Dog Park Terrorists

How many of us have been to a dog park with our dogs and watched this one dog wreaking havoc on all the other dogs in the park. Usually this dog is a smaller breed like a Chihuahua or Pomeranian. These dogs incessantly chase every dog that approaches them, creating a very bad situation throughout the park were every dog is on edge. These “dog park terrorists” are displaying the worst kind of dominant aggressive behavior that a dog can display. All the while the dogs’ owner is talking about how cute it is that the little Pomeranian is chasing away all the larger dogs. This behavior is neither cute nor safe. Why is it cute for a 12 pound Pomeranian to be displaying this dominant aggressive behavior but when a 120 pound Rottweiler is displaying this behavior everyone thinks the dog should be put down. Dominance aggression needs to be dealt with no matter the size of the dog displaying it.

The trip to the dog park should be a treat for a dog which follows its pack leader and shows calm submission to everyone including other dogs. The dog park should not be the place where you take your dog to release its excess energy, because it sits at home all day with nothing to do but wait for you to come home and unleash it upon the dog park. Walking or your dog, the proper way, before you allow it to enter the dog park will not only help to establish yourself as the leader of your dog, but will also make for a better experience while you are there. The dog will be much calmer and relaxed displaying the calm and submissive attitude that may just be contagious throughout the dog park. Making for a better experience for all involved. The walk should last a minimum of 20 minutes to 45 minutes depending on the size and energy level of your dog. In these busy times I know that we all have a hard time allotting time for the dog in our lives. However, the time spent walking you’re dog the proper way (as the dogs pack leader) will greatly help the relationship between you and your dog. For time allocation reasons you could shorten the amount of time you and your dog are actually in the dog park so that you may properly prepare your dog for this experience. By following these general guidelines the experience for your dog and yourself will be extremely fulfilling. As well as making the dog park a better place for all involved.

If you have a dog that is displaying signs of dominance aggression. This problem should be dealt with under the guidance of a professional dog behaviorist or trainer. You can however help the situation greatly by exercising your dog regularly and establishing yourself as the dogs pack leader. A tired and well exercised dog is generally a calmer dog.

Are You the Pack-Leader? How to Communicate Effectively With Your Dog for a Harmonious Relationship By: Justine Kay

As dogs are pack animals, it is important to understand that they are always aware of their position in the pack. This pack will encompass you, your family, other pets and of course all the dogs in the household. The Alpha dog or pack leader is seen by your dog as the leader and protector of the whole pack, and it is therefore crucial that you take on this role. Your dog will be healthier and happier if it feels secure in it's pack, knowing that his leader is doing their job and keeping everyone safe.

The first step to doing this is to know which signals your dog will understand. You will need to consistently communicate “alpha signals” to your dog in a compassionate and respectful way. This does not entail being aggressive, overbearing or bullying your dog! It is simply a matter of learning the language that a dog understands and using the correct signals. Mixed signals and inconsistency will confuse your dog, making him think that the pack leader is not effective. Your dog will be stressed and feel that it is encumbered upon him to try to take over as alpha to stabilise the pack. If he does this, it is not because he is being “bad”, but that you have given him the wrong signals.

So what are these signals and how do you communicate them effectively? Firstly, the pack leader always eats before the other pack members, so you MUST eat your dinner completely and clear the table before giving your dog his bowl of food. He should see you eating and understand clearly that he can only eat once you have completely finished. Then make him sit before placing his bowl down for him and allowing him to eat. If you have been in the habit of feeding your dog before your dinner, or even during, this may take a while for your dog to become accustomed to. Be aware that any fuss he makes while you're eating is part of his learning process. You are giving him new signals, new information about the pack and you must let him understand this. He may need time to assimilate this new information, so be firm but patient.

Secondly, you should always lead your dog, especially through doorways and narrow passages. NEVER let your dog push past you or in front of you. The pack leader in a dog pack would never allow a subordinate dog to push past or “lead” the pack, and therefore neither should you. Use a leash if need be, but always ensure you enter doors, rooms, gates etc. in front of your dog. Neither should you let your dog run up stairs in front of you. This allows him to run to the top and look down on you, displaying classic dominant behaviour. The key to this is NOT to punish the wrong behaviour – it is too late to do that – but to not allow him to exhibit alpha behaviour in the first place. Use a leash, close doors, give a short, sharp shout, whatever your dog responds to, but remember to be firm, kind and respectful. You are talking to your dog, not trying to bully him into submission. The key for all these techniques is repetition, consistency and patience.

Read more of Justine Kay's dog training articles at her comprehensive site [http://www.dogs-trainingtips.com/]Dog Training Tips

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Exercise Your Dog to a Balanced Life

Exercising your dog regularly is the best thing you can do for your dog and you. However, the exercise must be structured and a psychological challenge as well as a physical one. Opening up the back door and letting your dog run about in the back yard is not a psychological challenge for the dog, nor is it a structured exercise. If the exercise is not structured all the dog is doing is expending energy, and neither the dog nor you are receiving anything from it. A good structured exercise program, like regular walks, will relieve your dog of the excess energy which can cause behavior problems. It will also help to show your dog that you are the strong assertive leader that he desires in his life. During the walk keep the dog at your side or behind you. Do not let your dog out in front with you following him. Stop often and make the dog sit by your side until you are ready to move. If you know of a particular house on your walk that has a barking dog, stand out in front with your dog facing away from the barking dog and don’t let him look that way by giving a sharp correction each time he looks. Eventually, your dog will get it that he can’t look at the barking dog and will walk casually by. This is all a psychological challenge for the dog. How good would it feel to walk past barking and growling dogs with yours casually strolling by your side just happy to be following his leader on their mission.

There are other ways to exercise your dog and make it a challenge for him. If your dog likes retrieving tennis balls or flying discs you can make it more of a challenge for him. Put your dog in a sit position in front of you and make him hold there while you show him the ball (or flying disc). Make this hold a different length each time. Then get your dog to run around you before he takes off for ball. This is easily taught by taking the ball in your hand, extend your arm out in front of you saying “get the ball”. Then swing your arm back around your back saying “go around”. The dog will follow your arm motion right around you, then throw the ball forward. Before long all you’ll have to say is “go around” and the dog will take off around you and head out for the ball. Playing this way with your dog will not only give him the physical exercise that the dog needs, but also the psychological challenge that will serve to keep his mind sharp and his life balanced.

You can come up with your own psychological challenges for your dog. Anything your dog likes to do can be turned into this type of challenge for the dog. You are only limited by your imagination. So get out there with your dog and give the dog some challenges. You will soon see a new dog in front of you, a dog you can be proud of, a dog that will follow you to the ends of the earth. It feels great to have a balanced dog and you will also feel better about yourself having lead your dog to a life that the dog desires.

Dog Obedience Training - Is Your Dog Training You? by Mike Peredo

A few simple things to remember in dog obedience training:

1. Be consistent. It will make your dog training task easier and more effective
2. Correct your dog immediately
3. Use physical touch to help your dog understand what is being asked
4. Reward the desired behaviour, every time
5. Get your family involved
6. Set aside a regular training time and make it fun

The most critical and difficult task in dog training is being consistent. Always ask for and expect the desired behaviour from your dog. If your dog isn't given clear commands every time he misbehaves, it will seem to him that the behaviour is acceptable, at least some of the time. Training your dog to obey requires self-discipline and determination.

If you are not consistent, your dog will end up training you! This might sound ridiculous but consider this: dogs are genetically conditioned to respond to a hierarchy. In the wild, in any pack of dogs, there is only one alpha dog. In your home, your family is your dog's pack. You don't want your dog to consider himself the dominant pack member. If he does he will never obey you or behave in a predictable manner.

As an example, let's say that Stanley has a dog named Poochy. Poochy likes to sleep on the couch. Sometimes, Stanley tolerates it and at other times he scolds Poochy and moves him to his dog bed. The result of this effort? Poochy has no idea what is expected of him. The rest of the family probably isn't sure either, and will not see Poochy on the couch as something that requires their immediate action.

Stanley explains to his family what Poochy must learn (no lying on the couch). Every family member promises to react in the same way; they will tell Poochy "no" as soon as they see him on the couch, they will move him to his dog bed and they will reward him with affection when this action is completed. Poochy will not only get the message that the couch is bad, but will also understand that the dog bed is good.

Did you notice that they reacted as soon as they saw Poochy indulging in the undesirable behaviour? Sometimes it might seem easier to ignore the behaviour if you're in the middle of something and go back to correct the dog later. Your dog will know that you didn't follow up right away. With a short attention span (after all, who knows if time runs fast or slow for a dog?) dealing with it later is as bad as not dealing with it at all.

They also physically led Poochy to his dog bed. By helping your dog perform the required behavior, the dog training process can go faster. If you are trying to get him to sit and he isn't cooperating you can help him along by gently pushing down his behind.

The reward of affection followed every time Poochy returned to his dog bed. Be consistent in positive reinforcement. If your dog does something desirable, always reward it. Use affection, a reassuring voice and a doggie treat (if you have one handy). By using all three rewards together, your dog learns that any of the three can be a reward.

Let's say Poochy slumped down on a priceless rug instead of going all the way to his dog bed. What should Stanley and his family do? They don't want Poochy on the rug either, but at least he's off the couch. It's this simple; if Poochy doesn't complete the desired action, he doesn't get the reward. Eventually, he will learn to associate the reward with the action. A partial reward for 'trying' will only confuse the dog and lengthen the time required to learn the desired behavior.

Regular training sessions are another way to be consistent. Set aside at least 20-30 minutes each day for dog training and make sure to follow through on it. This will be beneficial for both you and your dog. Try to make the training fun and you will both be looking forward to your daily training sessions. Don't overdo it though. Like small children, dogs have a short attention span and going for too long will just tire him out.

By being completely consistent in your dog training efforts it is possible to for your dog to change his behavior in a few days instead of months. Consistency is the sign of a leader. By behaving consistently, your dog will be able to look up at you with respect and feel secure in knowing what you expect of him.

I've just explained how being clear and consistent in your dog obedience training makes it easier for you to get results from your training efforts. In short: enlist your family's participation, physically guide your dog, reward him with affection for completed actions, train regularly, act immediately, and be consistent.

Mike Peredo is lives in Canada and is especially fond of corgis.

For more great articles and resources on dog obedience training visit http://www.dog-training.co.nr

Dogs are Not People Too

A common problem that most dog owners make is treating their dog like a human. Dogs are not human and when we treat them as a human we are sending them the completely wrong signals. Dogs need and desire leadership. When we treat our dog as we would say our three month old baby for example (you know what I mean the high pitched voices etc. etc.) it sends them a signal that we are not strong but we are weak. If your dog perceives you as weak, the dog will believe that there is leadership void in his pack and try to fill that void. This clearly is not a desirable situation. Dogs taking over the leadership role in a human household will lead to all kinds of undesirable behaviors within the dog. What is needed is to treat your dog like a dog.

To project confident and strong leadership to your dog there are some simple things you can do:

1. When leaving the house for a walk with your dog, never allow the dog out the door first.

2. Keep your dog at your side or behind during the walk.

3. Always talk to your dog with a strong confident voice, while the dog does not understand the words it will certainly pick up on the strength of the message.

4. Dogs read body language, always walk tall and confident with your dog.

5. At meal time be sure your dog is calm and submissive, not overly excited. Make your dog sit and be calm before you give him the food.

6. A personal touch of his food, i.e. mixing it with your hands, will help the dog to understand that you are the leader. In the wild the pack leader (Alpha Dog) always eats first. Your scent on the dog’s food will simulate that you have finished with it and now he/she may eat.

These are just some of the ways we can show our dogs that we are the leader that they desire in their lives. Experiment with your own and watch for results that your dog is submissive to you.

There are some who will read this and say that by doing all these things to obtain pack leadership that we are being mean to our dogs or somehow giving them a lesser role in our lives. To the contrary what we are doing is relieving our dogs of responsibilities which they cannot perform. Leadership within their pack is as important to a dog as any thing else in their lives. By you fulfilling this role the dog will be well-balanced and calm. The dog will be in control and as result will be easier to train and more fun to be around. You will not have to keep your dog away from social situations; it can be part of them. The dog will be a bigger part of your life, and as result the dog and you will be more fulfilled.

Walking Your Dog to Pack Leadership

The walk for your dog is more than just a fun event in his life. The walk signifies something very primal in the dogs life. In the wild dogs walk to survive, each day they set out to find food. The pack leader (Alpha Dog) leads them on this trek for food. They follow his lead because they trust in his calm and strong leadership. Each dog in the pack understands that if they follow their leader and do their job within the pack a meal will follow. All dogs instinctually feel this primal need, and you can use this need to show your dog that you can be the strong leader that he desires.

The way you start your walk is extremely important to the concept of pack leadership. Never start the walk excitedly saying “Fido you want to go for a walk”, the dogs mind needs to be in a calm and submissive state before you put the collar and leash on. Once the leash is on, the dog should never be the first out of the door. Make you dog sit at the door as you step out, then call your dog outside remembering to remain calm and assertive. This will immediately tell you dog that you are in charge of this activity and your dog will happily follow you.

During the walk be sure that your dog is at your side or behind you. If the dog is out in front pulling you along this signifies that he believes he is in charge and he is the leader. Take control of the walk with the energy you project. Walk tall, walk proud, your dog will pick up on this and follow happily along with you. The more structured the walk is the better your dog will respond. The first part of the walk should be a good aerobic walk for both you and your dog. Keeping him at your side or behind you. In the middle allow time for the dog to urinate and/or defecate (remembering to pick up his mess) and just wander around and smell his environment. Make this part of the walk no longer then five or ten minutes. Then take another aerobic walk back home.

Finish the walk the same way you started by entering the house first then inviting your dog in. This now is a great time for some affection and a treat or even a meal. To fulfill your dogs primal needs. If you can do this structured walk for a half an hour to an hour once or twice a day you will see a change in your dog and your relationship with him.

Understanding Psychology Of Dog Training: Pack Behavior & Establishing Control By: Moses Chia

Dogs are descendent of wolves. To study the psychology of dog training and understand the pack hierarchal system of dogs, we must go back and examine their ancestor - wolves.

Wolves live naturally in packs of at least 2 and more... They live in a dictatorship system with strictly defined hierarchies of males and females. In their system, a leader - usually always a male, the biggest and toughest wolf also known as alpha leader would be in charge of the pack and will have the right to everything. The rest of the dogs in the pack would be followers and follow their leader willingly. This hierarchy system is not static and would change when another dominant member challenge the leader's authority and win.

For your dog, your family is the pack and every member is part of the hierarchy system. From the moment a new puppy or dog is introduce to the family, the new dog will start to pick up signals and indicators to figure out his own status in the family and who’s in charge. If your dog see you as a "alpha leader", he will follow your commands willingly and this will allows you to train him easily.

On the other hand, if your dog is very dominant (because you allow him to pick up the wrong signals) and starts to challenge your "alpha leader" position, he may refuse to follow your command and turn aggressive against you easily. This situation usually happens in children where dogs see their chain of command higher than that of them. This also explains why children suffer more dog bites than adults do.

If you would prefer to own an obedient dog that pay attention to your command, assuming the role of the “alpha leader’ and establishing control over your dog is extremely important!

Your dog must learn that he is the lowest ranking in the family, subordinate to you, to the children, and must recognize you to be the leader. If such hierarchy is not set up properly, the dog will try to take charge and assume the role of the leader. This’ll eventually lead the dog to turn into “dominant dog” and thus tend to misbehave. If this happens, you’ll face an uphill task to properly train your dog.

As we live in a democratic society, most of us will find it hard to understand the dog’s concept of dictatorship. Nevertheless, it is necessary that we adjust ourselves to understand how the dog live and think. By being dictating, you would think that this is cruel or even inhumane to the dog. If you think so, you are very wrong!

In fact, dogs are more than happy to be a follower and taking instructions from a leader. You have to give your dog directions, organize his space and activities for him, and he’ll be more clued-up and know his boundaries of life, which means knowing what is expected of him when he’s indoor or outdoor.

Your dog will be able to lead a less stressful and happy life and so will you.

Moses Chia is the webmaster of DogsObedienceTraining.com. He provides more helpful information on dog obedience training, dog training book reviews and dog illness symptoms interpretation that you can learn in the comfort of your home on his website. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

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Pack Leader First – Training Second

Becoming your dogs pack leader is the single most important process you should be going through with your dog. While simple obedience training happens almost simultaneously during the process of displaying your calm leadership to your dog. The leadership qualities you display to him/her are much more important than the actual training. Once your dog understands that you are worthy to be his leader, the training after that will become much easier. Your dog needs a calm, strong, and assertive leader to follow, to help balance his life.

To become a true pack leader for your dog it must first start from within yourself. A dog will sense your emotions. If there are problems in your life your dog will be affected by your vulnerabilities. Dogs will see these issues as weakness, and they will not follow a weak leader. You need to always project strength to your dog. At times you may be acting this strength that your dog desires; because lets face it there are times we are all vulnerable. This is how your dog can help you through tough times. As you project strength to your dog you will start feeling strong and less vulnerable. This can only be a positive for you in your life.

Your dog will sense your energy be it positive or negative. That is what will tell him/her if you are truly worthy of pack leadership. Your energy is how you carry yourself; your energy is what you outwardly project. It is how you feel and how you act. Dogs respond more to energy then any other single thing. Dogs do not understand your sentences, nor do these listen to reason. It is all about the energy you project. Always project a calm strong and assertive energy so your dog can feel relaxed just to be a dog, knowing the leadership issue is in your hands.

The training methods and tools you use after you establish your calm, strong, and assertive leadership are up to your personal preference. The real work will already be done and your dog will follow your lead to becoming the best dog he/she can possibly be.

The Most Important Dog Training Tip By: Mylar Skye

When it comes to training, you would think that there would be more than one dog training tip to use; in fact, you would expect to get several. This is true; there are tips from experts that can make the entire training process easier, and certainly more effective.

Is there, however, one dog training tip that can be the foundation for all of the others? Actually, there is. The tip that needs to be understood first is to remember that your dog is not human. That may seem like an obvious point, but so many people approach the task of dog training thinking that they can “reason” with their dog, or that their dog will understand when told that it has done something wrong, that the issue definitely needs to be addressed.

Your dog does not think like a human. He responds to you, but not in the way that you think. Therefore, the dog training tip that makes the most sense when it comes to every aspect of training is simple: treat your dog in the way that he will understand. For example, before you ever start the training process, you need to establish dominance. Dogs understand the concept of hierarchy; they need to know where their place is in the “pack”, and you need to establish yourself as the leader of the pack in order for him to want to please you. Your dog will always think in terms of pack mentality, so don’t think that just because you are the “human” that he automatically sees you as leader. Whether you obtain your dog as a puppy, or as an older dog, start first with the rules of hierarchy. You, as leader, always walk slightly ahead. When you are eating, don’t feed your dog from your plate; rather, feed him when you are done. This dog training tip sets the stage for your dog to want to follow your lead for all other things to come.

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Your Dog Doesn't Hold Grudges By: Barry Mcgee

We love our pets so much that sometimes we think of them as human. One of the things that we have to remember is that, no matter how much we love them, our pets are not human. In some ways, however, this is a very good thing. Take, for instance, dogs. Dogs live in the here and now. They do not hold grudges, and they do not get angry today about an incident that occurred yesterday. Say your dog chewed up part of your furniture and had to be disciplined. Three hours later may show the very same dog climbing onto your lap, comforting you when you are sad.

This is something that is very important to remember, especially when you lose a pet. You need to realize that your pet does not hold any grudges against you for anything that occurred before. Sometimes, when our beloved pets pass, we find ourselves thinking about all the things we didn't do for our pet, rather than the things we did do. We think that we didn't spend as much time with them as we should, or that we should've taken them to the groomers more often.

One of the best ways to help work through grief and the feeling of guilt is to talk with other pet owners who have lost their loved ones. They will often be able to help you realize that as long as you loved your pet, they loved you as well. They are not on the other side thinking about all the things you did not do for them, but rather, are on this side of the rainbow bridge waiting to spend time with you once more.

Article written by Barry Mcgee

Helping you cope, move forward, and cherish the memory of your loss pet at http://www.pet-loss-memorial.com

"A Message From Rainbow Bridge"

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Training Your Dog Starts with You as the Leader of Your Pack

All dog training needs to start with one very important premise. That is that you and not the Dog is the leader. Dogs are instinctually pack animals; they are happiest and more relaxed when they are in a defined social structure. If your dog does not see you as a calm and strong leader he/she will try to take over as the pack leader. Dogs are not equipped to lead a human being; as a result the dog in effort to lead develops all sorts of unwanted behaviors.

Some keys to tell if your dog may consider himself your leader:

1. If your dog is out in front of you during your walk; he may be the leader.
2. If your dog jumps on you when you return home; he may be the leader.
3. If your dog is the first to greet any guests that enter your house; he may be the leader.
4. If your dog while barking incessantly at a stranger in an effort to protect, will not stop on your command; he may be the leader.
5. If your dog does not respond to your commands; he may be the leader
   

When your dog believes that you are his pack leader he will be very calm and submissive to you. This, as some people think, is not to say that you need to be a totalitarian ruler over you dog. What is needed is very calm and strong leadership. Accomplish this and you will see a marked change in your dog. He or she will be calmer more relaxed and much better in social situations with dogs and humans.