In Home Dog Training And Pet Nutrition

Socialization For Your Dog Is Important For Its Entire Life

2011-09-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Any time you talk with someone that works with animals the topic of “Socializing” becomes part of the conversation. It is so important to Socialize your pet not only the puppies but your adult dogs as well. Even though you take a puppy around other dogs and people a lot while they are small does not mean all is well and they will stay well adjusted. This activity needs to be an on going part of their life style.

Dogs have become our closest companion since we share so may behaviors with them. In doing so, we have a tendency to anthropomorphize his actions. For instance “They look guilty when they have been destructive” when in fact their response is more likely to be fear. They have learned to respond to you yelling at them for tearing something up by ducking down and running off where they feel safe.

Fear:

In a potentially harmful situation is a normal and healthy reaction. Let’ take thunderstorms as an example. We humans have the distinct advantage over all other animals in that we can talk about it. Imagine what a thunderstorm would be like if no one could tell you it wouldn’t hurt us. They only way we would learn that thunderstorms aren’t dangerous would be through habituation, through learning from experience that the noise would not harm us.
This is the way dogs must learn to control their fears.

Fear comes from many origins. One being genetic, it can be inherited and this genetically ‘pre-wired’ fear behavior is resistant to change. It might affect only one pup in a litter and is easily detectable at six to ten weeks of age. This pup will be wild eyed and withdrawn. Inherited fear can also affect entire litters. In these circumstances, exaggerated fear develops between three and ten months of age. These pups have a generalized fear of anything new or unusual, a global fear and once more, this behavior is ‘pre-wired’ into the mind of the dog and is resistant to change.
Every dog, just as every human, will inherit a certain level of reactivity to his environment. This is normal and healthy. It contributes to our and their survival, but in some breeds or individuals, this inherited reactivity appears to be exaggerated.
Nervous mothers can imprint nervousness into their offspring, unwittingly teaching barking and excitable behavior. We also know that an impoverished physical or social environment early in life will have an overwhelming influence on the emotional development of the dog’s mind. Pups that are deprived of normal exposure to common stimuli during their critical periods of development quite simply become fearful dogs when they mature. There is considerable individual and breed variation but virtually all dogs will show a fear response to new and unusual stimuli that they have not experienced before they are sixteen weeks old.

Dogs express their fear in many ways, Fight or flight, usually flight , is a common response to fear but dogs often can’t flee from what frightens them. Instead, they might bark anxiously and assume the body posture of fear, in which the tail is tucked between the legs, the back is arched, the lips are drawn back, hackles are raised and the ears are flattened against the head. At the same time there is autonomic nervous activity. The heart rate increases, pupils dilate and trembling might occur. The dog might even urinate and, of course, he might try to bite.

When fears are not unlearned through desensitization, they can become phobias. Dogs can develop phobias to loud noises, traffic, people, vets, or many other things. Phobias to veterinarians and clinics are probably just about as common in dogs as phobias to dentists and dental clinics are to their owners. This might happen because the first association was exceedingly unpleasant.

If you have a pet with these issues talk to your veterinarian or a professional trainer to help you work through these issues.

Until next time, provide your pet with good nutrition, exercise, mental stimulation, and affection.

3 Types Of Aggression

2011-09-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

We often hear the phrase, “The Dog is Aggressive”. This phrase often conjures in our mind maliciousness, nastiness or vindictiveness but this is not what aggression means in the dog’s mind. Aggression has many forms so let’s look into those forms.

First we have “Dominance Aggression”

As we all know, dogs are pack animals. They simply don’t expect equality. The dog’s natural genetic predisposition is to find his place in the pecking order, the dominance hierarchy. This form of aggression is usually shown by male dogs between two and two and half years of age. Now their testosterone surge occurs between six months and a year yet the apparently sudden, unprovoked aggressive attacks of dominance usually against members of the immediate family frequently don’t occur for another one to two years. As we humans make up most dogs packs as far as the dogs are concerned, it is usually directed at us. This type of aggression can be provoked by simply disturbing your dog, such as awakening him or moving him or ordering him to move from his resting place. It can be provoked by approaching his food, is “favorite person” or his resting area even if he’s not in it. Dominance aggression can be stimulated by petting, by having collars and leads put on or off, by being stared at or disciplined, by grooming, nail cutting, toweling or even by meeting in a narrow passageway. Just standing over a dog can be interpreted as a threat to this position and can invoke a response.

The second Aggression is “Possessive Aggression”

This form can be perpetuated through the juvenile period and into the adult stage of the dog’s life. Sibling rivalry occurs when two dogs are so similar that they find it difficult to determine which is dominate. Almost routinely the problem is exacerbated through our intervention. This learning problem occurs most frequently in dogs that resemble each other in size, sex and age is usually triggered by competition for food, toy, a sleeping place or our attention. Jealousy over attention from the owner, possessiveness over a toy or a bone, rivalry over who sleeps in the favorite spot, these are all manifestations of problems in dominance behavior where a hierarchy has not been properly established.

The third form of aggression is “Fear Aggression”

Dominance aggression is primarily genetic and difficult to alter without proper training. It is offensive in the behavioral sense of the word. Fear aggression is defensive and is primarily a learned behavior. Because it is learned, it is more treatable.
We already know that a puppy which is not properly socialized to his environment, if he does not experience sights, smells and noises during his formative socialization period, can develop a fear of the unknown. Fear is a natural self-preservation response of all animals to new or unusual situations and is the most common response of all captive animals towards humans. One out of every four cases of aggression is fear aggression or its equivalent pain induced aggression.

Fear aggression is the most common cause of dog bites of children. Boys over five years old are bit twice as often as little girls and five to fourteen-year-olds are bit the most. (In seasonal climates, bites occur most frequently in the spring and summer.) These dogs bite children for many reasons. If they have not been properly socialized to children, they can think of them as a new and unfamiliar species. Fear aggression can be caused by a previous painful experience with a child when, for example, the dog’s hair was pulled. Some dogs can even develop a fear of children because they have previously been disciplined or scolded in the presence of the child and associate the child with that experience.

There are more forms of aggressions but these are the most common. If you have a dog with these tendencies you need to work with an experienced professional to help you with these issues.

When should training puppy start?

2011-09-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

So many people have asked me, when is the best time to start training my puppy. So let’s look at some of the Scientific concepts on this matter.

The concept of “Critical Periods” in the emotional development of the dog is well documented. Dogs that are denied human contact until they are over twelve weeks of age seldom make good companions. Research on this issue has been carried out since the 1960’s and it has been concluded that socialization in dogs, the ability to learn to live compatibly with dogs and with us, humans, ends at twelve weeks of age and that the most critical period is six to eight weeks of age.

In 1967, it was found that pups raised in complete isolation to seven weeks of age could still recover completely and become socially normal. It was also reported that outside contacts as infrequent as twice a week and for only twenty minutes each time were enough to ensure normal development as long as these outside contacts occurred in the critical period between four and twelve weeks. In the same year, other researchers reported that pups in this age range could form social attachments to another species, rabbits simply by seeing them for as little as two hours.

So, let’s break this down more.

Neonatal period 0 to 2 weeks

Pups are born with immature, still developing brains. Although their brains look like jelly, they’re really more like sponges soaking up what they can from the environment. Their sensory abilities, hearing, seeing and to some extent feeling, smelling and touching are not yet well developed. The pup is almost wholly under the care of the mother and the way she behaves with her pups will influence their behavior in later life.

Transitional period 2 to 4 weeks

This is the period of time when most of the pup’s sensory abilities come on stream. The eyelids open and optic nerve becomes myelinated. The ears open and the teeth appear. The brain is stimulated by the sights and sounds of the world around them. The pup‘s world opens up and suddenly his littermates and the rest of his environment have a dramatic effect on his developing mind.
Also during this time, pups start to wag their tails. They growl and bark for the first time. They notice us. Their temperature regulation mechanism is improved and this means they can start to leave the nest and will now, if possible, eliminate outside of the nest.
Functioning of the pup’s visual system can first be recorded at ten days of age and by fifteen days, it has the basic features of the adult . By 28 days, the pattern is fully developed. What this means is that at about two weeks of age, when the eyes actually open, the pup’s response to light and to moving objects is rather weak and variable, but by four weeks it is similar to that of the adult. It takes another week before the pup readily and easily recognizes from a distance his mother or owner.

Socialization period 4 to 6 weeks to dogs 4 to 12 weeks to humans

The social life of the dog can only begin when he has developed all of his communication facilities. Most of these have matured to near adult conformation by the time the pup is four weeks old. His senses have matured, he can see, smell, hear and touch more than adequately. His brain is well myelinzed so he can process information quickly and efficiently. And although the major hormonal influence on the dog’s mind will have to wait until puberty, the male pup has already had a surge of male hormone course through his body, sensitizing him to behave in a masculine way. This is why, during the socialization period, male pups will mount other pups.
The obvious beginning of the change in relationship from care-dependency to dominance-submission occurs when the mother starts to walk away from the pups as they try to nurse. This usually occurs during the fourth to fifth weeks. It has been observed that the amount of nursing, the time for final weaning and the evolving interaction between the mother an her pups during this period can have a permanent effect on the minds of the pups. What a pup is really learning when his mother snarls at him as he tries to suckle is not fear but compromise. This as been called “sub dominance” rather than submission. Relationships are not as simple as dominant and submissive, but rather are multilayered. This is a sensible hypothesis and it explains how there can be a pecking order within a pack of dogs or within a pack of people and dogs. Neotenized animals have a life-long need for us. We take on the ‘maternal’ responsibilities for feeding, grooming, and housing our pet dogs. This need is tenuous at best. We are the surrogate pack. To understand the dog’s mind we need to understand the complicated relationships that evolve between littermates during their formative socialization period.

So, when do we start training? If you plan to train in a group setting, make sure they have the necessary shots in order to be around other dogs. Usually this time period is 10 weeks of age. They will have their first 2 series of shots by then. If you are going to have a trainer come into your home, then training can start as early as 8 weeks.

What is a typical day as a dog trainer

2011-09-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

The day usually starts with phone calls; returning calls from potential clients, advertisers wanting your business, follow up calls to past clients, etc. There is always paperwork to be done. Client records to update, preparing homework for the clients, documenting cash flow, paying bills and making sure you have good documentation for everything. I have received calls from past advertisers going back 2 1/2 years wanting to know if I wanted to close my account, without good documentation one wouldn't know when the account was already closed and you could end up paying more then you need to.
After all of the boring stuff is done then you get to go have fun on the road. A normal day is 4 visits, if you have some close together you can do 5 or 6. I cover over a 50 mile radius so 4 or 5 is my max. No matter how hard you try to schedule clients that are close to each other on the same day, sometimes the times and days just don't work out so you do the best you can. Working with the dogs is the best feeling ever when you see them start to understand what it is you are trying to communicate. Then you train the humans to handle the dog in the same manner so the dog doesn't get confused, this can be more difficult then training the dog. All in all dog training is a great profession, the down side is; don't expect to get rich doing it. It is more a labor of love then a real money maker.

Training Tales

2010-05-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

How many times have your heard or have said yourself, “My dog knows what he did”?
Sorry to nix the myth but it is highly unlikely that a dog makes a conscious decision thinking, “ I know what you want, but I won’t do it.” It has been noted by scientific studies that only ape, monkeys and humans are the only mammals that are able to be devious and plan actions. What’s in it for a dog to be “bad?” A dog’s non-compliance, not unlike a person’s, may be for a good reason. There is usually a logical, reasonable, understandable cause for a dog’s seeming “disobedience.” Let me use some analogies to understand this more:

Inattention: A person was driving a car and was changing a CD, checking the rearview mirror, or talking on the phone and didn’t see the light change.

Dog thought: Momentarily distracted, the dog missed the cue. In a ring situation, perhaps the wind blew a tent flap outside the ring and attracted the dog’s attention. Unpredictable distractions happen in real-life, too.

A mechanical/physical problem: The accelerator didn’t respond; the car stalled.

Dog thought: Something physical interrupted compliance. What if on his way toward you, your dog is stung by a bee? Or suddenly gets a stomach cramp, twists his toe or suffers some other physical discomfort? Chances are, you might not even know it happened. This category includes the dog reacting slowly because he is simply not physically capable of a faster response.

Danger: A car on the cross street is barreling toward the intersection, and clearly isn’t slowing to a stop. If you move, you know you’ll be hit, so you ignore both the green light and driver behind you leaning on his horn.

Dog thought: Something the dog perceives as dangerous prevents her response. Perhaps, in order to get to you, your dog has to pass by another dog that is clearly, unmistakably sending an evil eye message, “Don’t you dare come one step closer.”

Overriding instinct. You’re a young, healthy unattached man sitting at a red light. Standing on the corner of the intersection is a bevy of attractive women. The light turns green…but you wouldn’t know it.

Dog thought: Any powerful, hard-wired instinct that kicks in.

Insufficient practice: You’re driving a standard shift, stopped at the top of a steep hill with a car right on your rear. You’re not very skilled yet and you know you’re going to roll back when you take your foot off the brake.

Dog thought: Your dog is in a situation beyond their abilities. They haven’t had sufficient practice and training to comply under the circumstances.

Now that you are getting the idea, don’t be so quick to yell at your dog if they don’t respond. In fact, yelling only makes things worse and proves to them that you are not in control. If you speak to them firmly but calmly you will get a better response. Your body language, and your inter sense of control will pass through to your dog.
Working with your dog and not against them will create a deeper bond that will last forever.

What Are You Really Feeding Your Dog????

2010-03-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Check the labels on the dog foods in the stores. Do they have corn, wheat, soy, gluten in them? Do they contain BHA and/or BHT? BHA and BHA is chemicals that are used to preserve the foods. The foods you find in stores can sit in trucks for months before even getting to the stores. Then the food can sit in the back of the stores on pallets for months. Some are broken open and just taped and put on the shelves anyway. The trucks are not climate controlled so the food is setting in hot and cold weather. This can cause mold, can become bug infested and lot of other exposure.

Doesn't your pet deserve the best possible food? Pets have the capability of living over 20 years but with everything that is used in their foods takes away that option for them.

Why not provide them with a Holistic Human Quality Ingredient food. That is shipped directly to you. It is micro batched meaning small amount of food is prepared in order to provide the fresh healthy food. It is cooked at specific temperatures to ensure the best possible means of retaining the minerals and vitamins and quality of the food. The process is tested every day.

You have nothing to loose and everything to gain.
A holistic vet is the formulator for this food and use to work for the larger companies. But after see their greed and seeing the main focus was on the income not the health of the pet she backed away and helped start this independent company.
Check out her bio and other information for yourself. Go to my website http://www.trainingtailsllc.com and click on the nutrition tab. Watch the videos, do a food comparison. You pet deserves at least that much.

Until next time!

New Year, New Times

2010-02-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, it is February already. What happen to January?
I have found that January is a very busy month for Dog Trainers. A lot of people get new puppies, Family pets are being merged together with couples that become engaged at Christmas or get married during the holidays so that is where January went. It is my favorite month, just to see all of the new excited puppies and teaching them to trust and respect their new family.

Potty training seems to be the biggest issue of course with a new puppy so let's talk about that for a moment.

Using a crate to assist with the potty training is the best thing you can do for your dog. They are pack animals; they love their dens if introduced to one correctly. Typically, puppies will not eliminate in their crate unless they are left in the crate for longer than they can physically "hold it". The crate must be the right size, if it is too large, the puppy will sleep in one section and eliminate in another section. The best way to judge the size is use their length and add another 1/2 of their length. This will give them room to turn around easily, lay with their feet out and sit up straight without bumping their heads. Use the crate at night, when you can not supervise and a few hours even when you are home. This will help them learn to use those muscles needed to control their bladder. NEVER use the crate as a punishment place. They will become fearful of it and not want to go in there. It should be a fun place to go and always rewarding. It is their place to get away, just like your favorite place in the house, you want to go there, and you enjoy going there. Well, the crate should be the same for them. If they begin to bark while in the crate, wait for a moment of silence before letting him out. Do not go to them at night and keep taking them out, ignore them and they will settle down if you know they do not have to go outside. If they do continue for more then 20 minutes, go in during a moment of silence, don't say anything but put your hand on the crate. Try turning a radio on for them or give them an old shirt with your smell on it. If you continue to go into the room and take them out they have won and know how to get your attention and it will never stop.

NEVER LEAVE A PUPPY IN THE CRATE FOR LONGER THEN THEY CAN PHYSICALLY "HOLD IT"
The rule of thumb for this is 1 hour per month. If they are 2 months they can hold for 2 hours, etc.

What To Expect With In Home Training

2009-11-16T08:09:00.001-08:00

In home training is great for those that just can not commit to 6 or 8 weeks of classes.
The benefits of in home training is that you have one-on-one attention, the sessions are scheduled at a time that is good for you, and the big factor is you can start out with low keyed distractions so your dog can learn what it is you are wanting them to do a lot easier since they are able to stay focused on you. Could you learn a new language with a lot of activity going on around you, loud music or such? That is what classes are like for them. Granted classes are a great way to socialize a dog and they need that as an on going thing all of their lives not just for 6 to 8 weeks. I like to start in the home with low distractions, get them to understand everything then build up to lots of distractions. It is so much easier on them, setting them up for success is a win win situation.
All of the unwanted behaviors can be corrected where it happens and they learn what is expected from them in that setting. They will learn the sit/stay, down/stay much easier. Walking nicely on a leash is a lot easier to catch on to if there are less distractions from the start. Build the "Come When Called" by starting close and low keyed, until they able to come to you from a good distance away the first time every time. Not to mention the jumping at the door when guests arrive. Everything that is taught in a class will be learned easier with less stress for everyone. It may cost more but it is well worth it.

My Thoughts As A Dog Trainer

2009-11-13T07:43:00.001-08:00

Now that I have posted some information that I hope will help everyone to select the right puppy and what to feed it, I will now focus on training.

I hear so often "My dog doesn't need any training". My response is; every dog needs training. They didn't get the English version of a manual. The more you can communicate with your canine friend not only with words but with body language as well the stronger the bond will be. Back in the day it was normal to yell at the dog, put them on their back on the floor and show them who is boss. Now that humans have been more educated, and more studies have been completed, it has been found that this is not the right or the best approach to take.
Positive Re-enforcement has been proven time and time again to be the best humane way to train. We don't want to break their spirit and have them scared of us, we want them to want to please us. They need structure, guidance and a routine.
They need to be part of the pack (you being in that pack). A dog that is left out in the yard day in and day out does not get any mental stimulation. They need and deserve to do what they were bred to do. As I mentioned in the post about different breeds, if you have a working dog you need to give them a job. Be it hiding things for them to find, play hide-n-seek yourself with them or hide treats. Something to stimulate that need to find things. If it is a herding dog, give them something to herd, a large ball or something that moves around easily. I will never understand why people get dogs and leave them outside all of the time. What is the point?
If you don't want a dog in your home don't get one. It is not fair for them. If they won't behave in the house it isn't their fault, they don't know what to do, but with proper training and little work on your part all will be better off for it.
If you are going to have a dog, take the responsibility of preparing them to be part of your family. To me, it is like having a baby then realizing it poops, spits up, and all of that nasty stuff and so you put them outside so it won't mess up your house. Does the baby know any better? Of course not, they need to be taught. You work with them and nurture them until they become grown men and women.
Getting a dog is not just an object to claim as property. Be Responsible!!

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2009-11-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

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Nutrition plays a big role in dog behavior

2009-11-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

Were you aware that what you feed your dog plays a big role not only for his health and well being but for his behavior as well? As a Dog Trainer I am always looking for the best possible food in order to keep my clients up-to-date.

There are so many different foods to chose from and it can and is very over whelming to understand what is really the best for them. Be label Able. One food is said to have scientfically balanced ingredients, while another claims to turn back the hands of time to restore your dog to a younger, healthier state. (Heck, if there were truth in advertising, I would eat it too)! Learning to read labels will allow you to bypass exaggerated advertising claims and get a realistic idea of the product's quality. By law, dog food manufacturers must list ingredients in descending order by bulk weight. For example, a bag of dry kibble that lists the first three ingredients as "chicken meal, chicken by-product meal, rice" has more chicken meal than any other ingredient.

Check the pet foods for any of these ingredients:

Chemical Preservatives - BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin
By - Products - beaks, feet, feathers, heads
Corn, Wheat, or Soy - known allergens (Corn is known to cause hyperactivity)
Artificial Coloring or Flavor
Beef fat - Indigestible fat
Sugars or Corn Syrup
Animal Digest - guts
If other foods contain any of the above items then I always recommend that you switch to what I think is the best food on the market. It contains; Chicken Meal, Fish Meal, Carrots, Apples, Spinach, Celery, Alfalfa Meal
Ground Brown Rice, Powerful Antioxidants, Live Probiotics, Chelated Minerals
NO Chemicals, NO Fillers, Nothing Artificial

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NO By-Products
NO Artificial Colorings
NO Corn, Wheat, or Soy
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Selecting The Right Puppy For Your Family

2009-11-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

IT IS THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!
and that means many families will decide to get a puppy. There are so many things to look for in search for the right puppy and to often time is not taken in doing research to determine what puppy would be the best. It is more then just looking for one that cute or the perfect size. You need to keep in mind what breed and what type of personality will fit into the family life style. Throughout history of our relationship with dogs, we have selectively bred dogs to perform certain functions. Unwittingly at first and then intentionally afterwards, for a thousand generations, we have been tampering with the dog’s mind.

Throughout the world, there are at least 400 different breeds of dogs and about 30,000 to 50,000 genes that govern and monitor the individual features and characteristics of each one of them. Dogs have been bred for a range of activities including:

Hunting
Attacking other dogs or animals for sport
Attacking people
Farmyard work
Guarding and watchdog activity
Herding
Racing
Sled and cart pulling
Scent following
Acting as comforters

For instance the Chihuahua was bred to act as a hot water bottle. The German shepherd is the classic example of being a guard dog and to protect. Other breeds were bred solely as guards, for heightened independent aggression. Great Danes, Mastiffs and Irish Wolfhounds all originally fell into this category and none are as trainable as the German shepherds. Fortunately they are now bred for docility but in both Danes and Mastiffs, throwbacks do easily occur.

Scientific observations on breed differences in behavior have been conducted to study the emotional reactivity, trainability and problem solving ability in Basenjis, Beagles, Cocker spaniels, Shetland sheepdogs and Fox terriers. Emotional reactivity was measured by the amount of distress barking carried out by the dog, tail wagging, heart rate and respiratory rate. In emotional reactivity it was concluded that the Fox terriers, Basenjis and Beagles were more reactive than the Shelties and Cocker spaniels.

I don’t have the space to discuss each breed in detail but here are some things to think about when looking for a puppy for your family.
How active are you, if you enjoy walking, running, going on hikes; then you may want a high energy dog or a working dog that needs to do different activities. Something that would enjoy fly ball, agility, or sporting activities would work for you. If you just want to come home from work and relax and to tired to walk or exercise a dog, stay away from terriers, working dogs and sporting dogs. Do your homework; look for a breed that meets your lifestyle and everyone will be happier. A dog that requires a lot of running, exercise and/or “A job” will not be mentally or physically happy and it may be destructive in the home.
Have a great holiday season and stay safe. Keep your pets safe and happy too by allowing them to be a part of the pack.