Dog Training For Dummies

Wendy Volhard is internationally recognized for her contributions to dog training. At the heart of her teaching is the “Motivational Method” for people who value dogs as companions.Mary Ann Rombold Zeigenfuse, LVT, has been working with dogs and their owners for over 40 years. She runs Best Friends Obedience in Lexington, KY.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 3Icons Used in This Book 3Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Setting the Stage for Successful Training 5Chapter 1: Dog Training: The Key to Your Dog’s Safety and Your Sanity 7Understanding Why You’re Training Buddy: To Do Something or Not to Do Something 8Identifying a Well-Trained Dog 9Selecting a Training Model 11First things first: Considering your dog’s breed 12Training a dog: What are you really doing? 13Identifying Six Basic Commands Every Dog Needs to Know 16Recognizing Factors that Influence Success 16Having a good relationship with your dog 17Owning a healthy dog 17Making training time a priority 17Oh, the Places You and Your Pooch Can Go: Beyond the Basics 18The Canine Good Citizen Certificate 19AKC S.T.A.R puppy program 19AKC tricks titles 19More than training: Understanding how dogs help people 19An Exercise to Get You and Your Pooch Started 20Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Dog and How He Perceives the World 23Determining What Motivates You and Your Dog 24Being Aware of Your Dog’s Body Language 24Recognizing Your Dog’s Instinctive Behaviors 25Prey drive 26Pack drive 27Defense drive, fight and flight 28Understanding how the drives affect training 30Determining Your Dog’s Personality Profile 31Deciding How You Want Buddy to Act 35Bringing out drives 36Switching drives 37Applying drives to your training 39Remembering Who’s Training Whom 43Chapter 3: Developing Training Savvy 45Managing the Dog Within 46Breed-specific behaviors 46Temperament 47Mental sensitivity 48Responses to visual stimuli 48Sound sensitivity 49Touch sensitivity – the adrenaline effect 50Stressing the Effects of Stress 51Understanding stress 51Recognizing the symptoms of stress 52Origins of stress — intrinsic and extrinsic 53Relating stress to learning 54Stress and distraction training 54Managing stress 55Managing Your Dog’s Environment 55Starting on the right foot 55Recognizing your dog’s social needs 56Identifying your dog’s emotional needs 57Feeding your dog’s nutritional needs 57Understanding the “You” Factor 58Knowing your expectations 58Knowing your attitude 60Being consistent with commands and tone of voice 61Outlasting your dog — be persistent 62Knowing to avoid “no” 63Repeating commands 63Chapter 4: Understanding the Vital Role That Nutrition and Health Play in Training 65Finding the Right Food for Buddy 66Deciphering dog food labels 67Evaluating Buddy’s current food 69Understanding the Nutrients Your Dog Needs 70Meeting puppy’s nutritional needs 71Keeping your dog’s diet rich in protein 72Going easy on the carbohydrates 74Knowing the value of fats — in moderation 75Ensuring that your dog’s diet is fortified withvitamins and minerals 76Don’t forget to quench his thirst: Keeping fresh water around 77Paying close attention to preservatives 78Making Choices about How to Feed Buddy 79Feeding Buddy commercial dry food 79Offering beefed-up commercial dry food 80Trying a raw food or frozen diet 82Making your own food: Wendy’s Natural Diet 84Using the Natural Diet Foundation (NDF2) 85Transferring Buddy to his new diet 86Sizing up supplements 87Exploring Common Health Issues That Affect Behavior and Training 87Here comes that needle again: Examining vaccination issues 89Uncovering the rise in doggy hypothyroidism 93The bone crusher: “Oh, my aching back” 96Quelling fear, anxiety, and other conditions with homeopathy 96Treating chronic conditions with acupuncture 98Chapter 5: Gearing Up for Training Success 99Choosing the Right Training Leash and Collar 100Deciding on a leash 100Selecting a collar 102Readying a Reward: Treats Are Your Training Buddies 107Picking the ideal tasty treat 108Opting for toys when food treats don’t work 109Considering Other Equipment You Can Use 109Using head halters 110Going for a body harness 111Exploring electronic and other training and management equipment 112Part 2: Performing Puppy Preliminaries 119Chapter 6: Bringing Your Puppy Home: What You Need to Know 121Preparing for Puppy’s Arrival 122Puppy’s home at home: Readying a crate 123Puppy’s menu: Selecting a proper diet and set of dishes 127Puppy’s everyday collar, ID, and leash: Preparing Buddy to go outside 128Puppy’s toys: Playing with Buddy 128Bringing Puppy Home — Now What? 129Getting your puppy used to his collar and leash 130Getting Buddy situated in his new home 132Introducing puppies and kids 133Meeting resident pets 134Tending to his potty needs 135Deciding where your puppy should sleep 136Starting Buddy’s Education 136Training for grooming 137Spaying and neutering 142Solving Perplexing Puppy Problems 142Chapter 7: Surviving Your Puppy’s Critical Growth Periods 145Understanding Your Puppy’s Early Development 146Birth to 7 weeks: the Canine Socialization Period 146Getting to know everyone: Weeks 7–12 theHuman Socialization Period 148Suddenly he’s afraid: Weeks 8–12 the Fear Imprint Period 149Now he wants to leave home: Beyond 12 weeks: “Been there, done that” 150The Terrible Twos: Managing the Adolescent from 4 Months to 2 Years 151Surviving the juvenile flakies 152Blame it on the hormones: Understanding how hormones affect behavior 153Meeting the mature adult when your dog finally grows up 154Spaying or Neutering to Help with Behavior and Training 155Heeding the advantages 155Acknowledging the disadvantages 156Knowing when to spay or neuter 157Part 3: Tackling Training Basics 159Chapter 8: The Ins and Outs of Housetraining 161Helping Buddy Get Used to His Crate 162Training a Dog to Eliminate Outside 164Hold elimination when inside the house 164Know why he’s outside — to eliminate 166Prove to Buddy that you’re trustworthy to take him outside 167Establishing a Regular Feeding and Elimination Schedule 168Designating a Regular Toilet Area 169When Accidents Happen — Knowing What to Do 171Avoiding punishment 171Dealing with the accidents 172Cleaning accidents 172Using an Exercise Pen for Housetraining 173Chapter 9: Focusing on Some Basic Training Commands 175Training for Attention: Praise Versus Petting 175Understanding the difference between the two 176Using Okay to release from work 176Practice getting your dog’s attention 177Using the Yes command 177Practicing Name Recognition 178Sequence 1: Having Buddy move toward you when he hears his name 178Sequence 2: Adding Come after his name 179Sequence 3: Making Sit mandatory 180Training Your Dog the Touch Command 180Sequence 1: Getting Buddy to move toward you 180Sequence 2: Increasing the distance Buddy needs to move toward you 181Sequence 3: Not offering treat in the flat Touch hand 182Sequence 4: Moving the touch hand in different positions 182Sequence 5: Mixing up the hand you offer 183Greeting with the Hello Command 184Sequence 1: Focusing on the treat 184Sequence 2: Greeting and praising 184Sequence 3: Training Buddy to hold the sitting position longer 185Sequence 4: Having a friend help 185Leave It: Getting Your Dog to Leave Stuff Alone 186Sequence 1: Introducing Leave It 186Sequence 2: Looking at you 187Sequence 3: Moving the treat from your hand to the floor 188Sequence 4: “Leaving” a dropped food item 188Sequence 5: “Leaving” a found item on the ground outside 189Understanding other uses for Leave It 190Chapter 10: Coming and Going: Two Essential Commands to Teach Buddy 191Understanding the Importance of Leadership: Okay Is the Word 191Teaching Your Dog to Come When Called 193Teaching Buddy the Recall Game 193Remembering what’s important when you use the Come command 196Training Your Dog to Handle Distractions 198Teaching Come with first-degree distractions 198Teaching Come with second-degree distractions 199Teaching Come with third-degree distractions 200Focusing on the Opposite of Come — Go 201Sequence 1: Teaching a target 202Sequence 2: Add Come after the release 203Sequence 3: Increase the distance to the target 203Chapter 11: Mastering Some Fundamentals: Sit, Down, and Stay 205Understanding Why Sit Is So Important 206Introducing Down and Its Commands 206Training Your Dog Sit and Down Simultaneously 207Sequence 1: Placing and showing 208Sequence 2: Adding the Down 208Sequence 3: Luring into the Down 209Sequence 4: Luring into the Sit 210Sequence 5: Adding collar pressure 211Sequence 6: Foregoing the treat 212Warming Up with the Long-Down Exercise 212Staying in Place: Sit-Stay and Down-Stay 214Teaching the Sit-Stay 215Teaching the Down-Stay 217Chapter 12: Going for a Pleasant Walk 219Using the Right Leash and Collar When Walking Your Dog 219Taking a Pleasure Walk with Your Dog 221Using a clock face to train your dog to walk 221Training the pleasure walk 223Teaching Buddy How to Heel at Your Side 224Adding Distractions 226Training with distractions 226Chapter 13: Going to Bed and All of Its Practical Uses 231Selecting a Bed for Your Dog 232Deciphering How You Want to Use the Command 233Training Buddy the Go to Your Bed Command 234Sequence 1: Starting with the Bed command 234Sequence 2: Adding the Go, Bed command 235Sequence 3: Increasing your distance from the bed 236Sequence 4: Foregoing the food lure 236Sequence 5: Increasing the time spent on the bed 237Sequence 6: Moving around while he’s on the bed 238Sequence 7: Adding distractions 238Sequence 8: Finding the bed from another room 239Chapter 14: Getting In, Out, On, and Off and Mastering Door and Stairs Manners 241Getting In and Out 242Sequence 1: Eating the reward 242Sequence 2: Making Buddy wait for his treat 242Sequence 3: The rules of the exit begin 243Getting On and Off 244Sequence 1: Getting Buddy on something 244Sequence 2: Getting Buddy off something 245Training Door Manners 245Sequence 1: Opening the door 246Sequence 2: Adding some outside distraction 247Sequence 3: Leaving Buddy behind at the door 248Teaching Stairs Manners 249Chapter 15: Dealing with Common Doggie Don’ts 251Preventing Bad Habits — The Five General Prescriptions for Good Behavior 252Good exercise 252Good company 253Good health 254Good nutrition 254Good training 255Handling Your Dog’s Objectionable Behavior 255Tolerating your dog’s behavior problems 256Trying to solve your dog’s behavior problems 257When all else fails: Finding a new home for your dog 258Teaching Buddy to Keep All Four on the Floor 258Greeting people — Using the Hello command 259Using Sit and Stay as an alternative to jumping up 260Putting an End to Counter Surfing — Leave It 261Quieting the Incessant Barker 262Barking as a response to a stimulus or distraction 263Barking for attention 264Barking when someone comes to the door 264Contending with Chewing — The Nonfood Variety 265I’m teething! Examining the physiological need to chew 266I’m bored! Recognizing the psychological reasons that dogs chew 266Dealing with a Digger 267Managing Marking Behavior 268Part 4: Taking Training to the Next Level 271Chapter 16: Retrieving: Time to Fetch 273Introducing the Common Retrieving Commands to Your Natural Retriever 274Explaining the Basics of Retrieving 274Sequence 1: Starting with Take It 275Sequence 2: Working on the Hold It and Give command 276Sequence 3: Helping your dog retrieve on command 278Sequence 4: Helping Buddy learn to hold and reach for the object 279Sequence 4: Teaching Buddy to reach for it 280Sequence 6: Walking while holding the dumbbell 281Sequence 7: Training Buddy for the pick-up 281Sequence 8: Bringing it back 282Sequence 9: Putting it all together 283Polishing and Perfecting the Retrieve 284Wait for it: Testing your dog’s patience 284Retrieving with distractions 284Chapter 17: Trick Training for Fun 289Shake and High Five 290Sequence 1: Introducing the concept of shaking hands 291Sequence 2: Lifting his paw 292Sequence 3: Putting his paw on your palm 292Sequence 4: Adding the High Five 292Find the Pea under the Right Cup 293Sequence 1: Establishing a pattern for the game 293Sequence 2: Introducing the covered treat 294Sequence 3: Adding a second cup with no treat 294Sequence 4: Moving the cups and changing their position 295Sequence 5: Finishing the trick 295Hide in a Box 296Sequence 1: Introducing the box on its side 297Sequence 2: Standing the box correctly with opening on top 297Sequence 3: Adding the Hide command 298Sequence 4: Putting it all together 299Pick a Hand 300Sequence 1: Reviewing the Touch command 300Sequence 2: Touching the back of the treat hand 300Sequence 3: Offering both hands for dog tochoose the loaded hand 301Sequence 4: Putting your hands behind your back first 302Play Shy 303Sequence 1: Putting his head between your legs 303Sequence 2: Holding your legs closer together 304Sequence 3: Holding his head pressed between your legs 305Roll Over 306Sequence 1: Rolling over with a little help 306Sequence 2: Rolling over on his own 307Sequence 3: Rolling over on command 307Play Dead 307Sequence 1: Laying down on his side or back 308Sequence 2: Playing dead from the sitting orstanding position 308Sequence 3: Playing dead at a distance 309Sequence 4: Presenting the trick to an audience 309Find Mine 310Sequence 1: Retrieving something of yours 310Sequence 2: Helping your dog find your item 310Sequence 3: Allowing Buddy to find the keys with his nose 311Sequence 4: Adding identical items and Buddy will find yours 312Sequence 5: Untying the clean pencils after Buddy is always finding your scented pencil 313Jump through a Hoop 314Sequence 1: Walking and jumping through a hoop 314Sequence 2: Jumping through the hoop off Leash 314You Have Food on Your Nose 315Sequence 1: Cupping your hand over your dog’s muzzle 315Sequence 2: Putting the treat on your dog’s nose 316Sequence 3: Balancing the treat longer 317Sequence 4: Balancing the treat without your help 317Take a Bow 318Sequence 1: Bowing by using a food lure 318Sequence 2: Practicing until Buddy bows with little to no help 319Sequence 3: Taking a bow on command 319Dog Catcher/Stranger Trick 320Chapter 18: Training for Fun and Competition 323Understanding the System: Your Road Map to the Companion Dog Title 324Requirements for Pre-Novice 326The Novice class: What’s expected from you and Buddy 328First Things First: Teaching the Ready! Command 329Using Control Position 330Working through the sequences of the Ready! command 331Heeling Despite Distractions 335Helping your dog heel in new places 336Using a distracter while you’re heeling 336Let’s Dance, Buddy: Heel On and Then Off Leash 337The halt 338Changes of pace and turns 338Putting a Twist on Things: Teaching the Figure 8 340Sequence 1: Preparing Buddy for the Figure 8 341Sequence 2: Introducing Buddy to the actual Figure 8 342Sequence 3: Doing the perfect Figure 8 343Your Dog Isn’t an Elephant: Reinforcing Training 344Chapter 19: Completing the Companion Dog Title 347You’re Getting a Check-Up: Preparing for the Stand for Examination 348Sequence 1: Introducing the Stand command and Stand Stay 349Sequence 2: Showing Buddy how to stand still without holding him in position 350Sequence 3: Working on the Stand-Stay command 350Sequence 4: Leaving Buddy in a Stand-Stay 351Sequence 5: Getting Buddy familiar with the Return 351Sequence 6: Preparing Buddy for the actual examination 352Heeling Off Leash 353Transitioning to Heeling Off Leash 354Successfully getting off leash 356Mastering the Recall 357Stay 358Come with distractions 358Front 358Finish 361Training for the Group Stay Exercises 363Setting up self-generated distractions 364Increasing the level of difficulty 364Part 5: Handling Special Situations 367Chapter 20: Addressing Aggression 369Understanding Aggression 369Examining the link between aggression and drives 370Looking at the causes of aggression 371Managing a Dog’s Aggression — Prey, Pack, Defense Drives 374Dealing with aggression from dogs high in prey drive 375Handling aggression from dogs high in defense drive 377Controlling aggression in dogs high in pack drive 382Coping with Aggression around the Food Bowl 384Dealing with Fear-Biters 384Handling Aggression in Different Circumstances 386Aggression in a multi-dog household 386Aggression while grooming 387Aggression at the veterinarian 387Chapter 21: Helping Buddy Handle Special Situations 389Reacting to Loud Noises and Thunder 389Coping with Separation Anxiety 390Testing the desensitizing approach 391Trying the DAP approach 392Looking at some other options 392Soiling the House 393Dribbling and Submissive Wetting 394Taking Buddy on the Road 395Getting used to entering the vehicle 396Staying put before exiting the vehicle 396Getting ready for your road trip 397Easing carsickness 398Going to Doggie Daycare 399Minding Your Manners at the Dog Park 400Keeping Your Canine Calm at the Vet’s Office 401Being Patient with the Rescue Dog 402Chapter 22: Keeping Your Senior Dog Young: Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks 403Old Gray Muzzle: Exploring the Signs of Aging in Dog Years 404Teaching Exercises to Keep Buddy’s Mind and Body Sharp 405Begging 405Crawling 406Walking backward 407Doing neck and head stretches 407Using the coffee table stretch 408Walking, sitting, and downing 409Swimming 410Applying mental stimulation 411Taking Care of Your Older Dog’s Health and Nutrition Needs 412Maintaining Buddy’s slim and trim figure with a satisfying diet 412Making life easier with supplements 414Keeping Up with Grooming 416Bringing Home a Puppy to Help Rejuvenate Buddy 419Looking Into Dog Beds, Ramps, Wheelchairs, and Carts 420Making Buddy cozy: Beds 420Making heights more manageable with ramps 421Helping the handicapped dog: Wheelchairs and carts 421Chapter 23: Supplementing Your Training Efforts with Expert Help 425Going to Obedience Training Class 426Good obedience training class criteria 427Puppy classes 429Advanced classes 430Hiring a Private Trainer 430Sending Buddy to a Board and Train 431Part 6: The Part of Tens 433Chapter 24: Ten Training Traps and How to Avoid Them 435Procrastinating on Basic Training 435Buying into Attention-Seeking Behavior 436Forgetting to Release Your Dog from a Stay 436Eliminating Rewards Too Soon 437Using Your Dog’s Name as a Command 437Having to Repeat Commands Away from Home 437Punishing Your Dog When He Comes to You 438Running After Your Dog 439Expecting Too Much Too Quickly 439Ignoring the Principle of Consistency 440Chapter 25: Ten Fun and Exciting Sporting Activities 441Agility Events 441Tracking Titles 443Barn Hunt AKC 444Lure Coursing 445Schutzhund Training 445Flyball Competitions 446Freestyle Performances 446Dock Diving Dogs 446Detection Dogs or Scent Work 447Working as a Service Dog 448Assistance dogs 448Companions 449Chapter 26: Ten Reasons Dogs Do What They Do 451Why Do Dogs Insist on Jumping on People? 451Why Do Dogs Sniff Parts of Your Anatomy That You’d Prefer They Didn’t? 452Why Do Male Dogs Lift Their Legs So Often? 452Why Do Dogs Mount Each Other? 453Why Do Dogs Like to Chase Things? 453Why Do Dogs Roll in Disgusting Things? 454Why Do Dogs Eat Weeds or Grass? 454Why Do Dogs Hump Humans’ Legs? 455Why Do Dogs Scoot on Their Rear Ends? 455Why Do Dogs Circle Before Lying Down? 455Index 457