Dog Training

Is a protection dog mean?

A well trained protection dog is social with everyone. A well trained protection dog does not interpret situations to show aggression, but rather waits for his owners command before using force.

Will a protection dog also be a watchdog and bark at everyone who comes to my door?

This depends on the training. A good trainer can develop a dog’s natural tendencies to customize the training to your situation.

Is a protection dog good to live in the house?

Dogs trained for protection such as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Rottweilers are very adaptable and are just as capable living in an apartment as they are on a ranch. Regardless of where they live they should get adequate exercise.

Will a protection dog be good with my kids?

Some dogs are better than others with kids. Work with a qualified trainer to make sure that your dog will be fine with your kids. It is also important to note that children should be taught proper dog etiquette and should be supervised when around any dog.

Will a protection dog bite someone without my command?

A well trained protection dog will bite only on command. Unfortunately, there are many dog trainers who do a sub-par training job with protection dogs. Make sure you are getting your protection dog from a reputable trainer

How much does a protection dog cost?

If you buy a trained dog the cost will vary greatly. Factors will be age of dog, titles the dog has earned, look of the dog, amount of training, etc. A young dog with basic training can be bought for a few thousand while a dog with working titles and extensive additional training may cost $20,000 and up.

I don’t have any particular threats. Should I get a protection dog?

Many people that purchase protection dogs haven’t had break-ins or stalkers or previous violent attacks. They value the benefits of a great pet who would be able to handle a violent situation were it to ever arise. People that shouldn’t get a protection dog are people that want to use them as an offensive weapon. These dogs should only be owned by responsible, mature people who want the dogs as a crime deterrent and last line of defense.

Are there specific laws that deal with protection dogs?

Yes. Certain cities require a special registration for protection dogs. Certain areas also have breed specific legislation which deals with restrictions for certain breeds. Check with your city and county offices for specific laws and ordinances.

Author Ty Brown is a renowned dog trainer whose training adventures and clients have taken him to 18 states and 5 countries to teach others how to properly train their dogs. Go to dogbehavioronline.com for more dog training articles, advice, tips, and answers from a professional dog trainer.

You’ve performed three of the most important tasks for a dog owner: decided if you were right for a dog, determined what dog was the best for you and taught your best friend some manners. That should be about it, right? Wrong!

You have an ongoing relationship with your pet, just like you do your children or your spouse. It’s important to maintain the relationship if you want it to be fruitful. If you don’t, all of that training you’ve done so far will be for naught.

Sometimes, though, like all relationships, the one with your dog can be rocky. Even well-trained owners have dogs with behavior problems when things change. Dog have been known to act out when their owners being working more hours, go back to school, have a baby or get married. Dogs aren’t themselves when they are ill or in pain. Some dogs are just never quite right because of problems inherited from poor breeding.

Here are nine things you can do to make sure your well-behaved dog stays that way.

1. Don’t forget that you are leader of the pack. Remind yourself that your dog is genetically programmed to be part of a group and to obey the leader of his pack. If you don’t provide him consistent strong, yet fair, leadership, he will try to become the leader. If he becomes the leader by default, behavior problems will increase exponentially. Here are some tips to make sure he remembers you are his leader:

- Don’t let him pull on his leash.

- Don’t put the leash on your dog until he sits quietly.

- Don’t let him get away with bad behavior.

- Always eat before he does.

- Don’t chase or play rough games like tug-of-war with your dog.

- Don’t allow him to bite anyone.

- Always go through doorways before him.

- Try to always be calm, fair and confident when dealing with your dog.

- Don’t give him anything - attention, food, play - without him doing something for you first, like sitting on command.

- Don’t allow your dog on furniture without your permission.

- Protect your dog from other animals or people who try to harm him.

When you are a strong leader, your dog will respect you. With this respect comes an innate desire to please. He will love you and want to obey your every command!

2. Train with your dog every day. Just like with humans, any behavior you train your dog to do will be forgotten if he doesn’t practice it. Work with your dog at least 15 minutes a day on an aspect of his behavior. This is important, also, to remind your canine that you are the leader of his pack. Try to teach your dog something new every month or two. This will keep him challenged and give you both a sense of accomplishment. Most dogs were bred to do some kind of work, and if you don’t give your dog purpose, he’ll become bored and develop behavioral problems.

3. Make sure to give your dog treats and praise. Continue the technique you’ve used to train your dog. People tend to get complacent, and before you know it, Spot is hogging your bed and dragging you down the street by the leash. To make things worse, he won’t listen to your commands any more. To prevent this, make your dog perform an act of obedience to earn praise, petting or a treat.

4. Never strike or yell at your dog. Hitting or kicking your dog will have about the same effect that it would on a spouse or a child - it ruins the relationship and breaks down all the trust your pet had for you. Some owners use physical abuse to train their dogs to fight for money. Others believe, erroneously, that abuse will make them become better watch or attack dogs. Statistics show that thousands of dogs are killed or injured by people every year. No matter how frustrated you get with him, never, ever strike your pet.

Dogs don’t respond well to yelling. All it does is get your dog more stressed, which will more than likely make his behavior problems worse. Everyone loses their patience from time to time, but remember that your dog only responds to fair leadership.

5. Get your dog proper medical care. Your dog needs a checkup at the veterinarian annually to make sure he’s in top form physically and to receive yearly shots to prevent rabies and other diseases. It’s important to go to the same vet every year so he or she can monitor your pet and notice any evidence of problems. All dogs need a teeth cleaning from time to time, too, to keep them healthy. If your dog is injured or sick, he needs to get proper medical attention. Your veterinarian can also give you advice on behavior as well as diet, breeding, training, and puppy selection

6. Attend obedience training. As an absolute necessity for getting a good to a positive relationship with your dog, be sure to take him to a six-to-eight-week-long obedience class, before his first birthday if he’s a puppy, as soon as possible if he’s an adult dog. A good trainer will teach you the basics and what a good dog/owner relationship is.

If you have an adult dog, don’t worry. That old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is not true! A dog of any age can learn good behavior. Both you and your dog will benefit. He will learn some good behavior and to respect you, the leader of the pack. You’ll learn the subtleties of your dog’s behavior and how to act in a fair, yet dominant, manner. Obedience training is great way to teach an “only dog” how to properly socialize with other dogs and people. Whether you are alone with your dogs or in a group of people and animals, your dog will learn how to behave.

Here are some tips to help you determine what obedience class is the right one for you and your pet:

- Ask your friends, family members, vet or groomer for

recommendations.

- Be sure the trainer uses positive reinforcement and no methods that hurt or frighten the dogs.

- Choose a trainer that focuses primarily on group classes. Although it may seem like one-on-one training might be best, group classes give both you and your dog to observe other people and their pets. Your dog will also focus on your commands, not just those of the trainer. Some owners do both individual and group classes.

- Make sure there are separate classes for puppies and adult dogs. Dogs between eight and 16 weeks should be in puppy classes. You may also feel more comfortable with a trainer who offers beginning, intermediate and advanced obedience classes.

- Ask the trainer you are considering if you can watch a class. While you watch, note some of these details: Notice if the class is small enough that everyone can get some individualized attention. Watch to see if both and dogs and owners are having fun. See if the trainer provides lesson handouts. In a good class, you’ll hear plenty of praise and commands in upbeat, yet firm, tones. Does the trainer give the owners other information about health, grooming or specific breeds? You want to make sure your trainer is knowledgeable about the whole dog, not just obedience training techniques.

- Ask your trainer if he or she knows several different techniques to work with dogs. This can come in handy if your dog doesn’t always respond to the tried-and-true methods.

- Make certain that the trainer requires that dogs be vaccinated and certified healthy by their vet before enrolling in classes.

- Be sure to get a list of equipment you’ll need to bring with you to your first class.

Once you find the right trainer and obedience class, make sure both you and your dog are prepared. Be sure to bring all the required equipment. Don’t feed your dog before class - since treats are part of the reinforcement of good behavior, you want him to be willing to eat the treats, which he might not want if he has a full belly. Don’t forget to do your homework! Practice between classes is essential to reinforce your dog’s behavior.

7. Lean all you can about your dog, his breed, and canine care. You can never know too much when it comes to your dog. Learn all you can from books, television and magazines. Be sure just to take the time to browse at the pet supply store or your favorite online pet supplies merchant to see what kind of new products are on the market. A new toy from time to time is a new adventure for both you and your pet.

8. Keep your dog’s home safe and stimulating. Giving your dog a fun, secure place to live will help to prevent bad behavior and may even prolong his life. Always have a number of fun toys available, including balls, chews and squeaky toys. Be sure to play with your dog daily to give him the necessary exercise he needs, to help you bond with your pet and to just have fun!

If no one is home during the day, leave a talk radio station on. Keep your pet out of areas of your home where he might eat something toxic or injure himself. Keep your fence well maintained.

If your dog starts to have behavior problems, don’t despair! There’s nothing to say that you can’t start training him to change his behavior! With a little patience and perseverance, you will be able to eliminate most bad behavior. In the most extreme cases, you may not be able to stop the behavior, but with training your dog will show improvement.

Some problems won’t be entirely eliminated, especially if you chose a dog that doesn’t have the temperament for your lifestyle. But even some of these dogs can change if you have a good dog/dog owner relationship. Now we’ll look at some of the most common behavior problems and how to re-train your dog to behave appropriately.

Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’

The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!
For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

There are many things dogs can be trained to do but, of all the tasks a working dog can perform, search and rescue ranks the highest for needing qualified, professional trainers. A Search and Rescue (SAR) dog’s performance, quite literally, can determine life or death to a human in need.

As shocking as it may sound, there is no set of standards for rescue dog training. Subsequently, rescue clubs, teams, and individuals emerge as trainers, when, in fact, they may know little, or nothing at all, about training a SAR dog. Attending seminars and reading books on the subject are worthwhile endeavors, but they do not constitute being a SAR dog trainer. Sadly, in a large percentage of cases, this is an assumption not only made, but followed, and replicated. In some cases, those touting themselves as SAR dog trainers scarcely have enough knowledge to teach a dog simple parlor tricks, let alone promptly and accurately scenting or tracking skills, where a human life hangs in the balance.

Even when the topical qualifications are in place, this is no substitute for failing to research the validity of those qualifications. You will hear the term “qualified instructor” often from those with police/military backgrounds. While this sounds impressive, keep in mind that there is no “qualification” standard to begin with, so the very title is misleading. Further, there may be a very good reason that the individual is no longer training/handling outside of the police/military venues. That reason may be a desire for work in the private sector, or it could be indicative of poor performance.

Now, I’m not trying to paint a bleak picture; there are a number of incredible SAR dog trainers out there. All of these great instructors hold one thing in common: they can bear your scrutiny with flying colors. If you’re making the huge step towards training your dog for SAR, then you really need to make the right choices. Here are the top things to consider when choosing a SAR dog trainer:

1. Experience. There is no substitute and there is no better gauge of a trainer’s value. Look for trainers who have years of experience in a wide variety of disciplines, not just SAR. Demonstrated ability, in more than a single focus, means that the trainer will be able to administer a wide variety of training methods to accomplish the end goal. Other potential disciplines to look for include: agility, obedience, hunting, or herding. This experience is easily verified by titles such as: Companion Dog (CD, CDX) Agility Dog (AD, MACH, NATCH), Schutzhund (I, II, II) to name a few.

2. Actual SAR experience is a must. SAR dogs perform a number of tasks that your instructor MUST have real-world experience with. They need to be well-versed, from first-hand experience, on how lost or fleeing people will act, how a crime scene needs to be preserved in cadaver searches resulting from criminal acts, etc.

3. The trainer should be well-versed on all breeds and capable of assessing and advising on the limitations and capacity of that breed.

4. Separate marketing from proven performance. If your trainer is good, you can bet he or she will have references. Contact those agencies and inquire about the specific services the trainer was hired for and their thoughts regarding the trainer’s services. Just because they have a polished web site, well-designed brochures, etc., does not mean they’re the best pick, by default. In some cases, a smaller organization may actually yield better references.

The decision for you, and your dog, to become involved in SAR is a big one. Take the time to do your homework. Your success and enjoyment will not only be richer but it may, in fact, save a life!

Dog behavior training is both an art and a science. Some experts say that a dog can have up to an 800-word vocabulary. I’m not so convinced of the number of words but I can verify that many of my dogs showed an uncanny ability to figure out exactly what I was trying to communicate.

One of the best dog training tips I ever got was from a neighbor when I got my first puppy. I was about 9 years old and this was the best present my parents had ever given me. My neighbor was an old hand at training dogs and had living proof in his own dog.

The first thing I did when I got Skipper (not sure why I picked that name, it just sounded right) was to rush over and show my neighbor. His name was hard to pronounce so every one in the neighborhood just called him Mr. D. So Mr. D was kind enough to run through some dog training basics and taught me a lot about how to take care of my new puppy.

Mr. D’s dog was a Jack Terrier called Willie. Willie could do any trick and would respond to almost any request. Willie pretty much had the run of the neighborhood and was known by all. In those days people just let their dog out since there were no leash laws and no one complained. My Mom often gave Willie any leftovers or a soup bones when he would stop by for a visit.

So when I showed up with Skipper, Willie was as excited as I was to have a new playmate. Skipper was a Springer Spaniel that we had rescued from the city dog pound. Skipper was probably about 6 months old but we never knew for sure since the dog pound didn’t know when he was born.

The first order of business was your basic dog house training. I got off pretty easy on this phase since Skipper seemed to prefer going outside to do his bathroom chores. From day one Skipper would go to the door and want to be let out when he needed to go.

Mr. D explained that the two most important things about any kind of dog training were rewards and repetition. The reward could be as simple as praise or a pat on the head. And that I should spend at least 30 minutes a day working with Skipper on anything I wanted to teach him to do.

So each day I would spend 30 minutes teaching Skipper how to stay, sit, fetch, and come when I called. Willie would come over and help too. I don’t know if they actually communicated but having another dog around that already knew all these tricks had to be beneficial.

Skipper also showed a high aptitude for retrieving. Of course I didn’t know at the time that he was a natural born retriever and took credit for being a great and skilled dog trainer. Once I got the basics down I worked on teaching Skipper how to heel, play dead, and not to jump on people.

Skipper started learning on his own too. When I was at school or somewhere that Skipper couldn’t go, my mother would be his next choice in companion. In those days we had what was called a Bookmobile that was a bus from the local library that would come to the neighborhood twice a week.

Skipper figured out that when the Bookmobile came he got to go for a walk with my mother. So like clockwork, Skipper would come to get my mother when it was about 2:00 pm on Tuesday and Friday. Skipper loved to go since he got to sit at the door and welcome every one that showed up each day.

Skipper also knew when it was Saturday. Saturday was grocery-shopping day and when my mother went to the store she always asked the meat department for some bones. Skipper knew that he would get his favorite snack on Saturday afternoons when my mother came back from the store.

For the next 14 years Skipper was my constant companion and escort. Skipper was an exceptional dog in disposition, learning ability, and affection. I also had a big advantage having a helpful neighbor and watching him and his dog. Mr. D and Willie were both a huge help and positive influence.

Dog training does require some dedicated effort but the rewards are more than worth the investment. My current dog, Tuxcitto, is a 24/7 project since he is a Border Collie and full of vim and vigor. But Tuxcitto is a lot like Skipper in that he is a fast learner and extremely affectionate companion.

John Dow owns http://www.freedogtrainingarticles.com, a website that provides free information on dog training. John gets to test his dog training skills daily with his new dog Tuxcitto. You can learn more here: http://www.FreeDogTrainingArticles.com.

Step 1 of 10 to earning a Canine Good Citizen title for your dog is the following:

“Accepting a Friendly Stranger. Goal: Evaluator approaches, shakes hands with handler. Does not touch dog.”

Since the dog must be at least six months of age to even take the Canine Good Citizen test, this is where your socialization of the puppy from early on comes in handy. You dog should be willing to allow people to approach you without barking, growling, hiding behind you or jumping on the person approaching. A bit of sniffing to identify the stranger approaching is permissible, but, for the most part, your dog should be willing to sit at your side and allow you to converse with someone that comes up to you.

It is not imperative that the dog be sitting in the heel position, but it is imperative that you keep an eye on the dog during the conversation (which will be brief in this case).

Ways to help the dog learn this are to take him to places were there will be lots of people that won’t have a dog with them. Grocery parking lots, public parks where dogs are allowed, playgrounds where you can ask the parents to allow the children to pet your dog while he sits quietly, anywhere you can find people so your dog can get used to waiting while you chat.

The more your dog is around people and learns to not bother them while they’re talking to you, the easier this test will be to pass.

How to correct the dog early in the training? Start with people that you know. When they approach you, if the dog jumps up at them, have them stop and totally ignore the dog. You give a single “sit” command and then ignore the dog until he complies. Then, you can have the approaching person pet and praise the dog. Should the dog jump up again, repeat the procedure until he gets the idea that only if he’s sitting will he get praise and petting.

Once that idea is in his mind, gradually phase out the other person praising or petting the dog, while you quietly praise the dog for obeying. Then, start exposing the dog to other adults and, eventually, children. It won’t be long before your dog is politely sitting while you’re engaged in a brief conversation.

(The information in quotes at the beginning of this article is involved in the CGC test taken from the AKC test scoresheet.)

C. Rogers Upson has been training dogs and studying them for nearly 40 years. Her website is Dog Potentials and she has two dog-related stores at Keeping to the Borders and Dog Potentials-The Store.