New Dog Tips

Training Tips:

Start training your puppy early on. While old dogs can be taught new tricks, behaviors that are taught early are retained with ease and are less likely to be questioned by your dog. Moreover, the older the dog, the more bad habits will likely need to be "un-learned". When it comes to raising and training a dog, an ounce of problem prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure!

Train your dog gently and humanely, and whenever possible, teach him using positive, motivational methods. Keep obedience sessions upbeat so that the training process is enjoyable for all parties involved. Try the "play training" approach: incorporate constructive, fun games (such as "Go Find", "Hide and Seek", retrieving, etc.) into your training sessions.

How well your dog responds to you at home affects his behavior outdoors as well. If your dog doesn't respond reliably to commands at home (where distractions are relatively minimal), he certainly won't respond to you properly outdoors where he's tempted by other dogs, pigeons, passersby, sidewalk food scraps, etc.

Avoid giving your dog commands that you know you cannot enforce. Every time you give a command that is neither complied with nor enforced your dog learns that commands are optional.

One command should equal one response, so give your dog only one command (twice maximum!), then gently enforce it. Repeating commands tunes your dog out (as does nagging) and teaches your dog that the first several commands are a "bluff ". For instance, telling your dog to "Sit, sit, sit, sit!", is neither an efficient nor effective way to issue commands. Simply give your dog a single "Sit" command and gently place or lure your dog into the sit position, then praise/reward.

Avoid giving your dog combined commands which are incompatible. Combined commands such as "sit-down" can confuse your dog. Using this example, say either "sit" or "down". The command "sit-down" simply doesn't exist.

Avoid giving one command several different meanings. If down means "lie down", it should not also mean "get off".

When giving your dog a command, avoid using a loud voice. Even if your dog is especially independent/unresponsive, your tone of voice when issuing an obedience command such as "sit","down" or ""stay", should be calm and authoritative, rather than harsh or loud.

Many owners complain that their dogs are "stubborn", and that they "refuse to listen" when given a command. Before you blame the dog, one must determine whether or not: a) the dog knows what the owner wants, b) he knows how to comply, c) he is not simply being unresponsive due to fear, stress or confusion. Additionally, every time an owner fails to follow through with a command the dog is taught to persevere.

Use all food or other reward-giving occasions as opportunities to train. This provides simple on-going training that can be reinforced regularly. Examples: Always make him do a sit and stay before eating his meals or before going out for a walk. When giving treats, always practice commands. Practice commands during playtime as well. Make training part of each day.

Correct or, better yet, prevent misbehavior. Don't punish the dog. If you're taking an "it's-you-against-your dog, whip 'em into shape" approach, you'll undermine your relationship, while missing out on all the fun that a motivational training approach can offer. Additionally, after-the-fact discipline does NOT work.

When training a dog, whether praising or correcting, good timing is essential. Take the following example: You have prepared steak for a small dinner party, which you've left on your kitchen counter. Your dog walks into the room and smells the steak. He air-sniffs, then eyes the food, and is poised to jump up. This is the best and most effective time to correct your dog: before he has misbehaved, while he is thinking about jumping up to get the food.

Often, dog owners inadvertently reinforce their dogs' misbehavior, by giving their dogs lots of attention (albeit negative attention) when they misbehave. Needless to say, if your dog receives lots of attention and handling when he jumps up on you, that behavior is being reinforced, and is therefore likely to be repeated.

Keep a lid on your anger. Never train your dog when you're feeling grouchy or impatient. Earning your dog's respect is never accomplished by yelling, hitting, or handling your dog in a harsh manner. Moreover, studies have shown that fear and stress inhibit the learning process.

Do’s and Don’ts about discipline:

DO establish your house rules between the human members of your pack before you bring a dog into your home and make sure that everyone is on the same page as to what is or isn’t allowed.

DO remain clear and consistent with your dog about the rules.

DO begin enforcing the rules from your dog’s first day at home- your dog does not understand the concept of a holiday from the rules.

DON’T yell or hit your dog out of anger, ever.

DON’T expect your dog to follow rules that are not consistently reinforced.

Games to play with your dog:

DON'T play "keep away from my hands". If your dog ever escapes, he will be impossible to catch due to the fact that he will think that this is "keep away from my hands" game time.

DON'T play "bite my hands". If your dog is ever in contact with toddlers or the elderly, he can easily injure them with this game.

DO play "hide and seek" with your dog. Sneak into the other room and hide. When you are ready, call him. Get really, really excited when he finds you. This is also a great game to play when your dog accidentally gets off leash.

DON'T play "catch me if you can". Instead of chasing your dog, which teaches the dog to run away from people; play chase me which enhances your dog's come command.

DON'T play "tug of war" on your dog's terms. Playing this game can give some dogs the mistaken idea that leadership of your family's “pack” depends on who's the toughest in a fight. I do not recommend playing tug of war with any dog that is not consistently obedient.
For well behaved dogs, remember that you make all the rules! "Get it", "Pull", and "Drop it". The game begins and ends when you say so, and when the game is over, you keep the toy until the next game.

DON'T wrestle and play fight with your dog. This encourages jumping up, mouthing, biting, chasing and it pits the dog's strength against the owner. This game also teaches the dog he can "run for higher office" and win.

DO play "fetch" with your dog. In order to teach your dog to bring the toy back to you, use a leash.

DO teach your dog "tricks for praise" to exercise your dog's mind. Teach your dog to sit up, roll over, shake hands, or even balance a biscuit on his nose!

DO play the "find it" game with your dog. Start with a treat. Show him the treat, then let him watch you put it behind a door or a chair. Then tell him to “Find it!” When he finds it, praise and, of course, he gets to eat the treat.

DO teach your dog to "find" his toys. By using the object's name in the command: “Find the ball!” “Find the shoe!,” “Find the keys!” etc., you can teach your dog to tell one object from another and find almost anything for you that he's able to carry. Also, teach your dog to find members of your family.

Your dog's routine:

Wake up on your terms not your dog’s terms. Once your dog is reliably house trained, change your morning routine. Get ready for your day and eat breakfast before walking your dog. This will enable you to sleep in on the weekends.

Start the day with very little touch or talk- saving affection for after the walk. The walk is your bonding time. Do not create over-excitement about the walk. Don’t call your dog in a high, excited voice or allow jumping or other hysterical behavior. Walk with your dog next to you or behind you for an hour every morning. Vary your route as much as you can. Dogs enjoy routine, but they also like adventure.

Feed your dog calmly and quietly, never giving food when he is jumping up and down. Before you give the meal to your dog, ask the dog to look at you and not the dish. Do not allow begging for scraps or interrupting your mealtimes.

Never make a big deal about leaving the house- or coming home. If your dog receives exuberant praise when you come home, your dog will start to anticipate your return. Over time this anxiety intensifies. Once severe, it is known as separation anxiety.

Once you return home, hold back as much affection as possible. Do not encourage over-excitement. Take your dog for a walk. Give affection after the walk and the feeding routine.

Sleeping arrangements for a dog should be clear and consistent. If your dog has problems with aggression, I do not recommend that you share your bed with your dog.

Every human in the household needs to be a pack leader. Once the adults in the house set a clear, consistent example, the children of the home have an example to follow.

Playtime is never a substitute for a walk. Although, scheduling playtime with your dog every week is a great way to add extra physical exercise to your walk routine.

Don’t allow out of control barking. Most of the time this is due to physical and psychological frustration. This is a dog desperate for more physical activities and a more proactive pack leader.

Create a safe environment for traveling with your dog in the vehicle. Use a crate, a doggie seatbelt or a leash to teach your dog to be calm in the car.

What to do when your dog is chewing on your things:

This is a two part process. First, you need to get the forbidden item without teaching your dog that it is fun to run off with it. Secondly, you must teach your dog to respect that item and that it is not their chew toy.

Don’t rush at your dog when he is chewing on something he shouldn’t- you will only encourage him to run away from you. Instead, calmly approach your dog and trade the object for a treat or a toy. By chasing after the dog, you are merely reinforcing the idea that he can run away with it. To your dog this seems to be a great game.

Expose your dog to the forbidden item so your dog learns that it does not belong to him. The next time you are watching television, put the item on the floor next to a pile of toys. Place your dog on a leash to prevent your dog from running off with the forbidden item. When your dog puts a toy in its mouth, praise exuberantly. If your dog heads toward the forbidden item, say no (in a deep tone) and redirect with the leash.

For great dog bones and interactive dog toys, visit the Links page.