I wrote a new Bubblews post today on When To Use a Harness to Walk Your Dog. I get a lot of people that are confused about harnesses and what they are actually for, so I thought I would share this with everyone!
Read it HERE
Amy @ Talented K9 Dog Training
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Hi, my name is Snoopy. I’m a Young Bearded Collie Therapy Dog who lives in California. I have what’s called a blue coat and matching blue eyes (you can see when my fur isn't covering them). I thought it would be fun to share my special moments as I grow up, did I mention I like a Little Mischief?! :) I hope you're having a fun day :) Snoopy
I've decided to make Thursdays, Game Day! This week is Hide & Seek. This is a great game to play with your dog, and even better if you have kids! This game is an excellent way to build on your dog's stay command and also work on their recall (come command)! If your dog doesn't know how to stay, then you can simply have somebody hold your dog. Play this inside the house or outside in a fenced in area.
To start, show your dog something fun such as their favorite toy or a favorite treat. Get them excited about it. Now tell them to stay or have somebody hold them and go hide! If this is the first time playing this game with the dog, make finding you easy the first few times. Gradually make it harder over time. Call your dog. Stay quite for a bit, if your dog is having trouble you can call them again or make a sound. When they find you, praise them like they just did the best thing in the world, play with their toy or give them their treat! Now repeat! Great exercise and training practice!
Question of the Day: How to find a breed of dog, best suited for our lifestyle?
Answer: Finding the right breed of dog for you takes a lot of research. You should first think about what type of lifestyle you live. Are you active? Do you go jogging & Biking a lot? Perhaps you love to hike. Or would you rather just relax at home? You also need to look at where you live. If you live in a small home with no yard, a smaller dog will probably suit you better. If you live in a small home with no yard, but your active 'Everyday' by jogging, biking, hiking and can provide daily exercise in these ways to the dog, then perhaps a medium or large dog would be okay for you. If you'd rather relax on the couch, then a medium or large, hyperactive dog probably wouldn't be the best choice. A good website to check into would be the American Kennel Club. They list all of the recognizable breeds that are registrable. Keep in mind they do not list any of the 'designer' breeds that are popping up now a days. When looking at breeds, take note on how much grooming & exercise they will need. How big will they get, and is the breed known to get along well with other dogs and/or kids? Write down any breeds that interest you, then research them further. Look up info online, research good, reputable breeders and ask them any questions you might have. Dog shows are another great way to get to know the breeds! You'll meet many knowledgeable people here and can learn a lot. Do your research! Good luck on finding the breed best for you!
Straight from the page on Amazon and I couldn't agree more. Reading this book gives you a better understanding of why dogs do what they do, which in turn will help you teach your dog. I recommend this book to everyone, especially to people thinking about getting a dog. This book should be on everyone's shelf in my opinion.
Question of the Day: How do I get my dog to stop pulling on the leash?
Answer: There are several ways to go about this, including; Clicker, balanced, or praise & discipline.
To start off, go to a non-distracting area outside or inside. If your outside, be sure you are in a safe, fenced in area where your dog can't run off. If you don't have a place like that, use a 6 ft' leash. You can tie this leash to your belt if you'd like so you don't have to worry about not having enough rooms in your hands. The leash is just there to keep your dog with you, you won't be using it for anything else. You can also use the leash if your dog is too distracted and keeps wondering off for something better to do.
Now, simply start walking around. Every time your dog is right by your side, click and treat. Continue walking, keep clicking and treating for dog being by your side. If your using a leash for this and your dog starts pulling, turn and walk the other way. More than likely your dog will turn and go to walk by you to start pulling in the other direction. Click and treat the instant they are at your side (even if they are passing by). Your dog will soon learn the best place to be is by your side.
If your doing this with out the leash and are inside you can also start walking in a circle. You'll click each time your dog is by your side, but this time you'll toss the treat in the middle of the circle. This gives your dog a chance to repeat the behavior. Your dog will go get the treat, then hopefully return to your side.
Keep practicing this for a few lessons till your do is repeatedly going to your side! Now that you have your dog's attention, when your dog comes up to your side, take 1 step, click and treat your dog for staying by your side for that one step. Repeat a few times then take 2 steps. Repeat until you are walking 5 steps before rewarding your dog. Now your going to add a little variety in as you work up to longer periods of your dog walking beside you. Start adding more steps, but every few times click at a previous step. Such as:
You get the point, keep bouncing back and forth with how many steps you take and your dog won't realize they are walking with you for longer periods of time. Keep practicing this, keeping sessions short and doing a few lessons a day if you can. Before long you'll have a dog who loves walking at your side. Be sure to practice in different rooms in your house, and gradually adding more and more distractions.
Some dogs once they get outside, could care less about the treats. Then you have to get clever and find things that they find rewarding such as Sniffing the trees, or doing what they are wanting to do. Be sure you get them to do what you want them to do first, such as walking by your side for 5 steps, Click and release them to go do what they want. This will be more rewarding to them than a treat.
There are several ways to go about this! This is just a couple. If you have a dog who pulls on a leash and you'd like to put an end to it, how about setting up some lessons with a local Dog Trainer? If your in my area (Magic Valley & Sun Valley Idaho) you can give me a call at 308-5627 to set up some lessons. I'd be more than happy to help!
Trick of the Week:
Rollover
This week's trick is Rollover! Best way to teach tricks, is to use a clicker and some treats. Get those handy along with your dog, find a non-distracting room with carpet so your dog can rollover easily.
To start, Kneel down and have your dog do a down in front of you. Hold a treat close to your dog's nose and have your dog follow it as you bring your hand towards his shoulder. Your arm should be over the dog's head as you bring the dog's nose into it's shoulder. You'll know your doing this right if your dog moves onto it's hip in a relaxed position. Click and treat as soon as your dog moves onto it's hip! Do this a few more times.
Now, move your hand further over his shoulder so your dog has to lay on it's side in order to follow your hand. Some dogs have trouble at this point, but keep trying. As soon as your dog lays on it's side, click and treat! Repeat a few more times.
Next, move your hand further so now your dog has to turn his body over to follow the treat. Click and treat the second he does this! Repeat this a few more times.
Now, repeat and this time put the cue onto it such as Rollover! When your dog rolls over, click and toss the treat so it's a complete rollover. Congrats! Keep practicing and you'll have a dog rolling over on cue and something to impress your friends with!
Remember each time you click & treat, you start from the beginning.
Currently Available at Talented K9If you live in the Magic Valley or Sun Valley Areas, sign up today by calling Amy at 1 (208) 308-5627 You can visit our website at www.talentedk9.com
