my dogs are in their training. www.caninefreestylemagicmatch.com One of my obsessions is "Canine Freestyle". It takes obedience to a whole new level of fun. People use music and choreograph moves like spins and dogs weaving through owners legs. Here you can see videos of Carolyn Scott and her dog Rookie performing. This is the type of connection with my dog I strive for. www.merrimackvet.com The home page for the hospital where I teach. Information about pet health care and directions to the hospital. www.fourpawspamvh.com This is the site of my friend Sherri Goodreau. She is a groomer who works at the hospital and the only groomer I trust with my own dogs. She helps puppies learn to accept grooming and is great at working with nervous dogs. She also makes them look and smell beautiful! www.petfinder.org This is an site that links many shelters into one site. You can find a new friend! www.cafepress.com/noshockstore - An online store offering all sorts of tee shirts, sweat shirts and dog shirts proudly saying that you don't shock your dog! www.akc.org The home page for the American Kennel Club. Learn about the various AKC breeds and programs. Also information about the Canine Good Citizen Program. www.apdt.com This is the home page for The Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Here you can find trainer searches, what to look for in a dog trainer, and an explanation of the ethics, standards and beliefs I train under. |
| Warning Regarding Dog Training Materials: There is a lot of information on the web, in books, on TV and coming as advice from well intentioned people. Some of that advice is outdated, some of it dangerous. Here I have compiled a list of my approved resources. |
| My Favorite Books: |
| My Favorite Websites |
| Rescources: Suggested Materials and Recommended Reading |
| Household Necessities For a Happy Dog 1. Exercise, both mental and physical! Your dog should receive at least ½ hour of physical exercise per day. This can be jogging, chasing a frisbee, playing fetch, anything that gets their tongue hanging out. Some dogs may need 2 sessions per day. It is fair to offer them an exercise session prior to being crated and some may need a session after being let out of the crate. Mental exercise can often be as tiring, if not more tiring than physical exercise. Bored dogs are naughty dogs. We must keep their very intelligent minds busy or they literally go crazy. It is a very sad sight to see. Dogs minds can be enriched by playing games, training them in short sessions throughout the day, food puzzle toys like “Kongs”, “Squirrel Dudes” and “Buster Cubes” can keep a dog entertained for quite some time. 2. Give your dog 3-5 minutes out of every hour you are with them and awake for training or exercise. This can be done during a television commercial break, while the coffee is brewing, while dinner is defrosting in the microwave, etc. Please remember, however, that exercise will never take the place of training, it will simply tire your dog out until he gets fit, and then he will require more exercise! If you can not offer your dog 3-5 minutes of your time, should you really have a dog? 3. Define what you *DO* want your dog to do. This gives you a much clearer picture of what you are training towards. Simply saying “Don’t do that” is not enough information for the dog to know what *to do*. Make sure you reward your dog for behavior closer and closer to your goal. 4. Plan out the steps needed to help your dog succeed. It is not fair for you to set your dog up to unavoidable mistakes while he is trying to learn. For example, while you are in the early stages of preventing “counter surfing” or food stealing, it does not help you or your dog if you leave a steak unattended on the counter. Every time the dog is successful in the “wrong” behavior, the behavior will get stronger and be more worthwhile for the dog to keep trying. 5. Be honest with yourself about the responsibility for failures. It is not fair to blame the dog for an error when we put them in over their heads. Placing blame does not fix problems, it is an opportunity to learn and see what we need to train for. 6. Set goals, both long and short term. It is great to know where you want to end up, but you can not expect your dog to start there! Make your short term goals into baby steps and celebrate the little successes. Before you know it, all of the little steps becomes miles! 7. Be generous in your rewards when your dog is doing the things you want. We make the mistake of ignoring “good” behavior and engaging with the dog during “bad” behavior. The dog learns that any attention is better than no attention so they seek out the behaviors that get attention. 8. Prevention is *Always* better than punishment. Make sure to prevent unwanted behavior as much as possible to prevent the dog from engaging in the behavior and forming a habit. Habits are very hard to change! 9. Down Time. Just like people, sometimes dogs just need to chill out and they need a place of their own to do so. A roomy crate well-stocked with toys is the perfect place for this. 10. Mental Stimulation is crucial for dogs. Food toys, such as stuffed Kongs, are perfect to occupy a dog and keep them out of trouble. The action of working for their food is a great mental exerciser, as well as mimicking the work level a dog would go to in order to eat on its’ own. Many dogs will promptly and contentedly fall asleep after a happy “chew fest”. Yes, I already mentioned this, but it is that important! |
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Puppy, Please! Dog Training, LLC ~ www.puppyplease.com ~ (603)261-9283