Helpful Tips!

Your dog is learning whether you are teaching it or not. Teach it what YOU want. An educated dog is a joy to own. Start young, it's easier. Topics will be featured individually at length in
"Pets and Garden Life"

1) SOCIALIZATION
All puppies should be exposed to all ages, genders and races of people. People with hats, with beards, with umbrellas, shopping bags, children on roller blades, boys on bicycles, etc. The more exposure the better adjusted the dog. The same holds true for other dogs. Expose your dog to big dogs, little dogs, long haired dogs, floppy eared dogs, short nosed dogs, old dogs, puppies and then....... there are the cats.

2) POTTY TRAINING
Potty training begins as soon as you puppy comes into your house. The surface and the location will be imprinted with the first mistake. Prevention of opportunities for mistakes is the key to successful easy potty training.

3) BITE INHIBITION
Learning the appropriate use of mouth and teeth is an essential lesson that is started by and biological mother and littermates and must be continued by the human family. "OUCH" when the puppy bites, then praise for not biting.

4) CONTROLLED (LOOSE) LEAD WALKING
Start in the home by playing "follow me." Add a lead left to drag when you are supervising. Hold the end of lead but never allow it to be tight by asking the puppy to follow you with a piece of food. Praise for the proper position next to you.

5) SETTLE DOWN
Have the puppy on a lead with a flat collar. Sit down in a chair with a favorite book or turn on CNN for the latest "Trial of the year." Step on the lead or tie it to the chair leg. Say nothing to the dog. When the dog lies down drop a treat. Change seats. When the dog does this predictably add the request "settle down." Give a treat.

6) SITTING TO GREET
          a) People
          b) Other dogs
    Have your dog sit when someone comes to the door, give him a cookie. Have your dog sit when a stranger comes to greet you. Have the stranger give your dog a cookie. When you see another dog approaching ask your dog to sit and give him a cookie. Your dog will start to sit for all greetings. A polite dog is a joy to own.

7) "COME" WHEN CALLED
This baffles many people. People call their dog 5 times. The dog doesn't come and then they scold the dog. What is wrong with this picture? The dog has just been taught to not come when called. It's not fun. Make it fun. Start at short distances. Call the dog, give a cookie. Increase the distance, give a cookie. As long as you are successful increase the difficulty, give a cookie. If you are around other dogs and the dog is coming to you then open the Champagne (for the dog). You are doing something right.(you can have some, too)

8) CRATE TRAINING
This is a tool. This is not punishment. The crate is used to prevent potty mistakes. It is a place for the dog to have a "time out" when everyone is on overload. Make it a pleasant place by feeding the dog in it or being the only place for a stuffed chew toy. I would say 2-3 hours at a time for a pup. I have one for myself that locks from the inside.

9) "LEAVE IT"
Put a treat on the floor. Let the dog see it. As the dog goes for it step on it (the treat) and say leave it. Be quick. This will translate to "leaving" garbage on the street.

10) "OFF"
Put a piece of food in a closed fist in front of your dog's nose. Say the magic word "off" when the dogs nose, mouth is not touching your fist say "take it" and open your fist.

11) "GO TO YOUR PLACE/BED/CRATE"
Throw a piece of food on the dogs bed, in the crate in his favorite corner and say "go to your bed or house, condo"(whatever you want to call, it). You can get fancy and throw it in the crate and close the crate with the dog outside. Guess what? Open the door and say "go to your crate." The dog really wants to got into the crate.

12) OBJECT EXCHANGES
Give your dog a favorite toy but hold one end. Drop a very sexy treat on the floor as you say "drop it." As the dog learns this game you can let go of one end and let the dog have possession. Drop a treat and say "drop it".

13) HAND FEEDING
Feed your dog his meals by hand one piece at a time. "Why?" you ask. It makes you train your dog, it tells the dog just who buys it and pays for it, it gets the dog comfortable with humans and food, and it tells the dog that you are a food dispenser and staying around you is a good thing.

14) FOOD BOWL HANDLING
No one should eat alone. This includes your puppy. A dog left alone to eat thinks this is the norm. Your sister comes with her 3 year old child. The baby wanders into the kitchen and "hello" look what I found a dog. And he is growling because he has never had company during dinner (and a baby no less). A set up for disaster. Part of hand feeding involves sitting on the floor while your puppy eats. Drop a bonus, like a liver treat, in the bowl once in a while. Put down an empty bowl and put your hand in the bowl that is filled with food, one at a time. "Geeze.... I love when those hands are in my dish"

15) HANDLING BODY PARTS
Touch every part of your dog especially the sensitive parts like the feet. Look in the ears, look in his mouth, touch the tail. Do it with a piece of food if the dog resists. Your vet will thank you. Your dog will thank you by being more comfortable with the neighbor's two year old who wants to touch Lassie.

16) HOME ALONE
Today's dogs were yesterdays laborers. They were bred to work. They are also extremely social animals. Sitting home all day is a bore and it is lonely. Give your dog a job. Cleaning the house? Rearranging the closets maybe, but ironing? Let your dog hunt for it's food. Put all of his food in a stuffed toy and a sterilized bone. Several in fact, all over the house. Show him one. Then put him in the crate. Smear a little cream cheese on his nose to get him excited and then run and start to hide the others. He will be begging you to leave.

17) OBEDIENCE-SIT, DOWN, STAND
Teach your dog specific body positions. They are very useful. A sitting dog is not fighting, pulling, chasing. A dog in a down is calm and relaxed. A stand is needed at the vets office or when you are brushing it's coat. Use food to lure into position. This is part of what you are doing when you hand feed. It is work for the dog physically and mentally. Dogs are smart, They need to think and do things. Give them something to figure out and they will be satisified.They will be mentally tired. They will go to sleep. You can rest now.

18) GROOMING
Please keep your dog clean and groomed. Bathe once in a while. No one likes a stinky dog. A clean and healthy dog is welcome and wanted around. Keeps hair balls in the corners (tumble weeds) to a minimum. Trim nails, brush teeth, brush fur. Start young and use food to have the dog used to this kind of handling.

19) EXERCISE
Get you dog out for a nice brisk walk or for a game of retrieve..A tired dog is a good dog. Good for you too !!

20) BODY LANGUAGE
Watch your dog. Know the signals. His language is a physical language. His posture, carriage, position of tail and head. It's fascinating. He is telling you things, she is talking. Listen.