Being a Good Leader to Your Dog

Being a Good Leader for Your Dog

05/25/2008

 

by Jessica Rollins

By Jess Rollins
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Being a good leader for your dog means teaching your dog that his or her behaviors have clear. fair, and gentle consequences.

Leadership tips:

• Have your dog practice obedience (tricks) to get his food, treats and favorite toys.
• Give your dog attention according to YOUR schedule. If your dog begs to play or be petted, ignore him, but remember to offer play or attention later when your dog is behaving in a way you like.
• Prevent your dog from marking all over the neighborhood on walks. Only allow your dog to mark or sniff when you've stopped walking and given a cue like "go sniff".Dog Training Videos Click here to download.Total 21 Videos Available https://bit.ly/31iKWTa
• Do not allow your dog to pull you on walks. Walk in the opposite direction to which the dog is pulling or "be a tree" until he relaxes the pulling. Reward your dog for walking by your side.
• Implement Door Manners (Do not allow him to go out of main doors without waiting for permission)
• Assert your right to you own space. Do not scoot over for your dog or walk around him.
• Protect your dog from dangerous situations or ones that he will be fearful of.

Common Errors or Misconceptions About Dogs

To Err About Canines is Human.. Common Misconceptions About Dogs

11/16/2016

 

by Jessica Rollins

By Jess Rollins
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I've listed a few of the common misconceptions or errors-in-thinking about dogs that I've run into in my years as a pet dog trainer: The following bolded statements make me launch into a prepared speech which I've included for you below so that you too can have a speech to share with others when you hear these phrases. (But you might want to be more tactful than I am below sometimes!)

"My dog rolls on his back because he wants me to pet his belly. " This could be true, but it is also fairly common for a dog that is a little nervous to express this by rolling on his or her back in submission. If you think this may be the case, the best idea is to give your dog a little break from interaction.Dog Training Videos Click here to download.Total 21 Videos Available https://bit.ly/31iKWTa

"I don't feed my dog people food because I don't want him to beg." First, people food made of the same food as dog food is! Second, remember that you get the behavior that you reward. If you reward your dog for polite behavior, any begging will cease pretty quick. Plus, dogs that don't know any better will beg for people food even if you didn't give him any of that food because they can smell it! I do agree however that is a good idea to be careful about what you feed your dog, not to overfeed and not to feed unhealthy foods.

"I don't train my dog with treats because I want my dog to obey me even when I don't have any treats." Getting your dog to listen to you when no treat is in sight is a matter of practice and a little sneakiness. Your dog should never know for sure whether you have a treat or not but should always assume it's possible. For instance, I might ask my already trained dog to be sit and if he does, I can go to the cupboard and get him a treat. I don't need to have that treat in my hand and show it to him first, because he knows from experience that a treat is likely coming if he listens. This will come with practice with rewarding your dog for good behavior. It is also a matter of making sure you do not rely on showing your dog food in order to get him to behave. If you do not use treats or food to train your dog you will be missing out on a major way to reward your dog for good behavior and may instead have to rely on more negative interations to make your point. (which is not as fun!)

"My dog wants to go out of the doorway first (or pull on the leash) because he is dominant." Nah, he probably just is like all dogs and is for some reason really excited about going out of doorways. You just never know when there will be a squirrel on the other side I guess! It's a good idea though, to ask your dog to sit and wait to be released to go out of the doorway.

"It's a good idea to get two littermate puppies and raise them together so that they won't be lonely" In my experience, this generally backfires in a big way because you end up with twice as much puppy pee and poop to clean up and twice (or three times) as much puppy chewing and nipping and barking. Also, the two dogs can get so bonded they don't care about human company much or end up fighting because they become competitive with each other. One puppy at a time is definitely a good rule!

"My last puppy was not this difficult!" Everyone says this! I think we forget how difficult our previous dog was or if they were raised by our parents it definitely seems easy in retrospect.

"My puppy stays by me so I don't bother putting him on the leash when we are out." Puppies do stay close by naturally, but just wait until your dog is a bit older and look out! This is why young dogs should stay on the leash because we never know when they are going to get the wanderlust! And of course, start training your dog to come to you - it is never too early (well I guess you need to wait until they can walk!).

"My new dog doesn't bark at all" Famous last words! Most dogs don't begin barking until about 6 months and most adopted dogs have a honeymoon period of a couple of weeks in which they do not bark.

"I don't need to worry about socializing my young dog because he is always fine around people." Dogs don't tend to exhibit aggression until about age 1.5 years. Before that you will notice some small problems like shyness. Gentle socialization can help prevent this.

"My dog is always hungry so I feed him more." I've seen that this will lead to an overweight dog in almost all cases. Dogs seem to have been biologically designed to be ready to eat whenever food presents itself and keep eating until they pop (literally). It's a good idea to watch your dog's weight very carefully and adjust your dog's food intake as necessary to make sure you can feel your dog's ribs and that he or she keeps a "waist".

"I feed both of my dogs out of the same bowl because they get along well" Wow, what mellow dogs you have! Let's keep them that way and feed them out of separate bowls! Most dogs will eventually fight over food or eat too much or not get enough if fed out of a communal bowl.

"I crate my two dogs together because they get along well" I've seen that this can work for short periods for adult dogs that get along well, but for longer periods or younger dogs it is best to get a second crate so that they can both be comfortable and not have any arguments in a tight space.

I'm sure there are lots more. Want to add some? Add them in our comments box!

Happy Training!

~Jess

Clicker Training FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Clicker Training

05/04/2008

 

by Jessica Rollins

"What is a "clicker", and how do you use it to train a dog?"

A clicker is a small, simple device that makes a click sound. Using this tool for training dogs is becoming very popular. It is used to tell the dog that a treat is coming very soon. When your dog does the right thing, such as open his mouth to drop your sneaker, you click and give him a small tasty treat. The clicker helps to speed up the learning process but is no longer used once the behavior is taught. I use them for most of my courses.

"If I use food to train my dog, won't that mean the dog will only obey if he's sees the treat?"

This is a common misconception about training with food. This is only true if the trainer makes a mistake. To use food correctly, the dog is rewarded after performing the behavior and quickly learns that even if he doesn't see the treat he should probably listen anyway because the treat is often hidden.

"People food is bad for dogs, right?"

Dog food is food and people food is food! The only difference is the quality. To really motivate your dog in distracting circumstances it is vital to use fresh high quality food such as meat or cheese. Treats should of course be used in moderation and deducted from the dogs daily ration.

Shouldn't my dog listen to me because he loves me and not just for treats?"

Yes and no. You are often asking your dog to do things that he doesn't want to do and to do them no matter what else is going on. You are going to find you will often need something else besides a great relationship to motivate with and you have two choices, punishment or rewards.

"Why not use a 'balanced approach' to training our dog? If he does something wrong, I want him to know it was wrong."Dog Training Videos Click here to download.Total 21 Videos Available https://bit.ly/31iKWTa

A balanced approach is one which contains both punishments and rewards. In reward-based training such as I practice, there are consequences for the dog's actions. For instance, if he is barking for attention, he will get ignored. If that doesn't stop his barking, he will get a short time-out. When he stops barking for a few seconds he will get attention. If I were to punish him with a loud "no" or another method, he would be learning that barking results in attention and it is possible he would think that's pretty fine. Punishments beyond a time-out are simply not needed. They erode the trust your dog has for you and cause stress which impedes learning.

Bang Bang!, Bark Bark! Protect Your Dog from ''Intruders'' to Prevent Behavior Problems

09/07/2016

 

by Jessica Rollins

By Jess Rollins
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We are having some construction done on our home soon and so I am scrambling to find ways to make sure the dogs are not left alone when the construction noise is going on. The construction guys don't seem to understand my concern and one even said in an insulted tone, "we don't abuse dogs". In discussing this lack of understanding I experienced with fellow trainer, Aryn Hervel of Leaps and Hounds Dog Training in Marin County, CA, she agreed that she would never leave her dogs home alone during something like construction. She also remarked that a statement she often hears when being called in to help a dog with anxiety, barking or aggression issues is: " The problem started after we had construction going on..". It seems to Aryn and I that many people are unaware of the need to protect their dogs from the noise and commotion of work being done on the home.Dog Training Videos Click here to download.Total 21 Videos Available https://bit.ly/31iKWTa

Hence my inspiration to write to help make sure you are aware of this big potential cause of problems for your dog. To many dogs, which are by nature territorial animals, a strange person coming into their homes or yards and banging and moving stuff about is a big threat. Trying to defend their homes or hide from the perceived assault can potentially cause your dog a huge amount of stress. This stress may lead to anxiety, fearfulness, habitual barking or aggression. It is also possible your dog could accidentally be let out by the service worker or get into a dangerous situation (Aryn tells me of an example of a dog drinking paint water!). It is especially important with impressionable puppies and adolescent dogs to make sure they are protected from big scares such as hammering and sawing noises. Loud noises from construction can cause a previously easy going and good natured puppy to become fearful and anxious in the long term! I strongly encourage you to make sure your dog is elsewhere when you are having something loud going outside or inside your home, especially if you are not there to assure your dog that it is okay. Options are to take your dog with you, bring them to a doggy daycare or ask a friend to watch them. It is a hassle, but it is much less of a hassle (and heartache), than having to hire a dog trainer to help your dog get over the anxiety and behavior problem that was caused by this scary intrusion into his safe space.

This warning also applies to having service people visit your home such as gardeners or housecleaners when your dog is home alone. The noise, activity and presence of strangers can send many a dog into a tizzy of protectiveness or fear or lead to accidental escape.

Of course there are some dogs are so mellow that they greet commotion with a happy tail wag, but these dogs are the exception and I would be careful to make sure they stay this way! Certainly, dogs who are younger than two, shy or standoffish or tend to react strongly to changes in their environment should not be left alone when work is being done on the home.

To help your dog understand that these occurrences are okay, you can talk to your dog in a calm, happy voice, feed treats, play with toys, stroke him, etc. If your dog is still anxious you can try moving him or her away from the activity and giving him a chew bone, treat dispensing toy and perhaps a calming remedy. Sometimes some white noise such as a fan can help to dampen some of the strange sounds. If your dog still won't calm down it is probably best to see what you can do to get him or her away from the situation so that it does not get worse.

I hope this helps to keep your doggies safe feeling they need to defend your homes from scary hammering, sawing, mopping, mowing "monsters"! Please let us know your thoughts and if you have any questions.

Happy Training!

~Jess

Jess Rollins, Owner and Dog Trainer 

Monitoring Your Dog's Stress Level - NEW with Pictures!

Signs of Stress in Dogs

09/08/2016

 

by Jessica Rollins

By Jess Rollins
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Watching Out for Signs of Stress:

If you can develop a knack for "reading" your dog's body language to figure out if he is stressed in a given situation, you will be able to remedy the situation before any bad things happen.

Some signs of stress include:

Gigo calm Gigo stressed

• Hiding or trying to leave the area.
• Panting more than usual.Dog Training Videos Click here to download.Total 21 Videos Available https://bit.ly/31iKWTa
• Refusing to take treats he usually likes.
• Leaving wet paw prints.
• Lifting a lip.
• Growling.
• Urinating when someone approaches.
• Frequent lip licking (when he hasn't just finished eating).
• Yawning (when not about to take a nap).
• Pacing or hyperactivity.
• Howling, whining or high-pitched barking.
• Tail lower than usual or between his legs.
• Ears flattened against his head.
• Rolling onto his back and showing his belly (occasionally this is a sign of wanting a "belly rub", but it can also mean that he is at least a little uncomfortable).
• Hackles (row of hair along the back) standing up.

When you notice that your dog is stressed, talk to him in a calming, matter-of-fact tone and then try to alleviate the stress of the situation. Later you can teach him to be calm in situations that cause him stress by associating the situation with his favorite things and using baby-steps.

Happy Training!

What's a Dog to Chew? Dog Chew Toy Tips for Different Types of Dogs

11/19/2016

 

by Jessica Rollins

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By Jess Rollins
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Want the best chew for your power chewer or picky chewer? Spending some chewing time daily is a great way for your dog to get a little exercise, enjoyment and improve their dental health. I've written up some tips to help you choose the best chew for your dog or puppy. My tips here are geared towards the hard-to-buy for dogs. The "regular" dog can choose just about any of our toys and enjoy them safely. Please comment and let us know what has worked best for your dog!

Dog Training Videos Click here to download.Total 21 Videos Available https://bit.ly/31iKWTa

Dog Chew Type	Chewing Tips for Different Types of Dogs
Bully Sticks  Bull penises that have been rinsed and dried.	Strong chewers will need your supervision with Bully Sticks (one of our most popular items), so they don't eat too much of the chew or swallow large pieces. Trade your dog for a treat when you want to take it back. The chew will last longer and be safer if you order a larger size for strong chewers. Unfortunately though, bully sticks may not last very long with a strong chewer. Picky chewers will prefer the regular bullies as opposed to the "low odor" and may like the bully stick soaked first. Make sure that you don't get a 12" bully for a small dog as a picky dog may just not be motivated to work harder at it. Puppies should be supervised and not allowed to eat more than 2" at a time. Bully sticks are one of our favorite chews to recommend for puppies.
Himalayan Dog Chew  A very hard cheese chew.	Strong chewers will need supervision (as all dogs do), so they don't eat too much of the chew or swallow large pieces of the Himalayan chew. Trade your dog for a treat when you want to take it back. Ordering a size larger than you normally would will help the chew to last longer. Picky chewers: Most picky dogs are fans of the Himalayan chews, but if not you can try soaking it or scratching it a bit to release some fresh flavor. Puppies should be supervised and not allowed to eat more than 1" at a time and then monitored to see how digestion goes.
Antler Chews  Deer antlers that are cut up.	Strong chewers will require supervision with Antlers so they don't eat too much of the chew or swallow large pieces. Trade your dog for a treat when you want to take it back. Order a larger size for strong chewers. These are our biggest sellers and a big hit with owners of dogs who love to chew! Picky Chewers: Try sanding the antler chew, rubbing it with peanut butter or soaking it in water if your dog is not interested in it. Puppies should be supervised and not allowed to eat more than 1" at a time. Most puppies digest antler just fine and antlers are one of our favorite puppy "pacifiers".
Rubber Toys Rubber dog chews such as the Kong brand.	Strong chewers will need supervision so they don't chew the hard rubber Kong into pieces. Trade your dog for a treat when you want to take it back. Order a larger size for strong chewers and choose the black or blue Kong. If you see your dog trying to break the toy interrupt with "eh eh!" and than praise for chewing without destroying the toy. Click for more on teaching your dog not to destroy toys. Picky chewers: Kongs are great for these guys because you can put a smear of peanut butter inside or a piece of chicken wedged in that they have to work on for awhile. Puppies: Kong's are a puppy raising staple! You can put your puppy's daily food in several Kongs, freeze and give them to your puppy to entertain him or her.
Flavorit, Flavor Cell Nylon Chew	Strong chewers will require supervision so they don't eat too much of the chew or swallow large pieces. Trade your dog for a treat when you want to take it back. Order a larger size for strong chewers. Picky Chewers: Rub some peanut butter into the dimples of the Flavorit To make it more tasty. Puppies should be supervised but will likely not be able to chew this up very much. Use a small amount of peanut butter (or none at all) with puppies sensitive tummies.
Treat Dispensing Toys Put your dog's daily food in these toys and keep him busy and out of trouble.	Strong chewers do best with the Squirrel Dude, Booya, and Treat Stik. Those toys are all very durable. If you see your dog trying to break the toy interrupt with "eh eh!" and than praise for chewing without destroying the toy. Click for more on teaching your dog not to destroy toys. Picky chewers will enjoy treat dispensing toys as long as you make sure it is easy for your dog to start with and that the treats you are using are tasty. Puppies will also enjoy the treat dispensing, puzzle toys as long as you help them figure out how to use them. Start with treats that fall out easily and show your puppy how to get the treats out.

Related articles: All About Antler Dog Chews from Pet ExpertiseDog Chew Comparison - Choosing the Best Chew Toys for Your Dog

Choosing the Best Dog Chews

Best Dog Chew Toys: Choosing the Best Chew Toys for Your Dog

11/09/2016

 

by Jessica Rollins

By Jess Rollins
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Chewing is very important for your dogs oral and mental health. Chewing on a dog chew keeps his teeth clean, his body exercised and his mind occupied. Having your dog chew on a toy is also important to prevent behavior problems and chewing on inappropriate objects. A dog that has chewed for 30 minutes is busy, contented and more apt to take a nap than steal your wallet! However, everything your dog puts in his or her mouth has a potential for harm. He or she could break a tooth, choke, become allergic, get some sort of infection, have trouble with digestion, and probably more things we haven't even thought of! Despite these risks, we believe that allowing your dog to chew on a variety of objects is a natural behavior that is important for your dog to engage in. In fact, not giving your dog a variety of chews will probably result in your dog finding it's own chews (i.e. your furniture, your shoes, sticks, rocks).

Below are my thoughts about the best dog chew toys. This guide is meant to help you make an informed decision about what to dog chew toys are best for your dog. Please note, that Pet Expertise has chosen to offer the best and safest dog chews that are natural, healthy and long lasting. We hope that you support our small business by purchasing one of these chews from us!

For dogs that love to chew anything, you can go with the less tasty chews but pickier dogs will need to have a tasty chew in order to give it a second sniff.

About "Our Overall Rating" system: The rating is a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most natural, healthy, tasty, safe and long-lasting chew imaginable. Items with a rating under 5 are generally not recommended by Pet Expertise.Dog Training Videos Click here to download.Total 21 Videos Available https://bit.ly/31iKWTa

Dog Chew Type	Our Overall Rating*	Tastiness10=Yum!	Chewing TimeEstimations!	Pros	Safety & Cons
Bully Sticks  Bull penises that have been rinsed & dried.	9 out of 10	7 out of 10	30 Mins or More	Tasty for dogs Natural Nutritional value Non staining Some are available with low odor Non greasy Non staining	Safety Concerns: Choking on the end piece, possible bacterial contamination, chemical treatment. Pet Expertise's bullies are not chemically treated. We recommend that you take the bully stick away when small enough to choke on. Cons: Some will have an odor.
Himalayan Dog Chew  A very hard cheese chew.	9 out of 10	6 out of 10	30 Mins or More	Yummy! Natural nutritional value Non staining Non greasy Pleasant smell Unique	Safety Concerns: Breaking a tooth, choking on a small piece. Cons: Significant number of calories
Antler Chews  Deer antlers that are cut up.	9 out of 10	5 out of 10	Weeks or More	Natural Nutritional value Non staining No odor Unique Long lasting	Safety Concerns: Breaking a tooth, choking on a small piece, possible bacterial contamination.
Rubber Chew & Puzzle Toys Rubber dog chews such as Kongs	7 out of 10	3 out of 10 (unless stuffed with food!)	Months or More	Natural rubber Non staining (unless you put PB inside!) Durable Long lasting Good variety of sizes & strengths Stuffable	Safety Concerns: Choking on a small piece, indigestibility. Pet Expertise offers blue Kongs & durable Kongs to help prevent the dog swallowing pieces and if pieces do swallowed, the blue Kong will show up on an X-ray. Cons: Dogs don't much care for them unless you put food inside. Don't really clean teeth much.
The products below are not available from Pet Expertise. If you wish to find them, simply do a Google search for them:
Rawhide	5 out of 10	6 out of 10	30 Mins or More While compressed will last the longest it is also perhaps more dangerous since the dog will potentially ingest more rawhide. Generally a rolled rawhide chew will last several hours.	Not much if any odor Readily available in many forms and flavors. Have been in use for years. Non staining Non greasy	Safety Concerns: There are many safety concerns about rawhide which is why we have not added it to our inventory. The concerns are about chemical processing, possible bacterial contamination, choking and indigestibility.
Pig Ears, Pig Skin, Tendons and Other Animal Body Parts	5 out of 10	7 out of 10	Minutes or More They are best for picky dogs.	Readily available	Safety Concerns: Choking, possible bacterial contamination. Cons: Can be greasy and high in calories.
Nylon Chews	5 out of 10	4 out of 10	Months or More	Non staining Readily available Non greasy No calories No odor Lots of different sizes, flavors and shapes. Long lasting	Safety Concerns: Breaking a tooth, choking on a small piece. Indigestibility. Cons: These are not natural and have no nutritional value. However, the bits should pass right through your dog.
Gumabone from Nylabone	4 out of 10	4 out of 10	Months or More They will not last as long as a nylon bone.	Non staining Readily available Non greasy No calories No odor Lots of different sizes, flavors and shapes.	Safety Concerns: choking on a small piece. Indigestibility. Cons: These are not natural and have no nutritional value. However, the bits should pass right through your dog.
Real Bones	4 out of 10	4-8 out of 10	30 Mins or More Bones can really vary in how long they last from less than an hour to months. The sterilized marrow bones are almost indestructible.	Natural Nutritional value	Safety Concerns: Breaking a tooth, bone splintering and cutting the dog, choking on a small piece, possible bacterial contamination, indigestibility, chemical treatment. Pet Expertise does not recommend feeding bones unless they are raw. Cons: Bones can also stain and be greasy. Sterile empty marrow bones are not very tasty.
Cow Hooves	4 out of 10	5.5 out of 10	Days or Weeks or More	Natural Nutritional value Non staining Non greasy Readily available	Safety Concerns: Breaking a tooth, Choking (hooves are not very big to begin with), being cut by a sharp piece, possible bacterial contamination. Cons: They have an unpleasant odor. Hooves can become sharp and can be a hazard to humans with bare feet!
Corn starch chews	3 out of 10	5.5 out of 10	30 Mins or More	Non staining Non greasy No odor Lots of different sizes, flavors and shapes. Digestible Bumps to help clean teeth	Safety Concerns: Breaking a tooth, choking on a small piece, allergy to corn. Cons: Corn is not very nutritious for dogs and can be allergenic. There are also other chemicals in the chew that are not very healthy for dogs.

Is there a dog chew that you would like us to review? Contact us!

*About Our Overall Rating System: The rating is a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most natural, healthy, tasty, safe and long lasting chew imaginable. Items with a rating under 5 are not generally recommended by Pet Expertise.

Note, If you wish to find more about any of these products which are not available through Pet Expertise, simply Google the product names.

Related article: What's a Dog to Chew? Dog Chew Toy Tips for Different Types of Dogs