Bearded Collie Swimming

This beautiful photo was taken one day when we took the dogs for a swim in the lagune in Hermanus, South Africa. My Bearded Collie, Ami, just loves the water. She never gets enough! Of course it is not so easy afterwards to get her clean from all the salt and sand (as all Bearded Collie owners would probably know). Now that she is older and I am not showing her anymore, I keep the hair short in summer - really makes it a lot easier for me to groom her and keep her clean. It is better for her also - not so warm and I let her swim more often.

Training Fido to perform the agility pause table

Although the pause table seems to be a very easy obstacle to perform, it is not. The pause table is probably the one obstacle where the most time is lost during a course run. The table is included on a course to demonstrate that an agility dog can not only run fast and perform spectacular obstacles, but that he can also be controlled in a stay position at a certain place.
Here follows a few reasons for the poor table performance of an agility dog:

• Handlers tend to think it is an easy obstacle to perform and therefor it is not practised enough.
• Handlers find it boring and unintencially carry that over to the dog.
• It is not taught correctly and thoroughly to the dog.

How to teach the pause table to the dog:

Wherever possible I always break the commands down to the simplest forms and then, once the dog can reliably perform each segment correctly and fast, chain it back up together. The table command is no different. Your ultimate aim with the table command is that you should be able to send the dog to the table from anywhere on the course, the dog should jump on the table and immediately go into the down or sit position (whatever is required by the judge) and remain in that position until released. In other words you can break the table performance into the following four things:

1. Send to the table – the dog runs enthuciastically to the table and jump onto the table
2. Fast sit or down – the dog performs an immediate fast sit or down on command
3. Secure stay – the dog performs a secure stay, not moving from that position
4. Release – the dog performs a fast release and immediately following your hand and body to perform the next obstacle

(Visit the above links for an in debth, step by step description on how to train each of those steps)

Chaining the commands together

Your dog is now ready and you can start putting things together again. I would suggest that you use back chaining, but you actually start in the middle. Take your dog to the course where you must have three obstacles arranged in a triangle. You can have a jump, the table and the tunnel. Let your dog jump on the table and let him sit or down on the table. Give the stay command, move away to the tunnel with your hand outstretched, wait a few seconds and release. Click as he jumps off, let him run through the tunnel and give a treat. Repeat many times. Sometimes you should wait at the jump.

At another training session you should send the dog to the table and as he jumps on, give the sit or down command. Click and treat if he responds. Also give the stay command. Click and treat him on the table as he stays there. You have now reduced the four steps into two steps. Now at last you can combine these two steps to have only one flowing sequence. If your dog experience difficulty in grasping this whole sequence, you should back up a few steps and progress slower. Following these step by step guidelines of training your dog to perform the pause table, you will end up with a very reliable and confident dog knowing exactly what is expected of him.

Three Happy Beardies

My Bearded Collie, Ami looks very happy as she runs on the beach. I know that most Beardies love water and running. Ami just cannot get enough. This pic is very special to me, showing herself, her shadow and her reflection. Fortunately I had my camera with me!

Mother's Day Special - Take Action Now!

Your mother (or wife) has this little doggy that she just absolutely adores. No it is not her dog - more like her very own child! You want to make her happy? You want her to love you even more?

Then be nice to her little "Fluffy"

And buy Fluffy a nice toy.

Maybe you want to buy something for your own dog, to play with him, to train him or whatever - This is your opportunity - make use of the Special Mother's Day 10% discount offer.

Click on this link below and make you pick.

Your Promo Code: MOTHER2009

Expires 2 days after Mother's Day

How To Be your Own Vet

How To Be your Own Vet - in an emergency!

How To Be your Own Vet is your home guide to learn how to care for your dog and treat his health conditions naturally. Do you know how to save your dog's life in an emergency? Would you like to save thousands of dollars in vet bills?

Find out how the amazing story of Derby's brush with death can teach you what you need to know about your own dog's health.

Learn more about How to be your own vet

How to do Agility Training at Home

Dog agility is one of the most spectacular dog sports around and handlers, dogs and spectators all love the game of agility and dog jumping. If you have a agile dog or if you just love to be out and do something with your dog, you should consider joining a dog training school where they also offer agility training classes. Most dog training schools do not just do dog obedience training, but also offer puppy classes, agility and dog jumping classes, tracking classes and much more.

If you just want to do the training at home or even if you have joined a dog training school, you might want to make or buy dog agility training equipment. Most of the obstacles are easy to make yourself from PVC pipe, like the jumps and the weave poles. Other equipment like the tunnel and the see-saw are easier to buy, unless of cause if you are very handy! The most important thing is, that the agility equipment that you use, should be safe for the dog to perform. Your dog's safety should always be your first concern. One piece of equipment that is easy to construct is an agility training ladder. You can always just use the normal ladder you have in your garage. This is used to teach the dog that it has hind feet. He must just be trained to step in the gaps and not on the ladder. It also helps with teaching him balance.

6 Home agility training tips for dogs:

1. Work a lot on his basic obedience commands, like stays, recall and fast sits and downs.
2. Do a lot of ground work, like following your hand, directions and speed.
3. Practice only short sequences at home (at most 4-5 obstacles)
4. Keep training sessions short and fun.
5. NO punishment, only praise!
6. Do to agility training for small dogs, you can make use of a target stick, especially when training the weave poles.

The most important tip, whether you train at home or at dog training school:
The dog is NEVER wrong - if he missed a jump, ask yourself "What did I do wrong?"

Happy Training!

How old for puppy training?

The question: "How old for puppy training?" is often asked by new puppy owners, especially first time puppy owners.

Normally when someone asks that question, he is actually asking "how old should my be puppy be to be taken to a dog training school?" Most dog training schools also offer puppy classes and puppy can be taken to puppy class as soon as it had all its vaccination injections. The age would normally be around 10 weeks. Dog obedience training classes, which normally start with a 8 week basic obedience course, are more for puppies and dogs from 6 months and older.

But to get back to the original question: "How old for puppy training?"; most professional dog trainers would agree that a puppy should not be taken away from its mother before he is 8 weeks old. Many dog breeders (not the responsible one's) give the puppies away when they are only 6 weeks old. Whatever the age when you receive the puppy, puppy obedience training should start the moment the puppy enters your house. Training a 6 week old puppy or a 8 week old puppy, should resemble the way the mother dog would train the puppy.

The mother dog would for example growl at the puppy when he bites her too hard. She would growl and if necessary grab the puppy's mouth with her mouth (without hurting it) when she does not agree with the pup's behavior. We would learn much about dog training if we would tale the time to sit sit down and observe how a mother dog trains her pups. Many of the behavior problems that we face would not even have started if we copied the mother dog.

So apart from teaching the puppy some ground rules like not biting, the puppy should undergo toilet training, but mostly a new puppy owner should focus on bonding and playing with the puppy. Consistency is very important from the very start.

Happy training!

How to teach Fido not to jump on people

One of the many problems most dog owners struggle with is that their dogs jump up against them and their friends and family. Most dogs get overly excited when they hear a car pulling into the driveway or when they hear the doorbell ring. They charge to the front door with a loud noise and with you following and shouting at them to get quiet, which of cause they cannot hear. When you open the door they all jump together at this poor person standing there. You don’t even have the opportunity to greet your friend because you are just shouting and grabbing dogs all over.

When the first ten minutes of excitement is over, then you can invite your friend in and start apologising for your dogs’ misbehaviour. If this is what you are experiencing day after day, it is time for some serious behaviour modification training. It is, of cause, more difficult when you have more than one or two dogs, but it is possible.

Why do dogs jump up on people?
There are basically two reasons why dogs jump up, but both of these reasons are normal canine behaviour. Unfortunately it is not appropriate for dog-human interaction and therefor we must train them to display more appropriate behaviour.

The first reason is that the dog wants to say "hi". Dogs greet each other by sniffing the behinds (which is also not very appropriate for us!) and also by touching noses. If you do not get down to the dog’s level, he feels a very strong instinct to jump up to touch noses with you. This behaviour is also strengthened from puppy days when many people actually encourage the puppy to jump up and even more so when they pick up the puppy and kiss it on it’s nose. This is a mistake most people make when they don’t think about the fact that within a few months this little adorable puppy will not be so little anymore.

The second reason why a dog will jump up against someone is to show dominance. This often happens when an adult dog jumps up on a child or strangers. This type of jumping can have serious consequences.

How to teach your dog not to jump up

Who is Alpha?
The very first thing you should do is to establish your role as Alpha. Your dog should very clearly understand that you are his leader. One of the most important rules that you should follow to accomplish that is to totally ignore your dog when you leave the house and also when you come in again. Ask everybody that visits you to do the same. If the dog jumps up, you should just turn your back on him. Do not say a word, do not touch him and do not even make eye contact. If you do this consistently, the jumping up behaviour will already be reduced.

The Sit-Stay
You can also teach your dog to sit-stay, while you open the door and the visitor enters. Have your dog on lead and have your clicker and treats ready. Ask a friend to help you. When he rings the doorbell, instead of racing your dog to the door, just remain calm, take hold of the lead, lure your dog into the sit position and click and treat. Now, give the stay command and call to your friend to come in. He should totally ignore your dog. Click and treat for a good sit-stay. You should remain at your dog’s side to ensure he does not break his stay. Now with the dog still on lead walk to the living room and ask your friend to sit down. Now you can bring your dog closer to greet your friend. When your dog has settled down a bit, you can take the lead off.

Repeat this exercise many times over and with different people to help you. Your dog will learn but you will have to be very consistent. If you have more than one dog, it will be more difficult. First practise with them separately and then together.

Dog Problems and Solutions

House training
Probably the number one problem puppy owners have to deal with is house training.

I hear these questions every day:

• How to I get my puppy to go outside?
• My puppy messes in the house, what should I do?
• House training 11 month male dog?
• House training a dog in cold weather?
• Please give me advice on puppy toilet training?
  

I have written and posted an article: How to house train a dog - easy steps.
The keywords are patience and consistency.

Stop Leash Pulling
This is probably the second most asked question:

• How can I teach my dog not to pull on his leash when I take him for a walk?
• How to break dog from pulling on leash?
• How to stop a boxer from pulling on a leash?

Read my article: Don't let Fido pull you.
Here I would really advise you to start early. Do not let your dog even come into the habit of pulling you, especially if it is a strong large breed. Again be patient and consistent.

Do not give in!

Dog Barking

Another question that I'm often asked goes like this:

• My dog barks all night, why?
• My dog barks at the ceiling, how can I stop that?
• My dog barks in the morning to wake us, what can I do?
• Dog barks while I'm gone, what must I do?
• My dog barks at people in hats, why?
• My Australian Cattle dog barks at husband, is the dog jealous?

All these and many more are questions I hear regularly. Most barking is because the dog seeks your attention, and it mostly works for him and that is why he will continue to do so. Read my article Stop the Barking.

Training Your Dog to Listen to You

Training Your Dog to Listen to You

Why Won't My Dog Listen To Me?

This is a common question that most first-time Dog owners ask me. Before I answer your question, let me ask you a few instead:

• Do you use cookies, collars, head halters or clickers to make your Dog listen to your commands?

• Do you have to raise your voice every time you want your Dog to listen to you?

• Does your Dog always come or sit on command - anytime and anywhere you want him to?

If your answers are mostly in the negative, its time you seriously reconsider your role as a sincere Dog trainer and an ideal pet parent.

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

Get Your Dog To Listen To You

Before you begin any training, you must first establish yourself as the "ALPHA dog" of your family. Your Dog must know that you’re the leader of the pack and it is YOU who is in charge.

Here is a list of simple DO's and DONT's that you must follow if you want to be the Alpha:

• Always go out or come in through the door first - remember you are the leader;

• Always eat first - give your Dog something to eat only after you've finished your meal;

• Don’t circle around your Dog when he is lying on the floor - make your Dog move out of your way instead;

• Don't let your Dog set the rules - pay attention to him when you think fit and not whenever he demands;

• Don’t permit your Dog to sleep with you in your bed - demarcate his sleeping area clearly.

Once you successfully established yourself as the Alpha, training your Dog and making him listen will be a lot easier than you can imagine. Remember, if your Dog does not learn to "listen", all your training efforts will be in vain!

Does your Dog know his name? Does your Dog look at you whenever you call him by his name? This is the first and the most critical step involved in Dog Training. If your Dog doesn't respond to his name, you cannot have his attention for teaching him any other commands.

To make sure that your Dog recognizes his name, take a treat in your hand and hold it away from your body. Call your Dog's name. He is most likely to look at the treat in your hand. Continue calling his name untill he turns and looks at your eyes. Give him the treat immediately. Repeat this exercise by holding the treat in the other hand. Once you're sure that your Dog has learnt to recognize his name, just call his name and reward him for looking at you by petting or with a hug.

You must understand that Dogs respond far better to positive reinforcement than they do to coercion or force.

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

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

How to train a dog to carry his toys to his bed

First of all I would suggest you should use clicker training. If your dog is not yet clicker trained, first make him understand how the clicker works. Click and treat a couple of times. Now give him one of his toys to hold in his mouth. If he cannot do that, you should first work on the retrieve exercise. I assume here that your dog can retrieve. Now with the toy in his mouth, walk with him and encourage him to bring the toy. Walk with him to his bed. Now show him a treat - he will most probably just drop the toy, because he wants the treat. As he drops the toy, click and give the treat. Repeat this many times. You can start giving a command - any descriptive word you can come up with. Your dog will learn to associate the command with the action of taking the toy to his bed with the click and with the treat.

Latest Dog Training Blog

Dogs Training is my new blog that you can look at and get some really nice information. This is going to be a really interesting blog, not just about dog training but dogs in general. So go there, bookmark that site and visit it often. It is going to be updated very often.

Happy New Year!

Time flies! We are already well into the first week of the new year and I haven't even have time to make New Year's resolutions, not to mention keeping them. Looking back, I can just say we had a fabulous holiday!! We took the dogs to the beach each day, only five minutes away from the farm cottage we rent. They truly enjoyed the wide open spaces, as did I. No rushing - just peace and quiet.

I hope your dogs also enjoyed a good time with their masters or were well cared for. Now we must look ahead, plan our daily activities and training schedule. The beginning of a new year is always a great time to start your dog training afresh. Start with the basics again- your dog will catch up quickly and it will encourage you to keep going and to try a few new tricks.

If your are living in the Western Cape of South Africa, consider visiting the quest farm:

Klein Paradijs - I highly recommend it. You can visit their website at: http://www.kleinparadijs.co.za/

The hosts are Suzanne and Michael. And take your dogs along!!