Train Your Dog

Not everyone has the interest to breed dogs. To some, it may be a calling of some sort. For others, it serves as a past time and to increase their pets at home. Your goal here is to improve a certain breed of dog and if you have a different reason, you should think twice about it.

True enough, there are lots of books and dog breeding sites out there that claim they can help you in breeding dogs. Well, here’s the sad part- it’s quite different when you’re doing the actual stuff.

If you own a pet, you probably won’t know if your dog has a genetic problem unless an expert tells you so. You don’t have any idea about dams getting lost, struggling bitches, or breech births. The only things you know are how to groom your pet, give them exercise, and feeding them. Being a breeder is much more complicated because you need to attend to a lot of things.

If you want to become a successful dog breeder, here are helpful tips for you:

• Find a reputable vet in your area. Have your female dog examined to ensure that she is in perfect condition and in the peak of health. You should also request the vet to assist you in getting a certification that your dog is free from inherited diseases or genetic problems.

• Since you own the female dog, you need to prepare your place to house puppies in the near future. You can designate a room in your house for the whelping or you can build another room near the garage; that is, if you still have extra space on your yard.

• Get a certificate from the kennel club or the AKC. Cross breds don’t get good standards but if you have a purebred, much better.

• Find a reputable stud owner. If you can’t find one locally, you might want to look somewhere else. You should also check for the past performance of the stud. You can also try the new studs as they command lower fees but you may be at risk. It’s a good idea to stick with the reputable and experienced stud owners because they can assist during the whelping stage and in caring for your pups.

• Don’t forget to check for the certificate of the stud. The dog should also be free from any genetic faults and conditions like brucellosis, eye problems, etc. Even dogs have sexually transmitted diseases so always be on guard.

• Exercise your female dog but be careful because at this stage, the dog is very sensitive.
• Mating should be done at the place of the stud and not yours. Prepare your female to go to the place of the stud.

• For best results, mating should be initiated on the 9-13th day when the female is in heat.
• The female is often uncomfortable during mating but you need to ensure that the ‘tie’ lasts for about 10 minutes for best results.

• Pregnancy can be confirmed 3 weeks after the mating. Check with your vet.

If your dog is pregnant, you now have to prepare for whelping and for caring of the pups. You will also do a lot of paperwork for the registration and selling of the pups. Good luck.

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There is always a first time in everything. The successful breeders that people know today also once were a beginner like you. Don’t be discouraged by the challenges that you’re going to face because of you’re determined to become a breeder and you have the passion for it, you too can become a successful dog breeder. And who knows, you might become extremely popular in the dog breeding business?

You must admit it… dog breeding is really tough especially for newbies like you. You will need to invest money, time, and effort. Don’t plunge into something that you hardly know anything about. So the key here is to research, research, and research. As you can see, you need to do a lot of research about dog breeding. With knowledge comes power but the actual situation is different. Once you’re equipped with the right knowledge in dog breeding, you should consult an expert breeder. Visit his place and see how things are doing. By doing so, you can feel the actual dog breeding experience.

Why don’t you get a female dog to start out? It should be two years old because this is the perfect time for breeding since the female is already capable to care for puppies. You need to get a good female. Make sure that the female is registered and the best in her breed. She should not possess any genetic faults and health issues.

After finding your female dog, you need to find a stud. Some studs are for sale while others can be accessed by paying a fee. Reputable and popular dog breeds are expensive but if you want to produce the good looking puppies, you should opt for the experienced studs. Even if your friend has a stud, forget about it. Get only the best. You can check out the kennel club in your area. Look for the certification of the dog and after clear arrangements, you can now bring your female to the stud for mating. This arrangement is much better so that the owner of the stud can assists the mating process. First time females can be very tricky so you need expert help.

If you’re going to do it for personal reasons (i.e. to have more puppies at home or you want to give it to relatives), it’s a fine hobby. For those who want to engage in business, you need to secure a permit. In some states, the law requires dog breeders to get kennel permits although in some states, they don’t. For legal protection, it would be best to have a permit. You see, you can’t exactly tell if you’re going to encounter problems or not. Of your neighbor complains about the barking of dogs at night, you will be protected if you have a permit but if you don’t, you’re in trouble.

So you see, being a newbie is not as extremely difficult as it seems. Well, it may be hard at first but once you start breeding, it’s a rewarding experience. Seeing cute puppies can really make you happy. Nothing beats seeing the happy faces of the new owners of the puppies when they leave your place. Again, learn as much as you can about dog breeding.

With the knowledge you’ve learned and the help of expert breeders and vet, you will definitely succeed as a breeder.

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Read this Training Your Dog to Heel lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1. Load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats.

2. Take your dog to a quiet area where it’s safe for her to be off a leash.

3. Decide on which side you’ll prefer your dog to heel—your left side or your right. It doesn’t matter which side you choose, but once you decide, don’t change your mind later and confuse your dog. For the purposes of this lesson, we’ll use the left side. If you prefer the right side, just substitute “right” whenever we say “left.”

4. Put a few treats in your left hand.

5. Show your dog the treats in your hand and then start walking away.

6. Encourage your dog to stay with you as you walk away. Call her name, slap your left leg, make smoochy noises, etc. Pick up the pace of your walking, almost as if you’re trying to get away. As you’re doing all this, wave the hand with the treats down low on your left side so your dog knows where they are.

7. If your dog follows you, stop after a few strides and give her the treats and lots of praise. It’s great if she’s stayed right by your side, but don’t worry if she lags a bit behind at this point.

8. Wait a couple of minutes, and then repeat Steps 4 through 7. Vary your walking speed and make sudden changes in direction. The point is to make it interesting and fun for your dog to keep up with you.

If your dog doesn’t do what you want

If your dog doesn’t follow you, go back to her and put the treats right under her nose before walking away and encouraging her to follow.

If she still isn’t interested, the treats are not tempting enough or she’s too distracted. Find a treat she likes better, wait until she’s hungrier, or move to a less-distracting location.

Practice this lesson a couple of times a day, but only for short periods of a minute or less.

Make sure there are few distractions, and your dog is eager to play and get lots of yummy treats.

… continue from Training Your Dog to Heel

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If you’ve ever been taken for a walk by a strong, willful dog, you can’t help but gaze in wistful admiration at people whose dogs walks calmly by their sides, even when off a leash.

But there’s more to gain from training your dog to heel than no longer being dragged down the street. When walking your dog is not a “chore,” you’ll enjoy it more, you’ll do it more, and you and your dog will both benefit from more frequent walks.

Training an energetic and always-curious dog to walk slowly by your side and ignore all the fascinating scents and other distractions during your outings will be a major challenge. After all, dogs, unlike people, do not naturally walk side-by-side with their friends and family.

Some dog trainers (amateurs and professionals alike) use various forms of choke collars, brute force, and intimidation to teach dogs to heel. From a dog’s point of view, this concept of “heel” must seem more like “hell.”

As you know by now, that’s not how we operate. Training your dog to heel will be easier than you think when you make the lessons an interesting game. But it will take a little time; you may not get to a finished “heel” for a few weeks. That’s OK, because the process will be lots of fun for you and your dog.

Follow our training system, and soon you and your dog will be the ones struggling dog walkers gaze at in wistful admiration!

>>>> Proceed to Training Your Dog to Heel 2

Tags: Dog Training, Teaching My Dog to Heel, Teaching Your Dog to Heel, Training My Dog to Heel, Training Your Dog to Heel
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Continue from post:For Teaching Your Dog Not to Jump on You. Getting Your Dog to Go to His Room when Visitors Come

Sometimes it’s easier to avoid a jumping-up situation than try to prevent or correct it. To do this, teach your dog to run to another room when the doorbell rings or someone knocks.

For this lesson you’ll need a hallow toy stuffed with peanut butter, cheese or some other food your dog really likes.

1. Pick a designated room where you want your dog to go when the doorbell rings or someone knocks.

2. Have the hallow, food-stuffed toy ready on a shelf or somewhere (other than the floor) in that room so you can quickly grab it.

3. When your dog is in the house and calm, go to the door and ring the bell and/or knock, then run to the designated room, calling your dog and clapping so he’ll run after you.

4. As soon as your dog follows you into the room, give him the food-stuffed toy, leave the room and shut the door (with him still in the room, of course).

5. After 10-20 seconds, go into the room, take the toy away and let your dog out.

6. Wait about 10 minutes, and then repeat Steps 3 through 5.

7. Practice this exercise three times, pausing for several minutes between each session.

This will teach your dog that if he runs to the designated room when the doorbell rings or someone knocks, he’ll get a delicious reward.

8. For your fourth practice session, change the procedure a bit. While your dog is still inside the closed room busy with the food-stuffed toy, go ring the doorbell or knock and then talk as if you’re greeting friends. After a few seconds, go let your dog out of the room.

9. After your dog has learned to run to the designated room when the doorbell rings or someone knocks, advance the training with a real visitor. After the visitor has been inside for a few minutes, go let your dog out of the room. As your dog approaches the visitor, practice the “no jumping” lesson where your visitor asks your dog to sit as he approaches. Immediately reward his correct response.

Tip: Give your dog the food-stuffed toy whenever visitors are in the house, so he’ll be more interested in that than jumping up on them.

You will be interested in this training: Teaching Your Dog to Lie Down

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Continue from post: Train Your Dog Not to Jump Up on People. For Teaching Your Dog Not to Jump on You

• Think of situations in which your dog is likely to jump on you, and be prepared to ask him to sit before he can do so… ideally, when he gets within six feet of you.
• Practice training sessions where you go out and come back into the house, through various doors. Use the same methods as mentioned above: ask your dog to sit after you come in, and immediately reward the correct response.
• Plan your practice sessions for when your dog is relatively calm.
• Use your verbal sit command as well as your hand motion, as learned in Lesson 2. Important: Keep your voice low and calm. This may require diligence and practice on your part, especially if you’re coming home after being gone all day and are used to greeting your dog with excitement and enthusiasm. Remember: the goal is to control your dog’s excitement so that he’s less likely to jump up on you. So try not to sound excited to see him. If you’re calm, he’ll calm down quicker.
• Give praise and treats when your dog sits as requested. Tip: Have a baggy of treats ready outside your door, so you can quickly reward your dog for sitting whenever you come into the house.
• Don’t have your dog sit for long. Ask him to sit, give him the rewards as soon as he does so, and then move away and allow him to follow. Give him a chew toy or do something that takes his focus away from jumping up to greet you.

If your dog doesn’t do what you want

If your dog doesn’t sit when asked, turn your back on your dog, walk outside and close the door. After about 10 seconds, come back in, approach your dog again and ask him to sit… and again turn your back, walk out and close the door if your dog does not comply. Keep doing this until your dog sits as requested—then immediately reward your dog with praise and several treats for doing as asked.

If you’re practicing in other areas and other situations where you dog might jump on you, immediately turn your back on him if he doesn’t sit when asked. Don’t talk to him. The point is to teach your dog that he’ll lose your attention when he jumps up on you or doesn’t sit when asked.

Important: When your dog jumps up on you, do not attempt to correct this behavior by pushing him away with your hands, or by bringing up your knee to block his jump or force him backwards. This is what many trainers tell people to do, but don’t do it. Most dogs will perceive this action as play, and they’ll get even more excited and will jump back with greater enthusiasm. This is the not the effect you want.

Instead, follow the above instructions for deterring their jumping behavior (turn your back, walk away). Being ignored by you is “punishment” enough for most dogs, and they’ll quickly learn to sit as asked, rather than jump up.

continue to Getting Your Dog to Go to His Room when Visitors Come

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Train Your Dog Not to Jump Up on People – The importance of this lesson may depend on the size of your dog. A dog the size of a Chihuahua jumping up on you (or visitors as they come through your door) won’t create quite the same problem as a 100-pound bear of a dog. But then again, muddy paws are messy, regardless of their size. And some visitors may not enjoy being “greeted” by any jumping dog.

Teaching your dog not to jump up on people will take extra time and patience because dogs naturally greet friends and family by sniffing or licking each other’s muzzles. Your “muzzle” is too high, so they try to jump up to reach it. They’re not being rude or pushy; they’re being sociable! We just need to train them to be sociable in human terms.

You’ll need a volunteer to help you with this lesson.

For Teaching Your Dog Not to Jump on Visitors:

• Load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats.
• Take your dog near the door where you and your visitors most often come into the house. (You and your dog will be inside the house.)
• Ask your helper to come through the door and, as soon as your dog gets within a few feet, have your helper ask your dog to sit in a low, calm voice.
• If your dog sits, immediately praise him and give him a treat. (Your helper makes the request, but you provide the reward for correct behavior.)
• Repeat this exercise five times.

If your dog doesn’t do what you want

If your dog doesn’t sit when asked to do so by your helper, move in front of your dog (so you’re facing him) and ask him to sit yourself. Immediately reward his correct behavior with praise and a treat. Practice this a couple of times: after your helper comes through the door, you step in front of your dog as he approaches the helper, face your dog and ask him to sit, then give the reward. After he sits successfully for you two or three times, ask your helper to ask your dog to sit after coming through the door.

If your dog still won’t sit and keeps trying to jump up on your helper, don’t raise your voice or show impatience; your dog is probably just a bit too excited about greeting your helper. Instead, when your dog doesn’t sit as asked by your helper, instruct your helper to abruptly turn his back on your dog, walk outside and close the door. If your dog then turns to you, do the same—turn your back on your dog. After about 10 seconds, have your helper come back in, approach your dog again and ask him to sit… and again turn his back, walk out and close the door if your dog does not comply. Have your helper keep doing this until your dog sits as requested—then immediately reward your dog with praise and several treats for (finally!) calming down and doing as asked!

Note: If you can get more than one person to volunteer to help you with this lesson, individually at various times, your dog will more quickly learn the correct response (sitting, not jumping) for anyone who comes into the house.

continue to For Teaching Your Dog Not to Jump on You

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Studies revealed that humans already loved pets even during the pre-historic days. For thousands of years, man has established a good relationship with specific dog types. Useful dogs are treated nicely and are fed regularly. As years passed, domesticated dogs were developed and at present, there are already different groups or types of dogs like the sight hounds, guardian or livestock dogs, and the hunting dogs. To maintain such differences, the people intentionally mated different breeds to uphold certain characteristics.

Purebreds were for the rich and famous but that was years ago. Dogs today are more affordable because of the extreme competition in the dog breeding industry. Some breeders concentrate mainly on purebreds while others focus on mix breed or cross breed dogs. There are different types of breeding such as inbreeding, line breeding, and out-crossing.

Dogs should be registered with the dog registry like kennel clubs. Owners of studs should also be registered so that you can receive the necessary documents. The American Kennel Club or AKC is quite popular in the US and you can find a huge database of all the dogs there with their respective lineage, working qualities, and achievements. These dogs are also the ones who are associated with the kennel clubs in the US.

Purebreds also have their own records in the registry. Dog breeders are encouraged to check with the registry to learn more about a particular dog breed. The records can help a breeder in analyzing the traits, pedigrees, and other valuable information. The registration of purebreds and mixed breeds vary depending on the state you live in, the registries, and kennel clubs. A certain breed already has an established standard that breeders should follow. They must abide with the rules to ensure the health of dogs.

Dogs are required to undergo hip certifications, joint X-rays, and even eye exams. Special tests or trials should be passed by your dog to get the certification. An expert will evaluate your dog’s working qualities and other factors before a certification is issued.

The new breeders are often called backyard breeders. Those mass producing businesses are called puppy farms or puppy mills. Dog breeding is considered unethical by animal rightists. But it’s up to the dog breeder to practice ethics in the conduct of his business.

These animal rightists claim that inbreeding dogs should not be encouraged because genetic disorders are increased. They also claim that there is already an overpopulation of pets in the world today and they also protest against the yearly killings of dogs in animal shelters.

Dog breeders are already aware that dogs possess inheritable characteristics just like humans. It is therefore very important that only the good genes are passed on to the puppies. Among the common hereditary problems are hip dysplasia, eye problems, heart conditions, deafness, bone or joint, etc.

Dog registries and breed clubs are conducting extensive studies on these conditions so that breeders will have adequate information on how to prevent such genetic defects. The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of Animals) is also collecting useful data for the benefit of dog breeders.

Dog breeding is rich in history. For thousands of years, people cared for dogs and it’s no wonder that dogs are closest to man of all the animals or pets. So, do you want to become a dog breeder? Decide now.

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Why is it important to teach your dog to lie down on command? In a word: control.

A dog that is lying down is not chasing a cat, barking at other dogs, getting under your feet while you’re trying to cook dinner, or otherwise being a pain in the neck when you want peace and quiet. Sometimes a dog, like a five-year-old child on a sugar rush, can get so wound up and full of energy they can get themselves into trouble. They need to calm down. A dog that will happily lie down when you ask him to will calm down, and is less likely to get himself (or his owner) into trouble.

This lesson uses methods similar to the ones you used when teaching your dog to sit. But it may take your dog a bit longer to learn to lie down on command than it did to sit on command. Lying down, after all, takes a bit more effort… and being asked to lie down when you’re not even tired seems kind of silly, even to a dog. So it may take longer, but don’t get impatient or discouraged.

As with other training, you need to decide what command you’ll use. Remember, consistency is key with verbal commands; one word or phrase, one meaning. If you use “Down” for this training, you can’t use “Down” to also mean “Get off the couch” or “Stop jumping on Aunt Mavis!” Many trainers use “lie down,” but that’s a bit too close to “get down.” To make it easier on your dog, we recommend a totally different-sounding word: “Rest.” We’ll use that word in our training lessons.

So let’s get on with the training.

Teaching Your Dog to Lie Down

Read this lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1. Load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats.

2. Take your dog to an area where there won’t be a lot of distractions.

3. Put a treat in your hand and ask your dog to sit.

4. With your dog sitting and you squatting or sitting next to him, hold your hand with the treat about an inch from his nose and slowly move your hand straight down to the ground. Important: move your hand straight down, right below your dog’s nose, being very careful not to move it away from him as this will cause him to get up and move toward it. We don’t want that. (If that happens, just start over.)

5. Your dog should follow the treat down with his nose, and then lie down completely. You may need to hold the treat on the ground for a few seconds before he lies down. It may also help to tap the ground with your other hand. Be patient.

6. As soon as your dog lies down, immediately give the treat and verbal praise (“Good!”)

7. Walk a couple of steps away to a new location.

8. Repeat Steps 3 through 7. Practice this a few times.

9. Did you notice you haven’t told your dog to “Rest” yet? Just as you learned with the Sit command, do not give the verbal command until you can get him to lie down consistently by moving your treat-filled hand down to the ground. Once you’re sure he’s going to do this properly the next time you do that, say “Rest” in a calm, low voice a split second before you start moving your hand. When he lies down, immediately reward your dog with the treat and “Good!” praise.

10. Repeat this process five times, saying “Rest” in a calm, low voice just before he does so and rewarding his correct response.

If your dog doesn’t do what you want

If your dog backs up instead of lying down, try having him sit with his back to a corner, so he can’t back up.

If your dog doesn’t lie down all the way, repeat steps 3 through 7 but add this: place your other hand (the one without the treat) on his back, just behind his shoulders, and gently push him slightly sideways and downward as you move the hand with the treat down to the ground.

If your dog still doesn’t want to lie down, try moving him to a rug. (Some dogs simply don’t like lying on cold, hard surfaces.)

As with other training, make sure your dog is not too distracted…or nervous. He’ll be more willing to lie down if he’s calm and relaxed. If he’s nervous or full of energy, postpone your lesson until he’s settled down.

Remember to keep your tone of voice calm and low.

Remember, the instant he lies down, give the treat and praise (“Good!”).

Tags: Lie Down, Train Your Dog
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Dogs bring so much to our lives—fun, friendship, and sometimes pure joy. But the wonderful benefits of dog ownership are not without tradeoffs. Having a dog requires a commitment on the owner’s part, particularly a commitment of time, but also commitments of care and companionship. Dogs are not passive pets like tropical fish. They are active members of the family. Some lifestyles are not ideal situations for dog ownership.

Before making the decision to add a dog to your family, here are some factors to consider.

Your Work Schedule. If you are gone for twelve hours or more each day during the work week, and your dog will be all alone during that time, there’s a good chance the dog will get bored, restless, and generally unhappy, which can lead to destructive behavior. Consider whether it is fair to leave your friend alone for that much time. Dogs are pack animals—and you and your family are their pack.

Your Location. It’s certainly possible to have a dog, and take good care of him, no matter whether you live in a cramped urban apartment or have a rural location with a huge area for him to romp. The urban dog owner just faces a few more inconveniences. It may be raining outside, late at night, and you still have to take the dog outside to do his “business.” You can’t just open the back door. In a crowded urban setting, training and socialization of your dog become all the more important, because he will frequently be confronted by strangers. For example, some dog owners have trouble breaking their dog of the barking habit when people walk by on the sidewalk or hallway.

Dogs Cost Money. Purebred dogs can be an expensive purchase, $500-$1000 or more. But even a puppy that is rescued from an animal shelter will require veterinary care throughout his life, starting with puppy vaccinations. Older dogs can have a variety of ailments that require surgery or other expensive forms of treatment. There are many other expenses as well—food, boarding costs when you go out of town, annual licensing. Being aware of the full cost of dog ownership can help make sure it doesn’t put a strain on your family budget.

A 15 Year Commitment. Thanks to better nutrition and advancements in vet care, dogs now routinely have life spans of 12-15 years—or more. Consider whether you and your family can honestly say you want to be responsible for a pet that long. It’s not fair to bring a puppy home, have him bond with your family members, then have to give him up for adoption two years later.

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