What Can Your Dog Chew On When It's Playing? 07/15/2011
David LetterDog’s List of Things Dogs Cannot Do While Chewing a Chewtoy
 Add Comment Stella, Carrying Her Favorite Toys 06/19/2011
 If you want your pup to carry something around, try it the easy way first. Stand close to your dog with their toy and play with it, and don’t let them have it! I know, it sounds mean, but trust me, when you drop it and they start carrying it around it’s pretty cute.  TIP: Don’t reward your dog’s new trick by giving him a treat – then he’ll just learn to spit out the toy as soon as he’s picked it up! If you absolutely need it back, make sure they know the command Drop It. How to teach Rollover! 05/19/2011
Meet Buzz. He’s a King Charles Cavalier. So Cute! He’s 2.5 months old and perpetually looks grumpy when he’s happy.  He’s learning how to roll-over   Here’s how you teach it: 1) Your dog needs to lay down first (if he doesn’t know it yet, catch him when he’s playing with a toy) 2) Point your finger while hiding a treat in your hand 3) In a circular motion, show your dog what direction to roll over. Try to point at his ear, then his behind, and then his other ear 4) Do the pointing slowly, and when your pup rolls on his back in order to get to the treat you can then point to the floor on the other side of him so he completes his circle 5) When he rolls over all the way say ‘Yes!’ immediately and reward your pup! 6) HINT: Every dog has their ‘angle’, you just have to find it. Don’t get too close to their mouth, or too far so he has to get up to get to your hand. How To Teach Leave It! 05/16/2011
 Meet one of our students Clark! ½ English Bulldog, ½ Frenchie. On the 2nd lesson, Clark learned how to leave some food alone. Here’s how you teach it: 1) Put food in your hand and close your fingers so your puppy can’t actually get any of the food out of your hand. Put your hand where your pup can smell it and say ‘Leave It’ over and over again until your puppy gives up. When he does, immediately say, ‘Yes!’ and give him a treat from your other hand (NOT from your ‘Leave it’ hand – that’s important). 2) When your puppy is good at Step 1, put the food on the floor, and say ‘leave It’. If your puppy goes for the food, cover with your foot and say ‘Leave It!’ 3) Practice until perfect ☺. You shouldn’t have to put your foot over the food after a few tries. 4) Hint: the food your put on the floor should be a big piece of something. That way if your puppy accidentally eats it, you can get it out of their mouth easily. Puppy Learning Stuff! 05/07/2011
 I'm going to be starting to chronicle of a few of our puppy projects. The first to come is Clark, a 1/2 English 1/2 French Bulldog! He's growing super fast, and learning some skills...like Leave It, which he learned in approximately 4 minutes. . .  Training Can Be Fun and Short! 02/15/2011
 Below is a video that really makes training out to be what is should: fun! Too many families and owners view training as a strain on their schedule. The only rule that everyone should understand is: The fastest way to train your dog is in fast spurts. Really! I promise. All it takes for 1 new trick is training for 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes. Your dog will learn the trick in the first few days. For the novice: remember to start off training a new trick with Low Distraction Level. That means no food strewn about the floor, no children playing next to the dog, and no loud sounds. And, try to train your dog when he has energy instead of right after a play session. Here are some tidbits of advice for those of you that seem to have the schedule right, but aren't getting the desired effects: 1) Make sure your dog is not distracted. If you can't remove the distractions then make the reward more interesting 2) Make sure your dog doesn't need to relieve himself 3) Vary the treats every time (how bored would you be if you had to eat the same food EVERY day for the same trick?) 4) Don't ask your dog to 'come' so he can train. Step into his space and work FAST to make it exciting. 5) When you start a session, pick up *just before* where you left off last time 6) Make sure to always end on a good note of success. If your dog makes a mistake, do something simple he already knows and then end the session. 7) Need I repeat? Low Distraction Level! That's all for now, these pieces of advice should get you far. They are my mantras. >>>>>>>>Link to YOUTUBE<<<<<<<<  Puppy Swimming and Obedience Classes 09/23/2010
 >>>>>>>LINK TO VIDEO<<<<<<<< Stay tuned for a new puppy obedience class paired with a puppy swimming class! An exciting new tribute to exercising and stimulating our puppies, Water4Dogs will be holding Puppy Swim classes and Dapper Dog Training will be holding Puppy Obedience classes in tide at 77 Worth street in Tribeca! 4 Months is about the right age...check out our first pup, who got the hang of it and can swim all by herself after this session! Training with Disabled Dogs 09/23/2010
Having a disabled dog can be a long, hard, and also rewarding journey. You might be feel alone, stressed out, unsure how to proceed, and confused about how you feel towards your dog. Training your dog may seem un-doable, or your might feel challenged. But don't let this get you down! Dogs thrive on mental stimulation! Exercise releases endorphins and makes them happier and less stressed. If you want to proceed, and you can!, take take a look at this new BOOK or DVD geared towards helping you get through this rough time.  Read and laugh :) This blogger at Hyperboleandahalf.com thinks her dog is below average on the smart-o-dog-meter, so she gives her an IQ Test that she finds on the internet! Her tale is so funny it tickles my belly, but of course this IQ Test doesn't hold water. After all, you can teach any dog to sit! >>>>>>>>>>>>LINK<<<<<<<<<<<<<    Cesar Millan - CONTROVERSY? Ask the NYT 05/27/2010
  As Cesar Millan completes his SIXTH season in media, he has come to be known as a household name. In 2006, the New York Times wrote an article named 'Pack of Lies' where they explore the real training tactics that The Dog Whisperer uses. Read the article and see for yourself. I myself train differently and have to allow for freedom of speech. But take note, since 2006 The New York Times has written other articles noting the PRODUCTS that Cesar Milan markets, and how families are starting to train their children as he trains dogs. Dominance theory, pack theory, and the forms of training Cesar uses are all another way of saying AVERSIVE training. It is a very traditional technique that is starting to lose hold in the training world for many reasons. 1) It's dangerous to try at home without a trainer 2) Dogs can aggress back 3) Dogs will find other outlets for their aggression 4) Dogs will find other people to dominate if the REAL problem isn't solved 5) It causes a loss of trust in the relationship 6) It stresses the dog, and can cause real damage and pain (I've seen this occur) 7) It doesn't work on all dogs (even though Millan's series shows the dogs it does work on - READ THE NOTE the author Shibashake makes herself after she weighs the pros and cons in the article below, 'Aversive Training Pros and Cons'). Keep in mind that many many trainers train the Cesar Millan way to this day with all types of animals - horses, monkeys, show/agility dogs, anything with a leash or lead. I have personally been taught by trainers of this mindset as well. I have as a student and trainer taken an OATH that I will not train aversively if it is avoidable. But if it seems that this is the only option I must make every effort I can to solve a problem. I have included some articles from the NYT on Cesar Millan, and one from a page detailing some pros and cons of this form of training. Weigh it out yourself, everyone! LINKS: ARTICLE: Pack of Lies (August 2006) ARTICLE: Families Borrowing from Cesar Millan (Nov. 2009) ARTICLE: Aversive Training Pros and Cons (2009) | ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll |
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