TRAINING

 

 

 

Intro to Dog Training: Play

 

In this video I explain psychology of learning, Impulse control, rewards, no rewards, redirection, correction, punishment and problem solving. Confronting bad behaviors, Aggression, The importance of play, socialization and exercise for mental and physical development, health and maintaining impulse control. As well as the equipment and key words I use. I will also break down Who, What, When, Where and Why of dog training.

Lesson 1: Food Lure

 

All animal training starts out with the food lure, food is used as a reward for compliance positively reinforcing behaviors. The food lure is a game for the animal but an important tool for the handler that’s used to manipulate the animal without physical force. The Lure and Food rewards are meant to be faded out after a concept has been achieved and replaced with praise and petting.

   

Lesson 2: Recall (Come Command)

 

The come command summons the animal to the handlers side, asking the animal to stop what they are doing and return to the handler. Teaching this command effectively requires significant practice with distraction training to develop a degree of impulse control, Come can be used in the presence of a distraction provided the animals threshold hasn’t been exceeded. Come is most effective as a preventative measure to keep your dog from getting too close to the road or from investigating some thing they shouldn’t like a dead animal.

Lesson 3: Stay

 

The stay command requires the animal to maintain position for an extended period of time until they are released. Teaching this command effectively requires significant practice with distraction training to develop a degree of impulse control. Stay is often used when you have to leave the dog for several minutes in conjunction with other positional commands such as sit or lay down. Be patient and practice consistently, this is advanced.

   

Lesson 4: Focus

 

The focus command asks the animal to look the handler in the eyes, when taught in conjunction with distraction training the focus command is the primary tool for regaining the animals attention while they are moderately distracted. The focus command is also meant to be paired with other commands such as heel & focus or sit & focus.

Lesson 5: Heel

 

The Stationary Heel is great for getting your dog to focus on you and to stay by your side. Heel is also great for helping your dog from pulling tendencies and over-leading while walking. It also helps your dog to ignore distractions such as other dogs.

   
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Lesson 6: Boundaries

 

Teaching invisible barriers helps to keep your animal safe from roads, stop bolting, keeping them out of forbidden rooms that might have harmful chemicals or equipment, keeping them from getting lost and help them understand their territory. Boundary training is usually taught at a threshold like a doorway, roadside curb or property line.

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Lesson 7: Release

 

The release command release’s the animal from work mode allowing them freedom to do as they please. Often a simple word such as free or OK. Release doesn’t just mean free to run and play, you can also release your dog from politely waiting for food, an important leadership relationship exercise. You can release them to socialize with another dog after they both have a moment to calm down. The release command should be the butter to your bread.

   
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Lesson 8: Sit

 

The sit command helps to keep the dog stationary, you can think of it as a “stand by mode”. Sit is often used in conjunction with the focus command to regroup your dog during a distraction. The sit command is an extremely diverse tool, it can be used as a jump deterrent when greeting people before getting petted. Another example ask your dog to sit while fumbling with keys trying to get the mail or open a door so they’re not pulling on you trying to sniff things.

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Lesson 9: Down

 

The down command asks the animal to go into a rest stat. Similar to the sit command standby mode, down is often used in conjunction with the command stay. Laying down can help keep the dog calm depending on the situation and stimuli. Such as eating at a public restaurant having your dog lay down under the table. Or when you have company over after a polite greeting ask them to lay down at their bed and stay there until released.

   
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Lesson 10: Stand Up

 

The stand up command request the animal to rise to their feet. This command is useful for checking the animal for lameness and injury or just getting them to move without pulling on them.

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Lesson 11: Wait

 

The wait command requires the animal to maintain position for a short period of time before being followed up with a secondary command. Wait essentially means (hold on somethings coming). Wait is often used when you need the dog to standby for just a minute, such as when you’re getting the mail or fumbling with keys. To teach this effectively requires significant practice with distraction training to develop a degree of impulse control

   
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Lesson 12: Loose Leash Walking

 

Loose leash walking command is usually a keyword or short phrase, a command could also be a hand signal. Unlike the heel command loose leash walking allows the animal to look around so long as they keep up with the handler and don’t go behind, in front or crossover the handlers path. The dog is allowed to sniff so long as they don’t pull or stop. Loose leash walking is commonly used on the dogs normal walks in places the dog has already been or mellow public area with less traffic. Loose leash walking it’s typically a slower comfortable walking pace where as the heel is a faster brisk walk.

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Lesson 13: Up

 

The up command asks the animal to jump up onto/into something such as a car/truck, veterinarians table, bed, stairs, pedestal, rock or log, etc. To get your dog comfortable with this try it on many different stable objects.

   
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Lesson 14: Off

 

The off command demands the animal remove themselves from something such as laying on forbidden furniture, inappropriately mounting guests, marking on the neighbors flowers etc. The command is useful to help let your dog know what is unacceptable. This command requires follow-up corrections if none compliant to be effective.

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Lesson 15: Out

 

The out command demands the animal remove themselves from the immediate area such as tall brush full of flees, grandmas flower bed or a big mud puddle, the kitchen or babies room. The command is useful to help let your dog know what is unacceptable. This command requires follow-up corrections if none compliant to be effective.

   
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Lesson 16: Drop It

 

The drop it command demands the animal let go of an object they currently hold. This command is extremely important for cases where your dog might have something poison or a possibly diseased animal in their mouth.

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Lesson 17: Leave It

 

The leave it command orders the animal not to touch the thing their attention is currently fixed on. Such as a piece of salami that fell to the floor or an object that looks like a toy but isn’t, even a small dog that’s approaching on the sidewalk that your dog is fixating on. You can stop your dog from touching a dead animal that’s possibly diseased. Leave it is another very important tool for keeping your dog safe.

   
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Lesson 18: Get It

 

The get it command asks the animal to retrieve an object from the ground. This command can be useful for people with disabilities who have difficulty bending over can request their dog to retrieve an item for them. It also gives the dog something to do and helps keep their intelligent mind busy.

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Lesson 19: Take It

 

The take it command asks the animal to gently take an object that’s being handed to them. Such object could be a food reward or a toy, a wallet or hat, even a stack of mail. Asking your dog to take and hold something for you allowing them to participate gives them some thing to do and keeps their intelligent mind busy.

   
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Lesson 20: Hold It

 

The hold it command asks the animal to hold onto an object for an extended period of time until released. A dog can aid a disabled person by carrying an item for them. Having your dog carry something like their own ball to the park gives them some work to do letting them feel accomplished.

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Lesson 21: Leader of the Pack

 

In this video I share with you some rituals you can practice with your dog to help make you leader in your dogs eyes.

   
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Lesson 22: Introducing Adopted Puppy/Dog to Your House

 

When introducing a newly adopted puppy or dog to your house for the first time you don’t want to just give them free rein right away. For the first few weeks while you are establishing house rules the dog/puppy should be slowly introduced to each room one at a time while being supervised. Off limits areas should be established right away as well as any boundaries at the front door, kitchen or office room etc.

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Lesson 23: Potty Training

 

Effective potty training boils down to 3 steps. 1 strict feeding, watering and bathroom break schedule, 2 supervision and/or isolation, 3 separating walks from potty breaks. In this video I go over these three steps in detail as well as dog versus puppies bio needs.

   
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Lesson 24: Crate training

 

Crate training teaches the animal that the crate is a welcoming, safe and rewarding place to be. The crate is useful in various ways such as a tool for potty training or safe transportation. A place for them to retreat to when they feel unsafe like during a thunderstorm or a place for them to sit and wait while you deal with greeting guests into your home. The crate is also a safe way to isolate an animal if needed.

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Lesson 25: Stop Chewing

 

Chewing can be a symptom of several underlying causes, teething, boredom, hunger, vermin infestation or perhaps just the lack of understanding the rules. In this video I show you how to get to the bottom of your chewing problem and how to stop it.

   
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Lesson 26: Play Biting

 

Puppies use their mouth and nose to explore everything and sometimes that everything is you, in this video I show you how to redirect your puppies play biting so you don’t become the chew toy. Play biting is a harmless, perfectly natural behavior and can be redirected but should not be punished.

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Lesson 27: Bite Inhibition

 

Bite inhibition teaches your dog the strength of their jaws and how it apples to other animals, people and children. To your dog it’s just play but to you it’s an important tool of hot and cold game that represents how much “bite” is acceptable on human skin.

   
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Lesson 28: Safe Socialization

 

Socialization is so extremely important for your dogs mental development and health. It’s well known that dogs raised in isolation often display aggressive behaviors when exposed to outside stimuli. It’s also known that puppies separated from their litter at 8 weeks or younger often have separation anxiety. Socializing your dog regularly with as many different types of animals and people as possible is important to generalizing and desensitizing your dog to stimulus aiding in impulse control during training. Dogs that are under socialized often overreact to normal every day things. In this video I show you how to safely socialize your dog whether on leash or at a dog park.

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Lesson 29: Obsession

 

Some dog breeds have obsessive behaviors and need to learn when is enough. No matter the obsession this same method can be applied to all. in this video I show you how to break the obsession and introduce the (all done) concept.

   
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Lesson 30: Tantrum Biting

 

Tantrum-biting can be an extremely dangerous behavior when left untreated, this behavior should be corrected right away while the dog is still small before they get big enough to do real damage. It’s extremely important to confront this behavior when it occurs, unfortunately some people get scared and pull back when this happens causing the dog to learn that biting gets their way, this only encourages more biting in the future. In this video I show you how to confront, correct and punish tantrum biting.

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Lesson 31: Possession Aggression

 

Learning to share is a very important social skill, unfortunately a lot of puppies today are taken away from their litter too early and don’t learn this from their siblings. This behavior can become very dangerous when left untreated and should be corrected while the dog is still small before they get big enough to do real damage. In this video I share with you methods on how to overcome or prevent possession aggression and teach your dog to share.

   
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Lesson 32: Food Aggression

 

Similar to possession aggression resource guarding can be a very dangerous behavior when left untreated. This behavior should be corrected while the dog is still small before they get big enough to do real damage. In this video I show you methods to overcome or prevent your dogs resource guarding

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Lesson 33: Leash Aggression

 

Similar to possession aggression resource guarding can be a very dangerous behavior when left untreated. This behavior should be corrected while the dog is still small before they get big enough to do real damage. In this video I show you methods to overcome or prevent your dogs resource guarding.

   
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Lesson 34: Barrier Aggression

 

From my experience there are two main causes for barrier aggression, the first is just the dog acting like tough guy because he knows he’s safe behind the barrier. But the other cause is much more serious, dogs raised in isolation such as a fenced backyard or kennel often display barrier aggression and if they where to ever get out most likely they would overreact to another person or dog and cause harm. The first one is easy to correct but the second cause requires rehabilitation. In this video I cover solutions on how to stop or prevent barrier aggression.

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Lesson 35: Dog Aggression

 

The cause for dog aggression could be several reasons. They trigger a fight/flight response to a irrational phobia of other dogs because of isolation and lack of socialization. They have received multiple corrections and punishments in the past for reacting to other dogs on leash and have made an incorrect association between the correction and the oncoming dog. They have had negative interactions with other dogs in the past. Socialization is king. In this video I show you methods on how to overcome dog aggression and rehabilitate.

   
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Lesson 36: Child Aggression

 

We all know kids can be a pain sometimes, poking eyes, pulling ears and tails, pinching skin or climbing on you. Some dogs are more sensitive and others more tolerant regardless any interaction between a dog and small child should be supervised. Dogs who have received poor treatment from children in the past may develop a phobia of children. This situation is extremely dangerous because if the child were to corner the dog and is unable to flee a fight response will be triggered resulting in an injury to the child. It’s important that the supervisees watch the dogs body language for any signs of stress during the interaction. In this video I show what signs to look for and how to rehabilitate child phobia.

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Lesson 37: Man Aggression

 

Just from smell and appearance alone men are more intimidating and without trying can trigger a defensive response from a dog. There are a couple reasons why a dog might display man aggression. They need more socialization, generalizing with men in particular. They might have had a negative interaction with a man in their past. Or perhaps they just feel really intimidated by a particular man. Socialization is king. In this video I show you methods to help your dog overcome man aggression.

   
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Lesson 38: How to Stop a Dog Fight

 

There is no sure safe way to stop a dog fight but if you must intervene, in this video I demonstrate some methods to help you more safely separate the animals.

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Lesson 39: How to Make A Dog Safe to Touch

 

Some bog bites occur simply because a dog was touched in a way that they are uncomfortable with, I think even as a human that’s very understandable however they may be going about expressing their discomfort the wrong way. In this video I demonstrate a method that will help your dog get more comfortable with being touched and when used in conjunction with bite inhibition helps prevent future bites.

   
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Lesson 40: Teaching Your Dog to be Calm

 

Dogs can get riled up very easily but it’s hard to get them to mellow out. In this video I show you little techniques you can deploy in your every day life to help your dog be a calmer dog.

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Lesson 41: Claw Trimming

 

Trimming claws is a necessary part of dog hygiene maintenance but unfortunately dogs are often afraid of the process and tend to run away. It also doesn’t help that claw trimmers can result in injury such as cracked/crushed claws or cut too short which can result in your dog developing a phobia. I highly recommend a Dremel nail grinder opposed to the traditional claw trimmers. In this video I show you how to desensitize and calm your dog around the nail grinder.

   
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Lesson 42: Tooth Brushing

 

Brushing teeth is a necessary part of dog hygiene maintenance but unfortunately dogs don’t like it very much. In this video I show you how to introduce your dog to the tooth paste and tooth brush. Greenies chew brushes are an ok solution however the results wouldn’t be as good.

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Lesson 43: Ear Cleaning

 

Cleaning ears is a necessary but unpleasant part of dog hygiene maintenance, no one likes water in their ears least of all having it deliberately squirted in them. In this video I show you how to desensitize your dog to the water and how to properly clean the ear canal.

   
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Lesson 44: Dog CPR, Heimlich and Vitals

 

There’s no time to go to a veterinary hospital when your dogs not breathing or heart not beating, you have 2 minutes from the time they fall unconscious to brain damage and every second after is closer to death. In this video I demonstrate first aid methods and quick problem solving to save your animals life.

 
   
2019