If your dog were a wild dog, he’d spend his days hunting with his dog pack. He’d use his nose to sniff out prey and his eyesight to single out which prey animal his pack should go after. He and the other dogs would carefully plan a strategy for their hunt, work together, use their wits and physical speed and strength to get their meal. 

Hunting is the primary way wild dogs exercise their minds and bodies. But in your home, your dog’s pre-meal exercise may consist of getting up off the couch or coming in from the yard. And as for strategy — well, mostly, he spends his time trying to figure out how to make you feed him more often. 

Canine behaviorists say our dogs may be missing out on something important by not having to work for their food. The mental and physical exercise is good for them, and there is nothing dogs enjoy more than a task or a treasure hunt that ends in a meal. 

How Can you Get Your Dog to Work for a Meal? 

Interactive toys are one easy way. There are balls and cubes and rubber blobs sold at most pet supply stores that you can stuff with food. The dog must then manipulate the toy to get the food out. Choose a toy where the food comes out one bit at a time, so your dog has to work to get his supper. 

You can also feed dry dog food one piece at a time. Toss the kibbles one by one across the floor, so your dog has to chase each bite. Mix this up with tricks and commands, such as sit, stay, and rollover, so your dog is working for his meal and practicing his training at the same time. 

Set up a treasure hunt, where your dog must search for little food caches you’ve hidden around the house. Start by placing him in a room and shut the door. Then divide up his meal into several small portions and hide them where they’re not too easy — but not too hard — to find. Leave a trail of kibble bits from one cache to the next, let your dog out, and tell him, “find it!” He may need help at first, so point out the food trail and encourage him to follow it (eating as he goes). Use lots of praise and make it a game. Eventually, you can place the food hints farther and farther apart and then stop giving hints altogether, so your dog will have to use his nose to find his supper. Just like his wild cousins!

Article written by Author: Beth Adelman

Mike Stone owns Absolute K-9 Training in Escondido, California. With his wife, Toni, they train, show, and work dogs for private dog owners, companies that need trained working dogs, and law enforcement agencies. Mike opened Absolute K-9 Training in 1994. He is a certified trainer for obedience, protection, and police dogs. Mike is also a trainer and working dog handler for the St. Vincent de Paul centers in San Diego. These centers provide shelter, care, medical and dental services, substance abuse programs, job training, and job searches for the homeless and others who need help.

Which one of your working dogs would you like to talk about?

Mike Stone: Marco is an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois who works for the St. Vincent de Paul centers. He was initially trained for patrol work and was later cross-trained for narcotics detection.

Tell us something about Marco’s training. What was easy for him? What has been more difficult?

Mike: I have been working with Marco and St. Vincent de Paul for a couple of years. This dog has been straightforward to train in almost all facets of his work. Amazingly, Marco was cross-trained for narcotics work after he was six years old; many dogs of that age are getting ready to retire, but Marco is taking on new challenges. Also, one of St. Vincent’s unique features is that they have multiple handlers per dog. Many patrol dogs have difficulty adjusting to this because each handler has his dog handling style and, of course, his personality. Marco, however, has done well with this. It was tough to teach him to remain calm when searching the tight and small areas he must search, such as lockers, dorm rooms, and elevators.

What does Marco do on a typical working day?

Mike: Marco always has something to do. He will have a patrol shift with a handler on a typical day, including property and building perimeter patrol. He will also have an interior building patrol. He will have two obedience training sessions per day and one narcotics training session each day.

What else can you tell us about Marco’s work?

Mike: Marco is now widely known at St. Vincent de Paul’s for eliminating those people who are not following the substance abuse program. He has had several good finds and has increased the overall productivity of the canine program.

Is Marco also a pet and companion?

Mike: No, Marco is not a pet. He lives at the compound. Because of where he works and his work’s chaotic nature, he has been trained to be very protective of his surroundings. He is a very sociable dog; however, there would be too much liability if he were a pet. Also, the potential for training problems would be increased.

Do you feel Marco is missing anything by living at the compound?

Mike: Marco has never been a pet and therefore can’t miss what he never knew. But he also loves his work and has a great relationship with his handlers. Marco has a great life.

Article written by Author: Liz Palika

That “aha” moment, when an idea suddenly clicks, isn’t just reserved for people. Dogs also observe and learn, particularly from one another. Ana T. Pieruccetti, president and CEO of Dallas-based Lucca Bella Doggie Spa & Boutique, has witnessed this dog curiosity on several occasions. For example, Bailey, one of the dogs that visits Pieruccetti’s spa, watched as another dog, Katie, ran through a play tunnel, and received a treat. Recognizing the connection, Bailey quickly followed suit. For Pieruccetti and others with expertise in dog behavior, this ability is not surprising. But until recently, there wasn’t definitive proof of what most dog owners know — canines are canny.

Researchers from the University of Vienna in Austria demonstrated that dogs don’t just blindly imitate an action but rather use reason to assess the action’s usefulness. In the study, conducted between March 2006 and February 2007, the canines watched a trained dog use its paw to open a food container, rather than its mouth, as is the norm. In one test, the demonstrating dog had a ball in its mouth while, in a second test, its mouth was free. After witnessing the demonstrating dog perform the task, the other dogs followed suit in both the mouth-occupied and mouth-free test, indicating what the report refers to as “an imitative form of social learning.”

Dogs Teach New Tricks

Dog behavior and training classes, or even simple tricks taught at home with the aid of a few tasty treats, reveal just how rapidly dogs can learn. “Studies have shown that dogs have relatively high cognitive skills and are supremely sensitive to human cues,” Pieruccetti says. “It is believed they also have some predictive abilities.”

But the University of Vienna study also shows that dogs take their cues from their fellow dogs, not just from us. Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Ecology and Revolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, animal behaviorist and author of The Emotional Lives of Animals (New World Library, 2007) has observed that dogs adopt different play styles with different dogs, suggesting they are flexible and creative learners. So, with the right approach, if you are bringing a new dog into a household with other dogs, you may be able to enlist the help of the long-term residents in teaching the newcomer some ground rules.

“To teach our dogs not to crowd the front door when visitors come over, we set a boundary back from our front door: a thick white rope on the floor that means respect this boundary, don’t cross the line,” says Jim Burwell, retired owner of the professional dog training franchise Petiquette. “When we adopted Cooper, he learned very quickly, by observing the other dogs, not to cross the rope.”

Cautionary Tales

It’s not always good news, though. Just as children tend to pick up one another’s bad habits or to latch onto the first utterance of a swear word, dogs also learn unwanted behavior from one another.

“One backyard dog barking at the mailman will cause the other dog in the same yard to also bark at the mailman,” Burwell says. “If dogs are allowed to rehearse this behavior, it can lead to territorial aggression, which could transfer inside to territorial greetings at the front door, leading to more serious problems to sort out.”

Of equal concern is how owners act around their dogs. “Dogs are extremely sensitive to their environment, and we need to be very careful what we do and say in front of them,” Dr. Bekoff says. Burwell adds that, like children, dogs demonstrate be-like-act-like behavior, and therefore an owner could, unwittingly, exacerbate his or her dog’s problems.

“If an owner gets angry and scolds a child quite often, the dog may start getting edgy when the child is around it,” he warns. “On the other hand, if the owner punishes the dog often, the child may start punishing the dog and may get into trouble when the dog defends itself.”

Dogs Provide a Calming Effect

Despite the caution warning, inter-dog relationships are both healthy and beneficial. If your dog is young, undisciplined, or just plain difficult, another calm, well-behaved dog can work wonders in teaching good behavior. “Owners can maximize training their animals by placing them in the presence of other trained animals and being able to understand their pets’ behaviors better, responses and/or change in behavior depending on the presence of other animals,” Pieruccetti says.

If you have taken on a rescue animal, the problem of calming an abused and terrified dog can be overwhelming. Again, bringing other socialized dogs into the mix may help.

To approach a fearful rescue dog named Jack, Burwell used his 10-year-old Husky/Golden Retriever mix, Boo. “Jack spent the first 18 months of his life in a crate — 23 hours out of a 24-hour day,” Burwell explains. “He was scared to death of being approached by strangers, especially men. I intended to trigger an acceptance of me by Jack because of my very close proximity to Boo; a kind of, ‘if it’s okay for him, it’s okay for me.’ It worked.”

Article written by Author: Kim Ribbink

When friends and neighbors Evelyn Pang and Hilary Louie of San Francisco were 9, a dog training class was offered in their apartment building. Though neither girl had a pup of her own, both loved dogs, so they signed up for the course. Five years and many classes later, the two high school sophomores co-authored Good Dog! Kids Teach Kids About Dog Behavior and Training (Dogwise Publishing).

Inspired by the belief that kids learn best from other kids, Pang and Louie wrote and illustrated their book, which incorporates expert advice on teaching kids how to read dog body language, be safe around dogs, and train Rover to do cool tricks. Says Louie: “Kids need to understand and train their dogs so that neither ends up getting hurt.” 

Below, the young authors share their five favorite tips for kids who live with, or around, dogs.

Tip No. 1: Know your dog’s signals 

Dogs are playful, peaceful creatures. When a dog feels threatened, it will display “calming signals.” These visual cues communicate to nearby dogs or people that the dog doesn’t want to fight. “The fur on the back of its neck will stand up. Its tail may go down, or its head will lower,” explains Pang. When this happens, Louie advises walking away if you are the one scaring the dog. If a nearby dog or other animal is threatening your furry friend, you should remove your dog from the frightening situation. 

Tip No. 2: Know your own signals 

If a strange dog comes running toward you, Pang and Louie advise keeping yourself safe in the following way: be a tree. “Stand still, put your arms by your sides, and your head down. Look at your toes and don’t move,” says Pang. “The dog will think you’re boring, and it will go away.” Running from a dog will signal that you’re up for a game of chase, and looking the dog in the eye may make it feel afraid, which can lead to a fight that both you and the dog don’t want.

Tip No. 3: Be consistent during training 

Pang and Louie advocate clicker training, which involves reinforcing desirable dog behavior with a clicker’s sound, followed by a treat. The dog learns to associate the click with the reward and understand that the click is a compliment. But this only works if the trainer is consistent. “You have to click on time, and every time,” stresses Louie. “You have to pay attention at all times during clicker training, or your dog will think you’ve lost interest, and (the activity) won’t be fun anymore.” 

Tip No. 4: Treat, don’t trick, during training sessions

Dogs in training need rewards to learn. What they do not need is for you to yell, or worse. “Don’t punish your dog,” emphasizes Pang. “You are its teacher, and if the dog messes up, it’s sort of like it’s your fault. It’s your responsibility to teach them.” If things get heated, or you start to feel frustrated, take a break! You can always go back to it later or 

another day.

Tip No. 5: Have fun! 

Pang and Louie agree that training is a game, and games should be enjoyable. “If you’re not positive, you’ll get impatient. If you’re not having fun, it’s not a game anymore,” says Louie. The girls believe that training also promotes bonding between humans and dogs. It’s the best time to create feelings of closeness between people and their pets. “Your dog will feel your love during training,” says Pang. It should be like hanging out with a friend. You’re doing something together and learning together.

Article written by Author: Darcy Lockman

At a recent dog training class in Northern California, the canine excitement was hard to contain. Tails wagged while eager barks filled the air. All dog eyes were directed toward the friendly trainers. Specifically, the dogs’ attention was riveted to what was on the waist of each trainer: a belt holding a pouch full of dog biscuits and treats.

The canines’ interest was understandable: Many biscuits and treats on the market today are made with high-quality, nutritious ingredients that your dog craves, such as cooked chicken and savory lamb. During training sessions, rewarding your dog with such a biscuit or treat shouldn’t be viewed as a bribe but rather as a non-threatening incentive your dog will understand. Food works wonders in breaking the language barrier between you and your pet. It’s like the universal “thank you” of the animal world.

PetSmart pet care manager Kenny Geisler of Daly City, Calif., is an expert on how to best use dog biscuits and treats during training sessions.

Here’s how you can follow his treat training advice:

1. Allow your dog to sample the treat 

“Your dog needs to understand that a reward is coming,” says Geisler. To do this:

1. Break off a small piece of a biscuit and give it to your pet.
2. Place the rest of the biscuit in your treat pouch or pocket, making sure that your dog sees you doing this.
3. Don’t repeat this initial sampling phase too many times, or else your dog will figure out that it can get something for nothing.

“The point is just to allow your dog to taste the reward, so he or she will wonder, ‘How do I get some more of that?’ But don’t overdo it,” adds Geisler.

2. Use small treats or biscuits 

A recent scientific study tested whether dogs prefer a big hunk of meat to several smaller pieces. Quantity won. Similar tests have been conducted with birds, which also gravitate toward multiple food items, even if the edibles matched up evenly in terms of overall calories and nutrition. Break larger treats into pieces, advises Geisler, or purchase smaller-sized biscuits and treats for your regular training sessions.

3. Vary the flavors 

Canines are smart, curious animals, so they like to spice up their lives with variety from time to time. The same holds for people. “Giving your dog the same biscuit or treat every day is comparable to a spouse taking a husband or wife out to dinner each night, but they always go to the same place, and there is only one thing on the menu,” says the PetSmart dog lover. After a while, the reward loses its value. If you change the flavor every so often, you will pique your dog’s curiosity and stand a better chance of holding its interest.

4. Be timely with food rewards 

Geisler recommends that all treats are given within one to two seconds of your dog following the command. “Any later and your dog may not link the food to the desired action,” he explains. Also, take care not to reward too quickly. For example, before your dog has finished doing whatever is asked of it. If your dog is about to lie down and is rewarded midway, it may think you want it to crouch! That’s happened before to perplexed PetSmart training session participants.

5. Alternate food rewards with petting and verbal praise 

If you always offer food when your pal is behaving, it could become spoiled and forever expect such treatment. This can be particularly awkward when you don’t happen to have any biscuits or treats, such as when you are out on the town with your pet. “Change up your reward system,” says Geisler. “Give affection and verbal praise one day; food treats the next.”

6. Don’t vary treat quality 

Professional dog trainers often learn about negative versus positive contrasts. You never want to follow a positive with a negative. “For example, you shouldn’t give your dog grilled steak for five days and then wonder why he doesn’t behave when you reward him with a stale dog biscuit,” the pet care manager says. Given the variety and quality of commercial pet foods, it’s better to stick with fresh biscuits and treats instead of thinking you’ll motivate your dog more with expensive human food. That may work in the short run, but you could regret the decision later.

7. Reward your dog with a “jackpot” when deserved 

“Jackpotting,” explains Geisler, “means to give your dog a huge reward when she does something over-the-top amazing.” For such special moments, you needn’t worry about breaking larger biscuits into pieces or holding back. “Dogs understand big versus small 

incentives.” Just be careful not to exceed the recommended feeding amount listed on the biscuit or treat package. For regular-sized biscuits, usually, that means no more than three to four daily.

A bonus to treat training is that many treats on the market now target health issues, such as weight gain and tooth problems. Some treats even help to promote a clean, healthy mouth and fresh doggy breath. You will appreciate this when the training session is over, and your grateful dog rewards you with a big lick on your face.

Article written by Author: The Dog Daily Expert

A puppy’s life with a show dog future is slightly different from that of a pup with simpler aspirations. For one thing, puppies in training are likely to spend some of their time with a professional dog handler, like Clint Livingston of Denver. Livingston has been training Westminster hopefuls for three decades. “We start them young, and the key is socialization,” he explains. “We make sure they’re around lots of people, with lots of hands on them, so they get used to it.”

While non-show dogs don’t need to be as comfortable with the human touch as Westminster wannabes, they can learn something from Westminster training and grooming standards. 

Below, Livingston shares his tips for helping your furry friend achieve best in its own show. 

Training

What’s crucial to training a dog to do just about anything? Repetition, food motivation, and compliments. “Dogs want to make people happy,” emphasizes Livingston. “Give them lots of praise when they do something right, and lots of verbal encouragement along the way. Positive reinforcement is the best training tool of all.”

Before they compete, show dogs must master these skills:

• Stacking 

A “stacked” dog is one that stands squarely and still. For most breeds, the front legs are straight and under the shoulder blades. Rear legs are vertical from the hock (comparable to the human ankle) down. Paws face forward. To teach your dog to stack, place four bricks on the floor where you’d like your pet’s paws to go. With treats, help your dog practice standing in this position on the bricks before moving your pet to the floor to replicate the position.

• Giving ears 

A dog that is “giving ears” has its ears perked up, its head held high, and its eyes gleaming with confidence. To train your pet to put its best ear forward, hold a treat at a level where head and neck are drawn high. As your pet gets used to this position, pull the treat away quickly to keep your dog’s attention before allowing your pet to indulge.

• Walking 

If a model struts, a show dog trots, which means its right front leg and left back leg move in concert (followed by the movement of the left front leg and right back leg), showing off its physique to best advantage. Pacing is key to proper trotting. Take your pet’s leash in your left hand. Try different speeds to see which one allows your dog to trot comfortably.

Grooming

While grooming standards vary greatly by breed, all show dogs are brushed and bathed weekly. “Clean hair grows, and it also looks nice,” explains Livingston. To make bath time easy at home, try this:

1. Brush your dog first to remove loose hairs.
2. Layout bathing supplies — such as a diluted commercial shampoo, a pitcher for rinsing, and a towel for drying — in advance.
3. Put cotton in your dog’s ears to keep water out.
4. Always use warm water.

But the work doesn’t end there. If you want your pet to look like a show dog, add nail clipping, teeth brushing, and ear cleaning to your weekly to-do list. For each, choose a time of day when your dog tends to be relaxed. Talk sweetly to your best friend throughout, and if it begins to resist you, finish up another day. But more specifically:

• Invest in a nail clipper made just for dogs. Trim only the nail tips to avoid cutting into “the quick” or the veins in your pet’s nails.

• To brush your dog’s teeth, position your dog on an elevated surface like a table, hold its head firmly, and its mouth open with one hand. Move the toothbrush in a circular motion, making sure to brush at the gum line.
• Moisten a cotton ball with a commercial ear cleaner and swab the outer ear canal outward to remove dirt and wax. 

Your pal doesn’t have to be a show dog to look and act like one. With Livingston’s guidelines, your dog can be like the puppies he trains in no time. “It’s great to watch them learn,” he says. “You watch their confidence grow by the minute. They get more and more adventurous, the more you teach them.”

Article written by Author: Darcy Lockman

Does your dog have what it takes to become a certified Dog Scout? Nearly 600 dogs have passed their certification tests for the Dog Scouts of America, an organization similar to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. Members are part of local troops and earn merit badges by proving proficiency in specific learned skills. Below, President Chris Puls of Dog Scouts of America (DSA) and founder Lonnie Olson explain scouting for dogs.

What Do Dogs Do at Dog Scouts?

Just like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Dog Scouts Earn Badges. Puls says there are badges for backpacking, water rescue, herding, search and rescue, obedience, Frisbee, and much more.

Don’t think it’s all just for show; the certification and badge testing is serious and demanding.

“The badges are not easy, and they aren’t supposed to be,” says Puls. “Yes, it does take some time to get to that level, but when considered throughout the dog’s life, it’s a short amount of time to get years of benefit. Visitors to your home and people you meet in public with your dog will appreciate the training time you have put in. Plus, you’ll have a better understanding of your dog and a deeper bond.” For a dog to be certified, its human companion must pass a written test that proves he or she is an educated and responsible dog owner.

Educational Mission of Dog Scouts

The Dog Scouts of America was founded in 1999 as a nonprofit by Olson, who got her inspiration from an encounter with an insurance salesman. “The guy asked why all the photos of my dogs were on the wall, winning at sports competitions,” she recalls. “I said, ‘Well, didn’t your kids participate in cheerleading, band, Boy Scouts and other activities?’ I told him that my dog likes to play flyball and Frisbee and be active in the community, just like his kids. The difference was that my ‘kids’ were dogs.”

 After this conversation, Olson formally organized all the activities and educational outreach she was already involved in and created the DSA. Like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, DSA’s mission is about more than giving its members fun activities. Puls and Olson say the broader purpose is education that fosters better relationships between dogs and humans, which ultimately saves the lives of dogs.

“The No. 1 reason why people surrender their dogs to the shelter is ‘behavior problems,’ so we decided that we could change all of that by getting our message out to more people,” says Olson. “We try to show the owners how they can enrich the lives of their dogs, themselves, and the community by learning new things and doing things together.”

Puls says that DSA also encourages troops and members to perform community service. “They often hold fundraisers to help local shelters, provide bulletproof vests to police K-9s, or provide pet oxygen masks to their local fire departments”. DSA dogs are trained to ring the iconic Salvation Army bell and accept dollar bills from people and drop them into the donation bucket. The trick has helped DSA raise almost $40,000 for The Salvation Army.

How Does My Dog Join Dog Scouts of America?

Interested dog owners should check out DogScouts.org to find the nearest troop. If not, the site is filled with the information you’d need to participate in or even start your troop. It’s also worth noting that you do not need to pass the certification test to be a DSA member. You can join and do the testing at your own pace, or not at all. If you want an even less committed way to get involved and support the group, the entire month of May is their annual National Hike-a-Thon, in which anyone can participate.

Article written by Author: Elijah Merrill

Who can blame dogs for wanting to sleep on their owners’ bed? The bed is warm and comfortable, and it’s where your pup’s favorite friends are choosing to rest. The doggy bed on the floor — no matter how big and fancy — could never hold the same appeal.

Some dogs are angels in bed, staying quiet and keeping to their dedicated section of blanket real estate. Others become so happy that they cannot contain their enthusiasm. Like yours, these exuberant dogs wind up digging, jumping, pulling at covers, and acting as an adolescent at a sleepover party.

How Can I Get My Dog to Settle Down at Night?

Wendy Nan Rees and Kristen Hampshire, co-authors of Dog Lover’s Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Living a Rich Life With Your Dog suggest the following:

• Get your dog to settle down before bedtime by placing it in its crate or on its dog bed. Provide a chew toy. Say, “Sit. Stay. Good dog.” When your dog has settled down, invite it back onto the bed.

• Speaking of that dog bed, place it — or the crate — by the bed. Use it as a time-out zone for when your Yorkshire Terrier misbehaves on the bed.
• You should always try to feed and walk your dog several hours before bedtime. If your pet hasn’t had such quality time with you, it will try to initiate that quality time at night. Dogs, like humans, need to wind down before retiring. Your pet should be ready for rest when it tucks into bed with you and your partner.

Your dog is a guest in your bed, so treat the situation as such. Although your dog is invited and wanted, it must be on its best behavior to not wear out its welcome.

Article written by Author: The Dog Daily Expert

Although the old saying holds that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” it’s actually never too late or too early to train your dog. We absorb information more readily at certain ages — and dogs do as well — but with time and patience, you will likely see positive results.

Group sessions are usually easy to find, whether at a pet store or through another local service. However, the truth is that not all dogs do well in group sessions, much less get through them without feeling terrified or even over-stimulated by all of the fun new people, dogs, and smells around.

In their book Dog Lover’s Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Living a Rich Life With Your Dog, Wendy Nan Rees and Kristen Hampshire suggest that your dog will benefit from private training if your pet:

• Becomes too distracted in groups and is not able to focus properly
• Displays aggression toward other dogs and/or people

• Has a shy owner (you) who will not feel comfortable asking questions and requesting help in group situations
• Can only seem to learn commands in familiar places, such as your backyard or living room

You can often solve some of these problems with a private trainer and then enroll your dog in public classes. It’s also nice to do a combination of the two, if possible. Just like kids who receive private tutoring, your dog would then benefit from the personalization of private training, as well as the socialization pets can receive in group classes.

Article written by Author: The Dog Daily Expert