Although very dangerous behavior, car chasing is very rewarding for the dog. Dogs love to chase anything that runs, and the faster it runs, the better. To extinguish the behavior, you must negate the reward of the chase. Car chasing is most often done by dogs that have the run of the property and are not exposed to many cars.
Expose the dog to traffic by making a point to walk on busy streets occasionally. Command him to remain in a sit-stay as cars pass, and snap the collar back if he attempts to move. You can set the dog up for a car chasing correction by having a friend armed with several cans filled with rocks, for noise effect, drive up to or past the area where the dog starts chasing. Instruct the helper to put on the brakes as fast and noisily as possible when the dog is at a full chase. When the car comes to a screeching halt, have the helper jump out of the car and create enormous noise and chaos by throwing the cans near the dog.
If the dog is not likely to bite, have the helper aggressively chase him home, throwing cans behind him. Repeat the setup with different cars, and if possible, different people, until the dog refrains from chasing cars. You can also use the corrections for car chasing when a dog acquires the nasty, dangerous habit of chasing bikers, joggers, and horseback riders.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on February 9th 2007 in Dog Behaviour, Dog Training
Although some canine behaviors are similar to the behavior of the wolf, the domestic dog has developed many unique adaptive behaviors as a result of his cohabitation, companion relationship, and interaction with humans. Consequently, training techniques derived from wolf behavior are not necessarily effective with the domesticated dog. For instance, the female wolf is said to pick up her misbehaving pup by his scruff, shake him, drop him to the ground, and pin him there.
The wolf’s behavior is interpreted as a correction to the pup that demonstrates the mother’s dominance. While the wolf pup may understand such language, the domestic dog may not. There is little evidence to indicate that domestic female dogs shake their puppies by the scruff or use the alpha rollover as a correction.
This is only one factor that preclude correcting the dog in a manner designed for wolf puppies; therefore, trainers and pet owners would benefit greatly in understanding dog behavior as opposed to wolf behavior.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on January 19th 2007 in Dog Training
The main purpose in puppy training is to build a communication system between the two of you. You are teaching your dog how to learn. In contrast to the positive approach of puppy training, many obedience classes use a lot of leash jerking and a certain amount of punishment if the dog is not performing well. There is a fine line between the two attitudes and it is a vitally important difference.
With a young puppy, if you are forcing him to perform perfectly and punishing him even mildly if he does not, you may be asking for trouble later on. After a puppy is six to eight months old, he can usually begin to handle corrections and accept much more firmness in his training but not at three, four and five months of age.
Stress should not be a specific part of puppy training. That comes later when the pup is six to eight months old and ready for a more formal training. Of course, it is not possible or necessary to completely avoid stress because there is often a small amount in any of a puppy’s activities. However, stress should be eliminated as a planned part of the actual training.
Dogandmaster.com
dogandmaster on January 14th 2007 in Dog Training
1. Bait: A treat used to get your dog to give you his attention.
2. Collars: A “puppy” collar is a buckle collar made from a wide piece of cotton or nylon fabric. A slip or chain “choke” collar is made from cotton, nylon or chain. The best chain collars are brass with very tight, small links.
3. Cord or Long line: A piece of cotton or nylon cord, very lightweight and small in diameter (in relation to the size of your puppy or dog) with a snap at one end and a handle at the other.
4. Correction: A physical or verbal restraint to the dog.
5. Free: Without restraint.
6. Leash or Lead: A leash is a six-foot leather line with a handle at one end and a snap at the other. It should be small enough in width to comfortably fit in your hand.
7. Praise: Positive physical or verbal reassurance to reward your dog.
8. Reward: An edible treat or tossable toy.
9. Show leash or Show lead: A lightweight lead. This type of leash comes in different materials, fabrics and lengths. Some show leashes have built-in collars while some are to be attached to separate collars.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on January 2nd 2007 in Dog Training
