Dog Obedience Training

if a dog has bitten a child, is behaviour training enough or should the dog be rehomed ?

I am dog-sitting my friends 15wk old rottweiler pup. She tried to get food from my son today and when he pulled it away she but his arm and leg, puncturing the skin. My friend has 2 kids of her own and wants to know if behaviour training etc will be enough, or if she will have to re-home the dog.
My friends mother was sitting the dog, but she didn’t want to anymore, so I have her. She has been around my kids a lot, no problems before . My friend thinks something may have happened at her mothers house, but her mother is not saying anything.

A 15 week old puppy doesn’t know any better. She is doing what she would have done to her littermates if they had something she wanted. She needs to be trained that it is NOT an okay thing to do. It is NOT a sign that she will grow up to be aggressive. It just needs to be corrected.

I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that she was abused or anything else. She is going to be a BIG powerful dog who will need a strong owner. As soon as she is old enough, your friend should enroll her in puppy obedience classes. Have her keep in mind that Rottweilers were bred as working, herding dogs and they need a job. Lots of excercise and plenty of stimulation will help her be a great pet.

Aggression in Dogs Can be Controlled

Aggression in dogs is not rare and hence a matter of concern. Of course there are various ways of controlling aggression in dogs especially by using dog training collars but first you need to understand why they behave aggressively.

Dogs have evolved from Wolves and hence are well-versed with the concept of living in a pack and hence understand that the dominating male or alpha male is the leader of the pack. In your home, your dog will feel like he is the leader and your family is the pack. Of course when he assumes this responsibility, he also becomes protective about you but at the same time aggressive too. In such a case remote dog training collars can be quite useful as it will be able to keep your dog from acting aggressively.

Dogs are mostly possessive about things like resting places, food, favored possessions like balls, and not to mention their territory. If your dog thinks that he is the leader then in all probability he will respond in an aggressive manner and display various behaviors that can be assumed as a threat. This happens normally when they feel challenged for control of their access to any of the critical resources like food or space. When a dog thinks that he is the leader of the house and your and your family is his pack then he may become over-protective, possessive and anxious. If you see the tell-a-tale signs of your dog becoming aggressive then you should get remote dog training collars to control its behavior. You can opt for the basic or the advanced dog training collars. The remote dog training collars might have a range of anywhere from 100m to 3/4 of a mile.

The main aim of the collars is to train him in obedience and to make him understand that he is not the leader of your home. But before you can go ahead and pick up dog training collars identifying the signs are extremely important. Normally, the initial phase of aggression is quite subtle and your dog will only use his facial expressions as well as certain physical postures to show dominance. If his body is low and he is wagging his tail then he is being friendly but if his wagging tail is high and he maintains an eye contact and sometimes shows his teeth then he is being assertive. Escalation of his aggressive behaviour can be felt especially when he starts to snarl or tries to lunge at you. Ideally the perfect time to put him on remote dog training collars is when you see the subtle signs.

Of course dogs bark. It is their natural instinct to do so every time they want to express their feelings or warn their owners of potential dangers. The truth is that they are bound to bark sooner or later, no matter how hard you try to train them. This is why you should consider one of the remote dog training collars, allowing you to train your dog in an efficient and comfortable manner. You will be able to enjoy special times with your dog, finally taking advantage of him being the perfect companion.

If you want to learn how to train your dog effectively we have innovative http://www.nutrecare.co.uk for remote dog training collars especially tailored for all breeds and sizes. There is a great selection in http://www.nutrecare.co.uk for dog training collars which are activated by the dog barking at any time. 

James Gosling
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/aggression-in-dogs-can-be-controlled-670091.html

if a dog has bitten a child, is behaviour training enough or should the dog be rehomed ?

I am dog-sitting my friends 15wk old rottweiler pup. She tried to get food from my son today and when he pulled it away she but his arm and leg, puncturing the skin. My friend has 2 kids of her own and wants to know if behaviour training etc will be enough, or if she will have to re-home the dog.
My friends mother was sitting the dog, but she didn’t want to anymore, so I have her. She has been around my kids a lot, no problems before . My friend thinks something may have happened at her mothers house, but her mother is not saying anything.

A 15 week old puppy doesn’t know any better. She is doing what she would have done to her littermates if they had something she wanted. She needs to be trained that it is NOT an okay thing to do. It is NOT a sign that she will grow up to be aggressive. It just needs to be corrected.

I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that she was abused or anything else. She is going to be a BIG powerful dog who will need a strong owner. As soon as she is old enough, your friend should enroll her in puppy obedience classes. Have her keep in mind that Rottweilers were bred as working, herding dogs and they need a job. Lots of excercise and plenty of stimulation will help her be a great pet.

Training Dogs: Tips On Breaking Bad Pet Habits

You want a nice, disciplined dog, who doesn’t chew on anything and everything in the sight and doesn’t deafen you with his needless barks. These are one of the most common dog problems and can be really irritating at times. They can, however, be corrected by proper training. Here are a few effective ways of bringing in correction in your dog’s habits:

Barking

Barking come naturally to them, and what use is a dog that doesn’t even bark. However, at time dogs overdo it and keep barking without a reason and sometimes even after their barks have been taken cognizance of and the offending element removed. Then, it is high time he had his lessons in “barking habits.”

Most often dogs bark to tell the owner what they feel he must know, like an intruder, any unusual moving object, any unusual activity or sound. They feel that it is important for them to inform you at the earliest. This kind of warning bark is perfectly alright, but if your dog keep barking even after having been told not to, he needs to be trained about it.

In such situations take a squirt bottle filled with water, and every time the dog barks unnecessarily squirt the liquid right in his face after telling him not to bark in a loud “No”. The liquid or the squirt wouldn’t harm the creature but he wouldn’t like it and would get the message eventually. This is disciplinary action and must be adopted only when the dog doesn’t respond to your verbal commands. Keep it as a second option and not the first.

Chewing

Chewing is not only destructive but is potentially dangerous to the dog as well, because they might ingest pieces of plastic or wood or any other harmful object that could block their intestines, which could be life threatening. Puppies’ chewing is acceptable because that’s part of teething, but if the habit is retained into adulthood, it needs to be corrected.

It is better to start early. So, you need not wait till the dog grows up to teach him not to chew on things that are not meant for his chewing. The strategy for the pup as well as for the dog remain the same. Get some toys for the dog to chew on, and train him to restrict his chewing to them. Watch him carefully and if he chews on things other than his chew toys, look into his eyes at close quarters and say in a loud voice, “No!” and then offer one of his chew toys. He would get the message as to what has to be chewed on and what not.

Begging for food

Never give the dog to eat from your dinner table or your plate. Make him learn that he gets nothing by begging for food but gets to eat at the proper time. And if, unfortunately you already have a dog who has such a habit lock him up in another room while you eat.

You want dogs to behave well, but good behaviour is not something one is born with. One—be it a human or a dog—has to learn to behave. So, right training is the key.

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/training-dogs-tips-on-breaking-bad-pet-habits-71312.html

if a dog has bitten a child, is behaviour training enough or should the dog be rehomed ?

I am dog-sitting my friends 15wk old rottweiler pup. She tried to get food from my son today and when he pulled it away she but his arm and leg, puncturing the skin. My friend has 2 kids of her own and wants to know if behaviour training etc will be enough, or if she will have to re-home the dog.
My friends mother was sitting the dog, but she didn’t want to anymore, so I have her. She has been around my kids a lot, no problems before . My friend thinks something may have happened at her mothers house, but her mother is not saying anything.

A 15 week old puppy doesn’t know any better. She is doing what she would have done to her littermates if they had something she wanted. She needs to be trained that it is NOT an okay thing to do. It is NOT a sign that she will grow up to be aggressive. It just needs to be corrected.

I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that she was abused or anything else. She is going to be a BIG powerful dog who will need a strong owner. As soon as she is old enough, your friend should enroll her in puppy obedience classes. Have her keep in mind that Rottweilers were bred as working, herding dogs and they need a job. Lots of excercise and plenty of stimulation will help her be a great pet.

Ten Tips for House Training a Puppy

House training a puppy can be a trying process if you dont know the effective procedures. So, here are some useful tips to make the process easier.

1. I strongly recommend that you get a dog crate which is the right size for your puppy. It should be just big enough so he can turn around in it and lie down. This will become his den and the instinct of a dog is not to soil his den. So, you can use this instinctive behaviour to make the house training process a bit easier.

2. You need to introduce your puppy to the crate and build a positive association with it. This you can do by using small tasty treats as a positive reinforcement. Give him treats near the crate and gradually lure him into the crate with them. Once he is used to going inside, shut the door very briefly and then gradually shut it for an increasing time. If you give him a food dispensing toy while he is in the crate, he will be quite happy for a time.

3. Once your puppy is used to the crate, you should leave him in it whenever you cannot pay full attention to him. This will prevent any danger of him peeing or pooing in the house. When you take him out of the crate, you should take him outside in case he needs to relieve himself. A rule of thumb is that you leave your puppy in the crate about an hour for every month he is old.

4. When you bring a puppy home and need to house train him, you should understand that it requires close attention and is a full-time job for a few days. Try to arrange it for a weekend or whenever you can be at home for at least a couple of days.

5. There are times when you should, as a matter of course, take your puppy outside since he is likely to need taking out at these times: when he wakes up, before he goes to bed, whenever he gets excited, after a play session, after a training session, after he eats, after he drinks and after he has a nap. Until he is three months old, he may need also to be taken out once during the night.

6. When you take him outside to do his business, keep him on a leash and dont encourage him to play. Just watch and wait.

7. Whenever he pees or poos outside, you should give him lots of praise and attention.

8. If he does have an accident in the house, make sure you clean it up with hot biological washing powder solution or an enzymatic cleaner. Normal cleaners will not get rid of the smell to the puppys nose and he will be attracted to the spot again.

9. Dogs are creatures of habit, so make sure you follow a regular routine with your puppy.

10. When you see him get into position to do his business, give him a command such as Get Busy, so that the command becomes associated with doing his business. When you have done this for a week, you can take him outside and give the command to see if he responds. If he does, give him lots of praise or a treat. If he doesnt respond, continue the association process for another week before you try again.

I hope you find these points helpful in house training your puppy.

Ken Morgan
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/ten-tips-for-house-training-a-puppy-712918.html

So You Want To Adopt A Dog?

Adopting a dog from a Humane Society, or a private shelter, can be a great gift to the dogs fighting for survival on the streets, abandoned by owners, or mistreated before they were rescued. However, this should not be done naively, or with the heart alone. Any new purchase of a dog needs to be done carefully, and not on impulse. There is nothing worse, for the family or the dog, to take a dog into your care and then discover that problems arise which you are unable to handle. This ultimately contributes to the sad fate of abandoned dogs.

There are many factors to consider when thinking about getting a new pet. There are the ongoing costs of food, vet bills from routine operations like desexing and minor illnesses or mishaps, as well as the time and money involved in training dogs. Depending on your experience with dogs, you may need to take your dog along to an obedience school. Dogs need to be trained so that they know how to behave around people, to prevent any biting or aggressive behaviour around neighbors or small children, and to establish a harmonious and understanding relationship with their owners. Many of the reasons people abandon dogs and other pets can be avoided if they take the time to train their dog, and understand where the behaviours that exasperate come from – and what to do about them. That is responsible dog ownership.

One of the advantages of adopting a dog from a shelter or humane society is that the animal will usually be desexed. Despite some lingering mythology around the subject, desexing does not psychologically or developmentally harm the dog in any way. That is a projection of a human response onto an animal of a completely different species.

Some private dog shelters have a ‘No Kill’ policy. This means that unlike many others that euthanase a dog if they are not rehomed within a certain period of time, these shelters place dogs in foster homes until a new owner is found. The advantage of adopting a dog from one of these places is that the temperament of the dog will be more well known. Plus, many of the behavioral issues that can come from the trauma of being abandoned, or being abused, are healed in a loving environment by the foster carer before the dog is available for adoption. Things like how well a dog interacts with other dogs will generally be known, which is essential if you have a multi-pet household.

No Kill shelters also rehabilitate very sick or malnourished dogs before they are put up for adoption. Most shelters and humane societies check a dog’s health before letting them get adopted, so you at least know what you are getting in to. They can also provide advice on whether a dog is suitable for a more experienced dog owner, whether a dog is suitable for a family, and can provide tips on how to smoothly integrate a dog into a new household.

To decide to adopt a dog is a very noble thing to do, especially given the huge number of unwanted dogs in the world. As well as that, by adopting a dog from a shelter, you’re actually helping that shelter help other animals. Whilst these dogs are not free, the charge is nominal, and generally covers health care costs for the dog. Many dogs may be given away free ‘to a good home’, but going this path is risky. You won’t know if the dog has a serious or contagious illness, which can be a disaster if you have other pets. Plus, you won’t get unbiased advice on that dog’s temperament, or history. Many times these owners really just want to get rid of the dogs in their care, and not all are scrupulous about to whom they give the dogs to.

Rebecca Prescott
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/so-you-want-to-adopt-a-dog-50703.html

where can I get dog behavior training?

Do you want behaviour modification or obedience training? Either way, you can ask your vet for a referral to an animal behaviourist or a trainer.

dog behavior training?

How do I train my dog not to chase my indoor cats?

Put your dog on a short lead and introduce him to the cats. If he attempts to chase them, yank the lead firmly and say ‘No’, and ask him to sit. When he complies give him a treat.

Repeat this exercise with a short lead until he doesn’t try to chase the cats. Once you’ve reached this point, exchange the short lead for a long one. This is to give the impression that he’s ‘free’. If he tries to chase, do as you did with the short lead.

It will take time, but eventually he’ll learn the cats aren’t to be chased. Another thing to note would be that if the cats didn’t run he probably would ignore them, because there would be no fun in it.

Good luck.

6 Possible Reasons Why Your Dog Is Being Aggressive

One of the most common queries we get from subscribers to our newsletter is how to curb and eliminate their dog’s aggressive behaviour.

Quite recently in the UK there have been two highly publicized cases of very young children being attacked by dogs (the same breed in both cases) and one sadly led to the death of the child in question and resulted in the aggressive dogs being put down by the authorities not long after.

In response to this I’ve put these 6 pointers together to show you what is normally responsible for aggressive behaviour in dogs.

Dogs that bite or show aggression toward people outside the family group usually feel insecure about their relationship with their owners and/or their property, or have been frustrated relative to people at barriers, on leashes, etc.

Some of these dogs may have been mistreated by strangers or former family members, often not known to the owners.

Pack (family) and property protection tendencies naturally begin to appear at about 6 months of age.

At this time the dog may show slight signs of hostility toward outsiders who threaten the integrity of its property or group.

This sort of aggressive behavior may become extreme under the following circumstances:

1. The dog’s owners do not have a uniform leader relationship with the pet (dog is submissive to some, dominant toward others).

2. The family has very few visitors.

3. Fear, hostility or aggression is commonly shown toward outsiders by family members (often by the children).

4. At the dog’s first signs of hostility toward outsiders, the owners encourage rather than discourage such behavior.

5. The dog has been frightened or teased by outsiders.

6. The dog has been shut away from the family when guests visit often because of other types of misbehavior…

One way of training your dog to stop an annoying behavior pattern is to use substitution.

One kind of substitution is to put an activity you approve of in the place of one you do not.

For example, teach the dog who jumps up on people that sitting, not jumping, gets her the attention she’s looking for. And importantly, you have to be consistent.

If you don’t want your dog to jump up in greeting, as much as possible don’t ever allow her to.

If you have a dog that has a bad habit of snapping at people, especially children, then you should first understand what this behavior means and why your dog may be doing it.

Snapping is usually thought of as being a signal that dogs use to drive other dogs or people away, without biting them or inflicting serious injury.

Often considered an expression of irritability, snapping is also a form of communication that females use to keep their puppies from pestering them.

It is natural to expect dogs to use snapping as a form of communication with people. Dogs will usually not snap at adults to, whom they are subordinate.

And with adults who are snapped at, it is usually only their hands that are at risk. With children, however, snapping can be dangerous, because a child’s face is often level with the dog’s head.

Regarding a dog’s tendency to snap at children, the experts say: “This question deals with a dog’s tolerance for being poked, pulled, and handled by children, not always as kindly as we might like.

Snapping is a characteristic that differs in prevalence from males to females, at least to a minor extent.

In general male dogs are more predisposed to snap than their females counterparts.

Jessica Baker
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/6-possible-reasons-why-your-dog-is-being-aggressive-82467.html