July 29th, 2010
Dog Quote: They never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation. ….Jerome K. Jerome One of the first and most important steps in dog training is to get the respect and confidence of your dog. As mentioned in previous newsletters dogs are pack animals, and there always must be a leader of the pack. You need to ensure that your dog understands that you are his or her leader. Once you’ve done that you will have gained the respect and confidence of your dog. Having done this will make dog training a whole lot easier for you and a far more pleasurable experience. More Information: Dog Training Tactics Failure to gain the respect of your dog will result in a disobedient animal, as they will not look to you as the lead dog, and it is only the lead dog that they will look to for direction. While most new puppy owners love to give their animal love and affection, they also need to be aware that leadership and respect are equally important. In fact, I would go as far as to say that leadership and respect are more important, because it is only when you get that from your dog that you can truly enjoy the benefits of having a dog in the family. And the sooner you get your respect and leadership the more enjoyable life will be for both you and your dog, and the sooner and easier it will be to have your dog fully trained. The longer you leave the process of training your dog the more difficult it will become, as habits of old dogs are harder to break. More Information: Dog Training Tactics -
Dog Quote: I went to an exclusive kennel club. It was very exclusive. There was a sign out front: “No Dogs Allowed.” ….Phil Foster Dogs love to dig but this can be a problem if that lovely landscaped yard of yours looks like a minefield from all the holes that your dog has dug. No doubt if you have a dog that likes to dig you have tried all and sundry to get it to stop from smacking it to yelling at it when it starts to dig and you probably still haven’t resolved the problem. Once again, like all methods of dog training, if you can address the reason why the dog is doing something you will be able to eliminate the problem. More Information: Dog Training Tactics There are many different reasons why a dog will dig, from boredom and frustration to the search for a cold place to rest in humid weather. Consider the surroundings that you have made available for your pet and see if there are any areas that need attention. Does your dog need more shelter, or is the current shelter just a little too hot for the climate that you are living in? Is the dog digging to gain your attention and if so you will need to look at earlier lessons on how to give your dog the attention that it is seeking without encouraging it to continue with the behavior that you wish to stop. Maybe your dog needs more toys to play with or more exercise to relieve some of it’s pent up energy. Maybe you will need to fence off parts of your yard where you know your dog prefers to dig. If you have a dog that just prefers to dig for no other reason than the enjoyment of digging you might need to offer it a dedicated area of the yard where it can dig to it’s hearts delight. This might help to keep your dog contented while you are away. There will always be a solution, you just need to look at the circumstances and take the appropriate action. More Information: Dog Training Tactics
