Cbtopdog: Juli 2010

Rabu, 28 Juli 2010

GoD and DoG

Check out this really cool video! –Kim

GoD & DoG
by Wendy Francisco

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY
Related Links
• Official "GoD and DoG" Web Site

• Thoughts about the Video

• Author's Own Web Site

• Gift Idea: Get the Book!

Senin, 26 Juli 2010

Is Your Dog Potty Trained Enough?

Here are some good housetraining tips that I thought I would pass on. –Kim

House Training Your Puppy or Adult Dog

House training a puppy or adult dog is such an essential issue for his owner that even a single exclusive tip turns out to be extremely helpful.

The first step in making your dog fit for polite company would be to potty train him. Some see this training as a hassle and some as a challenge.

For me, it is part of bringing up a pet.

There are a few things you need to know before you actually start potty training a puppy or adult dog. I enumerate these below:

You need to understand your dog's body language. Watch for signs that will indicate to you when your pet wants to eliminate.
If you own puppies, remember that they need to go potty at fairly frequent intervals - as soon as they wake up, after short naps, after play-time, after meals, before and after being crated and finally, before retiring for the night.
Take your dog for walks at the time that he usually does his potty. Take him out to the yard, and then, to the same place there every time he needs to answer nature's call.
Praise your dog after he eliminates at the right place. Some dog owners even give treats to their dogs. But remember to do this every time he does it right. He will relate the rewards to his having "done it right" and zero in on the spot where you want him to defecate regularly.
With time, you can try signal training. This is so that you know when your doggie wants to go. You can hang a bell at his level near the door and teach him to push it with his nose or pat it with his paw on his way out.
Until your dog has been fully potty trained, keep him under strict vigilance. Do not let him roam around the house freely.
Use a crate. A crate-trained dog is usually very happy to get his own den. The advantage of crating is that dogs do not soil the place where they sleep. So, he will naturally not eliminate inside the crate.
If you have a small dog and if you live in a high-rise building or in a place that does not have a proper backyard, you can try litter pan training. This means to create a space for your pet to eliminate in your house itself.
Use positive reinforcements while housebreaking puppies or adult dogs. Do not scold or hit him, as you will gain nothing by doing that. He will only associate punishment with your return from outside. If you catch him in the act, a stern 'NO' or 'FREEZE' will do (but be consistent). It will startle the dog enough for him to stop pooping.
Be prepared to return to a soiled home if you are keeping your dog home alone for more than 4 hours, as separation anxiety is quite common among home-alone dogs.
Accidents will happen. It is unusual for a trained adult dog to work against his house training. But medical problems or health disorders may lead to sudden accidents.
Many dogs mark their territory. These can be a leg of a table or a particular wall. Intact male and female dogs mark their territories by urinating. Use deodorizers to spray on the places where your dog has marked.
If you are patient and are ready to accept that house training a dog takes time, even months sometimes, you will end up having a good house-trained dog.

Click here to sign up to receive a FREE course on potty training your dog.

Now we will move on to how to potty train puppies and adult dogs.

Potty Training a Puppy

Irrespective of breeds, house training a puppy is considered to be one of the biggest challenges by dog owners. If you think house training your puppy simply involves a steady supply of old newspapers or puppy pads, then think again.

A puppy does not develop full control over his bladder until he is over 4 or 5 months old. Since they are growing and developing rapidly at this time, puppies eat more, burn more calories and need to eliminate more frequently than an adult dog.

After each nap, meal, drink or playtime, take your puppy to his designated area (indoors or outdoors, wherever you have decided) and stay there until he eliminates. Then bring him to his crate.

Repeat this situation everyday until he has developed a habit out of it.

Potty Training an Adult Dog

The best way to house train an adult dog is to begin all over again.

Observe him very closely. Maybe even maintain a diary of where he goes and when. Whether he is pooping when you are home or only when you are outside; whether you can, time yourself to be home when he feels the need to go outside.

You can try dog crates, but be careful to introduce him gradually to them.

Remember: Commitment, consistency and intelligent use of positive reinforcement will make you the owner of a perfectly house-trained dog. Don't expect miracles. You will only be disappointed.

Click here to sign up to receive a FREE course on potty training your dog.

Get this unique house training guide and start house-breaking your dog today.

Jumat, 23 Juli 2010

Loose Leash Walking

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

7 Ways to Improve Walking Your Dog on Leash

by Eric Goebelbecker
April 27, 2010

It can be like this!

Problems walking on leash is one of the more frequent reasons people seek help from a dog trainer. A nice pleasant walk with your dog is something we would all like a chance to enjoy, but it's not always easy to accomplish.

First a little note on where your dog should be on a walk. Have you heard that you should never let your dog walk in front of you because it will make him think he is the pack leader? I'm convinced that someone spread that as a rumor to see how gullible people are.

Dogs don't worry about things like this. The point is for you to walk together. Nothing more, nothing less!

Loose Leash Walking...

Here are 7 ways to improve walking on leash immediately....

Stop pulling dead in it's tracks

Sounds pretty medieval, doesn't it? Well, it's not what you think. Dogs pull because it works. If a dog pulls on leash and despite your pulling back, complaining and whatever else you might try, he still makes forward progress pulling is working. So make pulling fail once and for all: if you feel tension in the leash stop or change direction. This makes for some short (in terms of distance) and frustrating walks, but it works.

In the video (above), I demonstrate stopping when Caffeine pulls to get a treat I tossed. (Total set-up, but it illustrates the point.)

Lighten up

Stop holding the leash tight. Dogs have opposition reflex. You pull on them, they pull back. Like any other reflex, it's automatic. Keep your hands low and make sure you are not triggering this by pulling on the leash unnecessarily.

Attention

Oftentimes, problems with pulling on leash begin before the walk begins. If you cannot get your dog's attention, something else has it, and chances are your dog is going to pull toward whatever that might be. Never start a walk without eye contact. Moreover, make sure your name recognition is effective in the face of distractions.

Hardware

If you are going to stop pulling completely, you may need some extra help, at least until you get some of the training done. My dog Gage's leash is attached to a SENSE-ible harness. This type of harness, one with a leash attachment in the front rather than the back, avoids triggering your dog's opposition reflex.

Speed Up!

Walking slowly is booooring! Want to keep your dog's attention? Pick up the pace!

Take a tired dog

A tired dog tends to pull less and get not get distracted as easily. Try a game of fetch, tug or tag before training. It will avoid a great deal of frustration.

Make it a game

In the video, I show a game of "Find it" with Gage. This game encourages attention (looking at me gets the next treat) and makes walking with me rewarding. This is also a great game to play when you need to walk through a distracting area.

More info: Here is a handout with some tips for loose leash walking.

Source: http://www.dogspelledforward.com/improve-walking-your-dog-on-leash
©2009 DogTime Inc.

Helpful Resources:

Kamis, 15 Juli 2010

How Much is that Doggie in the Window?

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

10 Reasons Not to Buy a Puppy from a Pet Store

Most dog lovers know about the often horrid conditions of puppy mills, the unregulated breeding facilities owned by disreputable breeders. Dogs are often bred far too frequently, are kept cramped together in squalor, and are not socialized with humans.
In addition, these breeders do not always care about the health and strength of the breed, which often results in genetic illnesses, poor health in general and unlikable personality traits. But many of these same dog aficionados, who have t-shirts and bumper stickers denouncing puppy mills, don't know that most puppies sold at pet stores come from there.

There are some pet stores that buy their puppies from commercial kennels regulated by the Department of Agriculture. However, even these pups tend to be unhealthy and unsocialized. This is partly due to the fact that commercial kennels tend to breed many different breeds in one facility and they breed for quantity, not quality. Therefore, their interest does not lie in the healthy promotion of a certain breed but rather in how many sales they can get. So, before you buy that cute puppy in the window, consider the downsides of pet store pups.

10 Reasons Not to Buy from a Pet Store

Bad Health: Because so many pet store pups come from puppy mills, they are not the result of careful breeding and they are usually not well cared for before coming to the store. Some common illnesses and conditions are neurological problems, eye problems, hip dysplasia, blood disorders and Canine Parvovirus.

Behavioral Problems: Because breeding is indiscriminate, behavioral problems are not weeded out generationally. You'll also find that a pet store's staff is not likely to have any training in dealing with behavior issues so the puppies continue to do the wrong things, which become habit.

No Socialization: Pet stores pups are often pulled away from their litter at far too young an age, often at only four or five weeks. The earliest a puppy should be separated from his pack is eight weeks and most reputable breeders will say at least 10 weeks. This lack of time socializing with his siblings means that puppy will not develop important canine skills. Likewise, a puppy who has not been handled by people from about three weeks will not naturally socialize well with them.

The Downfall of the Standard: In a broad sense, purchasing a puppy from a pet store and then breeding her means you are ruining the standard of that breed because the previous breeders were not concerned with it.

Lack of Information: A member of a pet store staff is not an expert on a breed and often not on dogs in general. Purchasing a puppy from a store means you will not get the lowdown on that breed or likely help with any behavioral or other questions.

Return at Your Puppy's Peril: Most pet stores do offer a warranty of sorts where you can bring the puppy back if he has problems. They don't tend to tell customers that the puppy's fate, once returned, is usually euthanization.

Housebreaking is a Chore: Pet store puppies have spent all their short lives in cages. They do not have the opportunity to develop the natural canine instinct of eliminating away from their food and bed. This causes problems when you try to housebreak them.

What You See Isn't Necessarily What You Get: If you see what looks like a Maltese in the window, you may find, as she grows, that there's a little Maltese in there somewhere but mostly she looks like a Terrier. There is no guarantee you will get a purebred dog if that's what you're after.

Poor Value: A puppy from a pet store generally costs between $400 and $2,000. This is often more than you'd pay at a reputable breeder who can ensure you get a healthy puppy and provide support afterward.

Questionable Pedigree: You're paying for a pedigree, or AKC papers, when you buy a puppy from a pet store but it's very likely that it's not genuine. If the papers are genuine, it still doesn't mean the puppy is a good example of its breed - you need a reputable breeder to prove that.

What are our options other than pet store puppies? Find a reputable breeder or adopt your next dog from the local animal shelter or breed-specific rescues!

Reputable breeders are knowledgeable about the breed they represent and can help with behavioral and physical issues that might come up later. These breeders socialize their puppies early on, breed in good traits and breed out bad ones and they can show you your puppies' parents and give you their history.

Local animal shelters and breed rescues are all good places to look. True, you don't have the benefit of meeting your pup's parents but rescued puppies are thoroughly examined for any illness or condition, are socialized by staff and trained early on. Also, if you adopt a mixed puppy you will likely find he is very healthy as mutts are often healthier than purebreds. [Note: Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this blog to see a good list of no-kill shelters and rescues, or CLICK HERE.]

So the next time you see that adorable puppy in the window, pause and think about the downsides of pet store pups. Buying from such a store is, in essence, supporting them and the horrible practice of puppy mills. And it is also almost a sure bet that you'll have a bad experience.

Source: http://www.dogster.com/articles/10-Reasons-Not-to-Buy-a-Puppy-From-a-Pet-Store-213
Copyright 2003-2010 Dogster, Inc.

Also see: Where to Buy a Puppy... Yeah Right!

Minggu, 11 Juli 2010

Is Your Dog Scared of Thunder?

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

Easing Your Dog's Anxiety
by Horst Hoefinger

It's summer and thunderstorms are a common occurrence, some dogs aren't bothered and yet others are terrified. So, when I came across some tips to help ease a dog's anxiety, I thought it would make a great post.

Dog owners who spend many a stormy night struggling to get some sleep while a panting, drooling, trembling pet climbs around on top of them know that the fear of thunder can be a tricky problem to solve.

Dogs with the condition often look to their owners for comfort, yet are in such a state of panic, they are inconsolable. And it can be hard to know how to soothe an upset dog without unwittingly reinforcing its anxiety.

Potential remedies include medication, desensitizing the dog to thunder and training it to retreat to a safe place when a storm hits.

But there seems to be no single cause for the fear of thunder, and there also isn't any one guaranteed treatment, veterinarians who specialize in canine behavior say. Something that helps one dog might not help another; a method that works during one storm may not in another.

Dodman suggests finding a safe place for the dog and training it to go there during storms, "almost like a bunker in a nuclear war." It could be a spot in the basement with the curtains drawn and lights on to mask lightning, a kennel with an open door and a comfortable dog bed in it, or a makeshift den in a closet with no windows.The owner should initially stay with the dog and offer treats and training to reinforce the idea that it's a pleasant, safe place, Dodman said.

Swaddling a dog can also help, calming it like a baby wrapped in a blanket. It can be as simple as wrapping the dog in a light blanket or towel. For a snugger fit, an animal leotard called a sheep suit – typically used on show animals to keep the coat tidy before competition – is an inexpensive option. Some experts recommend an item that comes in standard and custom-made versions.

Other things to try include anti-anxiety formulas for anxious dogs. The natural herb Valerian can also be effective, Fox said. "The trouble is that it takes a good 20 minutes before it has effect, so you're going to be doping your animal before the big storm comes," Fox added.

Source: http://dogblog.dogster.com/2009/08/13/is-your-dog-scared-of-thunder/
Copyright 2010 Dogster, Inc.

Selasa, 06 Juli 2010

How to Train Your Dog at Home

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.

Kamis, 01 Juli 2010

Oreo: A Story of Tragedy & Betrayal

Here's a tragic story that I thought I would pass on in hopes that you'll help make a difference! –Kim

Oreo's Story

Oreo survived being thrown off a Brooklyn rooftop. But she could not survive the "rescue" by the ASPCA.

"It is time for all of us to lift our voices for those who cannot speak for themselves."
–Gail Longstaff, No More Homeless Pets KC

In New York City, a one-year old dog named Oreo was intentionally thrown off a sixth floor Brooklyn roof top by her abuser. Oreo sustained two broken legs and a fractured rib. Oreo also appears to have been beaten in the past – several of the neighbors in the building where Oreo lived reported hearing the sounds of the dog being hit. The ASPCA nursed her back to health and arrested the perpetrator. They also dubbed her the "miracle dog."

The miracle was short-lived. According to the ASPCA, when Oreo recovered from her injuries, she started to show aggression. After a series of temperament tests, the ASPCA made the decision to kill her. The New York Times reported the story the day before Oreo's scheduled execution. A sanctuary in New York offered to take Oreo, explaining that they had experience rehabilitating dogs deemed aggressive and offering her lifetime care, including plenty of socialization and walks if the rehabilitation was not successful.

They were ignored, hung up on and lied to. And the ASPCA chose to kill the dog instead. That afternoon, Oreo laid dead, the victim not of her former abuser, but of an overdose of poison from a bottle marked "Fatal-Plus," at the hands of a shelter bureaucrat.

Following the furor that erupted over Oreo's killing, New York State legislators introduced a bill to prevent animals from being killed by shelters when there is a lifesaving alternative offered by rescue groups. "As a dog owner and a foster parent for an animal rescue group, I was heartbroken to learn that Oreo was [killed].

When a humane organization volunteers their expertise in difficult cases, a shelter should work with them to the fullest extent possible," said one of the sponsors. "I am hopeful that Oreo's Law will ensure that no animal is ever put to death if there is a responsible alternative." (A few weeks later Ed Sayres, Oreo's killer, did it again, killing a dog named Max a rescue group had offered to save.)

Oreo and Max are not isolated incidents. Nor is Oreo's Law about pit bulls. It is about saving all animals. In fact, NYS shelters routinely turn away rescue groups and then turn around and kill the kittens and cats, puppies, dog, rabbits and other animals those rescue groups are willing to save.

A statewide survey of rescue groups found that 72% of rescue groups reported being denied animals, and 71% reported shelters turned around and killed those animals. The statewide survey also found that 43% of rescue groups that have expressed concerns about inhumane conditions which they have witnessed in NYS sheters have been the subject of retaliation, while over half (52%) who have witnessed cruelty and neglect at the shelter did not express concerns because they were afraid they would no longer be allowed to resuce, this allowing those inhumane conditions to continue. Oreo's Law would stop unnecessary killing and unnecessary neglect rampant in NYS shelters.

Reportedly taken right before they killed her, the above photograph shows that Oreo was not the mean, vicious dog she was made out to be. The ASPCA has refused to release the videotapes of Oreo's temperament testing.

Update, June 15, 2010: The Assembly Agriculture Committee voted to hold the bill, meaning it is tabled for this year. The animals lost. Thousands will continue losing their lives, thanks to the deception of Ed Sayres of the ASPCA, Jane Hoffman of the Mayor's Alliance, and their puppet Laura Allen of the so-called Animal Law Coalition (a coalition of one). The kittens and puppies and other animals killed despite a rescue alternative will be the cost for their thirst for power and ego. This will not be allowed to stand. And they, and the groups who were too cowardly to come forward, will be called to account.

Oreo's Law will be taken up again next year. We will continue the fight until we get justice for Oreo and a mechanism to ensure that animals are no longer needlessly killed.

Source: http://www.yesonoreoslaw.com/

Listen to Animal Wise Radio discuss Oreo's law....

For far too long, those running our animal shelters – agencies funded by the philanthropic donations and tax dollars of an animal loving American public – have refused to mirror our values. For far too long, they have assumed a power and authority to act independent of public opinion, and the will of the people who have entrusted them to do their jobs with compassion, dedication and integrity. In betraying this trust, they have proven that they can't be trusted, and that we must regulate them in the same way we regulate other agencies which hold the power of life and death: by removing the discretion which has for too long allowed them to thwart the public's will and to kill animals who should be saved. Oreo's Law, thankfully, seeks to do just that.

Sadly, we cannot bring Oreo back and give her the second chance the ASPCA denied her. And we will forever remember her killing at the hands of those who were supposed to protect her from further harm as many things: tragic and heartbreaking, chief among them. Nothing can alter that calculus. But we can lessen the futility of Oreo’s death if we learn from it, and alter our society in such a way as to prevent such a betrayal from ever happening again.

–No Kill Advocacy Center

Also, see...