 TIP #1: ATTENTION!
If your dog ignores you when you ask him to do things is he just being stubborn? No, it just means you don't have his attention. Teaching a Look or Watch cue - getting your dog's focus with a single word - is very useful. You can distract him from enticing trash in the street, for example, or keep his eyes on you when walking past another dog. Plus, dogs that are rewarded for paying attention do it more. And attentive dogs are easier to train. TIP #2: PREVENT RESOURCE GUARDING Whenever you pick up your puppy's food bowl, whether to fill it or to clean it after her meals, offer her a treat.  Say hi to the beautiful Liesl. We will be helping this 6-month old German Shepherd learn her manners, as well as building her confidence when she is in strange places or encounters new things.
 "The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it."
- Chinese proverb  TIP #1: SIZE MATTERS
Your best option for finding compatible playmates for your dog is to identify your dog’s play style and select dogs of similar size, energy level, and play style preference. No doubt there are dogs of significant size disparity who can play well together, but as a general rule, it’s wise to keep the difference in the realm of 25 pounds or less. A playful dog can easily injure a little dog, even without intent to do harm, simply by running over or jumping on the smaller dog. Of even greater concern is a phenomenon known as predatory drift in which something from a dog’s evolutionary past triggers the larger dog’s brain to perceive the smaller dog as a prey object – a bunny or squirrel – instead of the canine pal he’s played happily with for months or years. Often the trigger is the smaller dog running, yelping, or squealing. The bigger dog gives chase, and tragedy ensues. - excerpted from Play With Your Dog TIP #2: CAN YOU DIG IT? Digging is often a symptom of boredom - too much time spent in the yard alone. Make sure your dog is getting enough exercise and interaction. If your dog has developed a liking for a particular spot in your yard, block access to that spot until he has had time to form new and better habits. |
AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
January 2023
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