DeeksCookapoo9Months

Equipment needed : Metal Training Collar , 6' leather lead , (or a slip lead in place of the collar and lead) chair for the handler to sit on that they aren't too worried about (IE an antique chair would not be a good idea, especially for a dog that might try to chew something other than their toy while you aren't watching), silence from the handler which means no verbal commands, praise, or corrections. Also, no conversations of any sort with your dog.  NOTE: THIS CAN ALSO BE DONE WITH A SLIP LEAD, TRANSITIONAL LEAD (NO NOSE LOOP), OR NYLON SLIP COLLAR INSTEAD OF THE METAL CHAIN TRAINING COLLAR AND 6’ LEATHER LEASH. A FLAT COLLAR CAN BE USED IF IT IS SNUGGED UP SO IT CAN NOT GET OVER THE DOG’S HEAD.     Objective and Goals: This exercise starts the leadership portion of dog training in a very non-confrontational way. You define the space and activity that the dog will inhabit while you are engaged in other activities. It starts the process of showing the do...

  I get a fair number of calls a year for house training advice. I give out a lot of tips for free. Here is a list of tips that I give to owners that are seeking to housebreak their dog:      Puppies NEED to go out more  often than adults. Some can sleep through the night, and others can't. Some will need to go out about every two hours at first.  When first bringing home a puppy,  crate training and tethering when your attention   cannot be on them  are great solutions. Let puppy or dog inside for loose play only after they have done number one and two as expected when first entering your home (and in their outside area obviously).  Write down the times of any "accidents"  and add those times to your schedule of when you let your dog or puppy out, until a reliable pattern develops.  After an accident , immediately bring your puppy or dog outside.  Keep  separate bathroom times  when your puppy or dog goes o...

  Dog owners tend to wince at the suggestion of using a correction.   So many dog owners associate the word "correction" in dog training with punishment or treating their dog harshly.  This is not what is meant by most dog trainers or dog sports enthusiasts. My definition of a dog training correction is to further advance a position, speed, or behavior through communication the dog understands to mean what they had just done is not what was wanted and therefore offers another option or stops something. Some examples of corrections are verbal markers, spatial pressure, and the use of some training equipment.   Please note that corrections should not be used, generally speaking, until the dog has started and advanced through the f irst stages of dog training , which is teaching.    Once a performance can be reliably predicted to a standard, then you are ready to correct errors or non performance. NOTE: CORRECTIONS ARE NOT USUALLY USED IN DOG TRAININ...

  If you have ever looked into finding a complete dog training plan for your dog, you probably found a confusing amount of information out there.  Some of one method's rules probably contradicted another's method rules. Does this mean some people are using methods and training and that don't work?  Why can some methods be so different, but still seem to get great results for the dog training team? I have put a list of dog training definitions used, and the way I have interpreted them to help you if you find yourself stuck on a term that is not familiar to you.   Please go to   this post . Just because a method is different than another, does not mean it does not work on it's own merits.  It is really about how the plan came together, the logic of the plan, if the plan has been proofed, and what the results are for individual teams.  A well crafted method or dog training plan takes into account the strengths in particular of both dog and owner....

  Dog lovers know that a dog's physical appearance as far as size, hair length, hair color, ears shape, curly or flat coated, age, and so on.   Dog's are also individuals, and these internal characteristics do not show on their outsides.  These personality traits and temperaments can vary wildly from playful, wary, suspicious, defensive, resource guarding, driven, active, laid back, and so forth.   Add to the mix that some dogs have some training or real life experiences that may be useful as a dog owner or trainer creates a training plan.  Recently, one of our blogs went over  why there are so many different methods, techniques, and tools  that help a dog owner to train their dog. A professional dog trainer will look at the dog you have right now (as best they can in the time they have) to determine the right path to start down.  A dog owner who is honest with themselves can begin to assess this too.   None of these traits det...

  Engagement in dog training is the ability to create a relationship with your dog where you are the reward. Engagement done well will have your dog insisting on continuing the activity with their owner. In other methods of training, there are some elements of this as well, but the engagement that I am talking about is much more. Engagement in dog training is more about play with their owner or handler to create that very strong bond and work ethic. As with anything, it can have it's pluses and minuses. I really enjoy this method, because I get to play with my dog and train. The thing that motivates me in this method, is seeing my dog have fun while we are doing it. Why do I also use other methods other than Engagement and Motivational methods? One reason is this is a bit slower process than some other methods in the shorter term.   Sometimes if you really need to stop your dog from jumping on your elderly relatives, while including them in your family activities, you mig...