Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts

How to Train Your Dog at Home  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , ,

Valuable Resource...

How to Easily Train Your Dog...
Like a Pro

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

Before you begin training your dog, 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 dog to have complete trust in you.

Let's see how.......

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


When dogs 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 dog.

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 dog is almost impossible.

Four Golden Rules to Building a Relationship with Your Dog:
  • 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 other's needs.
Building a bond with your dog will not only help you manage him better but will also make your dog calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love your dog and he will love you back!

When you're successful in building a bond with your dog, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

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

How Your Dog Learns...
Your dog's learning period can be divided into five phases:


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

The Practicing Phase – Practice makes Perfect. When a lesson is learned, practice with your dog what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase – Here you must continue practicing with your dog in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your dog out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever you've 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 – As soon as you're sure that your dog 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 dog to see how he responds in an environment that is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your dog.

There are only 2 possibilities:
  • Your dog succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)
  • In case your dog 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 three Ps: patience, persistence, praise.

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

Remember:
  • Never scold your dog if he fails. It's not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!
  • You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.
  • Appreciate and praise your dog when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your dog.
  • Dog Training is easy when you do it right.

Continued - Learn how to train your dog better with this free mini course.
Copyright © 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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No More Woof  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , ,

This is in prototype stage only, but it's interesting, nonetheless! –Kim

For Anyone Who has Ever Wanted to Know What Their Pet is Thinking...

By Dr. Karen Becker
August 08, 2014
Most of us who share our lives with dogs have on occasion yearned to know what our canine companions are thinking. This is especially true when we know something's wrong and are helpless to figure out what it is. If your dog has ever suddenly cried out in pain, you know what I'm talking about.

And there are probably other less stressful situations in which you would love to know what your pet is thinking. For example, when he parks himself next to you for no obvious reason, pleading with his eyes for who-knows-what. Or when he stands still like a statue, head down, staring intently at a bit of fluff on the floor. Or when she starts barking maniacally at a rock in the backyard. Wouldn't it be nice to know what's behind those amusing but decidedly weird canine behaviors?

Well, we could be in luck. It seems a group of Scandinavian scientists are working on a headset for dogs that could enable our canine friends to converse with us... sort of.

The 'No More Woof' Claims to Translate EEG Signals from a Dog's Brain into Human Language

The Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery (NSID) is developing a device called "No More Woof" that will hopefully allow dogs to tell their humans when they're hungry or need to go out. According to the Web site:

"No More Woof is a small gadget that uses the latest technology in micro computing and EEG to analyze animal thought patterns and spell them out in human language using a loudspeaker."

Simply put, No More Woof translates EEG signals from a dog's brain into human language through a speaker.

This is possible, according to the designers, because the brain of every mammal emits specific electrical signals, or neural patterns, that define certain mental states, including the state of being tired, hungry, needing to urinate, and curiosity about an unfamiliar being or object in the immediate environment. Dogs don't actually form the thought "I'm tired" as humans do, but because their brains are less complex than ours, their neural patterns are more distinct for certain types of feelings like anger, curiosity, or tiredness.


Prototypes are Available for Pre-Order

The No More Woof is very much still a work in progress, and one of the challenges the inventors face is figuring out the best location for the EEG monitor to provide maximum results as well as comfort for the dog. There may also be ethical and social concerns that will need to be addressed.

Currently, the company is taking pre-orders of prototypes to help fund ongoing research. "Right now we are only scraping the surface of possibilities; the project is only in its cradle. And to be completely honest, the first version will be quite rudimentary. But hey, the first computer was pretty crappy, too," says the Web site.

There are Micro ($65), Standard ($300) and Superior ($1,200) models of the No More Woof available for pre-order, ranging from a single-sensor device capable of distinguishing 2-3 thought patterns, up to a "premium mini-speaker implemented in a golden dog-tag with engraving of your choice."

You can learn more about the No More Woof at the product Web site, and decide for yourself what you think of the gadget. As for me, for now I think I'll stick with observing body language to pick up what my dogs are puttin' down!

Source: HealthyPets
©2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola


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Pet Questions?  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Valuable Resource...

Ask a Pet Expert for Answers ASAP

Ask Your Question, Get an Answer Fast!


How JustAnswer Works

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Enter your question above, and create a user account.
 
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Place a refundable good faith deposit.
 
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A positive rating pays the Expert and tells us you're happy. If you got great service, consider adding a bonus.
 
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Decoding Your Dog's Body Language  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , ,

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

What is My Dog Trying to Tell Me?

By Sue Alexander

Think for a moment about going to a bridal shower after a long day at the office, a 90-minute traffic snarl, and four customer service misunderstandings to get your bank card reactivated. Most likely, you aren't in the mood for a fun time. Nevertheless, it's an important event for the bride. Putting on a fresh dress and your best party face, you go, even though you would rather snuggle up with the dogs on the couch and throw in a movie. When you arrive, your sister takes one look at you and says "You've had a rough day! Coffee or wine?"

How does she know? How do we pick out that the bride is tense, the bride's mother is proud, the maid of honour is excited, and the groom's mother is disaffected?

In humans, we send body language signals without even thinking about them, and we read them accurately through long experience and a certain amount of innate knowledge. Although there are some cultural differences in how body language is spoken around the world, for the most part, we have a base language that we all share. Tense people tend to be rigid in their movements, nervous people tend to move quickly and with jerky movements, and relaxed people tend to move fluidly and gracefully.

How often do you watch your dog and read him just as well? Dogs have a rich body language that they use to great effect. We can eavesdrop on what a dog is telling you by knowing a little bit about how dogs behave when they are relaxed, happy, nervous, frustrated or angry.

Imagine, for a moment, that instead of walking into a bridal shower, you were walking into your living room at the end of the weekend. By considering a dog's posture, path of travel, gait, eye shape, and tongue, you could quickly assess what that dog was experiencing just as well as you read a friend's body language.

Standing Still

Standing still may only last for a split second, so you have to watch carefully to see what is happening. When a dog is standing still, he bears his weight in one of three ways:
  • Feet four-square and balanced. This dog is calm and confident. (See the Doberman Pinscher in Photo 1. The Collie in Photo 1 is demonstrating the curved approach.)
  • Balanced on his hindquarters. This dog is ready to spring forward, and is confident and willing to interact. (Rottweiler in Photo 2)
  • Balanced in such a way that he can bolt away from you (or what he is looking at). This dog is fearful and likely to flee. (Small dog in Photo 2)
Dogs may stand in a variety of off- balanced ways that show you which way they would like to dart away. Darting away indicates fear, so if your dog is standing off balance, try and determine what is frightening him.

Photo 3 shows a dog that is balanced on his forefeet in a meta signal called a play bow, and, although he is confident, he is highly aroused and ready to play, not calm.

When you look at a dog, it is important to consider his emotional state. Human body language tells us if someone is afraid, confident, or relaxed, and we react appropriately. In the same way, we can help our canine friends by reading their bodies carefully. It is unfair to ask a fearful dog to approach things that frighten him, and likewise it is foolish to approach a dog who is broadcasting aggression unless you know more about his intent.

Wither Do You Wander?

The path of approach tells us a lot about someone's intent. If you are approaching the customer service desk to return a damaged item, you will most likely walk assertively and directly to the person at the counter. If you approach a friend this way, he or she will likely be intimidated and fearful. The same is true of the dogs you meet. Dogs traveling in straight lines (Photo 4) are more likely to be aggressive, while curved lines of travel (see Collie in Photo 1) indicate a friendly encounter.

If a dog approaches you in a direct line, looking aggressive, turn away, keeping one eye on her. You will often see this sort of rude behaviour from adolescent dogs who are trying out assertive behaviour, albeit in the wrong context. Standing still, looking down at the ground, and yawning may diffuse the situation.

A dog that is moving on a curve does not likely intend harm, although with a large dog, she might knock someone over. If you see a dog doing this while playing, it is a good idea to bend your knees in case she slams into you by accident.

Photo 6 shows a Dalmatian in danger. You can clearly see that the dog is balanced in such a way that he can flee. The Border Collie on his back legs is bearing his weight on his hind quarters and is willing to bolt forward and hurt the Dalmatian. The third dog, a Springer Spaniel, is standing squarely on all four feet, still and confident, preventing the Dalmatian from escaping.



The Rocking Horse Run

When dogs are playing, they run in a very particular way. They move vertically almost as much as they move horizontally, rocking back and forth like a child's rocking horse. Running in this way is inefficient, and reflects that play is all about fun and games, not about running your friends down and tackling them. (Photo 5)

A dog running towards you in this manner is being playful, but it may not be safe – this playful behaviour can be very rough and you can easily be knocked over.

The opposite of rocking horse running is flat, efficient movement. (Photo 4) When a dog moves in this way, he is in a hurry and going as quickly as he can. We often see dogs doing this sort of movement during an aggressive incident.

The Eyes Have It

It is said that you can read the soul through the eyes. There is nothing as special as looking at the eyes of someone close to you – you can achieve an instant connection. You can also read a lot about a dog's state of mind in the shape and look of his eyes.

Almond-shaped, relaxed eyes are a reflection of a calm demeanour (Collie in Photo 7). Rounded eyes can indicate arousal and surprise (Chihuahua in Photo 11). If you can see the sclera or whites of a dog's eyes, beware; the dog is tense and upset and may bite you. Behaviour specialists call this “whale eye” (Photos 8 and 9).


The Rottweiler cross in Photo 10 has a very threatening and dangerous expression.

Hard eyes and loose lips are the sort of ambiguity seen in dogs who have been punished for growling in warning. This dog is resource guarding the toy he has.

The Tell-tale Tongue Tongues have a lot to say, and they are one of the ways that dogs communicate very differently than humans do. When a dog's tongue and lips are loose and floppy, don't worry about that growl – everything is meant in play (Photo 12).

When a dog is actually going to bite, he pulls his lips and tongue back and out of the way so that his teeth can do their work (Photo 13).

A Tail to Tell

As with tongues, tail talk is different than human body language communication. Dogs use their tails the way that people use smiles. The idea that a wagging tail indicates happiness is similar to thinking that every smile means only one thing. A low, fast-wagging tail is like a nervous laugh.


A high tail wagging slowly is the confident smile of someone who is going to make you do something you don't want to do. (Miniature Dachshund in Photo 14) And the middle-level, fast, wide wag where the tail hits or almost hits the body is comparable to the excited grin of a child waiting at the airport for Grandma to come out of the luggage area. (Golden Retriever in Photo 15)

When looking at tails, look at the base of the tail where it attaches to the body; a dog with a very short tail has as much to say as a dog with a very long tail, and the base of the tail is more telling than the tip. A tail drawn as low as possible in a long-tailed dog will cover the genitals. A tail this tightly tucked indicates extreme fear. The short-tailed dogs are trying hard, and you can only see that if you look at the base of the tail. A high tail may curve upwards and over the back and this can be confusing in a dog who has a tail that naturally curls over his back, so again, it is important to look at the base instead of the tip to learn the dog's mood and intent.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Dogs can move their ears independently and almost 180 degrees from the front to the back. In general, consider that the more forward your dog's ears are, the more confident he is about a given situation. The further back and pinned against his head and neck your dog's ears are, the more fearful he is. (Photo 16)

However, ears serve a dual purpose and can be a bit difficult to read; just when your dog is using his ears to communicate something, he hears something that causes him to pop them out of an easily readable position. Upright, forward ears are attending to what is directly in front of him. (German Shepherd in Photo 17)

Then the phone rings and one of his confident, forward ears flicks back to listen. Ears pulled back tight against the neck tell us that the dog is nervous and concerned (Photos 16 and 18) but then the neighbour's dog barks and the dog flicks one ear forward to listen to that!

Pay attention to the general drift of the dog's ear and as with the tail, the base is more important than the tip.

When you open the door to reading a dog's body language, you will learn a lot about what they intend, how they feel about their surroundings, and how they interpret your actions. Dogs don't lie with their body language, so they are always telling us exactly what they mean by how they stand, move, look, and act.

As humans, we are more aware of our verbal communication than our visual communication. Dogs function in a world that depends primarily upon visual communication, so they often read our body language better than we read theirs, but with a little practice we can hone our skills. The payoff to learning to read what your dog is saying is better responsiveness to the dog's needs. When you respond to your dog's needs, you set up a situation where your dog can gain confidence and your relationship with your dog will improve.


Source: http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/what-my-dog-trying-tell-me/15185
Copyright Modern Dog Inc.


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Is Your Dog a "Bully"?  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here's a great article about "bully" dogs...hope you find it helpful! –Kim

Why (and How) You Should Intervene if Your Dog Picks on Others

By Pat Miller
May 2006

You can find them everywhere – at dog parks and doggie daycare centers, in dog training classes, in your neighbor's yards ... perhaps even in your own home. "They" are canine bullies – dogs who overwhelm their potential playmates with overly assertive and inappropriate behaviors, like the out-of-control human bully on the school playground.

Jasper is a nine-month-old Labradoodle from a puppy mill, currently enrolled in one of my Peaceable Paws Good Manners classes. He was kept in a wire cage on a Pennsylvania farm until he was four months old, when his new owners purchased him. Katy Malcolm, the class instructor, asked me to sit in on the first end-of-class play session with Jasper because she was concerned that his lack of early socialization could present a challenge. She was right.

Four shots of the same playground bully, taken over a 20-minute period at a dog park. In the first photo, the Boxer-mix bully
has blindsided a 
dog who just entered the park. In the next three, she focuses her attention on the same victim, a
young Lab-mix. She clearly enjoys 
holding him down as a variety of other dogs come over to investigate.
Sam was a 10-week-old Golden Retriever puppy, well bred, purchased from a responsible breeder by knowledgeable dog owners who immediately enrolled him in one of my Peaceable Paws Puppy Good Manners classes to get him started on the right paw. Sam unexpectedly also turned out to be a challenge at his first end-of-class puppy play session.

These two dogs had considerably different backgrounds, but when it came time to play, both dogs exhibited bullying behaviors: Jasper because he never had a chance to learn how to interact appropriately with other dogs; Sam because – well – who knows? Genetics, maybe? Early experiences in his litter, maybe? Regardless of the reasons, both dogs required special handling if they were ever to have a normal canine social life.

Bullying Defined
In her excellent book, Fight!, dog trainer and author Jean Donaldson defines bullying dogs (not to be confused with "Pitbull-type dogs") as those dogs for whom "roughness and harassment of non-consenting dogs is quite obviously reinforcing." Like the human playground bully, the bully dog seems to get a kick out of tormenting less-assertive members of his playgroup. Donaldson says, "They engage at it full tilt, with escalating frequency, and almost always direct it at designated target dogs."

When released with permission to "go play," the poorly socialized Labradoodle, Jasper, immediately pounced on the back of Mesa, an easy-going and confident Rottweiler who was playing nicely with Bo, a submissive but exuberant Golden Retriever. Jasper barked insistently, nipping at Mesa's back as she tried to ignore his social ineptness. Finally, fed up with his boorish behavior, she flashed her teeth at him one time, at which point he decided Bo was a better target for his attentions. Indeed, Bo found him overwhelming, a response that emboldened Jasper to pursue him even more energetically.

We intervened in his play with Mesa several times by picking up Jasper's dragging leash and giving him a time-out when his behavior was completely unacceptable, then releasing him to "Go play!" when he settled a bit. Each time we released him he promptly re-escalated to an unacceptable level of bullying, until Mesa herself told him to "Back off, Bud!" with a quick flash of her teeth.

Human-controlled time-outs, however, made no impression on Jasper. The canine corrections were more effective, but didn't stop the behavior; they only redirected it to a less-capable victim. Because Bo wasn't assertive enough to back Jasper off, we ended the play as soon as Jasper turned his attentions to the softer dog.

Bully #2
Like Jasper's preferred victim, Sam's favorite bullying target was also a Rottweiler – not a breed you'd expect to find wearing an invisible "bite me!" sign. Max was a pup about Sam's own age, who outweighed Sam considerably but was no match for the smaller pup's intensity.

Sam had given us no indication during class that he had a play problem. In fact, he was a star performer for his clicks and treats. However, when playtime arrived his demeanor changed from an attentive "What can I do to get you to click the clicker?" pupil to an "I'm tough and you just try to stop me!" bully.

Several seconds after the two pups began frolicking together, Sam suddenly pinned Max to the ground with a ferocious snarl, then released him briefly, just to pin him again in short order. Needless to say, we also intervened quickly in that relationship!

Appropriate Play
Owners often have difficulty distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate play. Some may think that perfectly acceptable play behavior is bullying because it involves growling, biting, and apparently pinning the playmate to the ground. Appropriate play can, in fact, look and sound quite ferocious.

The difference is in the response of the playmate. If both dogs appear to be having a good time and no one's getting hurt, it's usually fine to allow the play to continue. Thwarting your dog's need to play by stopping him every time he engages another dog, even if it's rough play, can lead to other behavior problems.

With a bully, the playmate clearly does not enjoy the interaction. The softer dog may offer multiple appeasement and deference signals that are largely or totally ignored by the canine bully. The harassment continues, or escalates.

Any time one play partner is obviously not having a good time, it's wise to intervene. A traumatic play experience can damage the softer dog's confidence and potentially induce a life-long fear-aggression or "Reactive Rover" response – definitely not a good thing!

Some bullies seem to spring from the box full-blown. While Sam had, no doubt, already been reinforced for his bullying by the response of his softer littermates, he must have been born with a strong, assertive personality in order for the behavior to be as pronounced as it was by the tender age of 10 weeks. Jasper, on the other hand, may have been a perfectly normal puppy, but months of social deprivation combined with a strong desire to be social turned him into an inadvertent bully.

There can certainly be a learned component of any bullying behavior. As Jean Donaldson reminds us, the act of harassing a "non-consenting dog" is in and of itself reinforcing for bullies.

By definition, a behavior that's reinforced continues or increases – hence the importance of intervening with a bully at the earliest possible moment, rather than letting the behavior become more and more ingrained through reinforcement. As with most behavior modification, prognosis is brightest if the dog is young, if he hasn't had much chance to practice the unwanted behavior, and if he has not been repeatedly successful at it.

Oops!
Successful modification of bullying behavior requires attention to several elements:
  • Skilled application of intervention tools and techniques: Leashes and long lines, no-reward markers (NRMs) and time-outs;
  • Excellent timing of intervention: Application of NRMs and time-outs;
  • Reinforcement for appropriate behavior: Play continues or resumes when dog is calm or playing nicely;
  • Selection of appropriate play partners: Dogs who are not intimidated or traumatized by bullying behavior.

While working to decrease or extinguish your dog’s bullying, you might have to let him
drag
a short leash, or keep him on a long line while playing. This enables you to stop
his bullying
the moment it starts. Keep him on a “time out” until he is calm.
The most appropriate human intervention is the use of "negative punishment," in which the dog's behavior makes a good thing go away. In this case, the most appropriate negative punishment is a time-out. Used in conjunction with a "no-reward marker" (NRM) or "punishment" marker, this works best for bullying behavior.

The opposite of the clicker (or other reward marker, such as the word, "Yes!"), the NRM says, "That behavior made the good stuff go away." With bullying, the good stuff is the opportunity to play with other dogs. Just as the clicker always means a treat is coming, the NRM always means the behavior stops immediately or good stuff goes away; it's not to be used repeatedly as a threat or warning.

My preferred NRM, the one I teach and use if/when necessary, is the word "Oops!" rather than the word "No!" which is deliberately used to shut down behavior – and as such is usually delivered firmly or harshly and unfortunately often followed by physical punishment. "Oops!" simply means, "Make another behavior choice or there will be an immediate loss of good stuff." An NRM is to be delivered in a non-punitive tone of voice; it's almost impossible to say "Oops!" harshly.

Timing is just as important with your NRM as it is with your reward marker. It says, "Whatever you were doing the exact instant you heard the 'Oops!' is what earned your time-out." You'll use it the instant your dog's bully behavior appears, and if the bullying continues for more than a second or two more, grasp his leash or drag-line (a long, light line attached to his collar) and remove him from play. Don't repeat the NRM. Give him at least 20 seconds to calm down, more if he needs it, then release him to go play again. If several time-outs don't dampen the behavior even slightly, make them longer and make sure he's calm prior to returning to play.

If a half-dozen time-outs have absolutely no effect, end the play session for the day. If the NRM does stop the bullying, thank your dog for responding, and allow him to continue playing under direct supervision as his reward.

Another sometimes-effective approach to bully modification requires access to an appropriate "neutral dog" – a dog like Mesa who is confident enough to withstand the bully's assault without being traumatized or responding with inappropriate aggression in return. A flash of the pearly whites as a warning is fine. A full-out dogfight is not.

It's important to watch closely during interactions with the bully. Any sign the neutral dog is becoming unduly stressed by the encounters should bring the session to an immediate halt. A neutral dog may be able to modify your bully's behavior, and have it transfer to other dogs – or not. If not, you may be able to find one or two sturdy, neutral dogs who can be your dog's play companions, and leave the softer dogs to gentler playpals. Not all dogs get along with all other dogs.

Outcomes
Sam's owners were exceptionally committed to helping their pup overcome his inappropriate play behaviors. We continued to allow him to play with one or two other sturdy, resilient puppies, using an NRM and his leash to calmly but firmly remove him every time his play intensity increased. We moved him away from the other pups until he was calm, then allowed him to resume his play. By the end of his first six-week class he was playing appropriately most of the time with one or two other pups, under direct supervision. After two more six-week sessions he played well with a stable group of four other dogs, under general supervision, without needing NRMs or time-outs.

The last time I saw Sam was an incidental encounter, at Hagerstown's Pooch Pool Plunge event. Every year when the city closes its community pool for the winter, they open it up on one Saturday for people to bring their dogs for a pooch pool party. Sam, now a full-grown adult dog, attended the Plunge at the end of Summer 2005, with more than 100 dogs in attendance. His behavior was flawless.

Jasper may have a longer road, but I'm optimistic that he'll come around as well. We plan to continue having him play with Mesa, as long as she's handling him as well as she did in last week's class. Between Mesa's canine corrections and our time-outs, we're hopeful that he'll learn appropriate social skills and be able to expand his social circle to other appropriate dogs. Is there a Pool Plunge in Jasper's future? We'll just have to wait and see.

Pat Miller, CPDT, WDJ's Training Editor, lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center.

Source: The Whole Dog Journal
© 2013 Belvoir Media Group, LLC


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Bark Softening: Fiction & Fact  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here's more info about the cruelty of devocalization...please become informed and spread the word! –Kim

Bark Softening: Fiction and Fact

Some special interest groups have advanced misleading claims about devocalization for their own profit or convenience. Here's one – and the facts.

FICTION: "Bark softening" isn't devocalization. It's a different, non-invasive procedure.

FACT: "Bark softening" IS devocalization. The only way to alter the voice is by cutting the tissue of the vocal apparatus. Whether that's done through the oral cavity – spun as "bark softening" – or an incision in the neck, it indeed is invasive, painful and dangerous, with long-term consequences.

The term "bark softening" is also misleading in another way. No vet can predict the quality of the post-surgical voice: It may be hoarse. Or it could be shrill, wheezy or strange and disturbing. Most people say devocalized voices are far more irritating than those with which the animals were born. But once the vocal cord tissue is cut, there's no turning back.

Take a look at this brief video and meet Porter...

Newfoundlands like Porter rarely bark. But Porter's first owner had her vet, who'd performed many devocalizations, cut his vocal cord tissue just to stifle his voice anyway. Then, she no longer wanted Porter. He was given to a rescue group.

Though the devocalization was done through the oral cavity, the less invasive approach, scar tissue formed over 50% of Porter's airway. His new adopters paid for a $2,000 procedure to remove the blockage, but were told Porter still will never again breathe normally or bark like other dogs. Instead, his hoarse voice makes him sound like a chain smoker. His adopters say it's painful to hear.

Porter can barely walk a block without struggling to breathe. He is at great risk for heatstroke, even when it's not hot, or choking – a terrifying way to die. And because his larynx was permanently damaged by the devocalization, he risks inhaling food, liquid, even vomit into his lungs, which in turn can cause fatal pneumonia.

But at least Porter is still alive. Other devocalized Newfies given to the rescue group weren't as lucky.

Get the whole story about devocalization and sign the petition below. For more claims and facts, visit: http://stopdevocalizing.weebly.com/claims-and-facts.html.

And, please visit this page on FACEBOOK and "Like" it! Thanks for your help!

Source: http://cprpets.weebly.com/devocalized-porters-story.html
Copyright 2012, Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets



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How to Train Your Dog at Home  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , ,

Valuable Resource...

How to Easily Train Your Dog...
Like a Pro

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

Before you begin training your dog, 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 dog to have complete trust in you.

Let's see how.......

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


When dogs 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 dog.

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 dog is almost impossible.

Four Golden Rules to Building a Relationship with Your Dog:
  • 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 other's needs.
Building a bond with your dog will not only help you manage him better but will also make your dog calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love your dog and he will love you back!

When you're successful in building a bond with your dog, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

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

How Your Dog Learns...
Your dog's learning period can be divided into five phases:


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

The Practicing Phase – Practice makes Perfect. When a lesson is learned, practice with your dog what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase – Here you must continue practicing with your dog in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your dog out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever you've 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 – As soon as you're sure that your dog 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 dog to see how he responds in an environment that is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your dog.

There are only 2 possibilities:
  • Your dog succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)
  • In case your dog 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 three Ps: patience, persistence, praise.

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

Remember:
  • Never scold your dog if he fails. It's not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!
  • You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.
  • Appreciate and praise your dog when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your dog.
  • Dog Training is easy when you do it right.
Continued - Learn how to train your dog better with this free mini course.
Copyright © 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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Teach Your Dog to Stop Barking  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here's a great video that might help if your dog barks a lot...hope it helps! –Kim

How to Teach Your Dog to Stop Barking

It's natural for a dog to bark. It's one way he expresses his feelings – everything from excitement to agitation. If you have an incessant barker, it's important to teach him an alternative behavior like the "quiet" command. If your dog is fearful or aggressive, though, the "quiet" command might not be the right fit for your pooch. Talk to your veterinarian, who may recommend a referral to a behaviorist or certified trainer for your pet.
Source: Vetstreet
© 2001-2013 Vetstreet



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Jaxon's Story: Devocalized  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here's the story about one of our fosters who had almost died, due to devocalization! –Kim

Abandoned in an Empty House, Unable to Bark for Help

Jaxon
Jaxon, a young, neutered Chinese Crested, and Foxie, a Pom, were found in an empty house, where they'd been abandoned without food, surviving by eating their waste.

If Jaxon were alone, he wouldn't have been discovered in time to save his life: That's because he was devocalized.

But with her vocal cords intact, Foxie could bark loudly enough to be heard, and the dogs were discovered. The rest is what happy endings are made of.

A dog rescue group called Bald is Beautiful pulled Jaxon and Foxie from the county pound, and a kind couple – veteran rescuers and dog bloggers (TopDogBlog!) – fostered them. Another couple drove from Maryland to Chicago to adopt Jaxon, Foxie and a third dog, Maddie.

Foxie
Now 4 years old, Jaxon is living the good life with his foster siblings in a loving home. And Jaxon is extra lucky: His adoptive mom, a nurse, knows how to manage the consequences of devocalization. Adopters who don't – or who don't even know their animals were devocalized – may unwittingly cause their deaths.

Becky waters Jaxon's food to ease swallowing so he won't die the terrifying way other devocalized animals have, choking on food.

And she monitors his play, because though he loves to do "zoomies" in the yard with Maddie, Jaxon becomes winded after a few minutes as a result of devocalization.

He coughs after drinking water and intermittently throughout the day and night, sometimes so badly, his family worries he won't be able to catch his breath.

Becky says, "No animal should ever be devocalized. It's especially odd to us that Jaxon was, because he barks only when one of our cats is near him. He doesn't even try in doggy park."

But that didn't keep someone from having his vocal cords cut.


Source: United Against Devocalization / Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets
© 2013 Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets



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Do Dogs See in Color?  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , ,

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

New Study Shows Canines Do Depend on Color Perception

By Melissa Cronin
7/22/2013

How do dogs see the world? A lot more colorfully than you might have imagined, new research suggests.
Scientists have long known that dogs' eyes are physically equipped to perceive colors, and consequently that canines are not colorblind. But dogs are believed to see only shades of yellow, blue, and gray. That's because their eyes have only two types of color-sensitive "cone" cells as compared to three in the human eye.
Given their limited color "rainbow," do dogs really make use of their color vision to make decisions – or do they depend solely on levels of brightness?
"In the past, it's been easier to test whether dogs respond to brightness," says Dr. Stanley Coren, a University of British Columbia dog vision expert who was not involved in the new research. "But testing whether they use color discriminations is so much more difficult. So it hasn't been clear whether, at a conscious level, dogs are using color."
To get a better picture of dog vision, researchers at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow tested eight untrained dogs using pairs of contrasting colors on paper squares – dark yellow with light blue or light yellow with dark blue. The squares were placed in front of boxes containing meat, one of which was unlocked. Then, through a series of 90 trials for each dog, the animals were trained to associate a certain color with the unlocked box and, consequently, the meat reward.
Next, the researchers removed the color that the dogs had been taught to associate with the meat reward, and presented just two choices to the dogs. If a dog had been taught to look for dark yellow to yield a reward, for instance, it was offered only light yellow and dark blue to choose from. This way, the scientists could tell whether the dogs were using color or brightness to make their choice.
So how well could the pooches use color to choose the right box? More than 70% of the time, the dogs correctly picked the box displaying the same color, and a whopping six out of the eight dogs went for it 90 or 100% of the time – indicating that the dogs were making decisions based on the color of the square alone, not its degree of brightness.
"The dogs could, in fact, switch over and make the proper color distinction," Dr. Coren said. "It proves that not only do dogs have color vision, but they also consciously use it."
The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Source: The Huffington Post – Science
Copyright © 2013 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.


 

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Read more...

How to Train Your Dog at Home  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , ,

Valuable Resource...

How to Easily Train Your Dog...
Like a Pro

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

Before you begin training your dog, 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 dog to have complete trust in you.

Let's see how.......

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


When dogs 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 dog.

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 dog is almost impossible.

Four Golden Rules to Building a Relationship with Your Dog:
  • 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 other's needs.
Building a bond with your dog will not only help you manage him better but will also make your dog calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love your dog and he will love you back!

When you're successful in building a bond with your dog, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

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

How Your Dog Learns...
Your dog's learning period can be divided into five phases:


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

The Practicing Phase – Practice makes Perfect. When a lesson is learned, practice with your dog what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase – Here you must continue practicing with your dog in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your dog out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever you've 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 – As soon as you're sure that your dog 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 dog to see how he responds in an environment that is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your dog.

There are only 2 possibilities:
  • Your dog succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)
  • In case your dog 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 three Ps: patience, persistence, praise.

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

Remember:
  • Never scold your dog if he fails. It's not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!
  • You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.
  • Appreciate and praise your dog when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your dog.
  • Dog Training is easy when you do it right.
Continued - Learn how to train your dog better with this free mini course.
Copyright © 2009 TrainPetDog.com
 

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Dog Etiquette Rules  

Posted by — Kim in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here's some great advice that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

Space Etiquette for Dogs


NEWSFLASH! Running up to another dog and ignoring requests to go away is not "friendly," it is rude. Just like people, DOGS NEED PERSONAL SPACE. If a stranger came up and put his hand on your body, you'd be allowed to step back, yell and push him away. Dogs have the same right to enforce their boundaries. Some dogs are called "reactive" because they are more sensitive than others. Reactive dogs are good dogs, they just need more distance and compassionate training. You can help them by honoring their need for personal space.
  1. Never let your off-leash dog go up to an on-leash dog.
  2. Lock retractable leashes when you see other dogs.
  3. Ask before approaching or petting any dog.
  4. Have compassion for people with shy or reactive dogs.
Please do not chase us. Let us pass without interaction, and keep your judgments to yourself.

Source: http://doggiedrawings.net/post/842176625
© 2011 Lili Chin



7 Dog Etiquette Rules

By Janine Allen
May 24th, 2009

Wouldn't it be great if everyone else loved our dogs as much as we do? Increase the chances of this happening by following the etiquette rules listed below.
  1. No matter how well trained your dog is, put him on a leash when near strangers. People will appreciate your respect for their safety and well-being.
  2. Avoid approaching people or dogs directly when in public. Move off to the left or right to pass by; step off the curb if necessary. Fearful dogs and fearful people will be thankful.
  3. Always, when there is a leash in hand, put a poop bag in your pocket. Carry three: one for you, a spare and one to share.
  4. Leave your female dog at home when she is in season. Her pheromones will bring out the worst in otherwise well-behaved dogs.
  5. Ask, and be specific, before letting your dog approach people or other dogs. "Is he friendly?" gives no warning to other dog owners that you are going to let your dog lunge forward.
  6. When you have been invited to a home, event or activity, ask before bringing your dog.
  7. Until your dog is trained not to jump on people, put him away when guests arrive. Let him out after guests have settled in. Leash or tether him if he tends to nose, poke or paw people for attention.
Your dog would want others to think as highly of him as you do. Don't disappoint him.


Janine Allen (CPDT) is Rescue Me Dog's professional dog trainer. Janine's passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability.

Source: http://rescuemedog.org/dog-blog/7-dog-etiquette-rules/
Copyright 2013 Rescue Me Dog


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    List of No-kill Shelters and Rescues

    List of No-kill Shelters and Rescues: 
    NATIONAL SEARCH
    Find local shelters near you! LOCAL SEARCH
    You can adopt or foster from any of these shelters or donate to support their efforts. Be sure to confirm that they are a "no-kill" shelter. Then, be a part of the solution!

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    CLICK HERE FIRST; THEN CLICK THE PAGE LINK BELOW.