Basics of Havanese Training

Basics of Havanese Training

Its essential for Havanese parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your Havanese and can go a long way in training him effectively.

Before you begin training your Havanese, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your Havanese to have complete trust in you.

Know more about Havanese care from this free mini course

Let us see how.......

How To Bond With Your Havanese

Building a bond with your Havanese is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your Havanese home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence.

When Havaneses are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your Havanese.

Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness.

Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your Havanese is almost impossible.

4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your Havanese :

• Spend quality time together;

• Take him out in the world and experience life together;

• Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and

• Develop a way of communicating to understand each others needs.

Building a bond with your Havanese will not only help you manage him better but will also make your Havanese calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love Your Havanese and He Will Love You back

Once youre succesful in building a bond with your Havanese, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

Learn how to bond with your Havanese with this free mini course.

How Your Havanese Learns...

Your Havaneses learning period can be divided into five phases:

The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your Havanese exactly what you want him to do.

The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your Havanese what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your Havanese in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your Havanese out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever youve taught him.

Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better.

The Testing Phase - Once youre sure that your Havanese has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.

Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope.

The idea is to test your Havanese to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your Havanese.

There are only 2 possibilities:

• Your Havanese succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)

• In case your Havanese fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.

Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.

Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your Havanese does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.

Remember:

• Never scold your Havanese if he fails. Its not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!

• You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.

• Appreciate and love your Havanese when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your Havanese.

• Havanese Training is easy when you do it right.

Learn how to train your Havanese better with this free mini course.

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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Lining up beside one of Australias best

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Introducing Mini Lessons For those of you in or around Tracy CA

I would like to introduce two new changes to Dog Training with Alysia!

First off, I would like to announce Dog Training with Alysia is officially part of the Tracy Chamber of Commerce!
(*insert clap*) Thank you, Thank you! Im very excited to have my business officially involved in the city of Tracy.

Secondly, I would like to introduce mini lessons!

I realize that a lot of clients, or people who show interest in dog training, have been afraid to commit to a full basic obedience course, mostly because they are about a 5-6 week course and shaping your schedule to fit something of this longevity into can be quite difficult sometimes and I completely understand that! I always recommend basic obedience courses as I feel they are, by far, the best way to train your dog to understand all the cues that will set them up for a successful happy life so if you indeed have the time for them and would like to sign up for them please do!
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Before all of my normal training courses begin I hold a private or group introductory lesson explaining in detail my training ideals and then give homework on two very important cues to set you up for your first actual class and that is pretty much the extent of that introductory lesson with me.

I started thinking of ways I could make a training course seem less demanding so I thought why not just build a lesson more informative than my introduction and use that as a way to help people who want to learn but do not want the commitment of a 5-6 week course!

Rusty performing a "down stay"

Lets be honest, I personally learn way better when I have someone in front of me showing me how to do things! I can sit here and type all day but reading and understanding what I have to say and want to show everyone can be quite difficult so if you learn better by face to face interaction and lessons then these are perfect for you!

At the end of each lesson you will be able to get some questions in for me to answer so that every course is personalized for you and what you want to learn from them!

I have four main lessons right now that I will give a brief description for
??????????1. Introduction to training & Basic cues - This course will talk about everything you need to know to be successful with training. I will talk about motivators, food lures, marker cues and more! I will show examples with your dog or mine (depending on where this lesson is held) of how to teach some valuable cues, how often to teach them etc. BUT, then it will be up to you to train your dog with the information given!
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This isnt a basic cue by the way ;)

2. Problem behaviors & how to read a dogs body posture - This course explains where problem behaviors come from & how to prevent them. Ive included reading dogs body posture in this because dogs speak using their whole body and expressions so that is why this is so important to know and it is also a way to have an idea what your dog is actually thinking. I cannot even count the times Ive seen owners get so worked up over two dogs introducing themselves at the dog park and almost creating a bad situation simply by acting up while I just stand back and think of how perfectly normal and social those two dogs are. I will help you with any problem behavior advice you need during my ask the trainer question section.
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 Closest pic of a problem behavior I could find! Tearing apart toys ;)

????3. Foster Family Dogs - This may sound redundant but there are a lot of things foster families may not think about while housing their temporary dog. During this course I will teach some basic cues and the do and do nots of training your foster dog! If you dont already know I am actually certified in training shelter dogs so part of my training involved how to transition your dog into their new home. This can include foster homes, however, with foster homes it is a little different so Ive adapted this training lesson to help you out! Also some shelter dogs can gain "bad habits" so we will go over problem behaviors as well during this course!
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This is Amy our Foster dog who is currently learning
basic obedience during her stay!

 
4. Dogs & Kids - How to teach your kids to properly interact with the family dogs & strangers dogs. I will also teach you how you can read your dogs body posture to watch for warning signs that your dog is feeling uncomfortable in the situation and how you can give your dog some space during the day.

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This would be my mini dog trainer teaching my dogs how to
lay before receiving their reward!

Other lessons that are in the process of being laid out are more for fun and will involve trick training and sports!

 If you have something specific for me to help you out with then I would be more than willing to write out a layout specifically for you or mix up any two of the mini lessons and give information on each!

 

 My goal is to just help everyone have more insight to dogs & training at an affordable cost.

 

Let me tell you the best part!

 

My current price for these lessons are a flat $30 dollars plus tax and gas if youre outside of Tracy!

You can invite as many people as you want to these lessons and if you would like to hold them as a fundraiser you are more than welcome to charge "x" amount per person as long as all the profits go to a non-profit of your choosing!

 

So schedule your mini lesson so I can help give you some valuable information without the commitment of a training course!

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Ay Up End of Year World Wide Sale

10% off the entire range of kits for any customer, anywhere in the world!

<<<<<<========== Banner Link ===============

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Spring Is Here! list of plants that can be harmful to your dog

Its been a week since spring has officially started and it is getting warmer!

You know what else happens in spring?

 Flowers! All kinds of different flowers are blossoming in the spring time!

Yay for beautiful scenery and an awesome back drop for photos right?!

Well I wanted to make this post about flowers and plants because although they can be extremely beautiful they can also be extremely dangerous for your dog! Check your yard for plants that could possibly harm your dog and avoid buying them for planting to make sure your yard is puppy-proofed for spring!

Here is a list of the top ten most dangerous plants for your dog! Remember to never induce vomiting and contact your vet if you believe that your dog has ate something poisonous.

Lets keep our doggys safe this spring!

click link for more information on the harm each plant may cause your dog.

1. Autumn Crocus

2. Azalea

3. Cyclamen

 4. Kalanchoe

5. Lilies

6. Oleander

6. Dieffenbachia

  

7. Daffodils

  

8. Lily of the Valley

9. Sago Palm

  

10. Tulips and Hyacinths

Here is the list on ---> petpoisonhelpline

Here is a complete list of poisonous plants for your dogs at ---> ASPCA

Image credits to google search engine.

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WHEN YOU LOSE A PET DETECTION DOG ASPECTS OF HIRING

When you post a lost pet ad on Craigs list, Pet fees, or other lists, you can often contact tries to give advice and to sell their services to the number of persons.

It is difficult to know who is loyal to their offer to help and who simply sell you their service. How can you know, who knows what they are talking about and who is an armchair expert.  It takes a lot of effort on the sales packaging of highly professional-looking language elements.

If someone starts with you, it would be prudent to contact you should be cautious about their family, and skill.  If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

When I started my dogs certified resources they were lost pets only a handful of people trained dogs in the country.  Even though I had been training and working dogs, one of the first years of the Search I did was take the MPP missing animal response Technician certification course.  My goal was as much about lost pets, their activities and to find and restore them to learn the techniques used.  I started when the missing pet industry we have learned a lot, mostly from people who have lost their Pets and returned successfully, they are on the ground floor.  Also networked with other resources to lose as much as possible in the community of pet animals.  The sum of the parts of the cooperation can be greater than the whole.  We see improvements continuously is the missing pet detection and recovery industry grows and evolves.

There are people who are blessed indeed, experts in people who have rented monitoring trainers sport and blessed than their pet identification groups by the instructors.  Are organizations that promote themselves as a non-profit yet they charge for their services.  (A record profit of human groups charge any SAR on their services.)   Anyone selling himself as the "profit", then the determination of the charging scheme payments before they can help you should question the motives.

Most pets are charged, because their owner and restored to their pets efforts.

The first, which will tell you that My dogs, and is not complete, if you hire us to work for us, success is not guaranteed to be in respect of the fishing effort.  My dogs are still trained and certified by various organizations, at the same time, K9 standards that certify the winks to lose human SAR dogs and working through poliisikoirat.  Several of My dogs are recognized for their contributions to the community, we have several Governors awards.  We have a track record that is available, anyone can view the www.ljtpettracking.com-sivustolla.  Testimonials from customers, we are using.  We can freely share Information through TV and print media presentations.  Only the experience that counts is when a customer calls and tell their pet is safely home, and if we can help with the call of the House instead of a call, we as good as it gets, that ye!

This is the only business where we hope to see you in the good faith was never our services!

View the original article here

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The feeling of winning is very short lived

For the past 2 years (since I first started road racing) I have been racing Masters B grade. One DNF, mostly I just finished with the main peloton.

One week ago saw this change. I used the little bit of experience I have gained in the past 2 years & made it to the top step of the podium of an Open B Grade 84km road race.

The feeling of winning is very short lived.

Racing with integrity against/with good people, maintaining & forging new friendships lasts a lot longer. Then, at the end of every race, regardless of the result that winning feeling lasts a lot longer.

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Named One Of The Top Ten Dog Trainers In The United States

Recently, I was named one of the TOP TEN dog trainers in the United States.  Wow.  What an honor.  I did not even realize I was on the dog training radar!  But, what a privilege to be named, and among some greats like Ian Dunbar, Kyra Sundance, and Zak George.

Dogs have ALWAYS been #1

I started my dog training career almost two decades ago.  Believe it or not, I was actually looking into graduate art programs but realized something was missing.  Art was more of a hobby, not a passion.  So I took a deep look into what made me happy, and what I wanted most out of life.  Two things popped up to the top of the list, helping people, and dogs.

I dropped out of my last year in art school and took kennel position at the Capital Area Humane Society in Columbus, Ohio. My heart was feeling good.....but maybe not so much. The sadness started to creep in; there were so many animals without a forever home. My manager advised me that, if I got my job done, I could spend the rest of my time walking the dogs. So I did. But I didnt just walk them, I started to train them. I would work with the dogs on confidence building skills, polite manners, and play. These seemed to be the areas where the dogs needed the most help.

But it still didnt seem like I was doing enough. What else could I do? Why did people drop off their dogs here? What could I do to prevent the dogs from getting to this point in the first place?  These questions lead me into dog training, and eventually specializing in canine anxiety and puppy development.  Prevent, and fix.

Now, almost 20 years later, I succeed in helping thousands of dog parents build happy, long-lasting relationships with their dogs using only humane, kind, and positive dog training methods. I am devoted to helping dogs, and their guardians, live together in health and harmony. I volunteer at both local and national rescue groups providing a variety of pro-bono services. 

On a global level, I provide online dog training services via phone and internet. I also provide a dog training seminars globally.  I offer professional staff training and other pet industry training services and even weekend dog retreats and camps.  Ive authored 3 dog behavior books....and counting.

variety of dog workshops, dog behavior lectures, and

I consider myself very fortunate to be able to help so many dogs and so many dog parents.  My dog training career can be very stressful at times, but in the end, there are certainly more pros than cons, and more happy endings that not.

Having this recognition as one of the best dog trainers, just fuels my soul to keep on going.  There are many more dogs to save, and owners to educate about the use of positive, effective, and sound dog training.  Thanks to everyone for their support, and I look forward to the next 4 decades!

Do you need extra dog training help?  I offer in-person,  phone consultations, weekend dog retreats and public seminars.  Contact me today for details.

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

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Quote of the day

Unknown Author

The only thing wrong with doing nothing is that you never know when youre finished.

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6 hours of single speeding fun

Race Report

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End of lap one: Left crank fell off. Thanks to Rowan for the tool to pop it back on. Better than riding SS with one leg.

Start of lap 5: I thought, wow! not even 2 hours yet

2 hour mark: damn its hot

3 hour mark: I watched as an aggressive rider tried a crap over taking move on some chick & got stuck in the bushes. I rolled up behind the chick & told her she has right of way & it is well with in the rules for her to say "NO! not yet dumb-arse!" (Ok so I added in the dumb-arse bit to make this report sound better)

4 hour mark: damn its hot. I am getting tired now

5 hours: hey some clouds its nice & cool now!

5 hours 1 minute: I wish those clouds would come back

5 hours 57 minutes: If I ride nice & gently the course will be closed by the time I get to the start/finish!

6 hours 00 minutes 4 seconds: oh, darn no more time to do another lap hehehe.... great day out!

Super happy with my ride. I am loving racing on a single speed. I managed 4th in open mens.

To the rider that was first to greet me at the finish & brag about beating me by 7 minutes, EADWM + jam. I dont race to beat YOU. I race by myself, for myself to beat myself. Selfish, I know.

On a final note: Big props to my son who did his first endurance race too. He punched out a total of 7 laps! learned a few lessons, toughed it out & smashed out the race all day with respect for himself & everyone around him. Thats how its done dude

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One of Australias up coming XC riders

This is what I saw when I looked over my shoulder!

I was going for a smash session around Bunya this morning & looked over my shoulder to see this little dude wheel sucking! It didnt take me long to recognise him as a podium finisher at the junior, short course race that Tailwind Promotions ran in conjunction with their Merida 24 hour. Ty (Tear Their Legs Off) Powell

Needless to say I had to stop & have a breather. Ty pulled over & I asked if I was ok. What an opportunity. "Can I get a photo with you Ty so that everyone will believe I went for a ride with a legend?" After a telling me I should "Toughen up princess & keep riding!" he agreed to a photo.

After the photo opportunity, Ty gave me a few pointers on how to attack on the climbs & suggested I read the Jaman book of tactics if I wanted to learn how to rip legs off other riders.

Thanks Ty!

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Basics of Rottweiler Training

Basics of Rottweiler Training

Its essential for Rottweiler parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your Rottweiler and can go a long way in training him effectively.

Before you begin training your Rottweiler, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your Rottweiler to have complete trust in you.

Know more about Rottweiler care from this free mini course

Let us see how.......

How To Bond With Your Rottweiler

Building a bond with your Rottweiler is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your Rottweiler home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence.

When Rottweilers are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your Rottweiler.

Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness.

Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your Rottweiler is almost impossible.

4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your Rottweiler :

• Spend quality time together;

• Take him out in the world and experience life together;

• Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and

• Develop a way of communicating to understand each others needs.

Building a bond with your Rottweiler will not only help you manage him better but will also make your Rottweiler calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love Your Rottweiler and He Will Love You back

Once youre succesful in building a bond with your Rottweiler, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

Learn how to bond with your Rottweiler with this free mini course.

How Your Rottweiler Learns...

Your Rottweilers learning period can be divided into five phases:

The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your Rottweiler exactly what you want him to do.

The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your Rottweiler what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your Rottweiler in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your Rottweiler out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever youve taught him.

Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better.

The Testing Phase - Once youre sure that your Rottweiler has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.

Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope.

The idea is to test your Rottweiler to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your Rottweiler.

There are only 2 possibilities:

• Your Rottweiler succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)

• In case your Rottweiler fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.

Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.

Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your Rottweiler does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.

Remember:

• Never scold your Rottweiler if he fails. Its not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!

• You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.

• Appreciate and love your Rottweiler when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your Rottweiler.

• Rottweiler Training is easy when you do it right.

Learn how to train your Rottweiler better with this free mini course.

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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CHOOSING A SIZE OF CRATE FOR YOUR DOG

Puppies should have just enough room to turn around and lie down - if the crate is too roomy, the puppy may eliminate at one end and live at the other.
Because most budgets cant afford to get a crate every time the pup grows larger, you should get an appropriate size for an adult and make it smaller with a divider (some crate manufactures make one, or you can use a piece of plywood, etc cut to size & wired in) - making sure your modifications are completely safe for the pup. Adult dogs should at least have enough room to stand up straight and somewhat stretch out when they lay down.

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Importance of Dog Training

I feel like this shouldve been my first post when it came to my blog but its not too late to make it one!

Dog training is incredibly important for many reasons! Having a well trained dog means that they will act as a responsible member of your household. This is the same concept as raising kids! You want them to learn proper manners so they will not be rowdy indoors and also be able to take them into public and have them be respectful and listen to you.

There are many different ways to train your dog since there have been multiple skills that dogs have been bred for. From sheep herding to search and rescue, from disc dogs to k9, every dog has one thing in common, they all need to be trained on the basics.

My goal as a dog trainer is to get the knowledge of the importance of dog training out to the rest of the world! Whether you are in my area or not, I am not saying this simply to get more clients but because dog training is an incredibly valuable tool that a lot of people simply over look! Dog trainers will help you in ways you may have not even thought of when raising your dog and can be very beneficial in preventing problem behaviors from happening! Even if your dog has gotten into some bad habits working with a trainer will be able to modify them and prevent the behavior from being a problem any longer!

I will say, however, that not all trainers are created equal! By this I am saying there are some great trainers, some good trainers and some not so good trainers out there. Every trainer may have different techniques to train your dog but many of them are very successful!
 I base all of my training on positive reinforcement because I believe this type of training benefits your dogs confidence and happiness levels the most. Training your dog with positive reinforcement teaches our dogs to respond to our cues out of sheer will that you had asked him to do so and not out of fear for the consequence that may follow for not following your cue. For my completely biased opinion I would highly recommend looking into a trainer that uses positive reinforcement as a base for their training program. This type of training excludes the use of prong, shock or choke collars (unless absolute last resort methods) and also "pack leader mentality" training techniques such as stare downs and dominance rolls.

Also, just because you had a bad experience with one trainer does not mean your dog is incapable of being trained! Search around for a trainer that will help you find what motivates your dog. Another quick tip, if your dog is the type to get worked up easily and over excitable  (as most dogs usually are when they have not been trained ) look for one-on-one training options instead of group classes which may overwhelm your dog to the point of not being able to successfully complete a training course.

Schedule an evaluation or introduction with a local dog trainer in your area and talk to them first hand what you would like to see as a result for your dog out of their training program!

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4th of July With Dogs

Need a little help with your dog this 4th of July season.  It can be quite scary.  Contact us today for assistance in helping your dog over come his anxiety about noises.  In the meantime, here are some helpful tips to keep your dog safe this fireworks season.  For a great prevention plan, visit our post on how to prevent thunder phobia in dogs.  This will be similar in  how to prevent noise phobias in dog.

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

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Why Im Not A Huge Fan Of Bait Bags

As you probably already know, Im a positive dog trainer, and I use a lot of rewards in dog training. Read this article on why.  These dog training rewards are anything (safe) that the dog finds valuable and willing to work for.  Healthy dog treats, his dog food, cooked meat, motivational dog toys, attention, petting, verbal praise, sniffing, access to something he wants.....you get the idea.  So why then, do I not love having a bait bag, or dog training treat pouch, fanny pack etc. on during dog training?

Because its "training."  Its a tip-off to your dog that you are "training."  It would be one more thing you would need to fade in order for your dog to be able to do a behavior "without seeing the treat" so to speak.  I prefer to teach my dog and to coach dog training students to incorporate dog training into their everyday life.  To make training a life lesson.  I do, however, believe a dog training reward needs to come immediately after a behavior, so rewards need to be easily, and quickly accessible. 

Life lesson caught on camera.  Dex as a pup.

I accomplish effective dog training by following a few guidelines.  First, a dog is always learning.  My job is to teach him what I want him to do, and prevent him from doing things I would rather he not.  I reward often for good behaviors and have a high management program to ensure he is more likely to be right than wrong.

Second, I love to teach dogs a reward marker.  This means, that I teach a dog a specific word, or noise is a promise that a reward will quickly follow.  In other words, it is like taking a picture of the behavior you want, and communicating to your dog that he did something that will earn him a paycheck.  Two common markers that are used in dog training is a dog training clicker or word such as YES!.  If  you use a word, remember, he will earn a reward every time you use it, so do NOT use good.  Too many people will tell your dog good, and it will unlikely be followed by a reward. I use both a YES and clicker, but not at the same time. 

To teach your dog a reward marker, think about Pavlov.  You remember him, from the 1900s.  Ring a bell, feed a dog.  Then pretty soon, the dog learned  the bell =food.  Which we call classical conditioning.  You are going to do the same thing with your reward marker.

First, say your word, such as Yes! then immediately treat your dog with a high-value reward like a piece of meat.  Repeat 10 times.  Do this at random times throughout the day.  Pretty soon your dog will anticipate the reward after you say your reward marker.  PAVLOV!  During training, your dog will start to learn that you say your reward marker because of something HE did, creating a learning opportunity.  Butt on the ground=YES=Food.  More butts on the ground.

Thirdly, I try to have rewards in my pocket at all times if Im actively trying to teach specific behaviors like not jumping, name game, come when called etc.  This allows training to be incorporated into every situation when needed, and again a life lesson, not a training lesson.  If I do not have pockets (not an option for me), you will want to make sure that rewards are very accessible, like within 5 seconds.  This is where your reward marker will really come in handy.

Putting it together will look a little something like this.  Your dog now understands that YES!=Food reward.  You have your dogs rewards in your pocket throughout the day.  As you are interacting with your dog, wait for a good behavior such as not jumping, butt on the ground, watching you, say "YES!" then immediately reward your dog.  Do this often throughout your dog on any and all life lessons you want to teach your dog.  The more often you reward these good behaviors, the more often your dog will offer them.

The beauty, no tip off like a bait bag.  Dont get me wrong, I dont hate dog treat bags, but they are just one more thing I need to get out of the training equation for my dog to "be good" just because.  And I do wear one when on occasion when Im teaching dog training classes, or on a private consultation.  Its a backup, in case my clients dont have valuable enough rewards, or run out.  But I take it out of our equation quickly.

IF you need a good dog training treat bag, here are a few I do like.  But remember, you do want to fade them as soon as possible.

Need extra help?  I offer in-person, phone consultations, weekend retreats and public seminars.  

Contact me for details.

 

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

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Importance of Puppy Training

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Tuff from Chris K. CA

A lot of people get puppies because they are adorable! Ok that might be only part of the reason, but when you all get puppies do you take the requirements for your puppies needs into consideration? And what about puppy classes? Sure it is not required but I see a lot of people who avoid taking their dog to any form of puppy class. Even if it is just a puppy playdate! Maybe they dont think there are classes for puppies available? Maybe they dont like the extra cost it takes for proper training? Maybe they dont have time? (that last one is a horrible excuse if you own a puppy by the way). Whatever the reason truly is I would like to share my thoughts about the importance of puppy training and why the puppy age is the prime time for starting your dog down the right path in life!

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Maple from Pawfessor Gage
Dog Training CA

Sarah B. TX

When a puppy reaches 8 weeks old it will be allowed in most puppy training classes. That is the same time frame that puppies are allowed to go to their forever homes!
??Pro tip: The longer the puppy stays with his mom and littermates the more of a chance he will have to learn proper socialization skills and that is why it is ideal to wait until about 7-8 weeks before bringing your new fur friend home.

Yes, getting a puppy can be expensive in itself, there is the cost of purchasing the puppy whether it be from a shelter or a breeder, plus all the new food and vet bills in your puppys life! These, of course, should all just be the extra costs you should consider before getting a new dog! 

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Taylor & Brea M. FL 

Brianna P. WA

So what is spending a hundred (or however much your local trainer charges) for a puppy course and is it worth it? And to that I say yes, it is absolutely worth it. Puppy courses usually consist of the pure basics of training, nothing too overwhelming for your pup. During this course there are a lot of confidence building lessons and socialization opportunities for your pup. A puppy with confidence will grow into a dog that does not live in fear. When you have a fearful dog they can be very reactive and usually show the most signs of aggression as adults.
??And, when dogs are aggressive where do they end up? Well, usually the shelter and, worst case scenario, euthanized. That is why building your dogs confidence and training him as a puppy is so important! When you work with your puppy from the beginning of their life (well, 8 weeks and up) they have the foundation to be a great confident dog! Socialization also falls into this category because when a dog is properly socialized they learn how to accept and act around other dogs and, most importantly, people. A well socialized dog does not live in fear and, as a plus, it makes it much, much easier if you enjoy taking your dog places with you!??????????

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Mike C. TX

Starting basic training as a puppy also allows your pup to be less likely to develop problem behaviors as a dog. There are a lot of bad habits we get into letting our dogs doing without even thinking about them being "bad things" or potentially creating problem behaviors! Things such as, play slapping with your pup which can result in thinking it is ok to bite, barking to go on walks or to get the things your dog wants, jumping for attention whenever people enter your house and more! Sure when puppies are jumping, nipping or barking it can seem quite cute or funny, however, it wouldnt be so adorable or funny when that puppy turns into a full grown mastiff that is jumping, barking and nipping! We have to remember that the puppy days shape our dogs for who they will be when they are adults. Of course there are also the smaller breeds but I can assure you that it doesnt make it any less annoying!

Vera Ann from
Jamie M. WA

Lets Talk about shelter dogs for a little bit. When dogs have problem behaviors that *seem* uncontrollable a lot of people will simply give up on their dog and turn them into the shelter. I have worked with many different dogs at a few different shelters and in the processing papers, that also give some characteristics of who the dog is and can usually be found on their kennel door, it includes why they ended up in the shelter in the first place. It breaks my heart when I see reasons like "too noisy" or "too rowdy", especially when I know all of these things couldve been prevented with proper training! The dogs can also be modified by a trainer but why not prevent it while they are young.

Ellie from Liz H. in CA

One thing you will almost never see is the reason "aggressive" on their kennel door. Most people that turn their dog into the shelter because their dog has aggressive tendencies do not mention this for fear of having their dog automatically euthanized but it is actually a very important thing for shelters to know. If they are unaware that this is a problem then they might end up finding out one day when the dog decides to bite some volunteer who (most of the time) has no idea what theyre doing mostly when it comes to being able to read a dogs body posture for warning signs that he is uncomfortable and may bite. Those are the types of situations where the dog may get euthanized and that is why it is important to let the shelter know about the dogs aggression. I am getting off track a little here, however, I am going to say that there are plenty of trainers out there who actually work with dogs that have aggression issues and they can help shape the dog to not be so reactive. So if you know anyone who is dealing with these issues tell them to get into touch with their local trainer!
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Collette M. WA

          I had to add that because most dogs and the reasons they end up in the shelter can be completely prevented! Most aggression springs from the lack of socialization and desensitization as a puppy. Ok, well there are also abusive owners and I will say that hitting a puppy or dog is completely unacceptable no matter what the situation so if you are ever frustrated just walk away. and maybe think about hiring a trainer.
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Terry E. CA

     
     A not as effective but "ok" alternative, if you are not in the "budget" for a trainer, ok well  first I will recommend seeing the prices in your area then if you still feel it is too much you should set up or find a puppy play group so your pup has the chance to socialize with other dogs. Make sure all dogs there have received their shots and pass their bill of health so your dog doesnt have the risk of catching parvo. To better your dogs socialization skills make sure you are taking your dogs around parks or playgrounds with people so they get use to seeing other humans and kids! If you plan on having kids at some point during the lifespan of your dog I highly recommend taking your new puppy around where kids play so they can get use to seeing them run around or even being pet by those little humans, it will help prevent your pup from being afraid of them as a full grown dog.
?????????      In essence, when you get a puppy or if you already have one definitely take the time to look into puppy classes for him! I know, I know, there are basic obedience courses when your dog reaches around 6 months that you may or may not take him to anyways but why wait. It can be very beneficial for you and your whole family if you start getting the real tools and information you need to build a confident and happy dog! If you do this for your pup you will help him from acquiring problem behaviors as an adult that could potentially put you at a loss of how to deal with your dog. Remember that dog training is always an option, so find a positive reinforcement trainer in your area if you feel you need a little help.

Thank you to everyone who sent me pictures for this blog! Any pictures that werent used will be saved for the next time I come up with something where they will come in handy! And if you want your dog featured in one of my blogs feel free to send me a picture by email or on my facebook!????????

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Dog Breed of the Week Labrador Retriever

Labrador Retrievers are the Most Popular Dog according to AKC

And of course that is why this dog has to be the first to kick off my

Dog Breed of the Week mentions!

Labs are great family dogs! They are extremely loyal, smart, love attention and are eager to please!

Fun News: Maine is considering making Labradors the official dog of their state!

Awesome Labradors Doing Awesome Things: Lab leads Cop to Collapsed Owner

Here are a few pictures of our lab Molly!

 

Learn more about labs here

Let me know which breed should be next weeks dog of the week by comment/Facebook 
or else get another one of my choices based off my own completely biased opinion ;)

Dont forget All dogs need proper socialization, desensitization and training to be able to be good dogs

 so do your part in raising your pooch right!

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460kms of hills headwind rain heat 2 days

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Grafton to Inverell Cyclosportif. This event is run on the same route as the one day cycle classic race.

Why not go for a long roadie ride?!

So Kirstie & I left Brisbane at 1:00am on Friday morning to drive to Grafton. I dropped her in town then continued my drive along the 230 course to Inverell. There was one particularly long stretch where there wasnt any where to get water or food so I did a cache drop at the top of the Gibralter Range.


I parked the car in Inverell, threw my leg over the Look & started towards Grafton. After a few minutes it was very apparent that it was going to be a 25-35km headwind for the next 9-10 hours. It rained on me 5 times too!

The descent was very wet & clouded it. My Ay Up Lights & wind jacket saved the day!



9 hours: 15mins, 230kms & 2700m of climbing later I saw the wonderful smile of my woman waiting out front of our hotel in Grafton.

Food, water, shower, sleep!


Saturday morning: Awesome! my legs feel great...kind of.

We loaded up our pockets & headed to the start of the Sportif Organised ride. There is something very calming about a hotel room with a couple of bikes with numbers on them, riding food, course map... Its the small things in life I love!



Kirstie headed out about 40 minutes before me. 78kms later I found her 1/2 up the 18km climb. Said hello & rode on. The guys I was tapping away the mountain with were riding a little harder than my legs wanted. So when I got to the water station I looped back around, shot down the mountain 3 1/2kms & found Kirstie again. We climbed together to the water station then I took off again.



At about the 160-170km mark I stopped at the local shop & got them to cook me up an Egg & bacon burger!!! That washed down with 1 litre of Coke was quite simply an amazing experience. The small things in life.

8 hours: 38 minutes, 237kms, 3300 metres of climbing, another headwind all day, more than 10,000 calories I was at Inverell.

Phew. Oh, crap I parked at the hotel aptly named "Top Of the Town Motel" Oh well, back on the bike for another few kms up hill to get the car.



About 1 1/2 hours later Kirstie rolled in. She had found a peloton of women to swap turns with after being out in the headwind by herself for the first 1/2 of the ride.

Kirstie not only finished the single longest ride she has ever done in a very respectable time, she also rode with Stephanie Haussler (Heinrich Hausslers sister) Street cred on both accounts! Bloody AWESOME ride Kirstie! You deserve to put your feet up.



Until the next adventure...this weekend...
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