My dad used to say, when you find something you really like, you’d better buy a [...]]]> Your Dog Can Be Very Loyal To His Toys!

If your dog really loves his toy, consider getting a second one and keeping it for the future, just in case it’s discontinued or out of stock when you want a replacement.

My dad used to say, when you find something you really like, you’d better buy a lifetime supply!

Manufacturers are constantly pressured to come up with new and better products and they have to make room for those new products so it’s natural to discontinue items.

Avoid Murphy’s law! Put a toy in the ‘toy bank’ now, while you can.

I was like most Midwest kids that grew up in the fifties and sixties. We roamed are neighborhood freely. In the summer time, we went [...]]]> I grew up in a small town in Michigan. I was the daughter of a businessman and a stay at home mom who took good care of us and baked cookies.

I was like most Midwest kids that grew up in the fifties and sixties. We roamed are neighborhood freely. In the summer time, we went home when the streetlights came on, we played in the vacant lots and made forts and staged plays in our neighbor’s garage. My dad had hunting dogs, Springer Spaniels and a Beagle, but I didn’t interact with them much. They were hunting dogs and not to be played with.

Early Experiences

Surprisingly, my earliest dog memory was the day the neighbor’s dog bit me. Fortunately I was bitten on my hand and it wasn’t severe. Equally fortunate, another neighbor witnessed the entire series of events leading up to the bite. Initially, I was frightened because the bite was so unexpected. I knew this dog, I visited and petted him often and he was on my short list of things I did regularly. But suddenly, he had changed and now hated me, which confused and frightened me.

Now For The Rest of The Story

My neighbor explained that another group of kids had been teasing this dog right before I came along. He was still in an agitated state and didn’t recognize me as being different from the kids that were tormenting him.

I have a dim memory of him barking at me as I approached him, but being young, I didn’t recognize the warnings that I’m sure he was giving me. Fortunately, I had my hand out to pet him and he had the restraint to only bite once and to regulate his bite. It could have been much worse because I was frightened more than hurt and I was very little.

Understanding Is The Key

I lost my fear of him once I understood what happened and why his dog behavior changed. The understanding took the fear away. My relationship with him was cautious after that, and I suspect it was clandestine as well. I’m sure my parents forbid me to go near that dog, but well, kids don’t always behave and I’ve always been a bit, shall we say, self determined.

Natural Born Dog Lover

If I hadn’t had a natural affinity for dogs, or given the opportunity to understand what had happened, I probably wouldn’t have gotten over that event. I would have been like many others that have been bitten – fearful.

On one hand, it seems funny that a dog bite could lead to a lifetime of loving dogs. But it turned out that the important part was the understanding that I’d gained. I decided that in many ways, dogs are a lot like us. Their dog behavior is a natural consequence of what had happens to them, and this dog was a victim. He was reacting to his circumstances in the only way he knew.

A Lucky Life

I was lucky to get this understanding at a very early age and I’m still lucky today. I’m lucky to have dogs in my life, I’m lucky to be able to share my love and my understanding with my students and I’m lucky to have people in my life who care about their dogs and their relationships with them. And finally I’m really lucky because I have the opportunity to share all this with you.

Here in the [...]]]> For many of us, learning about dogs isn’t boring or difficult. It comes easy because we’re fascinated by our best friends and competition companions and also want to understand them better. And for many of us, they are a complete mystery – a bit like aliens living among us.

Those Aliens Among Us

Here in the train category I’ll give you some tools that you can use to communicate or train your dog. I’ll give you step by step instructions on how to use some of the most effective dog training methods we have today and information on why those tools work.

In the learn category, you’ll find articles that will enhance your knowledge about our lovable little aliens in general, what they think about and react to and what they know and don’t know. I’ll tell you stories about my dogs, my students and their dogs and all sorts of fascinating facts – as well as lots of hints and tips gleaned from my 40 years of training dogs.

Agility Training

I quit training dogs for competition dog sports years ago and even though I know a lot about motivating dogs with toys, I’ll leave the specifics of dog training for sports to those who are current in their fields. I will post entries in the TRAIN category outlining training help and procedures for beginning trainers, dog owners, and anyone who desires general dog training knowledge.

Easy Training Rules

I will be posting articles here with easy dog training rules for common dog problems, which I hope you’ll find easy to follow. I’ve reduced each training problem or dog behavior modification (which is another name for training) to just a few simple rules that are easy to remember.

For example, here are my first two rules for training any dog to do anything.

1. Your dog wants your attention and wants to please you, even if he sometimes has some pretty funny was of showing it.
2. If your dog isn’t doing what you want, it’s because he doesn’t understand what you want.

It’s All In What You Know

I expect to get some argument over rule #2 from people with badly behaved dogs. Even though you may think that your dog doesn’t care about what you want, and is deliberately flaunting or taunting you, the truth is that the two of you are having communication problems and your message is NOT getting through to the other side.

Dogs have their own methods of communicating between themselves and for deciding what’s going to happen and who’s going to do what. If we tell them what we want in terms that they can understand, we’ll get what we want.

Earth to Major Tom

If you understand how your dog perceives your communications, it’s easy to get your message across to him or her. Because almost 100% of household dog behavior problems are a result of faulty communications, you can solve them if you clear up the communication channels. It’s like talking to a space ship; you just have to get the right frequency.

The Bigger Picture

In the LEARN category, I’ll be explaining the man/dog communication process in more general terms, with articles on how dogs learn and what they perceive, which will help you to understand more fully how to communicate with your dog.

To The Club

Here in the TRAIN category I’ll go into detail about how to use my training rules, answer specific dog training questions, and detail how to train specific behaviors. Please send me your questions and dog training issues so I can illustrate how easy it is to understand your dog’s behavior, and get what you want.

#1 Take it slow when teaching your dog new behaviors.

#2 Teach your dog to fetch the paper in 5 steps.

#3 Link several behaviors to teach your dog new tricks.

Teach your dog faster with Play

#1 Dogs learn fastest and best when playing.

#2 Have fun and enjoy your dog training, you’ll [...]]]> Train you dog to fetch the paper

#1 Take it slow when teaching your dog new behaviors.

#2 Teach your dog to fetch the paper in 5 steps.

#3 Link several behaviors to teach your dog new tricks.

Teach your dog faster with Play

#1 Dogs learn fastest and best when playing.

#2 Have fun and enjoy your dog training, you’ll both be happy you did.

#3 Play motivational games with your dog to improve learning.

Train Your Dog to Respond Quickly

#1 Tips to get your dog to respond quicker.

#2 High Value rewards will get your dog moving.

#3 A Buffalo Toy could increase your dogs motivation.