Secrets To Dog Training - "Hot Tips For The Bedroom"

Kingdom of Pets, the dog training experts who author Secrets To Dog Training, the dog owner's bible, issue a periodic newsletter. I found an article entitled "Hot Tips For The Bedroom" - a discussion of issues you might not be aware of when you let your dog sleep with you. Since roughly half the people who own dogs sleep with them, it pays to read this article.

Here are the tips in a nutshell:

#1 You should not let puppies or untrained dogs ON the bed, let alone sleeping on it. Their early training is the time when you establish your dominance and their boundaries. Only adult dogs should earn this privilege.

This one is not that obvious, but what is obvious is that an untrained dog can make a big mess in your bed or fall off the bed. Ready for a trip to the laundry or to the vet for broken bones?

#2 For dominant and Alpha dogs, avoid letting them sleep in your "spot" (with you in it or not). This suggests to them that they are in direct competition with you as pack leader.

#3 Don’t ever let your dog on your bed without inviting them first. This is often communicated more with body language, such as a quick succession of pats on the area of the bed you’re asking them to go to.

#4 Have a command for them to get off the bed too (if they are being restless and disruptive this can save a good night’s sleep, and it beats shoving them off). If your dog ignores you when you ask them to get "Off," you’ve got a bit of obedience work to do. If your dog growls at you at all, even when you attempt to adjust their position, then you’ve got some work to do (NOTE: don’t confuse a tired moan with a growl. It can sound similar, but a moan will occur without any aggressive posturing, for example, their mouth will be shut and lips not curled, and they won’t be making eye contact - their eyes might even be closed!)

#5 It’s best to allow your dog to sleep at the bottom end of the bed, and above the blankets.

Some dogs like to burrow under the blankets, which is a risk not only because they can get squished, especially if they’re smaller than you, but they can also potentially suffocate under there. If you allow this, adjust the blankets after they settle in to be sure that they can easily stick their head out. Because they generate a lot of heat too, these burrowers will likely move when they get too warm anyway.

Hope these tips help YOU get a good night's sleep!

Housebreaking An Older Dog - Where Do You Start?

A visitor recently commented on the boyz’ impeccable toilet habits.

And then came the BIG question – “What would you recommend for my 3 Westies? They mess in the house all the time." (My thoughts – THAT must be a lot of fun to come home to!). (Pic is from dogwalkingsouthbeach.com)


The Westies in this discussion are not puppies, but adult dogs. My response was based on 3 things – the experts' advice, experience, and intel gathered from dog forums.

Here are my suggestions for housebreaking an older dog:

1. Get them a checkup at the vet to rule out medical issues that may cause them to be incontinent. If you don’t, you’re wasting your time. For example, one of these dogs takes medications for seizures. Is the medication contributing to the problem?

2. In general, housebreaking an older dog parallels the process for housebreaking a puppy. Choose crate training (http://www.squidoo.com/dog-and-puppy-crate-training-tips), paper training, or the direct method. The direct method involves keeping a watchful eye out for the obvious signs of poop or pee readiness – sniffing, circling, and squatting.

3. An older dog may have developed issues that need to be addressed a little differently. Three of these issues are separation anxiety, dogs who refuse to go outdoors during bad weather (Alvin borders on this woosie small dog syndrome), and older dogs who received inadequate housetraining; for example a shelter dog or a dog whose owner could not devote the time to housetraining.

The separation anxiety issue was addressed on a It’s Me Or The Dog TV show (animal Planet). A Dobermann would pee as soon as his male owner walked out the door. The owner’s wife kept a large mop by the front door. Victoria Stilwell addressed the anxiety problem and the peeing stopped. No – it ain’t magic, although it does seem that way when the problem is solved in an hour-long show. The important point here is the expertise of a dog behaviorist.

4. You will need a step by step procedure to implement and you need to stick to it without deviation. Illustrations are mandatory as well as a well-laid out easy understandable approach.

So, you can search the net and learn from any quack who happens to have an opinion about housebreaking an older dog, OR you can learn from the experts at Kingdom Of Pets. The online book is called The Ultimate HouseTraining Guide, and you can buy it (no, it’s not expensive) by clicking the picture shown below.


If by chance you should have additional issues with your adult dog (excessive barking, chewing, jumping, aggression toward other dogs, etc) – you might opt for the big kahuna - the Kingdom of Pets bible called Secrets To Dog Training (click the title to find out more). This uses DVDs, case studies, and represents the collective expertise of dog trainers with hundreds of years of experience.

I wished my visitor the best of luck with her Westies and congratulated myself for devoting the time and energy to housetraining the boyz when they were pups!

Why Correcting Dog Behavior Problems Is Easier Than You Might Think

Puppy Prison Is No Fun!

Dog Behavior Training Needed Here!

During Simon the Cockapoo's six-week recovery period from luxating patella surgery, he started to show some classic behavior problems:

Excessive whining, especially when penned and also during the night.

Aggression toward Alvin, the other dog in the house.

Refusal to obey a command he had seemingly learned perfectly - the Come command.

It does not take a dog behaviorist to recognize that these behaviors require correction as immediately.

Unfortunately, we do not have a dog trainer on site, so the next best reference for correcting dog behavior is the dog training bible - Secrets To Dog Training:

Free BONUS
For Ordering
Secrets To Dog Training
by August 31

Send proof of purchase with the email address and name used to order Secrets To Dog Training to secrets_to_dog_training@comcast.net. Please use "BONUS" in the subject of your email.

As soon as your purchase is validated (asap), you will receive this bonus pdf:

How To Handle The Barking Dog Problem

Yes, I am the picture of cuteness, but I like to bark - a lot!

As usual, Secrets To Dog Training has an answer to a common dog behavior issue. Like most dogs, Alvin barks at strangers. Lately, his barking has become obsessive. So, I turned to Secrets To Dog Training for a way to handle the situation.

Here's a summary of how the dog training "bible" can help you with a problem such as excessive barking. This is a testimonial from a recent Secrets To Dog Training newsletter:

I wanted to send you a testimonial on how wonderful your book was, and how much it helped my little Sydney, who is a year and a half old yorkie. Thank you for your help! Sydney is my one and a half year old yorkie who was having problems barking whenever anyone came to the door, we passed by anyone on our walks, and anytime she heard something outside.

I tried your techniques with the squirt gun and what a difference it has made. Everytime I hold the water gun now, she knows that she should be quiet. I had to learn that I needed to become the alpha with her and not let her run the household. She is a very pampered princess, but now Sydney knows who is the boss. Your books are a great refresher to read and each time I find new information. Thank you for your help!

-- Mara Giampaola (New York, USA)

Inside Your Dog’s Mind - Prevent Dog Behavior Problems BEFORE They Happen by Understanding Dog Psychology

Dog psychology? What drugs are influencing this blog author?

Yeah, so you think I’m losing it by getting into the minds of my 2 dogs Simon and Alvin. Maybe, but I’m all for preventing dog behavior problems, or at least figuring out how to stop them as quickly as possible.

An example - although I use the picture shown above as Alvin's Evil Eye expression, it turns out he uses it whenever he's protecting something like a piece of food, a bone, or a toy. It's clearly a sign of dominance, so I'm researching how to stop the protective behavior because he can become aggressive toward a person or Simon.

I want you to know upfront – I’m not the Dog Whisperer. I consult Kingdom of Pets' Secrets to Dog Training whenever I need help. The author of this dog training “bible” publishes a newsletter available to those who have purchased the program. A recent newsletter addressed dog psychology and how to prevent dog behavior problems.

Here’s the condensed version of dog psychology from the Kingdom of Pets recent newsletter:

A Dog’s Mind

• No one really knows for sure what dogs are thinking.


• A dog's mind is much less complex than that of a human – they use instincts as opposed to emotion.


• It is a mistake to treat a dog as you would another human being. Example: your dog barks at another dog, so you pick him up to get him to stop barking. This reinforces the dog’s behavior by giving him attention and physically elevating his position.

Pack Life

• Your dog needs to feel secure.


• If he is confident with you as a leader he will allow you to make decisions for the pack (you, your family members, and the dog), and will be more inclined to follow those decisions.


• If your dog understands that you are the pack leader he will obey your commands and be a lot less prone to aggression problems.

Communicating with Your Dog

• Dogs do not actually understand English or any other language, but they can associate the sound of a word with an action or an object.


• When you are communicating with your dog, make sure first that he is aware that you are speaking to him by calling his name to get his attention.


• Dogs can also pick up on your body language so it is important to consider your body language and what message it is sending your dog.

What’s Right or Wrong?
Dogs do not have an understanding of right or wrong nor do they have the ability to be malicious. Example: If your dog chews on your furniture and you put him outside for a time out he will learn that chewing on the furniture leads to punishment by being ignored and therefore they are less likely to do it again. Note that the concept of “it’s wrong to chew the furniture is NOT learned.

Explore Secrets to Dog Training by Kingdom of Pets to learn more about how to solve housebreaking, behavioral, aggression, and obedience issues. And a LOT more about dog psychology.

Try the FREE Secrets to Dog Training 6-Day Course!

Sent to your email, this course covers selected training tips and methods used in Secrets to Dog Training, the dog training "bible."

The Secrets to Dog Training 6-Day Course is absolutely free with no obligation. Click Secrets to Dog Training and scroll down a bit to register for the FREE 6-Day Course.

Avoid Puppy Training Problems - Take This Action First

No matter how hard you try, you cannot train a puppy unless you get his attention first.

How Do You Get A Dog's Attention?
Try screaming at the top of your voice. That'll work a few times. OR you can save your voice and try the "Watch Me" command.

Have you ever seen a dog trainer like Victoria Stilwell use this command?

Follow These Steps
Get the pup to sit. Bring a treat up toward your eyes and say "Watch me".

When the pup makes eye contact (at first he'll look mostly at the treats), give him the treat.

Do it enough times and you'll hold the dog's attention when you say the command.

This simple command will help you avoid puppy training problems if you use it to get your pup's focus on you.

Learn the right way to train your puppy - use the dog training bible, Secrets to Dog Training.

How to Guarantee That Your Dog Learns the Most Common Obedience Commands

Would you like to guarantee that your dog learns the most common obedience commands?

This is much easier than you might believe!

Think carefully about the times you interact with your dog(s) during the day and see which of the common obedience commands you can incorporate into these interactions.

Here's a few examples:

Examples
1. You're bringing your dog in from outdoors. Ask him to Sit and Stay, and once you've walked through the door into your home, ask him to Come. Same commands going out the door, unless the dog really has to go!

2. Before you put his full food disk on the floor, ask for a Sit or a Down.

3. Your new puppy is shadowing you all over the house. As he's following you, stop, say Come, and lavish a lot of praise when the dog comes to you (and he will).

4. My pup Alvin gets an occasional ice cube to supplement his drinking water. I get him to lie down, put the ice cube a foot in front of him, and say Leave It. Once he looks at me, I say Okay and he gets the ice cube.

5. My other pup Simon is leased in the house sometimes because he's not fully housetrained. So we practice the Come command a lot.

What Happens When You Follow Through With These Activities?
I'm sure you can think of other situations where you can use these common obedience commands. Once you've reinforced these activities for a few weeks, they become part of the routine. Your dog will do them automatically.

You will find that it'll make life easier for you and you will have a well-trained dog in no time. As a new puppy owner myself, anything that makes life easier is a gift!

Learn More About Teaching Common Obedience Commands
Take a quick look at this Puppy and Dog Training DVD.

When you're faced with puppy training problems and need solutions FAST, you'll get answers from professional dog trainers in the Dog Training BIBLE, Secrets to Dog Training.

COME Command Not Working? Solution: The Recall Game!

Does your dog look the other way when you say Come?
(This is Alvin's modus operandi)

RECALL This! I Ain't Moving.

Or does he run happily to you EVERY time you use the Come command?
(This is Simon's modus operandi)

So what happened so that one dog ignores the command and the other enthusiastically bounds to you every time you issue the command?

DRUM ROLL please!

Training of course! And taking advantage of puppy shadowing. And playing The Recall Game!

How can you find out about The Recall Game? On a dog forum! Many dog forum threads are fluff, or drippy, or spam. But on occasion, a thread will communicate a workable idea.

The Recall Game is such a post. It's a step-by-step explanation of how to get your dog to come every time, no exceptions. Best of all - your dog will love playing this game!

valmillsy

P.S. Always remember (and never forget) to check out the "Bible" of Dog Training, the best-selling Kingdom of Pets Secrets To Dog Training:

Housetraining Your Puppy – Five Reasons for Failure

Sir Simon Sez, "I'm getting an A in Housetraining 101."

I’ve housetrained two puppies in the last few months and admittedly have made a lot of mistakes. At least I learned enough the first time so that I did not repeat most of the errors. This blog explains 5 mistakes you should avoid when housetraining your puppy.

So here they are - from my recent and somewhat painful experience - the 5 major reasons for housetraining failure:

Mistake #1 – Not using a crate or using a crate incorrectly.
A crate is a must-have item, especially if you plan on getting some sleep at night. I’m not recommending crating a dog at night AND during the day, that’s crate overload. But crating at night is mandatory.

Beware the possible whining, crying, or moaning associated with night crating a puppy. If you take your puppy outside just before you crate him, leave him in the crate until he falls asleep regardless of how much he whines and cries. Very important: if he usually pees and poops the last time he goes outside, don’t bring him in until he’s done both duties.

An example of using a crate incorrectly is to use it for punishment. Suppose your puppy messes in a corner repeatedly. You get fed up and throw him in the crate, knowing that he’s not supposed to eliminate in his sleeping area. He won’t know why he’s suddenly thrown into prison. So exactly what have you accomplished by using the crate in this instance?

Mistake #2 – Not communicating with other household members.
Do NOT assume that someone else in your household has taken the puppy out at the designated time and communicated the results OR knows where the little monster is hiding at the moment (13-week old Simon is the current little monster). Always keep each other informed.

Mistake #3 – Not sticking to the housetraining schedule of activities. The typical schedule for housetraining your puppy dictates that you bring him outside after he eats or drinks, wakes up from a nap, or plays for more than a few minutes. Other times to take him outside are first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, and when he’s suddenly agitated, hyperactive, or is walking in circles. Refer to this book: The Perfectly Housetrained Puppy.

Yup, it’s a lot of things to remember, but if you don’t pay attention to the activities and whereabouts of a young puppy, you’re asking for trouble. After stepping in a pile of poop and tracking it all over the house, I pay attention to Simon’s activities very closely.

Mistake #4 – Not listening to dog training experts about housetraining. I bought one of the best-selling dog training packages written by dog training experts which includes a separate pdf on housetraining (Kindom of Pets Secrets to Dog Training). Unfortunately, I disregarded one or two key suggestions. I paid for those mistakes too.

One of the biggest myths about housetraining is to rub a puppy’s nose in his pee. The experts say it doesn’t work because he’ll have no idea why you’re forcing him to smell his own urine. Too much time has elapsed after the event, even though you may do it a few seconds after it happened. Catching him in the act is a different story.

In fact, the current trend in dog training is that punishment of any kind does not work; only rewards and corrections (interrupting a bad behavior and substituting a good behavior) are effective.

Mistake #5 - Failing to understand that every dog is different.Yes, you need to listen to the experts. But something that works in general may not work for your dog. Then what do you do? Easy – try a new approach. Give the new way a try for a week or so. If it’s not working, try something else. Patience is absolutely necessary while housetraining your puppy.

I mentioned that I am training 2 puppies. Their habits, temperament, and intelligence levels are different, even though they are both Cockapoos.

Alvin, 7 months, is supposedly housetrained. It took about 4 months before he would let us know he needed to go outside. Simon is not mature enough to hold his urine for any length of time during the day (experts say they are mature at about 16 weeks). I am still putting Simon through the night crate and daily schedule routine because I’m sure he will be ready very soon. In fact, he will go to the door to be let out and then promptly do his duty. My bet is that Simon’s training period is going to be shorter than Alvin’s.

Hope this discussion about housetraining your puppy was helpful. Comments with your experiences are welcome.

Are YOU Training Your Dog or Is HE Training You (2 of 6)?

This is the second in a series of blogs about dog training:

Introduction
Training Foundation (you are here)
HouseTraining
Obedience Commands
Overcoming Aggressive Behavior
Advanced Commands/Tricks

Training Foundation:
8 Concepts to Understand Before You Begin Dog Training

Are You Committed to Training Your Dog?
Committment to dog training is the primary key to its success. There is no giving up in dog training.

There is a roller coaster of emotions ranging from extreme frustration when you’ve said “No” for the 35th time on a given day or are picking up poop from your living room rug . . . to absolute elation when your pup responds promptly to your command despite distractions or calmly greets you at the front door.

Let’s be serious here – dog training is domestication of a canine, a descendant of wolves. It’s true that most of the wild side is gone, but your dog is still a wolf in his individual breed “clothing.” Take a good look at your pup's teeth the next time you brush his teeth. Those nasty, muti-pointed ones were made for ripping and tearing flesh, not for eating grass.

Establish Yourself as the Leader of the Pack
You are the leader of the pack. Your dog is a member of the pack. If you cannot assume a leadership role, your dog will take it over. He knows no other way to live in the pack. When he takes over the leader's role, you can guess who will be training who.

One way to see this concept in action is to watch a few Cesar Millan (the “Dog Whisperer”) episodes on the web or on the National Geographic channel. Keep your eyes on Cesar.

Another good source of “alpha dog” information is the kingdom of pets Secrets to Dog Training media package (pdfs, DVD, audio). This media package reinforces the “alpha dog” concept throughout the entire set of topics.

Your Dog is a Family Member
Treat your dog as a family (pack) member, and he will respond accordingly. Do you take your dog with you when you go out (event permitting)? Or do you leave him home to fall asleep or chew the furniture in complete boredom?

When you work around the house, is your dog with you or not? Alvin likes to bite the broom, bark at the vacuum, and grab the rake outdoors. Obviously, your dog can’t help you mow the lawn, but he can be at least present for other activities.

Communicate with Your Dog
People talk is NOT a dog’s native language. He will NEVER, EVER understand your entire message. Maybe a few words. Certainly the tone of your message. And he will get a very clear message from your body language.

You need to communicate in dog talk. Of course, you won’t be barking, growling, or biting (unless you want to) – but you need to understand your dog’s body language and sounds. Alvin combines a sound (whining) with a look. He communicates “You left my treats on the counter and I want them” with a whine and a longing stare in the direction of the treats.

How do you learn dog talk?
Watch the animal! Try and figure out what certain body language means by his actions.

Search the Internet with keywords such as “dog talk” and you’ll get all kinds of help in many different formats.

A word of caution: get specific training information from known experts. They know what works the majority of the time. This is one reason why I finally leaned toward Secrets to Dog Training. Dog experts created this training.

Patience and Consistency are Mandatory
If you want to train your dog, but you are not a patient person, best of luck to you! You may be handing your dog’s training over to a competent one-on-one dog trainer. They’ll make fewer mistakes, but then you’ll need lessons from the trainer about how to use commands. And will the trainer show up to teach housetraining – the type of training that requires the most patience?

All dog training requires consistent application of the same activities in order for training to turn into everyday practice. For example, once you teach a dog to sit with a hand signal, everyone in the household should be using the same signal. If a dog is not supposed to jump up on one family member but is allowed to jump up on another, you will have one confused dog!

Rewards Work, Punishment Does NOT Work
Dogs respond to rewards of food, attention, and toys as long as the reward is immediate (within a few seconds of the request/command). When a dog’s action, whether it’s positive or negative, is rewarded, he is more likely to repeat the action.

Punishment does not work with dogs. Dogs cannot connect a whack on the nose with mischievous or otherwise bad behavior (from the human viewpoint). Punish repeatedly and fear and/or aggression will result. On an episode of "It's Me or the Dog," a snarling Boston Terrior would not let his owner touch him. Turns out she had been coming at him with a broom. It showed what the menacing broom looked like from the terrier's viewpoint. No wonder he became aggressive.

Show Respect for Your Pup
No matter how mischievous, aggressive, or destructive the dog, he will respond based on your respect for him. He senses how you feel by your attitude, tone of voice, and actions, no matter how subtle or how unaware you are of the way you are acting.

Dogs Deserve Excellent Treatment
Dogs DESERVE clean water, nutritious food, medical care, shelter from the weather, and our attention and caring. Training is what owners provide so that they can live comfortably with dogs.

If you are not willing to provide what dogs deserve, perhaps you need to re-think why you got a dog in the first place.

valmillsy