Can You Really Teach An Old Dog New Tricks... Also, Dog Owner Invents Training Techniques

Submitted By: Adam Katz
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I received a surprise Christmas present last year in the form of a 4 year old female shepherd mix that my wife and daughter decided I needed to replace my long time pet who had to be put down last summer. She really is a beautiful dog, but the shelter fibbed to us when they said she was good with other dogs and cats. She has been rather aggressive with them. We are 6 months into this relationship now and she is much better. I guess she is more secure now.
The one problem I have not solved is her desire to run out the door and ignore our "come" commands. All this is to ask you: Will the techniques in your book and video series work on an older dog? I'd rather not invest the money in a lost cause. We live in the Arizona desert and she won't last long this summer if she gets out and runs off again. I've looked through many of your newsletters, but didn't find any mention of age.
Thanks for your help.Larry
Dear Larry:
Thank you for the e-mail.
Yes, the dog training techniques work on all dogs, as long as they are healthy and do not have any mobility problems.
In many cases, training an older dog is easier than training a younger dog, despite the saying that "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," there is definitely something to be said about maturity.
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Dear Adam:
Please help! I am ready to give away my 6mo. old Maltese. I grew up with one of these dogs- the most gentle and affectionate dog I'd ever met so I bought one for my family at great expense. I tried to find a good breeder and had the dog shipped.
The problem is this - He growls and snaps at my 4 year old whenever he tries to pet him or pick him up, or if I'm watching saying, "Good dog, no growl, it's OK.. " he will not growl but struggle to get away and growl as soon as he's down. He has bitten when I was not watching.
I tried the advice in your book and that given by others on the discussion group. For a long while my son was the only one to feed the dog, I kept him off the furniture and the kids owned the toys. Nothing seemed to help, so recently I've been grabbing him firmly by the scruff and growling "No" at him, then putting him in a small room by himself for several minutes. Today when I went to correct him he snapped and growled at me! He is now frightened of me and I am angry at him.
The most upsetting thing for me is that I wanted this dog to be a friend for my son like mine was for me when I was young. My son is a gentle, quiet boy who loves animals and is saddened my this. Is there any hope?
Signed,Stewart
Dear Stewart:
I don't know how to say this without sounding like a complete jerk, but... PAY ATTENTION AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!
The one thing you apparently HAVEN'T DONE is to CORRECT THE DOG'S UNWANTED BEHAVIOR!!! The 'pulling on the scruff of the neck' is only for young puppies, 8 to 10 weeks old. It's ineffective for older dogs.
For correcting older dogs, I spend much of the book explaining the benefits of the pinch collar. Remember the concept of motivation? Remember the notion of associating a negative/correction with the dogs unwanted behavior? Remember how I teach you to look at the corrections you're giving and decide if they're motivational or not? Remember page 23, page 38, page 59, page 62, page 155, page 173, page 174, page 181, page 226, page 241, and page 260 ?
I'll quote from the book, "After you correct the dog, immediately tempt him to do the behavior again. Offer him the choice: If he does the behavior again then most likely your first correction wasn't motivational... If he refuses to do the behavior, then praise him - as he's just made the RIGHT DECISION." [Page 156.]
Now, if you have a specific question about how to implement any of these techniques... then that's another issue. But telling me that you're confining the dog in a bedroom as some sort of "Time Out" technique is NOT something you've found in my book. And neither is, ""Good dog, NO growl, it's OK..."
Again, I'll repeat: Praise the dog only when he makes the right decision (staying calm). Do not tell him, "No growl," if he's already being quiet. This is SOOOO CONFUSING TO THE DOG.
It's very simple:
The dog does something good = You say, "Good dog," and praise. The dog does something bad = You say, "No!" and administer a correction with the leash and collar.
I can only speculate why your question is not more along the lines of, "This is what happened when I corrected my dog using the pinch collar and tab for this obnoxious behavior."
The only reason I'm being so blunt about this issue is that it's a central theme throughout the book. I stress over and over again the elements of timing, consistency and motivation. In fact, many readers have commented that my repetition of this concept is sometimes tedious.
Once you can explain to me how specifically you've used timing, consistency and motivation and applied these elements to your dilemma, you will (perhaps surprisingly) find yourself in the position of explaining to ME how you will have fixed your dog's obnoxious behavior.
That's all for now, folks!AdamDogproblems.comAbout the AuthorAdam G. Katz is the author of the book, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History." Get a free copy of his report "Games To Play With Your Dog" when you sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine at: http://www.dogproblems.com
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Infection Parvo Virus To The Dog And Aviant Flu Can Infected Dog ?

Author: Aaheroe M
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The sign of the Parvo illness that most specific was to vomit and diarrhoea was bloody that happened repeatedly.
The other sign was tired, did not want to eat and the fever.
When vomiting and diarrhoea took place continued then the dog will got dehydration and lost the weight without the existence of the exact control then the puppy could not survive.
The diagnosis Parvo the Virus could be carried out by seeing his clinical sign, or that more modern was with used kit diagnostics parvo with sample from dog feses.
this was several tips that could be done to prevent the infection Parvo the Virus:
- the Mother of the dog before being mounted must be equipped by his vaccination, so that the young dog got maternal immunity that enough of his parent mother’s milk.
- the Environment of the dog residence must be always maintained by his cleanliness.
- need attention fot Nutrition and the nutrient for the puppy to increase his body resistance.
- the young dog was 3 months old better not contact with the other dog that not yet clear the status of his health.
The biggest possibility able to the dog affected or became casualties from this virus same like that happened to human.
To prevent the spread of aviant flu to your pet dog, followed the guidance along with:
Avoid contact between the dog and the kind aviant, with his hairs, etc
Don’t maintained the poultry near the kennel
Don’t gave ate poultry meat that was not yet cooked ripe. The virus Avian influenza will die in the temperature 70 Celcius levels.
The clean pen will be freest from the fly.The fly evidently also could bring/became the intermediary of the virus of birds flu.
Avoid the physical touch between the dog and the waste of the poultry if showing the way/beraktifitas outside the house.
If having signs of the virus of birds flu attacked your dog, don’t panic immediately contacted the veterinary surgeon or the closest livestock breeding service.About the Authoraaheroe is a webmaster and cat and dog lover. For more information visit http://www.my-pet-medicine.com and http://www.mypetproduct.com
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Tall Indoor Dog Gates – How They Can Help With Your Dog Training & Your Families Safety

Author: Sean Dominey
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If you do not set the rules for your dog he will think that he is in charge and set the rules himself, this can result in a dog that is very hard to train and who might become aggressive. One way to avoid such problems is to set firm boundaries that the dog is not allowed to cross, you might decide that he is not allowed in the kitchen or up stairs, this will give the message to the dog that because you are in charge you have access to every area of the home but the dog as a lower (although much loved) member of the family (or pack as the dog will see it) only has access to some areas.
Obviously you are not going to be in the same room as the dog 24/7 and if you were to go from the front room to the dining room you could not reasonably be expected to shut the dog in the front room every time to stop him wondering off, If you did do this it might cause some separation anxiety, as the dog is unable to see through the door and does not understand why you have left him.
If you have a tall indoor dog gate fitted, and they can be fitted with out leaving marks on the door or wall, then all you need do is open it walk through and close it, there is now a barrier between you and the dog, so he is unable to go into the restricted areas of the house, but the dog can see through it and the anxiety is no longer a problem.
If you have a dog that jumps up and misbehaves when you have visitors, an easy way of solving this problem is to shut the dog in a room where he can see the door that your guests are coming through but because you have put up a tall indoor dog gate he is unable to get into the same room as your visitors.
He will be excited when your visitors arrive and want to be centre of attention (this is most likely why he misbehaves) the idea of the barrier is to allow him to take some time to calm down at the thought of the visitors and once he has you may open the tall indoor dog gate and let him join your guests. Once the initial excitement has worn off he can greet your visitors in a much more acceptable manor, this technique is remarkably effective and after a short time the gate becomes unnecessary as the dog recognises to be calmer when people come to your house.
If you decide to allow your dog to go upstairs then a tall indoor dog gate is essential to stop him bolting down the stairs and hurting himself. If you do not have a barrier at the top of the stairs then the dog could run down them and loose control, and a run can very easily turn in to a fall. With a tall indoor dog gate in place you can control when the dog goes down the stairs and you can be on hand to ensure the slow decent.
I hope these observations have helped you think about the need of getting some tall indoor dog gates for your home, they can help with training and with the safety of your pet and family.About the Authorhttp://www.tall-indoor-dog-gates.com Tall indoor dog gates is a site dedicated to dog training and healthcare – give us a visit.
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Secrets Of Professional Dog Trainers: Top 10 Tips To Successfully Training Your Dog Yourself

Author: Nicholas Dodman
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For most dog owners, dog obedience training is a daunting task. However, training your dog is about to get much easier, if you follow my advice below.Here Are My Top 10 Tips for Training Your Dog
1. Dog training should be an enjoyable experience for you and your dog. If you are not in the right mood for training, don't even start.
2. Keep dog obedience training sessions short (5-10 minutes) to maintain your dog's motivation. Dogs will learn much more from regular short sessions than from longer, less frequent ones. Once the dog has learned several useful commands on the continuous reward schedule, the schedule should be changed to one of intermittent rewards.
3. Always end training on a positive note. Ask your dog to respond to a command you know he or she will obey. Then reward your dog for a job well done and issue a finish command such as “free” or “release.” Avoid common words such as “okay.” Following a training session, both owner and dog should be left with feelings of accomplishment.
4. Keep in mind that your dog's motivation to respond to a command decreases as the complexity of the task increases. If your dog doesn't respond appropriately to a command after several attempts, don't reward him or her. Resume training a few seconds later using a simpler command. Return to the more complex task later.
5. Remember, the odds of success hinge not only on the degree of sophistication of the task, but also your dog's motivation to respond. From a dog's perspective the question is, which is more rewarding: chasing the squirrel or returning to the owner? Understanding this aspect will increase your patience and chances for dog training success.
6. Training should not involve any negative or punishment-based components. There should be no yelling, no hitting, no chain jerking, no hanging, and absolutely no electric shock. Remember that the opposite of reward is not punishment; it is no reward. If you ignore unacceptable responses, your dog will not be rewarded for his or her failed response. Most dogs want to please their owners or, at the very least, to obtain highly valued resources (food, attention and toys).
7. Ensure that your dog's motivation for reward is highest during a training session. If food is the reward, train before a meal, not after. If praise, petting and other aspects of your attention are to be used as a reward, schedule the training session at a time when your dog hungers for your attention (for example, after you have returned home from work).
For complex tasks, such as the off leash down-stay, your dog will be more motivated to comply if he or she has received moderate exercise before the training session. Asking a dog that is bursting with energy to remain in a prolonged reclining position is asking for failure during the early stages of training.
8. Make sure the reward you offer in training is the most powerful one for your dog. Food-motivated dogs work well for food, but the treats used should be you dog’s favorite food. If praise is used as a reward, deliver it in high singsong tones, which are most pleasing for the dog. Also, enthusiasm in your voice will be much appreciated. If petting is to be used as a reward, it should be in a way that the dog enjoys, such as stroking the dog's hair on the side of his or her face in the same direction that it grows, or scratching him or her on the chest.
9. After a correct response, reward your dog within ½ second of the command. This will ensure your dog makes the connection between the behavior and the reward.
10. Use short commands such as sit, down, leave it, quiet, out, and off. Say the word once. Do not repeat the command. Dogs will remember a command for about two minutes before the notion is lost. Shorter words are better than longer words and words that end in a hard consonant (C, K, T, X) are better than those that end in a vowel because you can “spit” them out.
A Bonus Dog Training Tip:
The “Holy Grail” of training is to have the dog reliably obeying commands off lead, even when other things are going on around him or her. This level of training can be achieved, but only after a lot of hard work and investment of time. It's something to strive toward.About the AuthorGet your free daily dose of pet crazy stories and access to over 8000 veterinarian approved advice articles guaranteed to help you train your dogs and keep them living longer, stronger lives at: http://www.petplace.com/dogs.aspx
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The Other Ways To Reward And Keep Your Dog Motivated Other Than Food And How To Keep Your Dog To Stay Focus

Author: Jonathan Cheong
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Providing random positive stimuli during the day is a great way to keep the interest of the dog. Doing things the dog enjoys, like walking in the park, riding in the car, and playing with other dogs, is a great way to keep the dog’s attention and reward him for small successes.
For instance, in order to reward the dog for coming to you, for instance, ask the dog to come to you, without giving any clues about a walk, a car ride, or other treats. After the dog has come to you and obediently sat down, attach the leash and start the reward. This can be either the aforementioned walk in the park, ride in the car, or anything else the dog likes to do.
Providing some kind of reward, whether a treat, a special outing, or just a scratch behind the ears, every time the dog does something you want, is a great way to keep your dog motivated. If the dog knows something great is going to happen every time he obeys your command, he will be motivated to please you every time.
Distraction training
When training any dog, it is important to not let distractions disrupt the training. The dog must be taught to ignore distractions, such as other people, other dogs, other animals and loud noises, and focus on what is being taught These types of distractions can even be used as rewards when training the dog to come when called.
For instance, if your dog enjoys playing with other dogs, whether in a local dog park or with the neighbor’s dogs, let him play freely with those other dogs. Then go into the park or yard and call your dog. When he comes to you, provide lots of praise, treats and other rewards, then immediately allow the dog to go back to playing with his friends.
Repeat this several times and praise the dog each time he comes to you. The dog will quickly learn that coming to you means good things (treats and praise) and not bad ones (being taken away from the park).
If the dog does not master this particular type of training right away, try not to get discouraged. So called distraction training is one of the most difficult things to teach. Dogs are naturally social animals, and breaking away from the pack is one of the most difficult things you can ask your dog to do. Most dogs will be understandably reluctant to leave their canine companions, but it is important to persist.
Training the dog to come to you may require some creativity on your part at first. For instance, waving a favorite toy, or a lure, is a great way to get your dog’s attention and put the focus back on you. If your dog has been clicker trained, a quick click can be a good motivator as well.
Once the dog begins to get the hang of coming when called, you can begin to reduce and eliminate the visual cues and focus on getting the dog to respond to your voice alone. It is important that the dog respond to voice commands alone, since you will not always have the availability of a toy or other lure.About the AuthorDiscover How You Can Train Your Dog With Immediate Effective Results Using Proven Simple Steps For FREE Click Here => http://www.absolute-dog-training.com
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