Compliments of Marizanne Ferreira  – Zest4PetZ – http://www.halftimebnb.co.za/?page_id=148

"The SPCA Serving Erie County in New York hopes to dispel common myths about pit bull terriers and show the world what they’re really born to do with its new Bred to Love campaign.

“Pit bull terriers are a severely misunderstood breed. The SPCA Serving Erie County’s goal is to educate and bring awareness to this issue in our community. The Bred To Love program’s main purpose is to put an end to the myths surrounding this amazing and loving breed. Pit bull terriers are loyal happy go lucky dogs that just adore people and will make a wonderful addition to a family looking for their new pal,” said Lindsay Guiher, a volunteer at the shelter.

According to Guiher, most of the dogs coming into the shelter are pit bulls who take longer to adopt than other breeds, which they suspect has to do with common myths surrounding the breed.

Some of these myths include the beliefs that pit bulls have locking jaws and are more likely to bite than other breeds. To clear that first one up once and for all, pit bulls do not have any anatomical mechanism that would cause or allow their jaws to lock. No dog does. And while pit bulls still get a lot of bad press, they’re no more likely to bite someone than any other breed.

The American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS), an organization that promotes uniform temperament testing, has found that the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier all had a higher than average passing score, which is 83 percent, and did better than many other breeds, including Golden Retrievers, when it comes to stability, aggression and friendliness, among other traits.

Even the AVMA has stated that despite the stigma, when it comes to pit bull type dogs “controlled studies have not identified this breed group as disproportionately dangerous.”

In fact, pit bulls used to be referred to as the perfect “nanny dogs” for children because of their fantastic temperaments and were used to represent America on WWI posters because of their loyalty, bravery and determination. Even Helen Keller had one.

“As any responsible owner knows, it’s not these sweet and loyal animals that are the problem, but rather a handful of self-serving and unethical breeders. Raised in the right environment, pit bull terriers are naturally inclined to be wonderful pets, sure to steal your heart!” according to the shelter.

Along with urging people to consider adding one to the family, the SPCA Serving Erie County wants everyone who loves pit bulls to join the campaign by submitting a photo showing the world what their dogs were born to do. So far, they’ve got people showing off pit bulls who were bred to give kisses, be loved, be best friends, protect, be loyal, brighten lives and be family, along with a few who were born to cuddle.

If you want to join the campaign and help spread the truth about pit bulls, visit their website, download and print a sign and fill in the blank: Bred to _____, and take some pictures. You can then submit your images via their website, which will be shared in an album on their Facebook page."

Hello: This is the Magic Wand Dog Training Center, we are unable to come to the phone but please press or enter the number for your request, we will return your call as soon as possible.

Press 01 to tell me your dog has been asked to leave the local obedience club because he won't sit, wait, down or come when called (even when on lead) so you thought you would try agility.

Press 02 if your Labrador is morbidly obese and you thought you would try agility.

Press 03 if you want 30 minutes of advice and have no intention of paying for it.

Press 04 if you describe your dog as 'a little bit naughty' when what you really mean is that the b*st*rd bites ... hard.

Press 05 if you want puppy training classes but your Boxer is already 12 months old.

Press 06 if you believe that just by turning up to one puppy training class and doing no work whatsoever at home, your puppy will grow up to be a well adjusted companion.

Press 07 if your nervous, aggressive GSD has bitten and hospitalized Aunt Maude, the vet, and your child and you want me to re-home it.

Press 08 if you have three children under school age, an invalid parent living at your home, a partner who works away, are pregnant with twins and want your 8 month old Dalmatian that never gets a walk to stop chewing every thing in sight.

Press 09 if you want to tell me my advice has not worked even though you have not tried it yet.

Press 10 if you want to be dog trainer and behaviorist because you like animals better than people.

Press 11 if you are 15 years old and want to do work experience with me but would faint if I asked you to pick up dog poop.

Press 12 if your dog is aggressive with other dogs but you want to join one of my groups because it will be nice for him to have some friends.

Press 13 if you cannot afford my private rates and want a discount because you only have one BMW.

Press 14 if you are cancelling your lesson that is due to start in 30 minutes and have no intention of paying the cancellation fee.

Press 15 if you do not believe in rewarding a dog and know that clicker training does not work because your friend Beryl said so.

Press 16 if you think your dog knows he has done wrong when you tell him off and that he obeys you because he respects you and acknowledges you are a superior being.

Press 17 if you want me to wave my magic wand over your contacts/weaves/start line waits in just one session and will then tell me it did not work when you go to a show just two days later with no training in the meantime.

Press 18 if you have eleven Jack Russell bitches in a small flat and you want me to teach them not to fight each other.

Press 19 if you already know everything about your breed because this is the fourth one you have had and I cannot tell you anything new.

Press 20 if you want me to pick up your dear departed dog's ashes from the vets and keep them at my house because you are too upset to have them in your home (true!).

Press 21 if you could not use a Gentle Leader, indoor crate, or harness because they are cruel.

Press 22 if you will not put a muzzle on your deadly aggressive dog because you do not want people to think he is nasty.

Press 23 if you want to leave an increasingly angry message for the third time this week demanding an urgent call back and yet again forget to give your name or number.

Press 24 if, having ascertained I am out, you wish ask my engineer husband for behavioral advice about your pet.

Press 25 if you wish to fill up my answering machine tape with an incoherent rambling message.

Press 26 if want your intact male adolescent dog to spend its days lying patiently on your front step on your unfenced property because dogs shouldn't want to run away, should they.

Press 27 if you want me to teach your untrained border collie to play with sheep because you think he will like it.

Press 28 if your dog thinks its name is "NO".

Press 29 if it is before 8am or after 10pm and you want to ask how to stop your 13 week old puppy from biting your 5, 7 and 9 year old boys when they play fight with it.

Press 30 if you have taken trouble to socialize and train your pet and want to make an appointment to learn even more fun stuff. No need to hold, I'll put you right through!

 

http://itsthedogslife.com/2011/05/shaving-your-dog-for-summer/

by Saint Lover

To shave or not to shave, that is the question. The mercury is steadily raising each day and I have seen more and more Facebook statuses gracing my wall about dog shaving. As a native of Arizona, I have alot of friends who still live there and of course have dogs. I have fielded questions, comments and tried to educate the masses on dog shaving. I must admit, this is a huge pet peeve of mine. For Pete’s sake… DONT SHAVE YOUR DOG!

So many people fall for the “They must clearly be cooler in the summer months with freshly shaven skin” logic. NO NO NO!

A dog’s coat works like a thermostat. It helps regulate their body temperature in both hot and cold weather, similarly to duck’s feathers and down. The undercoat and outer coat form an insulated barrier that keeps the temperature regulated. It becomes increasingly difficult for a dog to keep itself warm or cool with no fur. Dogs do not sweat like people do to cool themselves. The mechanism of cooling by sweating is through evaporation. Since dogs only sweat in the pads of their paws this is not an effect method of cooling. A dog cools itself by panting. Their coat does not effect their ability to pant.

Not only does the dogs coat act as the thermostat, it also is an efficient barrier to the sun and protects from harmful UV rays. Dogs have almost no pigment in their skin to ward off these harmful UV rays and are very prone to sunburn and skin cancer. Would you hide your body all winter then head to the beach in an itty bitty bikini with out sunscreen? In essence this is whats happening to your dog when you shave it and send it outside even for a few minutes to do its business. Rule of thumb, if its too hot out for you, its too hot for your dog. Make sure your dog has access to plenty of cool water and shade at all times.

Other myths regarding shaving dogs: to prevent it from shedding and to help with allergen control. Allergies to dogs are one of two types, dander or saliva, not the hair. If a dog has skin, it has dander so this is not preventable. There are some commercial solutions you can wipe on a dog to help with dander control but nothing prevents it. A dog sheds, end of story. Regardless of whether the hairs are 1/2 inch or 12 inches it falls out when it dies, and is replaced with new ones just like human hair. The fur is not falling out because its hot. It is a natural cycle that all dogs and cats go through a few times of year and there is no preventing it.

Dogs should only be shaved if it is medically necessary (surgery, hot spot treatment) or due to coat matting that is beyond hope (this is completely preventable).

The Caucasian Mountain Dog comes from a region in Eurasia known as theCaucasus Mountains. Recently, this ancient breed has gained popularity in the U.S.. Fair warning Yanks, this 6 ft 185 lb pooch is unlike anything Americans have known.


Caucasian dogs are hybrids of more established breeds across Europe and Asia -- including mastiffs, molossers and bandogs

Far from being mutts, the Caucasians are highly specialized tools to protect properties, guard livestock, kill wolves, and hunt bears.

This stately canine is NOT a suburban-friendly Golden Retriever. Experienced owners do best with Caucasian Ovcharkas because they only respect and obey dominant handlers. 

Many consider the Caucasian a loose cannon. Despite rearing and training, this dog will make its own decisions on how best to protect its family or property--sometimes despite the commands given to it. 

Once pecking order has been established with its (human) family, the Caucasian is a laid back breed. At least until some unfortunate creature (man or beast) triggers its territorial instincts. Then it's all business.  ...read more and see video

Here are some funny and true stories to help you enjoy Sunday. Click on the link below for a great website with plenty more stories about dogs!


Buddy the Alsatian Saves His Owner Joe

Chris Trott was on duty answering the emergency phone line, when a call came through from a dog. Nobody would have blamed her for hanging up, but something about the urgency of the barking and the whimpering made Chris stay on the line. On checking the incoming phone number Chris realised that the line belonged to Joe Stalnaker, who is known to be susceptible to seizures.

The background to this phone rescue was that Joe had pre-programmed the buttons on his phone to dial 911, so all his dog Buddy had to do was to pick up the phone in his mouth. One of his teeth was almost certain to hold down one of the keys for 3 seconds and thus trigger the dialling. (See mock-up of miracle dog with phone to the right).

The very same thing had happened twice before, unfortunately, Joe is prone to seizures as a result of suffering a brain injury while serving in the army. Buddy arrived aged 8 weeks courtesy of 'Paws With A Cause', which trains miracle dogs like Buddy to help people like Joe.

Surprisingly, Will and Guy learn that there have been other similar cases of miracle dog rescues, for example, Leana Beasley's Rottweiler called Faith summoned help by pressing a speed-dial button with her nose. Then when the operator answered, Faith barked down the phone so that the emergency services operator realized Leana needed medical assistance. 

» A Funny Dog Story from the Atlanta Daily SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good looking girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cosy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. Rub me the right way and watch me respond. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Kiss me and I'm yours. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy. 

Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society about an 8-week old black Labrador retriever dog.

Men are so easy.... 

This is a True Story About My Alsatian Dog, Rex I used to live in Southampton, England in the 1940s, and the local tram terminus was about 100 yards away from our front door.

One day, my mother got on the tram to go shopping. As she settled in her seat, she noticed that there were two dogs sitting alongside the driver - our dog Rex and his playmate - a little black mongrel called Mickey.

Mum asked the conductor "What are those dogs doing up there with the tram driver?" "Are they your dogs, madam?" the conductor asked.

"Well," said mum, "one of them is."

"Then madam," replied the conductor, "you owe Southampton Corporation Transport a few quid!" "Why?" asked my mother. The conductor replied: "Those two dogs get on a tram at this time every day and go to the recreation ground alongside the river. They have a good old run around and then catch another tram home!"

Mother could hardly believe it, but the tram began to move, and after three stops the two dogs alighted, crossed a fairly busy main road and disappeared into the local recreation ground and, presumably caught a later tram back home.

[Amusing dog story kindly sent in by Trevor Warland.]



READ MORE

 Learn to recognize signs of stress displayed by a dog prior to dog aggression or a bite occurring.

This subject absolutely fascinates me and after doing a bit more research I thought all you dog lovers would enjoy finding out a bit more on the facts and figures as to how successful the dogs are at detecting disease!

The first scientific test of canine cancer-detecting, to my knowledge, was in 2004. James C. Walker, of the Sensory Research Institute at Florida State University, and colleagues trained two dogs to detect melanoma tissue samples hidden on the skin of healthy volunteers. The dogs were trained and tested with methods normally used for forensic bomb- or drug-sniffing dogs. One dog “confirmed” the presence of melanoma on five patients, and even detected cancer in a sample that was initially deemed negative, but subsequent histopathological examination revealed to contain melanoma in a fraction of the cells.

A 2006 study by the Pine Street Foundation, a cancer research organization in San Anselmo, Calif., used more dogs and samples for even more robust results. The researchers selected three Labrador retrievers and two Portuguese water dogs with no prior training. Lung and breast cancer patients breathed into tubes which captured samples of their breath. The dogs then underwent several weeks of training with the samples. For testing, the researchers used a new batch of breath samples. The dogs correctly detected 99 percent of the lung cancer samples, and made a mistake with only 1 percent of the healthy controls. With breast cancer, the dogs identified positive samples 88 percent of the time with no false positives. The dogs performed as well as the most recent screening tests for the diseases. It is important to note that all the tests were double-blind, meaning neither the dog handlers nor the experimenters knew which samples were which. By the scent of breath samples alone, the dogs identified 55 lung and 31 breast cancer patients as well as 83 healthy people.

Scientists again trained dogs to sniff out lung cancer in a more recent study published in 2011. A group of German researchers wanted to know if dogs could discriminate between breath samples from lung cancer patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, and healthy volunteers, and whether the presence of tobacco in the samples made a difference. The dogs correctly identified 71 samples with lung cancer out of 100. They also successfully detected 372 samples that did not have lung cancer out of 400. It seemed the dogs were able to detect lung cancer independently from COPD and tobacco smoke.

A 2004 study in which dogs were trained to detect bladder cancer in humans by smelling their urine had a smaller success rate, but is notable for an unexpected result. Carolyn M. Willis of Amersham Hospital in Great Britain and colleagues trained six dogs. One dog failed completely, but two picked out the positive samples 60 percent of the time. The surprise came when one of the non-cancerous control samples caught the interest of the dogs. The medical staff assured the disappointed trainers that the sample was from a healthy person, but because the dogs consistently identified this sample as “positive,” it was sent back to the hospital for further tests. On re-examination the person was found to have cancer on his kidney and bladder cancer. The dogs caught it before anyone else.

In a 2011 study from Japan, a Labrador retriever trained to sniff out colorectal cancer was at least 95 percent as accurate as a colonoscopy when smelling breath samples and 98 percent correct with stool samples. The dog was especially effective at detecting early-stage cancer and could also discern polyps from malignancies, which a colonoscopy cannot do.

Studies like these are fascinating for what they tell us about dogs’ keen sense of smell, but medical professionals also see practical and technological implications. Dogs’ noses are inspiring a race between scientists to create an artificial sniffer with similar acuity for quick and easy use in hospital laboratories — this involves precisely identifying the compounds dogs are picking up on in the samples from cancer patients.

Exert from Dogs Sniff out Cancer - full article here

Amazing Dog Trained to Wake Narcoleptic Owner
by Brandy Arnold 


When we think of service dogs, we usually think of assistance for the visually impaired. Dogs being highly adaptable creatures, some trainers have taken to developing them to be helpful in very specialized ways. Within the past year, a woman suffering from severe narcolepsy had her life turned around by a dog trained to wake her from her sleep attacks.

The 35 year old Belgian woman, named Annick, had been debilitated by her condition for several years until a creative doctor came up with the innovative canine solution. According to Dr. Olivier Le Bon of Tivoli Hospital in La Louvière who proposed the idea, “Annick couldn’t do simple routine tasks such as ironing or cooking because it was too dangerous if she fell asleep.” She had to rely on parental supervision throughout her daily life and would be unable to have much semblance of independence without a way to be consistently wakened from her narcoleptic episodes.

Several animal charities declined taking on the project until one under the name ‘Coeur a Coeur’ accepted. The charity specializes in training dogs to assist the hearing impaired, selecting dogs that respond more to sound. Though the first dog candidate did not work out due to a tendency to chase after trams out in public, the successor progressed well through the training. Idefix, a five year old mixed-breed dog, first learned to wake Annick when her alarm clock went off in the morning. Then, he was trained to wake her at the sound of her phone ringing or a beeping timer. Last, he learned to wake her in public when she would fall asleep while waiting for public transportation or while aboard the vehicle.

The assistance provided by Idefix led Annick to state, “I had been handicapped by my condition for many years and now I feel like I have been given a second life.”

Though this is the first case in which a dog was successfully used in treating a sleep disorder, other patients are interested in the approach and Coeur a Coeur is prepared to provide the dog training. Dr. Le Bon hopes his idea will lead to similar results for others who suffer narcolepsy.

More than ever, it is easy to argue that dogs are “man’s best friend.” They seem to be fulfilled by helping us in ever more surprising ways. Whatever may be said about dogs, it is certainly endearing to see them ever more entwined with the well-being of our species.

Read more about the fascinating things that dogs can do such as “Can Dogs Sense Seizures and Heart Attacks?” at this link to dogintonpost which has some really great dog info.

Dr. Sophia Yin, animal behavior expert, presented three tips for handling aggressive dogs at the 2013 American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) annual conference. Though her presentation was geared toward handling these dogs in a veterinary setting, these tips can also be used outside of the veterinary hospital.

Please remember that this presentation was simply a brief. Dr. Yin had eight minutes in which to present her most important points. So there is much more to this topic and this is far from being a complete discussion. But the tips are good and they are a wonderful starting point.

1.       Correct the environment to make it less scary for the dog. Create barriers to vision by placing partitions between pets so they do not see one another. Control noise – create a quieter environment by using soundproofing and other noise reduction alternatives.

2.      Approach the dog correctly. Do not approach head on and never reach over the top of the dog’s head. Instead, approach the dog while standing sideways to minimize your profile. Approach from behind if you are taking a pet from an owner’s arms to minimize the pet’s discomfort at your approach. Avoid making direct eye contact with the dog. Many dogs view this as a direct threat.

3.      Give the dog direction by making your expectations clear. For instance, if you want the dog to walk with you, set a fast enough pace to keep the dog moving rather than pulling the dog behind you or allowing the dog to explore the environment while walking.

Following these three suggestions will give you a good place to start in dealing with dogs that are aggressive due to fear. Be aware that fear is quite often the motivation behind aggressive behavior so anything you can do to reduce fear for the will be helpful.

By Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CDBC



Boy, do I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say their dog was “hyperactive” or “ADHD” – I’d be a wealthy woman. In fact, those are clinical terms referring to very specific behavioral disorders (canine and human) that are relatively uncommon in dogs. In reality, most “hyper” dogs are just under-exercised. A couple of days hiking at the Peaceable Paws farm and you’d hardly know them.



Like many young dogs of active breeds, Squid needs a lot of intense exercise in order to be capable of focus and participation in training. Walking around the block doesn’t cut it for dogs like this.

Not every dog owner has access to large tracts of acreage upon which to exercise their unruly canines, and in any case, “wild child canine syndrome” (WCCS) is more than just lack of exercise; it’s also lack of appropriate reinforcement for calm behavior – i.e., training. Unfortunately, all too often a dog loses his happy home – maybe even his life, as a result of his high-energy behavior.

We’ve seen several of these WCCS dogs at the training center in recent weeks. One private client decided to return her Shar-Pei-mix to the rescue from whence the pup came. Despite her best intentions and efforts, the client had mobility challenges that made it impossible for her to provide the pup with the exercise and management she needed. As painful as it was for the owner, returning the pup was the right decision.

WCCS dogs often include inappropriate biting in their repertoire of undesirable behaviors. We currently have a temporary foster resident at the training center: a 13-week-old high-energy Jack Russell Terrier who failed his assessment at the shelter for using his mouth in protest when restrained. Little Squid is a perfect example of the kind of dog who needs to learn self-control and the art of being calm.

A successful WCCS behavior modification program contains three elements: physical exercise, management, and training. While any one of these alone can make your high-energy dog easier to live with, apply all three for maximum success. Let’s look at each of these elements in greater detail.

Physical Exercise

Squid’s day begins with an hour of barn-play while we do chores. He delights in harassing our dogs (and our pig). He gets at least one long hike around the farm per day, preferably two, or even three. He also gets one or more sessions of ball/toy fetch in the training center, and some puppy socialization/play time when there’s a class going on. Finally, he wraps up his day with evening barn chores. Does it tire him out? No. I have yet to see him tired. But it does take the edge off, so that when I work with him to teach calm he is able to focus and participate in the training. The physical exercise sets him up for training success.



The Manners Minder enables you to dispense a treat to your dog some distance away from you.

Not everyone has an 80-acre farm to play on. If you’re farm-deprived, there are other ways to provide exercise for your WCCS dog. A placid walk or three around the block won’t do it. Nor will leaving him on his own in your fenced backyard. He needs to be actively engaged.

Outings to your local well-run dog park can be a good exercise option. If you don’t have one in your area, invite compatible canines over to play in your dog’s fenced yard. If you don’t have one, invite yourself and your dog over to your dog-friend’s fenced yard for play dates.

Absent any access to a dog-friendly fenced yard, play with your dog on a long line. A 50-foot line gives him a 100-foot stretch to run back and forth and work his jollies off.

Caution: Work up to 50 feet gradually, so he learns where the end of the line is. You don’t want him to blast full-speed to the end of his long line and hurt himself. Also, wear long pants. A high-speed long-line wrapped around bare legs can give you a nasty rope burn.

If none of those work for you, having him wear a pack when you walk him, or even better, pull a cart (which takes significant training), or exercising him (safely) from a bicycle may be options for using up excess energy. If outside exercise is simply out of the question, here are some indoor activities that can help take the edge off:

-Find it. Most dogs love to use their noses. Take advantage of this natural talent by teaching yours the “Find It!” game:

1. Start with a handful of pea-sized tasty treats. Toss one to your left and say “Find it!” Then toss one to your other side and say “Find it!” Do this back and forth a half-dozen times.

2. Then have your dog sit and wait or stay, or have someone hold his leash. Walk 10 to 15 feet away and let him see you place a treat on the floor. Walk back to his side, pause, and say “Find it!” encouraging him to go get the treat. Repeat a half-dozen times.

3. Next, have your dog sit and wait or stay, or have someone hold his leash and let him see you “hide” the treat in an easy hiding place: behind a chair leg, under the coffee table, next to the plant stand. Walk back to his side, pause, and say “Find it!” encouraging him to go get the treat. Repeat a half-dozen times.

4. Again, have your dog sit and wait. This time hide several treats in easy places while he’s watching. Return to his side, pause, and say “Find it!” Be sure not to help him out if he doesn’t find them right away.

You can repeat the “find it” cue, and indicate the general area, but don’t show him where it is; you want him to have to work to find it.



The “find it!” game can be played indoors or outside. Nose work is surprisingly tiring for dogs.

5. Hide the treats in harder and harder places so he really has to look for them: surfaces off the ground; underneath things; and in containers he can easily open.

6. Finally, put him in another room while you hide treats. Bring him back into the room and tell him to “Find it!” and enjoy watching him work his powerful nose to find the goodies. Once you’ve taught him this step of the game you can use it to exercise him by hiding treats in safe places all over the house, and then telling him to “Find it!” Nose work is surprisingly tiring.

If you prefer something less challenging, just go back to Step 1 and feed your dog his entire meal by tossing pieces or kibble from one side to the other, farther and farther, with a “Find it!” each time. He’ll get a bunch of exercise just chasing after his dinner!

-Hide And Seek. This is a fun variation of the “Find it” game. Have your dog sit and wait (or have someone hold him) while you go hide yourself in another room of the house. When you’re hidden, call your dog’s name and say “Find me!” Make it easy at first so he can find you quickly and succeed. Reinforce him with whatever he loves best – treats, a game of “tug,” petting and praise, a tossed ball – or a combination of these. Then hide again. As he learns the game, make your hiding places harder and harder, so he has to really search. A trainer friend tells me she has hidden in bathtubs and closets, under beds, and even inside a cedar chest.

-Manners Minder. If you are into higher-tech exercise, use a treat dispenser called the Manners Minder that spits out treats when you push a button on the remote control. A Maryland trainer friend, Elizabeth Adamec of Sweet Wag Dog Training, shared her exercise secret with me for her high-energy adolescent Golden Retriever, Truman. This one is especially useful if you don’t feel like exercising along with your canine pal or can’t, due to physical restrictions of your own:

Teach your dog to use the Manners Minder, by showing him several times that when he hears the beep, a treats fall out of the machine. You can use his own dog food, if he really likes his food.

1. Set the machine a few feet away and have your dog sit next to you. Push the button, and let him go eat the treats. Repeat several times, encouraging him, if necessary, to go get the treats when he hears the beep.

2. Put the machine across the room, and have your dog sit next to you. Push the button, and watch him run over and eat the treats. If he’s not doing this with great enthusiasm, repeat Steps 1 and 2 several more times with higher value treats, until he really gets excited about the treats when he hears the beep.

3. Set the machine in the next room, and repeat the exercise several times. Call him back to you each time, so he runs to the Manners Minder when he hears the beep, eats the treat, and runs back to you to wait for the next beep. Gradually move the treat dispenser into rooms farther and farther away from you, until your dog has to run all the way across the house, or even upstairs, when he hears the beep. Now you can sit back with the TV remote in one hand, your dog’s remote in the other, and enjoy your favorite show while canine pal gets exercise and dinner, all at the same time.

There are tons of other ways to provide your dog with indoor exercise. Play tug. Teach him to bowl. Teach him to catch, then repeatedly toss him his ball 10 feet away and have him bring it back to you. Some trainers use treadmills and canine exercise wheels to exercise their dogs. (These must be carefully trained and supervised.) Get creative. Get busy. Have fun. Let the indoor games begin.

Management

Successful positive training, especially for high-energy dogs, relies on the appropriate use of management tools to prevent the dog from practicing – and being reinforced for – undesirable behaviors. In between his many daily exercise and training sessions, Squid is either parked in an exercise pen in the barn tack room (with plenty of bathroom breaks outside), or in an outdoor kennel off the side of the training center.

.......Read More