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A "dog blog" about all breeds and issues of importance to people who value the dogs in their lives, with a special emphasis on Search and Rescue dogs, in particular the training of my Newfoundland Dogs

Friday, November 02, 2007

NEW puppy potty training tips from the "crazy dog lady"


Hot off the presses in e-book format the new DOGSHOWS 101 tells it like it is when it comes to training a puppy to go potty when you're on the road. It is highly important for the new puppy to be trained ON LEASH whenever possible, even if you are not going to be traveling to dog shows, it is awfully nice to be able to take you dog with you when you visit relatives or whatever and know that he will go potty for you in a strange place. All too often owners who have fenced in yards just "let the dog out" (and unfortunately for many dogs, even when they are NOT in a fenced in yard!) and consequently the dog never learns to go potty on leash or in a strange place. If you do have a dog that has been trained to do this, and also to go potty on command, your life will be much easier should you ever have to travel. Furthermore, if you ever need to leave your dog at a vet or in a boarding kennel, it will certainly be easier for the persons in charge of the dog !
To purchase the e-book for the new low introductory price of only $20.00 just click on the link!
DOGSHOWS 101..
and if you would like to sell the book and earn affiliate money yourself just CLICK HERE
The book is also available in print. However none of the pictures are in color, as they are in the e-book. For a print copy of the version just click here.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Dog Aggression Problems

There is nothing more disconcerting at a dog show or at any dog gathering than to have an encounter with an aggressive dog. Whether that dog is crated or not, it still can be a frightful experience for yourself, or for your dog, or for your children that may be accompanying you.
When dogs are crated and display aggression, leaping and lunging and shaking the whole crate, along with loud growling, snarling, and lunging, it is completely unacceptable behavior. Handlers will try to excuse this behavior by saying that "the dog is territorial" in nature. Sorry, there is NO EXCUSE for this behavior, and it can be trained out.
What is even worse is the aggressive dog that is loose. This is more than unacceptable, it can be criminal. The aggressive dog that bites or threatens to bite can be placed in quarantine or worse yet, put down.
Aggression can range from dog/dog aggression to dog/food aggression to dog/human aggression. Regardless, this is a problem that is best approached during the early puppy training stages. Trying to straighten out this sort of behavior later on can be a real difficult problem for the novice dog trainer.
As for dog/dog aggression, puppy kindergarten classes are super because they expose the puppy to strange dogs AND strange people. A puppy that is under six months of age is automatically a "submissive" dog and learns how to interact in dog language to other dogs at this stage of it's life. Lacking a puppy kindergarten class, the new owner should attempt to find other neighborhood dogs and/or a dog park. Allowing the puppy to be off leash when being introduced to other dogs is a good idea. If the puppy is off leash, you will not be sending "distress" signals down the leash to your dog, if you are nervous yourself about these encounters.
Dog food aggression problems also are best approached during early puppy training. Putting your hand into your puppy's food while it is eating, allowing ti to eat with other dogs in the household, teaching it to take treats nicely from your hand without lunging, all of these are behaviors best taught when the puppy is young and impressionable. Simply putting your hand into your puppy's dish, picking the dish up while it is eating, and adding treats to the dish while it is eating will soon teach it that it is acceptable for people to handle it's food dish. Setting the dish down in an area where other dogs are eating will teach the puppy how to deal with other dog's trying to eat it's food, for if it becomes too out of hand, the other dogs will teach it to behave. Don't worry about the puppy actually getting hurt by another dog, since nearly all adult dogs will not tolerate a puppy stealing from their dish, and they will teach it in "dog language" not to interfere. This is something your puppy needs to understand from the beginning.
Dog/people aggression, here again, is NOT a problem a novice trainer should deal with if it is occurring with an adult dog. However, if the puppy is under six months and is exhibiting dog/people aggression, this will often be simply a fear reaction. Fearfulness is best overcome by allowing the puppy to investigate the stranger on his own terms. Do not force the puppy to accept a stranger, rather ignore his behavior and allow him to approach the stranger in his own time.
First and foremost your puppy needs to learn to trust in you. Exposing him to everything you can think of from other dogs to loud noises to lots of people will gradually build up his trust in you and that is the best solution to avoiding other problems later on. There are training tips for all of these possibilities and more in the new manual DOGSHOWS101, a great training resource for novice puppy owners.