Books help with puppy problems

Two weeks ago we added a new member to our family.  

We went from being a two-adult person household to two adults and one tiny, Yorkshire terrier puppy. Wow, what a change! We have not had a dog (or a baby) in more than 25 years so this is a real learning experience.

What does this have to do with the library you might ask?

Well let me tell you, the library is once again my lifeline. My friends and staff can only take so many questions about living with and training a puppy but thanks to the Muskogee Public Library’s very complete collection on dogs I have a wealth of expert information available at no additional cost to me. All I need is my library card. Believe me this is wonderful since I already have discovered that a tiny puppy is very expensive.

I must admit that since we got the puppy on a Sunday, my first search for information was on the Internet and, yes, I found a lot of material. But I quickly realized that much of it was “teaser” material. They gave me a little information and then wanted to sell me a book or downloadable book for just $19.95 or maybe $17.95 since I was a new customer.

The other thing was if they didn’t charge for all their excellent advice it was going to cost me a pretty penny to print the information or I was going to have to carry my computer with me all the time. This would not work for me. So come Monday morning I arrived at the library just a little early and immediately headed upstairs to the 636.76 section of the library. This is the Dewey number for dog books.

Here, I had a huge choice of material from which to choose so I started examining all the relevant sounding titles. I finally selected five that seemed the best variety. I was able to check them out and take them home for three weeks without paying even 95 cents and when I glean all I can from these, I can get more books. I probably will find enough to get me all through the puppy stage and even way into all the joys of living with a well trained adult dog.

I did not find a book specifically on Yorkshire terriers on the shelf on Monday but I did find one on silky terriers by Brenda Belmont which has been very informative and helpful. Two others that are proving very useful are “Puppy Training” by Charlotte Schwartz and “House-Training Your Dog” also by Charlotte Schwartz.  

These are very basic and provide excellent, step-by-step instructions. An interesting book I picked up but have not really had much time to delve into is “Teach Yourself Visually: Dog Training” by Sarah Hodgson. This has many illustrative pictures to help you know how to get your train your dog.

Finally, I picked up “The Dog Whisperer” by Paul Owens.  While I am sure it has much valuable information it has way more than I can absorb at this time so I am going to turn it in and check out some of the other available titles.

Once again, Muskogee Public Library has come to my rescue.  I have no out-of-pocket expense and yet have access to the best of the best in the dog world.

Not only that I can read them at my leisure whether in my home, car, or even out of doors while I am waiting the suggested five to 10 minutes for him to take care of business. It looks like I will find enough resources to get me all through the puppy stage and even into all the joys of living with a well trained adult dog.

So, if you have a new puppy at your house you might want to check out the selection of dog books at Muskogee Public Library.

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Why Clicker <b>Dog Training</b> Important? | health 71

Clicker Training for Dogs is a scientific approach to determine the best behavior in dogs and illiminates all the problems that exist. This method of training, increased communication with your dog and there is greater understanding of the specific situations in which animals respond.

In fact, the clicker training dogs in a positive way, based on repetition, positive reinforcement and constant efforts ?
importance of clicker training.
? € ? ? ? ? mutual respect and the bond grows between dog and handler automatically
? € ? ? ? ? dog clicker training. a form of motivation, the scientific background and is not with violent punishment.
? € ? ? ? ? It is ideal for puppies and dogs makes confident.
? ? € ? ? ? ? It makes the dogs stress free and therefore has a positive effect on overall growth.

What a dog clicker?
A plastic toy that comes with a strip of metal and makes it distinctive is a clicker. Clicker plays an important role in the preparation of a dog learn to understand your communication and his psychology and conditioning. Dog clicker training allows the dog to improve their skills and learn to explore his own world.
communication tools ?
operant conditioning and classical conditioning are two basic tools used in dog clicker training. They are the final results and therefore this means that regardless of the behavior you expect from your dog, make sure you covered the results you can expect it must. For example, if you need your dog to greet you each time you come from home to work, the positive reinforcement. You should reward him when he shows made the behavior you want and then this way you encourage your dog.
Other behaviors through negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative, and finally the rate of extinction regulated. This is the basis of operant conditioning in training clicker dog.
But to generate better results, we need the tools of communication, both clubs, the operant conditioning method with classical conditioning is. In classical conditioning, the dog on two things that have no connection with each other has to be combined. The clicker sound is thought of as a reward and, therefore, if the dog hears the sound, he knew he was appreciated for his actions or behavior to advance
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In addition, it should be understood that the spread of the things also be important. verbal cues and signals are important to clicker training. As the dog is used for training, you can phase the clicker and treat.

Copyright all rights reserved 2009 puppy and dog training

Dog Training in Psychology

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Returning a foster dog

 

You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned Morgan recently. That’s because after fostering him for two weeks, I made the difficult decision to stop fostering him. This was no fault of Morgan’s. He had a difficult time adjusting to my lifestyle, and I had a difficult time adjusting to his.

One of the most rewarding things a dog lover can do is foster. To foster a dog means to provide that dog with a loving home temporarily until he gets adopted. This could take days, weeks, months or even years.

Dog rescues and shelters depend on foster homes because there is not enough shelter space to house so many homeless dogs. Plus, in a home setting it is easier to learn more about the dog and to begin teaching him how to live properly with a family.

Those of us who foster dogs don’t like to talk about the dogs we have “failed” on. But if you ask most foster owners if they’ve ever returned a dog for any reason, most will say yes, especially if they foster dog after dog, year after year. They can’t all work out.

To return a foster dog means he will live at a shelter or boarding facility or hopefully another foster home until he gets adopted. It does not mean he will be euthanized, at least that’s not the case with 4 Luv of Dog Rescue, the rescue I work with.

I have fostered seven dogs. I returned three of them within two weeks because of separation anxiety issues, meaning the dogs would panic when left alone. My first foster dog broke out of her crate and started tearing apart my door before I got home from work. Welcome to fostering! 

Morgan was my most recent foster dog, and he also had problems being left alone. Because I rent a townhome and have close neighbors, this was not a good situation. Morgan is a very intelligent dog and will do just fine once he finds the right person to help him through his anxiety. I am not that person.

I have written past posts on should I foster a dog? and what to consider before fostering a dog. I hope you will check these out if you are interested in fostering. Now that I have more experience with fostering, I want to touch on a more difficult subject – returning a foster dog that doesn’t work out.

First of all, to make the fostering process run smoothly so you hopefully do not have to return the dog, take the time to find the right dog to foster. I can’t stress this enough. Ask a lot of questions about each potential dog so you can find the right fit.

I always seem to get stuck with dogs that have separation problems. This will be avoided in the future when I make sure to ask the right people the right questions possibly several times. Some important questions to ask include:

Is the dog housebroken? Is the dog kennel trained? Does the dog have anxiety when left alone? Does the dog have any kind of aggression? How much exercise will this particular dog need? Is the dog spayed/neutered?

There is no perfect dog, and most rescue dogs are going to have an “issue” of some sort. What dog doesn’t? But if you know ahead of time what you need to work on with the dog, you can start planning a routine and adjusting your schedule. Also keep in mind that sometimes the rescue simply will not know a lot about the dog, especially if he was recently pulled from the pound.

The most important thing to remember is that it’s OK to return a foster dog if it is not working out. You do not have to put up with the dog no matter what, and there are always other dogs you can foster. If you have to ask yourself whether or not you should return your foster dog, you probably should return him.

Below are some reasons why someone might return a foster dog. All of these issues can be worked through over time, but it takes the right person. You know if you are the right person or not.

1. The foster dog damages your property.

Most dog rescues are not going to compensate you for damaged property. They just don’t have the money. This is something to be aware of before you bring home a foster dog. If the rescue is organized enough, it will probably have some sort of liability agreement form for you to sign saying you are responsible for all injuries and damage the dog causes.

The rescue I work with pays for the veterinary care and food for all the foster dogs, although I’m sure many foster owners volunteer to cover these costs on their own. 4 Luv of Dog even paid for Morgan to go to training classes and dog daycare.

Still, after seven foster dogs, I’ve had my fair share of property damage.

My first foster dog damaged both my large crates. Determined dogs can now bust out of them. She also ripped apart my bedroom doorway. A more recent foster dog chewed up a door knob. I’ve thrown away several toys, blankets and towels that were completely shredded. There are stains on my carpets that may never come out. My car has taken a lot of abuse. I’ve spent a nice amount on carpet cleaners and paper towels.

Is it worth it? That’s up to you to decide. 

2. The dog has severe separation anxiety.

A dog with true separation anxiety panics when left alone. He does more than bark and cry. A dog with severe separation anxiety damages property, breaks out of crates and even injures himself.

If your foster dog has separation anxiety, there are ways you can help him. It will take a lot of time and patience. If you’re not sure if your foster dog has true anxiety or not, check out my post on dog separation anxiety for a list of symptoms and what to do about it.

3. The dog is aggressive.

You do not want to put yourself, your family or others in danger unless you are experienced with rehabilitating aggressive dogs or willing to learn – no easy task.

4. You, your family members or your pets are constantly stressed.

If you are constantly stressed, it will effect everyone in your house, including the foster dog. A little stress is unavoidable when you foster, and of course there will be an adjustment period. But if you are worried day and night about what the foster dog is getting into, the dog may be more stress than he’s worth. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you angry at the dog all the time? Too forceful with him? If so, the dog might be better off somewhere else.

5. You have no free time.

I’ve had foster dogs with such extreme anxiety that I literally could not even go to the grocery store for 10 minutes without coming back to a broken kennel and damaged doors. I was literally trapped in my own apartment. Not a good situation to be in.

6. Your own pets are not adjusting well.

I won’t put my own animals in danger. If I can’t trust the foster dog around my cats or around my dog, he has to go. Fortunately this has never happened to me. All of my foster dogs have been good around other animals when supervised.

I have however had a foster dog that was so mentally unstable that just being around the dog made Ace uncomfortable. If I raised my voice around the dog, Ace would crawl away and cower. If the dog got excited, Ace would growl, which is way out of character for my friendly, gentle dog. I’m learning to really trust Ace’s judgement because he will always be able to read other animals better than I can.

1. There are dozens of other ways to help rescue dogs.

Although I am not fostering Morgan, I visit him once a week at the boarding facility he currently lives at. I take him out to go running at a nearby park, and we work on obedience training. I also take other rescue dogs running, and I take them to adoption events. I am constantly writing about the rescue dogs on this dog blog and also on my dog running site. There are hundreds of ways you can help homeless dogs without fostering.

2. You can always foster a different dog.

There are thousands of dogs that need foster homes. Not all of them have issues. Find one that you can live with.

3. You can foster in the future if now is not the right time.

Right now I have to be more selective about the dogs I foster, but I look forward to the time in my life where I’m able to take on more challenging dogs. Perhaps this is the case for you as well.

4. You are not a failure.

Anyone who attempts to foster a dog has a big heart and deserves a huge thank you. It means a lot to the dog. Even if it didn’t work out, you tried. You made a difference.

5. The rescue may not show much appreciation for your efforts.

Remember that rescues are run by volunteers who are just as busy as you. If no one thanks you for your hard work, don’t take it personally.

I would like to see 4 Luv of Dog Rescue get a better system in place for thanking its volunteers, especially new foster owners. Maybe that’s a task I will tackle, as someone has to volunteer to do this as well! Like I said, there is always something you can do to help a dog rescue. The possibilities are endless, just as the need for more help is endless.

Have you ever fostered a dog? Have you ever returned that dog before it got adopted? What are some ways you help homeless dogs?

10/21/2010 edit: Morgan went to a trial home! If you are interested in fostering Morgan (pictured below), fill out a foster home application with 4 Luv of Dog. I’d also be willing to answer any questions you have about Morgan, so shoot me an email at Lindsay@ThatMutt.com.

Click here for dogs in need of foster homes with 4 Luv of Dog Rescue.

 

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Looking Into Dog Training Collars To Train Your Hunting Dogs? Try Innotek

Today, we are learning more and more about training bird dogs using the relatively new technology called electronic dog training collars. These collars have changed the way that working dogs are trained, especially hunting dogs.

One of the greatest values these collars give to the trainer is the increase of interaction between the trainer and the dog. They allow for remote training, without a traditional leash, which greatly increases the options a trainer has in training a working or hunting dog. Let’s look at why these collars are so effective.

Electronic training systems consist of two parts: transmitters and receivers. The transmitter is usually in the hand-held unit and is controlled by the trainer while the receiver is usually worn in the dog’s collar. Correcting a dog–at home, in the field hunting, or during a show—is done by sending a signal from the trainer’s transmitter that sends a light volt of static shock to the dog through the collar. These corrections are light and do not harm the dog, but they do distract the dog, which corrects bad behavior. This quickly increases the training pace.

If you’re looking for an effective dog training collar, you’ll need one that is not only safe, but reliable. Innotek is a known name when it comes to electronic dog training collars. Innotek systems will serve your needs; you can get a backyard system for your property which will allow you to train two or more dogs, or you can opt for a simpler one for training at home.

In addition to the high quality that is guaranteed by the use of top of the line components, Innotek products offer long-term durability. Innotek’s Ultra Smart Training collars also offer a variety of options including 15 levels of stimulation, allow for multiple dogs to be trained and options to use sound as well as electronic reminders for your dog.

Innotek UltraSmart training collars provide the best value through the IUT 300 series. Great for trainers who have want to train two dogs at a time, you can experience great results in field or show training where your dogs will need to be a bit of a distance from where you stand. Designed to work up to 300 yards away, these collars work with either sound or electronic stimulation.

The IUT300 offers a number of features that are not available in any other collar including self diagnosis, electronic fit testing, battery strength display, a built in receiver and lithium ion technology that is not found in any other collar. In addition, the nine stimulation levels make this collar one of the most versatile for those owners who want the control of both electronic and sound correction.

Extra-long probes for long-haired dogs are also available as well as lanyards, test lights, and instructional DVDs. Innotek is committed to ensuring that you and your dog get the most from their products when training.

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Reasons You Would Love a Dog

Having a dog can be a very big commitment; It is like having your very own child. Prior to getting one of your own, you should make sure that you will be able to handle it. I don’t want to scare you away from dogs, they are phenomenal pets. Man’s best friend is less than accurate when describing a canine. However, they require care and love. Dogs are also expensive. You have to take into consideration dog food, grooming, health, and possible training. In San Diego Dog Training can cost five hundred dollars for a two week session and in San Diego Puppy Training is even more expensive. Keep in mind, the friendship with your dog far balances out any money it costs you.

Owning a dog is a world wide enjoyment. They act like best friends, but even more reliable. A healthy relationship between the dog and owner is be stronger than human bonds. Your dog is the only one who always greets you when you come home from work or wake up with the constant enthusiasm. A dog is my favorite shoulder to cry on as well. No dog will leave you when you feeling down; in fact, they will most likely pull you out of it. Dogs provide the perfect date for an evening picnic as well. I cannot count the priceless memories I have of my dogs and I playing Frisbee on a beach or at the park. Though they don’t seem like a big deal, you will cherish these memories later in life.

Dogs are fun, but in no way cheap. Owning a dog is like owning a child, you have to pay for its health, food and education in some way. Now, a dog won’t cost you thousands of dollars in college money like a child, more like hundreds. Getting a dog trained is important, and will probably cost anywhere from three to five hundred dollars. Another cost that comes with keeping a dog is boarding. If you take a vacation, you will need to find a dog sitter or set your dog up at the kennel. At the cheapest rate, this will cost about twenty dollars a night. Also keep in mind the costs of veterinarian services, grooming or food!

In addition to costing money, Dogs cost time. They are more demanding than pets like hermit crabs or fish,who are satisfied when you throw food in their cage. Dogs crave nurturing and love. Dogs need to be walked at least once a week and played with. Giving a dog the attention it needs is a menial task, as long as you tray. They are not picky, as long as they’re being loved. Dogs are perfectly happy with a crummy beat up shoe or tennis ball to play with, as long as they get your attention.

When you buy a dog, you take on a huge duty. But with this responsibility comes priceless opportunities! By giving a little money, love and time, you get in return infinite love, gratitude and a new best friend. Dogs are the most dependable and gracious friends you will ever have. It seems like a fair trade to spend some money and time on them for such a great friend in return.

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Barking At Other Dogs

This post is for people who have social dogs, who bark simply because they see another dog. If your dog has aggression or is out of control, there are other resources for that. We specifically recommend you find a dog trainer near you or check out a book on feisty fidos.

When you are out on your walks you have to pay attention. If you see another dog coming, then its time to watch your dog. Here is the key, reward your dog for looking at the other dog, but not barking. If they start barking, you should have caught it earlier. If they do start barking, no biggie, put a treat in their face, lure them in front of you and just keep feeding them until the other dog passes by.

If they haven’t started barking, tell them how fabulous they are and reward them with the food. Keep doing this until the other dog is gone. I like to pick up my pace and use a very happy voice. In a typical walk we will pass by 4 dogs and by the 4th one, I only have to use one treat because my dog already knows the routine. If there is a barking dog behind a fence, I see this is a great training opportunity, I can stand there and practice for as long as I need to. Over time the food isn’t necessary any more, but initially you’ll want to stay armed with it. try to use a good dog treat that is only for this special occasion, not a usual milkbone.

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Dog Terrors

One morning I was watching the news and a special about disciplining dogs came on. The program had taken four disobedient dogs to Washington DC dog training in hopes of turning them into refined pets. They worked with each dog individually until it had mastered a skill. Dog clicker training was a main focus of the program A command would be followed by a click, and if the dog obeyed it received a treat. Eventually, if the dog heard a click it would do the command. I was astonished at the progress the dogs made in such a short time. They went from bad to good in a matter of days.
Had they held auditions for this show, my dog would have been a shoe-in. Jesse, my dog, and I have a very rocky relationship. As it seems, he is the king of the castle. I didn’t think dogs could wear pants, but Jesse has showed me differently. Jesse has always been spoiled. I have spent countless nights sleeping on the couch because Jesse wouldn’t share the bed. Any pillow I have must be tested and approved by him first, and if he likes it, he might choose to take it for himself. He also has taken on the role of my personal taste-tester, even if I didn’t ask for his service.
I feel like I’ve done all I can to try and reform Jesse. I tried using tips from a book from my brother-in-law; called Good Masters make Good Dogs. I followed this book to the t, child-locking my kitchen, putting shock systems on things, but it did absolutely nothing. Jesse just out-smarted it all. I was at a loss. I then turned to my veterinarian. The vet taught me tricks to correct misbehavior in animals that was “fool-proof”. I’m not sure if Jesse is a genius or a dunce because it didn’t work. Jesse seemed to repel any type of constructive reformation.
This special seemed like my last hope. If it could fix the terrible dogs I saw on TV, Jesse would be an easy task. After all, Jesse was harmless at heart, he would never hurt anyone. He just needed some expert discipline. After watching the news special, I ran to the internet to see if I could get Jesse into the program. The news station website had a contest entry form for a sweepstakes that could land Jesse a trip to D.C. for dog training. I am normally not the type to enter contests, but I was hopeful.
Three weeks later, I got a message on my cell phone from the dog expo in DC. I was quite surprised because I had almost forgotten about the entire things. I was to bring Jesse to the training center in two weeks on a Thursday ready to work. I took him to be groomed and get a checkup just in case. Now that he was presentable, Jesse and I got in my car, him in the front seat of course, and set off. By the end of the workshop, Jesse was a new dog. He sat in the backseat on the way home, slept on his dog bed for the first time, and started a new diet void of human food.

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