All Training on this thread.....

Aggression explained, and the types

Preventing aggression
The primary goal is simple -- never allow any dog to achieve dominant status over any adult or child. If dogs always know their social ranking and are never allowed to challenge people, they will usually be good family members.

The first rule for preventing problems is to match the right breed and puppy to the right owner. In other words, the Rottweiler or Akita is not a suitable breed for a meek or mild owner or the macho owner looking for a tough, aggressive dog; the Dalmatian and the Flat-Coated Retriever do not fit sedentary lifestyles; the Shetland Sheepdog or the Chihuahua do not like boisterous, rowdy children, etc. Likewise, the litter bully will take over the home of a submissive owner and the shy puppy needs extra attention to adjust to an active household.

Puppy testing done by the breeder can help. The test includes social attraction, following, restraint, social dominance and elevation dominance.

Aggression prevention includes early socialization. Puppies should be handled gently, especially between three and four months of age. They should be hand-fed by children and adults and taught to take food without grabbing or lunging. They should not be allowed to chase children or joggers, jump on people, mount legs, or growl for any reason. They should never receive or be part of rough, aggressive play such as hand-fighting, wrestling, or tug-of-war games. Puppies should never be physically punished for aggressive behavior; instead, they should be denied the rewards of aggression, restrained from repeating the infraction, and taught alternative behavior.

If puppies bite at or jump on children, the children should take charge by screaming "Off!" and crossing their arms (to protect hands and arms from being grabbed) and turning away. Puppies love to play; if fun is denied when they get too rough, they will learn to play more calmly.

All dogs would rather eat human’s food. Therefore, when food is left lying around, the temptation is too great for them not to sample. A dog that grabs and runs does so because of fear of punishment. Do not leave food lying around. Teach your dog to sit out of the way while you are preparing food. Do not give in to his pleading eyes and reward him with a tidbit or he will become a constant beggar.
Teach your puppy not to be aggressive around his food bowl. Make him sit while you put the bowl on the floor, then give the command to eat by saying, "OKAY."

Next, as he begins to eat, place a food treat, something he likes even better than his dog food, on your hand and put you hand alongside the food bowl, letting him take the treat. Say, "Good Dog!" Then, let him eat. Do this for several feedings.

Then, place a food treat on your hand and put your hand on top of the food in the bowl. Let him take the treat. Say, "Good Dog!" Then, let him eat. Do this for several feedings

Aggression

Aggressive dogs may exhibit only threats such as growling, posturing or snapping, but aggression often includes a serious bite to a human. There are many causes of aggression in dogs:

Agonistic: Personality conflict between two dogs without another cause.

Barrier Frustration: A barrier (for example, the dog is tied up) causes frustration. The dog can't escape, so it attacks.

Competitive: Housemate dogs who fight, usually over social status.

Displaced: The aggressive intent was redirected from one target to another.

Dominance aggression: The dog mistakenly thinks he runs the house and reacts to a conflict situation with a known family member by turning aggressive.

Drug-induced: While on certain medications, a dog's perceptions may be affected and cause aggression.

Encephalopathic: Aggression caused by a medical condition in the brain (for example, epilepsy).

Fear-induced aggression: A dog that growls or snaps when afraid thinks he is fighting for his life. Because of a combination of genetic tendencies, early experience and sometimes abuse, a dog with this type of aggression that cannot escape when cornered will attack. During the growling, snapping or attack, the dog shows fear postures such as crouching with its tail between its legs.

Food guarding: The dog has the mistaken idea that people take food instead of give it.

Improper socialization: The dog may have been isolated as a puppy and socially stunted, causing aggression.

Intra-sex: Female dogs who fight only female dogs, or male dogs who fight only male dogs.

Irritable: This type of aggression is due to a medical problem that lowers a dog's aggression threshold.

Maternal protective: This type of accression occurs in females when their young are present.

Owner protective: While this type of aggression is sometimes appropriate, some dogs may display aggression inappropriately in this role.

Pack response: Dogs act differently when in a group. Some may show aggression when in a group.

Pain-induced: This is a reflex aggression designed to relieve pain.

Play escalation: Some aggression starts as play such as roughhousing, and may escalate to aggression.

Possessive: Aggression associated with possessing toys or stolen non-food objects.

Territorial: The dog may display aggression in conjunction with inappropriate guarding of an area, such as the owner's home.

Trained: Some dogs are trained to bite people and may become confused and mistakenly show aggression or bite a person when not instructed to.

Unintentionally learned: Some people pet an aggressive dog to try to calm him. This action is understood by the pet as positive reinforcement or praise of the aggressive behavior so the behavior continues.

The most important step is to determine the cause of aggression. If there is any medical condition present, it might contribute indirectly to lowering the threshold for aggression. Your veterinarian can work with you to determine the cause of your pet's aggression and recommend appropriate treatment and training.


Types of aggression
There are several types of aggression: defensive or induced by fear, pain, or punishment; dominant; possessive; territorial; intra-sexual (male-to-male or female-to-female); predatory; or parental. A dog may exhibit more than one type of aggression.

Dominant-aggressive dogs are characterized as confident, macho, and "on the muscle." They stand tall, up on their toes, with their ears up and forward. They carry their tails high and wag it slowly and stiffly from side to side. They often have their hackles up, stare menacingly, and emit a low growl with lips pursed and teeth exposed. They will place a paw on the shoulder of another dog, mount people's legs, and push children aside when going through a door. Dominant-aggressive dogs are demanding of attention. They demand to go outside, demand excessive affection, are possessive of their sleeping areas, and stop eating when approached. Many of these dogs will not obey commands, especially submissive commands (such as "down" or "wait"). Males lift their legs on everything, even in the house, even if their bladder is empty. Most dominant-aggressive dogs are purebred males.

Defensive-aggressive dogs are much more ambivalent in their behavior. They display submissive body language (ears back, often flat against the head; avoidance of direct eye contact; lowering of the head and body; tucking tail between the legs; submissive urination) and they lick hands and roll over to expose their bellies. They resist handling, hate to have their feet touched, don't like to be groomed, and often shy away from human hands. These are the fear-biters; they may snap if cornered and will often bite at people who turn and walk away.

When a dog reacts fearfully to a man, people tend to jump to the conclusion that a man has abused the dog in the past. Possibly that is the case, but often it's a problem of lack of early social experience with men. Men, women, children, people wearing big hats, people in Halloween costumes and a wide variety of other human presentations can spook dogs who have not experienced that "style" of person before.

Of course, if there has been actual abuse or something has happened to frighten the dog in conjunction with that type of human, the dog's fears will go deeper. Either way, the treatment is basically the same. Don't let people force themselves on a fearful dog. In spite of hurt feelings on the part of the offended human, this process needs to be taken just as slowly as when dealing with any other

Fear of walking on vinyl or other smooth floors is common. Fear begets more fear in this case, because when the dog slips even more from tensing up and trying to hold tight to the floor with toenails. Sometimes the events that trigger these fears are invisible to the human eye. A puppy slips and hits her chin on the floor, hard. Other parts of the body can take similar licks when feet slip. Dogs seem to have trouble at times managing all four feet at once. Unless they develop the skill for some reason-such as special training or games-they may find it awkward to walk backwards or to get their feet under control when one or more feet slip.

For dogs with orthopedic problems including hip dysplasia, walking on smooth floors can be painful. Make physical changes to aid these dogs. You can put rubber-backed rugs across the floor as a pathway for the dog. If the slick floor is not at your home but rather is someplace you're visiting, you could either carry the dog or transport the dog across that floor on wheels.

If you know the fear is not based in a physical problem, use mealtimes to work through it. Mealtimes are opportunities to work on fears of slick floors that you know are not based in physical problems. Place the dish in a spot relative to the smooth floor where the dog seems comfortable. Meal by meal, gradually move the dish further and further into the room with the smooth floor.

Continuing to feed the dog on this floor-provided it doesn't hurt the dog to walk on it-can help maintain the dog's ability to cope with smooth floors. Be alert, though, for changes in the dog's body that mean it is no longer humane to ask the dog to walk on this floor. Most dogs develop orthopedic problems as they age, and injuries that cause these problems are extremely common at younger ages, too. At that point, add a rug walkway for the dog.

In situations where a dog walking on a smooth floor is unavoidable, look at possibilities for making the feet grip better or making the floor less slick. The way the floor is cleaned and treated makes a difference, and you'll also want to promptly clean up any fluids spilled on the floor. Various things have been tried for making the feet grip better. Discuss safe options with your veterinarian. Dog show enthusiasts suggest creating a puddle of sugary soda pop on the floor and wetting the dog's feet in it to make them sticky!

Vacuum Cleaners and other Household Appliances

Vacuum cleaners make weird noises. Their use involves a person thrusting the thing around the room in gestures that wouldn't make any sense to a dog. The concept of cleaning a floor, other than by eating any food spilled on it, would also be foreign to a dog's way of thinking. There's not much about a vacuum cleaner for a dog to like! The occasional herding dog will chase it because it moves, and some dogs will "attack" or threaten it because it isn't acting right!

Adding treats to vacuuming time can work through this fear. If the dog is really traumatized about the device, you may need to start with setting up the vacuum cleaner and giving the dog treats in the next room. Over several sessions you can move the treat-giving closer, never faster than the dog's comfort level can handle. Do the process with the vacuum off, next with the vacuum cleaner running, and finally with the vacuum cleaner moving. While going through this program, put the dog in a different place whenever you vacuum so as not to undo all the good conditioning by scaring the dog again.

To condition your dog to appliances that merely make noise without lunging around the room, use the same process. For these appliances as well as the vacuum, you can use not only treats, but also meal times (place the dog's dish increasingly closer to the scary thing, a little closer with each meal) and games. Dogs who like to fetch have a real advantage, because retrieving is so motivating to dogs.

The dishwasher is an interesting case. Dishwashers that open with a big movement can cause dogs to dash out of the room. But if your dog likes to try to sneak a lick off a dirty dish when you open the dishwasher, there's a built-in treat. Some of these enterprising dogs love dishwashers. That makes it your job to avoid hurting the dog with the dishwasher door, or letting the dog eat spoiled food. Dishwasher soap can be toxic.

The dishwasher would be a case for teaching the dog to calmly remain in the room but back from danger. Reward the dog for keeping his head OUT of the dishwasher!

It would be wonderful if everyone who got a puppy knew how to socialize it to a variety of different people and situations so that she would grow up to be a confident, well-adjusted adult dog. However, this isn’t always the case. And sometimes, even in dogs that were properly socialized, traumatic events or basic temperament may make dogs afraid of certain people. For the basis of this article I will be focusing on dogs that are afraid of men. These training techniques can be expanded and altered to fit a fear of any type or gender of person and in some cases some objects.

If a dog is afraid of men, try to decide if it is all men, or just certain kinds of men. Some dogs can't stand beards, mustaches, hats, different skin color, glasses, etc. Once you determine what triggers the dog’s fear response, you can try to work to desensitize the dog to this type of people.

If you can set things up in advance, that would be great, but if not, you can certainly work around it. Find out what treats your dog adores. In my house, cut up hot dogs work well, Natural Balance dog food rolls, and pieces of deli meat. Whenever the dog encounters someone that scares her, ask the person to turn sideways to her, look slightly away (both of these things tell the dog that this person isn't a threat), and have him toss treats in the dog’s direction. They might have to throw treats quite a ways to begin with, but can gradually get closer as the dog feels more confident and less scared. Don't push her to accept anyone - if she feels really threatened there is always the possibility that she'll bite. If she can work toward someone on her own level she feels much safer.

Also, be sure that if you're talking to the dog that you're not scolding, which can make her think that men = scolding, and also that you're not reassuring her in a soft voice. That can sound an awful lot like praise and she may think that you're telling her that it's good to be scared of the man. As strange as this may sound, try laughing at the dog when she's scared (I usually tack on a "silly puppy!" when I laugh in these situations.) Your laughter may cue the dog that there is nothing for her to be afraid of. If that seems too weird, just be sure that if you talk to the dog when she shows fear, that you use a very matter of fact voice. Kind of a "Yes Molly, I see him, too. He's fine, you're fine, it's all fine. Let's get on with our day." It may seem kind of callous, but dogs often take their cues from us and if you don't act like this person is anything special, then the dog shouldn't either.

You can also teach your dog to focus on you and not the scary thing. A very quick way to do this is to put a treat in your hand, hold it up to your face, waggle your finger and say "watch me!" in a happy voice. This way the dog is looking at something other than the man. However, many trainers (myself included) aren't crazy about this method since the dog doesn't really learn to look at your face, just the food.

I taught my dogs to look at me by putting a good treat in each hand and placing my hands at my sides. The dog smells the treat and tries to get it, getting more and more frustrated, because you're just standing there with a smile on your face, not saying anything or moving around. Eventually the dog will get frustrated and glance your way. To begin with, this is just a very short millisecond. As soon as the dog looks at you say "yes!" and give the dog a treat. Once you know that your dog is going to look at you, you can add a cue word such as "watch", "look", "eyes", "ready", etc. Then delay saying "yes!" and delivering the treat by a few seconds to build up the amount of time that your dog looks at you.

I also make my dogs focus on me to get their dinner. I stand with their dishes in my hands and wait for one to look at me. As soon as one does, and holds eye contact with me, I say "yes" and put down the food bowl. In addition, the dogs give me eye contact to come out of their crates and in from outside. I've found that this has really helped to make them more willing to make and hold eye contact.

Once you've established eye contact with your dog, you can cue her to look at you whenever she encounters something or someone that scares her. That way she's not watching the scary thing and getting more and more worked up. Ideally the dog will learn to automatically look your way whenever she sees something that she’s not sure about. If she does look at you automatically, be sure to make a HUGE deal about it, which lots of praise and treats. You want to be sure to let the dog know that this makes you very happy and that she should try it again and again.

Dogs and Thunderstorm Phobia

Does your pooch bury his head into your side every time it thunders out? Does he dive under the bed whenever rain starts to fall. From your point of view, this may seem like cute and endearing behavior, but it's a sign that your dog is terrified of storms. Some owners are willing to simply put up with symptoms of storm phobias like hiding, trembling, whining, drooling, and pacing. In more severe cases, however, panicking dogs have been known to chew furniture, tear drapes, break windows, and more during thunderstorms. In either case, the behavior is a sign of a terrified, unhappy dog.

Causes
Storm phobias are one of the most common behavioral problems dog owners face, but their cause is not entirely clear. Behaviorists are not yet sure what part of the storm frightens dogs most, whether they're reacting to lightning flashes, the sound of thunder, wind blowing around the house, or the sound of rain on the roof. Some dogs even start to pace and whine half an hour or more before a storm. They may be reacting to a sudden drop in air pressure or the electrical charge of the air.

Nature or nurture?
An article in the July/August 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association describes an Internet survey of the owners of storm-phobic dogs. The authors discovered that some breeds may be predisposed to a fear of storms. Herding dogs, such as collies and German shepherds, and hounds, such as beagles and basset hounds, seem to be more likely to develop a storm phobia than other dogs. The phobia is also common in sporting and working breeds. The study suggests that this tendency may be explained in terms of the dogs' genetics. For example, herding dogs have been bred to react quickly to stimuli, such as a calf wandering away from the herd, but not to be aggressive. It could be that herding dogs have a strong reaction to the startling noises and flashes of a storm, but they repress any aggressive response to it, causing anxiety.

The JAAHA study also showed that rescued dogs--dogs adopted from shelters or rescue organizations--may also be more likely to develop storm phobias. The article suggested that these dogs are more likely to have had unpleasant, scary experiences prior to being adopted. They may have been abused or abandoned by a former owner, or they may not have been well socialized or exposed to a wide variety of sights and sounds. These kinds of early-life experiences can make dogs more anxious and prone to all kinds of phobias.

What to do
Your best bet for helping your pup overcome his thunderstorm fears is to talk to your veterinarian. He or she can help you develop a program to gradually retrain your scaredy dog by gradually, gently helping him adjust to storms through behavior modification. Technically called "systematic desensitization," this involves exposing the storm-phobic dog to some gentle reminders of a thunderstorm, such as a very soft tape recording of thunder or a flashing light, and rewarding the dog with lots of treats, attention, and other positive reinforcement only if there's no evidence of anxiety. Over time, the intensity of the stimulus is increased, and only calm behavior rewarded. You should get profession guidance, either from a veterinarian or a veterinary behavior specialist, before you begin this process, however. If you introduce frightening stimuli too quickly or don't see signs of fear your dog may be showing, you could possibly end up making the phobia worse.

If gentle, patient retraining doesn't help your pooch, there are some prescriptions that can. Your veterinarian can prescribe one of several anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications to help your dog remain calm during storms. You can also make sure your dog has a warm, safe "den" to retreat to when the weather gets too scary. You can try padding a crate with blankets or clearing a space underneath your bed. Just make sure that it's somewhere your pup can get out of whenever he wants. A panicked dog can do a lot of damage to his crate and himself if he's confined.

Most important, though, is that your treat your dog gently and kindly when he is afraid. Don't cuddle and reassure him, because that will reward his scaredy-dog behavior, but definitely don't punish him for it either. Instead, just be calm and provide him with a safe, familiar place where he can feel secure and ride out the storm.

Separation Anxiety (What is it and what can I do?)


The term “separation anxiety” has been applied to the behavior of animals when they believe they have been abandoned by their loved ones. It is natural for a young dog to form a close attachment to its owner. In the case of dogs, there is the uncertainty of not knowing why they were left alone and when their owner will return. Consistency is vital to assure successful training of your dog. Once your puppy has become accustomed to the concept that your home is its home also, it is appropriate to begin training the dog to stay home alone without misbehaving.

You should start your puppy’s training to stay alone by placing it in a small room with one or more of its favorite toys. Calmly close the door to the room, speaking to the puppy as you depart. It will probably try to squeeze out through the doorway, and you must gently, yet firmly, push it back and close the door without slamming it. Remain relaxed and positive. Say goodbye as if it were the most natural thing to be leaving the puppy alone. If your puppy barks or whines, use a firm voice command of “no” each time it vocalizes.

If your puppy remains quiet for a few minutes, open the door and praise your pet lavishly, conveying to it how happy you are to see it again, but do not over dramatize your return. Repeat the process of leaving your pet alone for varying periods of from several minutes to several hours. Each time you return to release it from confinement, go through the ritual of praise. Try to make these periods of confinement as irregular as possible, so that your puppy cannot associate them with your daily schedule. The most important things for your puppy to learn are that you will return and that being alone is not a form of punishment.

Chewing on furniture, urination, and defecation while confined to a room are sometimes problems associated with separation anxiety in dogs. With thoughtful and consistent training, each of these offenses can be eliminated. It is better to learn good habits from the start rather than toretrain an already misbehaving puppy.

Submissive wetting or urination is a normal way for dogs and puppies to demonstrate submissive behavior. Even a dog that is otherwise housetrained may leave dribbles and puddles of urine at your feet and on the floor when greeting you.
Submissive urination is the ultimate show of respect and deference for higher rank. It occurs frequently with young puppies who have not yet learned and perfected other social skills and means of showing respect. Submissive urination in adult dogs is usually a sign of insecurity. Often unsocialized and abused dogs will submissively urinate. Other dogs that engage in submissive urination may simply have not been shown that there are more acceptable ways to show respect, such as paw raising (shake hands) or hand licking (give a kiss). Submissive urination may be present in overly sensitive or mistreated dogs because they feel the need to constantly apologize. This state is often caused by excessive or delayed punishment which frightens and confuses the dog without teaching him how to make amends. The dog resorts to the only way he knows to show respect and fear, by submissive urination.

When your dog urinates in this manner, it is best to just ignore him. If you try to reassure him, he will think you are praising him for urinating and will urinate even more. If you scold him, he will feel an even greater need to apologize by urinating. Either reassurance or scolding will only make submissive urination worse.

Treatment of submissive urination must be directed towards building your dog's confidence and showing him other ways to demonstrate respect. The quickest way to accomplish this is by teaching your dog a few basic obedience exercises. A dog that can earn praise by obeying a simple routine of "Come here, sit, shake hands," will soon develop self esteem and confidence. A confident dog who can say, "Hello, Boss" by sitting and shaking hands does not feel the need to urinate at his owner's feet.

Even a dog that is otherwise housetrained may exhibit excitement urination by leaving dribbles and puddles of urine at your feet and on the floor when greeting you. It's normal for some dogs to urinate when they become excited.
Excitement urination usually occurs in puppies and is caused by lack of bladder control. The puppy is not aware that he is urinating, and any punishment will only confuse him. Since he does not know why you are angry, the excitement urination will quickly become submissive urination in an attempt to appease you. As your puppy matures and develops bladder control, the problem will usually disappear. However, in the mean time, it is probably a good idea to do something to help keep your puppy dry.

The best treatment for excitement urination is to prevent your dog from becoming overly excited in the first place. You can do this by exposing your dog to the stimulus that excites him, over and over until it no longer excites him. Most likely, your dog gets excited and wets when you return home. If so, simply ignore him for several minutes. Don't even look at him.

Then leave again for a few minutes, return and ignore, leave, return and ignore. Keep doing this until you can see that your dog is not only unexcited, but is actually getting bored with the whole thing. If excitement urination is a problem when visitors arrive, have them do this too. When your dog has calmed down and is no longer excited when you come in, then very quietly and gently say hello. If any signs of excitement or urinating appear, quickly exit and repeat the coming-and-going routine. A rapid sequence of heel-sits will capture your dog's attention and channel his excitement to the game of heeling and sitting instead of urinating. Remember to ignore all excitement urination and never scold or get angry at your dog when it occurs.

What the puppy learns now will shape it into the kind of dog it will be for evermore"
Acquiring a puppy at the right age and providing it with the proper atmosphere during the critical periods of its life (when character and personality are being formed) is the only absolute way that the man/dog relationship, character traits, and trainability can be pre-determined and pre-ordained.

Many people who acquire dogs at the age of six months, eight months, a year or even two years, are perplexed to find that their dogs just can't seem to demonstrate much of an emotional bond with their owner. Sometimes, they are shy which usually results in a characteristic known as fear biting, or perhaps the reverse is true; over-aggressiveness and bullyish tendencies.

Scientific studies have shown that there are FIVE critical periods in a puppy's life. That is five phases of mental development during which adverse conditions could cripple a dog emotionally for life. Conversely, positive conditions during these five phases, will produce dogs of the highest calibre mentally and socially. So important were these scientific findings that the Guide Dog Foundation instituted these "positive conditions" for puppies being raised to become Guide Dogs for the blind. These dogs received the most rigorous and exacting training of any dogs and therefore must be perfectly adjusted.

Dr J Paul Scott. Director of The Animal Behaviour Laboratory directed a project to determine just when these critical periods is shown in one particular test - extreme though it may have been.

A puppy, twenty-one days old was removed from the litter and completely isolated. Although it was carefully fed and watered, its caretaker was careful not to play with or even speak to it. The only toys the experimental puppy had were a water bucket and food dish. By sixteen weeks of age the puppy had not had any contact with other dogs (except for the first 21 days of his life) and no human contact except for being fed and watered by a caretaker who barely acknowledged the pup's existence.

At four months of age, the experimental puppy was once again placed with its litter mates. It did not recognise them, either as litter mates or dogs. The puppy's isolation during the critical periods of its life, its complete removal from the companionship of other dogs and humans had developed as character to such an extent that it would never adjust to the society of either. The puppy had passed the age of being capable of adjusting socially.

Zero to 21 days: As a result of many years of scientific research it has been determined that the first critical period covers the entire first two weeks of the puppy's life. During this period the puppy's mental capacity is nearly zero, and the puppy reacts only to its needs of warmth, food, sleep and its mother.

Tests were conducted to determine whether a puppy was capable of learning anything at all during the first critical period, and it was determined that it was not. It was, however, determined that something nearly miraculous occurs on the 21st day, and that it occurs in all dogs, regardless of breed.

21st Day: On the 21st day. ALL of the puppy's senses begin to function. The senses were present in the puppy during the first critical period, but were dormant. The 21st day of the puppy's life is like an automatic switch that turns on. It also turns on the second and possibly the most important critical period in the puppy's life.

21st to 28th Day: During this period the puppy needs its mother more than any other time. The brain and nervous system begin to develop. Awareness begins to take place, and, in this mental stage, a new puppy finds the world that surrounds it rather frightening. Things that happen can be frightening experiences. A puppy removed from its mother during this second critical period will never attain the mental and emotional growth that it COULD and WOULD have, if it had been left alone. The social stress of being alive - and the awareness of it - has its greatest impact during this second critical period in the new puppy's life; that is, between the 3rd and 4th weeks.

It may seem peculiar to some that no other times in a dog's life presents the same proneness to such emotional upsets and that such upsets could have such a traumatic and permanent effect on the puppy's social attitudes. It is during this second critical period in the new puppy's life that the characteristic of nervousness can generate shyness and other negative qualities in a puppy. Once adverse conditions have developed negative qualities in this second critical period, no amount of re-conditioning or training, later in life will alter or significantly modify the resultant negative characteristics.

5th to 7th Weeks: This must be considered as the third period in the puppy's life. The puppy will venture away from home, not very far, and do a little exploring. At the beginning of the 6th week, awareness of society will dawn. That is, the society of man and the society of the dog. The puppy's nervous system and trainability are developing and by the end of this critical period, will have developed to capacity.

During this third critical period, your puppy will learn to respond to voices and will begin to recognise people. It is during this period that a 'social pecking order" will be established among the puppies in the litter. Some of the puppies will learn to fight for food, they will be the bullies. The litter mates that are cowed by the aggressive tendencies of the others will become shy.

The scientific tests at Hamilton station have shown that it is an advantage for a puppy to remain with the litter long enough to acquire a little competitive spirit. but that too much is detrimental to the puppy's emotional growth. Puppies that remain with litter mates after the seventh week will develop bullyish or cowed tendencies which will remain with them into adulthood.

The third critical period ends during the 7th week and the puppy is now considered emotionally developed and ready to learn. The training ability system within the dog is ripe and is operating to capacity. What it learns during the fourth critical period will be retained and become part of the personality and characteristic of the overall dog. If the puppy is left with the mother, its emotional development will be crippled. It will remain dependent upon her, but in her will find very little security since she will begin to totally ignore the pup.

If the puppy remains with the litter beyond this point, and without adequate human contact, its social adjustment will be learned from litter mates. The optimum time for taking a puppy into a new household is at the end of the seventh week and the beginning of the puppy's fourth critical period.

8th to 12th Week: This fourth critical period extends to the 12th week of the puppy's life. Since the puppy's trainability, or learning facilities, are operating at full capacity now, it is better that he do his learning from his new owner. And learn he will. This period marks a time when the puppy will learn at a fast and furious pace. Although the "come, sit, stay and no" commands are invaluable if taught during the fourth period, perhaps the most important single response during this period is learning to fetch. At first glance this may sound unnecessary and unimportant.

It should be pointed out however that puppies who cannot learn to fetch are dropped from the Guide Dogs Programme. Moreover, adult dogs bring trained as Drug Detector Dogs and Bomb Detector Dogs must first learn to fetch. A dog that cannot learn to fetch or refuses to learn will not become a detector dog or guide dog. The significance of fetching cannot be over emphasised. How such a game expands a puppy's mind and what such willingness to fetch reveals about a puppy would require an article in itself. Learning to fetch in the 4th critical period can spell success or failure in your dog's desire and ability to work for you.

13th to 16th Week: The fifth and final critical period is from the 13th to 16th week of the puppy's life. A highly significant thing will happen during this period and the owner should be prepared for it and ready to handle it smoothly and with confidence. The puppy will make it's first attempt to establish itself as the dominant being in the "pack" (family). It is now that the puppy will learn whether it can physically turn on its owner and get away with it.

It would be well to point out here that if the puppy is allowed to get away with it, the confidence and the respect of the owner that developed during the fourth critical period will be lost. The tolerance level towards the owner will narrow.

The puppy learns by rebelling that it get things its way. It is during this 5th critical period that absolute authority will be challenged. It is here that the challenge must be met, head on, by the dog's owner. Instructing people as to the best method of dealing with the problem is difficult because no two dogs are exactly alike. Disciplinary measures for one dog are not necessarily suitable for another.

In dog training schools the question is often asked: "What shall I do it my dog bites me?" The answer usually goes something like this: "What would you do if your child hit you?" Suffice to say that the new puppy will challenge your authority during the fifth critical period and try to establish itself as the dominant being. It should be shown swiftly and firmly that, although you love it implicitly, by all that's holy, YOU are the dominant being and there is only room at the top for one!

Formal obedience training should begin during this fifth critical period, if the full potential of the puppy's intelligence and companion ability is to be realised.

Being aware of the five critical periods and providing the correct environment during these periods, as well as instituting proper learning techniques, will allow a puppy to develop emotionally and socially to full potential. Each time you marvel at a guide dog leading its blind master through busy traffic, you can be assured that the five critical periods were the criterion for the successful performance of the dog.

When you bring your puppy home, the critical periods which will follow will be critical periods in your life as well. The way you handle those periods will determine what kind of dog you will have in the years to come. It may, however, determine what kind of dog someone else will have. If the puppy you acquired doesn't grow up to be what you wanted it to be, if it has strange quirks in its behaviour which embarrass or distress you, the dog may end up being passed from home to home. Chances are, no one else will be satisfied with those quirks either.

Who can enjoy the dog who rolls over on his back and piddles at the approach of a stranger? Who can be satisfied with the dog who wants to bite anything that moves? And perhaps, most important of all, who can be satisfied with the dog that refuses to give of himself, his devotion and his loyalty and his love?

The puppy you acquire can grow up to be all the things you want and desire it to be, if you acknowledge and adhere to the critical periods in its life. These are the periods which shape and mould it's character and personality. The puppy is in your hands. What it is to become, it will become during these critical periods.

Begging For Food


When you or other people are eating in your dog’s presence, you and your guests should not be annoyed by begging. Your dog’s nutritional needs are best met by its professionally formulated dog food, not from handouts from your dinner table. A firm No or down delivered with conviction is the appropriate correction for this behavior. Remember that you must be consistant. If begging was wrong yesterday, it won’t be tolerated today, or tomorrow, and you must not give in to those imploring brown eyes staring up at you. It is also important that other household members or your guests not feed your dog.

Why is the dog barking?

Breed - Some dogs were bred to bark, such as hounds and guarding type dogs. However, getting a sporting dog is no guarantee against a barking problem. Almost all breeds have some tendency to engage in alarm barking, although there is a great variation among individuals.
Physical need - The dog is hot, cold, hungry, thirsty, or has to eliminate. Barking is the dog's way of requesting that you accommodate one of these needs.
Emotional need - The dog is bored, anxious, or excited. Barking can be a request for attention, or a compulsive behavior resulting from a frustrated need for social and mental stimulation.
What can you do?

Barking is one of the most difficult canine behaviors to modify. It is a "self-reinforcing" activity for the dog, which means that the act of barking is its own reward in many instances. But there are steps you can take to minimize barking. Analyze the conditions in which the barking problem occurs and try some of the following techniques:

Don't park your dog in the backyard. Dogs are highly social animals and have an intense need to be with their "pack." Dogs left outdoors are very prone to developing barking problems.
Make sure your dog's physical needs are met.
Increase play and exercise so your dog will be less bored and may sleep more. Enroll in a training class to build your dog's confidence and emotional control.
Do not reinforce anxiety-induced barking or whining by comforting the dog or talking to him in a soothing voice. Talk to him, take him out of his crate, pet him, and play with him only after he is quiet for at least a few seconds.
If you have been "giving in" to your dog by letting him out of his crate when you can't stand the barking any longer, be aware that you have strongly reinforced him to bark to be released from his crate. This behavior will get worse before it gets better, as the dog now thinks he need simply try harder to get what he wants. If you hold out, eventually the dog will give up. Wait for a lull in the barking and praise him quickly before opening the crate.
Do not try to correct or punish your dog for barking. This would only increase her anxiety.
Prevent the dog from seeing or hearing things that trigger barking. This is actually the simplest solution. If your dog barks at passersby or vehicles, find some way to block your dog's view (keep the drapes closed, confine the dog to another part of the house, etc.). The goal is to modify the environment so that you remove the stimulus to bark.
Socialize your dog to new experiences. Take her lots of places and praise her for appropriate behavior. Expose her very gradually to sights or sounds that seem to cause her to bark. Reward her for being quiet and relaxed.
Train an incompatible behavior, so you can give your dog a command to do something else instead of barking. Your dog could fetch a toy or come to you and sit when the doorbell rings, for example. Consult a behaviorist or trainer for instructions.

Inappropriate Barking


It is entirely normal-and positive-for your dog to bark at strange sounds or people, but incessant howling, or baying, particularly at night, is justifiable cause for complaints from your neighbors. When this behavior occurs, you must immediately command NO and comfort your dog so it can see that there is no threat to you from outside. If necessary, command the dog to lie down near you and each time it begins to vocalize, repeat the correction.

Biting and mouthing is common in young puppies and dogs especially in play and while teething. It's up to you to teach your puppy or dog what is acceptable and what is not.
Biting dogs are generally loving, sweet, adorable, affectionate and wonderful 99% of the time. Only 1% of the time does something specific happen that makes the dog bite. This article will discuss the causes of biting and what you can do to prevent your dog from biting.

Inhibit Biting
First of all, dogs must learn to inhibit their bite before they are 4 months old. Normally, they would learn this from their mother, their littermates and other members of the pack. But, because we take them away from this environment before this learning is completed, we must take over the training.
Socialization Prevents Biting
By allowing your puppy to socialize with other puppies and socialized dogs they can pick up where they left off. Puppies need to roll, tumble and play with each other. When they play, they bite each other everywhere and anywhere. This is where they learn to inhibit their biting. This is where they learn to control themselves. If they are too rough or rambunctious, they will find out because of how the other dogs and puppies react and interact with them. This is something that happens naturally and it is something we cannot accomplish. It can only be learned from trial and error. There is nothing you can say or do to educate them in this realm. They must learn from their own experience.
Another major advantage of dog to dog socialization besides the fact that it will help your dog to grow up not being fearful of other dogs is that they can vent their energy in an acceptable manner. Puppies that have other puppies to play with do not need to treat you like littermates. So the amount of play biting on you and your family should dramatically decrease. Puppies that do not play with other puppies are generally much more hyperactive and destructive in the home as well.

Lack of Socialization Causes Biting
A major cause of biting is lack of socialization. Lack of socialization often results in fearful or aggressive behavior. The two major reactions a dog has to something it is afraid of are to avoid it or to act aggressive in an attempt to make it go away. This is the most common cause of children being bitten. Dogs that are not socialized with children often end up biting them. The optimum time to socialize is before the dog reaches 4 months. With large breed dogs, 4 months may be too late, simply because at this age the puppy may already be too large for most mothers of young children to feel comfortable around. For most owners, the larger the dog is, the more difficult it is to control, especially around children. If there is anything you do not want your dog to be afraid of or aggressive towards, you must begin to socialize your puppy with them before it is 4 months old.
Trust and Respect Inhibits Biting
There are many other reasons your dog will bite and you will have to take an active role in teaching them. However, before you can teach your dog anything, there are two prerequisites that are essential. They are trust and respect. If your dog doesn't trust you, there is no reason why he should respect you. If your dog does not respect you, your relationship will be like two 5 year olds bossing each other around. If your dog does not trust and respect you, then when you attempt to teach your dog something, he will regard you as if he were thinking, "Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"
Use of Reprimands and Biting
Never hit, kick or slap your dog. This is the quickest way to erode the dog's trust in you. Yes, he will still love you. Even abused dogs love their owners. A unique characteristic of dogs is their unconditional love. You don't have to do anything to acquire your dog's love. But you must do a lot to gain your dog's trust and respect. Another area where we destroy our dog's trust in us is when we scold or punish them for housesoiling mistakes and accidents. When housetraining your puppy, there is never an appropriate time to punish or reprimand. If you catch your dog in the act, just head for the towels and cleaner. You have no right to scold him, because if he is going in the wrong place, it is your fault, not his. If you find an accident after the fact, just clean it up.
Summary Tips on Biting
Just a few tips:
1. Reprimand alone will never stop biting.
2. If no respect exists, the biting will get worse. If you act like a littermate, the dog will treat you as one.
3. If trust is not there, the dog may eventually bite out of fear or lack or confidence.
4. Inconsistency sabotages training. If you let the dog bite some of the time, then biting will never be completely eliminated.
5. Don't forget follow up. The dog must understand that it is the biting that you don't like, not the dog itself. Make up afterwards, but on your terms, not the dog's.
Most owners wait until a bite just "happens to occur" before trying to deal with it and are therefore totally unprepared when it happens - and do all the wrong things, thus making the problem worse. If your dog already has a biting problem you might want to order the book "Help! My Dog Has an Attitude."

Chewing, ripping, shredding, tearing up and generally destroying stuff is as normal for dogs as tail-wagging. If you have a dog, expect chewing. Provide him with his own toys and teach him to use them or he will destructively chew anything available, such as your furniture, carpet, clothing or shoes.
Dogs do not chew and destroy your house and belongings because they are angry, jealous or spiteful. They do it because they are dogs. They may be lonely, bored, frustrated or anxious, but they are not malicious, vindictive or petty. Active dogs can become restless when left alone for long periods. If you always come home at a certain time and you are late, your dog may become anxious. Your dog does not punish you for being late by destructive chewing. The dogs' chewing is a form of occupational therapy to relieve stress and release energy. If you come home and find that your dog has destroyed something, do not punish the dog.

Passive Training to Prevent Chewing Problems
Until your dog can be trusted not to destroy your home and yard, do not give him free, unsupervised run of your house. Give him a pleasant area or room of his own where he can enjoy himself and relax when you are not home or are unable to supervise him. Literally litter his room with a wide variety of toys. Since he will have no other choice of things to chew, he will learn to chew and play with his own toys. Make the toys enticing. Soak rawhide and long marrow bones in different flavored soups. Let them dry and give a different flavor to the dog each time you leave him alone. Sterilized marrow bones and Kong toys can be stuffed with liver treats or cheese. The dog will be entertained for hours trying to extricate the treats from the toy. Bury these toys in the dog's digging pit.
Active Training to Prevent Destructive Chewing
When you are home, take time to teach your dog to play with her toys and to seek them out whenever she feels like chewing. Always lavish your dog with praise every time you see her playing with or chewing on one of her toys. Teach your dog to "find" her toys. Scatter several toys in different rooms throughout the house. Tell her to "find it," then immediately lead her from room to room encouraging her to pick up a toy when she sees one. When she does so, reward with praise, affection, play and even a food treat, then continue the game.
Anticipation Chewing
Most destructive chewing occurs just before the owner returns home. The dog is anxiously anticipating the owner's return and this energy is released by chewing. You can prevent your dog from indiscriminately chewing whatever is handy and instead chew her own toys. Whenever you return home, insist that your dog greet you with a toy in her mouth. At first you will have to help her by telling her to "find" her toy. Do not give your usual home coming greeting until she has a toy firmly in her mouth. Within a few days, your dog will realize that you never say hello unless she has a toy in her mouth. Now when your dog starts anticipating your return, she will automatically begin looking for a toy with which to gain your greeting and approval when you do return. If a toy is already in her mouth, she will be likely to chew on it, rather than on the furniture, to release tension.
Chewing Deterrents
If you catch your dog in the act of chewing a forbidden item, you can sternly scold her with a verbal warning. Immediately direct your dog to one of her own toys and praise her for chewing it. This will teach your dog not to chew forbidden items when you are present, but it probably will not discourage the dog from investigating these items when you are not there. The only way to prevent your dog from chewing these things is to make them inherently unattractive. There are many products in pet stores that are designed to apply to furniture, etc that are safe but repulsive to dogs. Why chew on something that is boring, distasteful or unpleasant when there are plenty of fun, exciting and tasty things to chew on?
Common Sense and Chewing
By far the simplest way to keep your dog from chewing on forbidden items is to prevent access to them. Put your shoes in the closet and shut the door. Place the trash outside. Keep doors closed; keep valuables out of reach. Praise and reward your dog profusely for chewing her own toys.

When most people bring home their cute new puppies, the furthest thing from their minds is the stressful time of teething. Just as with babies teething, puppies will want to chew on everything they can get their mouth on. This can lead to total destruction of your belongings, but there are tried and true ways to help prevent this from happening, and help you and your pup get through the teething period with ease.

Many people bring home their new pup and leave them out to romp around the house when they're not home. Inevitably, this leads to chewing on shoes, books, socks, the couch, and any number of other things. The best way to prevent destructive chewing is to crate train your dog. To do this, you will need a crate that is just big enough for your dog to turn around in. Make the crate a safe and happy place for your dog. Provide him with stimulating toys while he is in the crate. Crate training your dog will not only prevent destructive chewing, but will also aid in potty training and create a positive and safe environment for your dog to be when you're not around. Some people think that keeping a dog in a crate when they're not around is cruel. This is not the case at all. Dogs by nature like small, darkened places and tend to feel very safe in crates. Almost all dog trainers today believe that crate training is a necessary and positive part of your puppy's development. If your dog is crated while you are not home, they will not have the opportunity to chew on your belongings and other harmful things such as power cords.

The next most important thing to teach your dog when he is teething is which toys are his and what is off limits. Purchase good things to chew on such as Kong toys or Bully Sticks. Kongs are made of tough rubber and can be filled with goodies such as peanut butter or cheese. They are excellent chew toys and wonderful for the teething period. Bully Sticks are 100% natural and 100% digestible dog chews that are low in fat and great for your dog to chew on. Other chew toys that could be used are Nylabones which are made out of solid hard plastic and have bumps on them to soothe teething gums or other toys made of hard rubber or plastic. Reinforce which toy is for your dog by giving him his chew toy and saying something like, "Here is your toy, good boy!" If your dog chooses something that he is not to chew on, take it away and replace it with one of his chew toys repeating, "This is your toy, good boy!" With persistence, he will learn what is his to chew on and what he is not to chew on.

Another important thing to train your dog during the teething period is bite inhibition. In packs of dogs, the mother or other dogs would teach this to the pups, but in a home situation, it is up to you. Teething puppies will put their mouths on you and you must teach them at an early age that this is not acceptable. Just as mentioned above, every time they exhibit mouthing behavior, you must redirect them to an acceptable chew toy. Another important factor in bite inhibition and limiting mouthing behavior is proper socialization. It is very important in this stage to take your dog to a puppy class or puppy play group. Many good trainers offer these services. When allowed to play with other pups, your dog will learn what is acceptable play behavior. The other dogs will help your dog to learn that biting is not appropriate. You must also socialize your dog to many different kinds of people and situations. This will help your dog to not be afraid of new things and will significantly lower the potential for biting.

Heel


The well-mannered schnauzer should walk, whether leashed or free, alongside your left leg. This is standardized position and was developed to prevent your dog from tripping you by crossing your path. As you walk, use the leash to direct and keep the dog next to your left leg. While walking, turn to your left in a circle. Because the dog now finds itself inside of the circle, it will find that maintaining its position on your left is the easiest. When you stop walking forward, command the dog to “sit!” Again, this is the conventional way a well-trained dog should behave.

While some of these methods have shown good success, they are not designed to replace patience and kindness which are necessary to the proper training of any dog.

Why do dogs bark excessively?
A dog’s bark is its way of communication with the outside world. While there are many good reasons to bark, excessive barking may be caused by:

A feeling of detachment from the family.
Boredom, through owner’s lack of attention. More attention will relieve a dog’s boredom and will reinforce good behavior while giving the dog a sense of belonging to the family.
Outside noises that cause a dog’s barking to gain the owner’s attention.

Methods to eliminate the barking dog problem.
As with people, some dogs talk more than others. This problem can often be corrected through various training methods.

Obedience school. This is, of course, preferable, but if your dog can’t go to school, you can find many books in your local library or book store that are designed to teach you to train your dog.
Smaller, or hypersensitive, dogs can also be trained and sometimes a simple, loud "no" whenever the dog barks proves successful.
Larger dogs (sometimes) need strict direction through harsher commands or training with a leash and collar. Always follow correction with praise and love when the dog has responded to your request.
Watch your own behavior.
Do not praise the dog when the barking is unwarranted -- this reinforces the dog’s belief that the barking is desirable.
Correct needless barking immediately, not ten minutes after the dog stops barking -- the dog will not understand correction after the undesirable act has been completed.

Where should I keep my barking dog?

If your dog is an outside dog, buy or build him a doghouse. This not only blocks off outside noise that may cause him to bark needlessly, but also provides protection and security for the dog.
If you don’t mind your dog inside the house, allow him to be with the family (inside) more often. This will give the dog the security of being part of the family.
Please remember that no one likes to listen to a dog’s barking hour after hour, and with a little time and patience, your dog need not bark excessively.

1. Consider what's making your dog bark. Does he need yard access? Is a cat taunting him through the window? Does he just like the sound of his bark?

2. Check your pet's basic needs: hunger, thirst or elimination. Your pup might be trying to tell you something.

3. Remove your dog's motivation for barking. For example, make a dog door for easy outdoor access or close the shades.

4. Invest in a citronella no-bark collar, which is effective and not cruel; if your dog barks, the collar sprays a small amount of citronella, which dogs dislike.

5. Use positive reinforcement to train your dog to bark on command; this will help him learn how to be quieted on command as well.

6. Say "Good" at the exact instant your pet exhibits good behavior, followed by a reward and plenty of praise.

7. Consult a board-certified veterinary behaviorist or a pet behaviorist for additional suggestions if all else fails.


Tips:
To prevent barking while you're away, leave your dog inside the house, turn the radio on to soft music, and close the drapes and blinds when you leave.

Certain breeds, nervous or overexcited dogs, dogs with separation anxiety or dogs that haven't been trained properly at an early age are prone to excessive barking.


Warnings:
Excessive barking might be caused by separation anxiety, which can be dangerous to the dog if not treated properly. The dog may require professional help from a certified veterinary behaviorist.

Avoid using shock collars - these are not recommended, especially for dogs with separation anxiety, unless the only other option is to have your dog put down.

Bang pans or cans together,
spray water on them, or roll up paper and spank them on their back legs.

If your dog starts barking, get its attention and whisper to it - it will have to stop barking to hear you - and please - don't spank it anywhere! All this does is teach the dog to be afraid of you.

First get a small jar and fill it with about 10 pennies. When your dog starts to bark, yell the word, ENOUGH!!, and give a good hard shake of the jar. Praise the dog immediately once the barking stops. This works best with smaller dogs.

Take a clean, dry and empty soda can and fill it with about 2 tsp. of unpopped popcorn, then tape opening shut. When the dog barks too much, just shake the can or toss the can in its direction.

Philosophy

Dogs learn awfully fast if they are motivated, i.e. if they really want to learn. In order to teach your dog to perform some tricks, it's a good idea to choose a trick that you at least think your dog might enjoy doing. This often means that if your dog has never carried anything in his mouth, you should not start by trying to teach him to retrieve or carry things. It will be possible to teach almost any dog to retrieve, but maybe you should start with something easier or completely different, like 'shake hands', play hide and seek, etc.

In order to learn the desired trick, the dog needs to know when he is doing the right things. If you toss a tennis ball from your hand and say 'retrieve!', many dogs run after the ball as desired, but it's unfair to excpect the dog to know that you want the ball brought back to you, unless you can clearly 'tell' him that. In order to 'tell' him when he is doing right, you should praise him the exact moment when he is starting to do the right thing. For example, when the dog grabs the tennis ball into his mouth and takes a step towards you, you say 'good boy!!'. If he drops the ball or runs away from you, you give the command again. And again, when he takes even one step towards you, you praise him. This way the dog gradually realizes what you want him to do, and when he has realized that, you can also demand more.

Use the kind of reward that your dog appreciates. Some dogs love treats, some dogs don't care about food that much but may prefer to play with their favourite toy for a while as a reward. However, always use your voice as a reward: use your happiest voice to tell your dog how smart and good he is when he is doing the right thing. This way you will not have to use treats/toys every time you train your dog -- he will soon understand that the vocal praise (and sometimes pats and hugs) mean that he has done what was expected of him. (I would try praise and hugs if treats don't work. Another good idea to try would be his favorite toy. Which toy does he enjoy the most?)

I always prefer using much more praise than 'NO!s'. In the beginning it's unnecessary to tell your dog that he has not done what you expected of him, if you are consistent in praising him when he does the right thing. Besides, teaching tricks should be fun for both of you, and I can't imagine either of you enjoying very much if you end up screaming 'NO!' all the time. Of course there are some exceptions -- If your dog starts to chase a rabbit in the middle of your training session, you naturally shout 'NO!' to him and get him back.

If the trick is relatively complicated (like teaching your dog to bring his own toys into a box, or similar) you have to split the trick into several substeps that you teach one at a time and then try to combine them. For example, if you try to teach the fore mentioned trick, first teach your dog to carry his toy, then to put it into a box, then to find the toy and bring it into the box, and then to do this with all of his toys. It is very important that you realize when a trick is too complicated to learn in only one step. It's better to proceed too slowly than too fast.

Don't practise too much at any one time; practise often (you can practise as often as 1-3 times a day if you wish) but only for short times. The dog learns best when you quit each session when he still would like to go on -- this way he will be motivated to continue the next time. If your dog seems to be bored by the trick, take a break from training, or teach him something else that he might enjoy more.

If he will except the treat, I always used a small piece of dog kibble. I held it gently out of reach, if the deed was done correctly, I gave the kibble. One note, I didn't always reward, otherwise, he will expect it everytime he thinks he is pleasing you. Sit and stay were the easiest for me to teach my dogs. Boredom comes easily with schnauzers, so don't be discouraged. It takes a lot of patience. If you have just brought your puppy home, it might take a couple of weeks before you notice much change. Remember, he is used to his littermates, and he is now in new surroundings. Start with a simple trick first, such as hand shaking, and as he learns, more on to more difficult tricks or training. Also, as you teach the trick, use a certain command word, that he can associate with the task you wish him to do. But choose your "code words" as short as possible. The first command you much teach is sit.

This is one of the easiest tricks to teach to a dog. First you must teach your dog to sit on command. Probably the easiest way to teach a dog to sit on command is to have a treat (dog biscuit, piece of cheese, etc.) on your hand, lift it up above the dog's nose and say 'sit!'. If the dog is standing and tries to grab the treat, don't let him get it, but repeat the same maneuver again. When he sits, immediately give him the treat and praise him. Repeat the trick a few times.

Another way to teach a dog to sit on command is very simple but takes a little more time: each time you see that your dog is going to sit, tell him to 'sit!' and praise him when he does that (+ give a treat). It doesn't take very many repetitions for the dog to realize what the command is for, but this still takes longer than the above mentioned method.

Some poeple suggest you to teach a dog to sit on command by pressing his butt on the ground while saying 'sit!'. I suggest you first try the other two methods though, just to see how easy it is to teach a dog even without using force. Later, once he has clearly understood the meaning of the command 'sit!' you can use this method if he doesn't obey you. Try to be gentle though, there's no point in causing the dog pain when teaching him tricks.

Once your dog has learned to sit on command, you can proceed to 'shaking hands'. Give him the command ('say hello!' or whatever), and gently hold his paw with your hand and give him a treat with another hand. Repeat this a couple of times -- most dogs learn this very fast, if your timing (the command + the praise and treat) is right.

Always remember, what works the most is "patience", "hugs", and "kisses". It takes time, and won't happen overnight. If treats won't work, praise, or a favorite toy will. Another key thing to remember, is that schnauzers can be stubborn, but don't give up, show that you are boss. Be firm, but gentle at the same time.

So, you’ve got a new addition to your family, one who wags his or her tail and looks to you eagerly for food and love. Your pup is housebroken and comfortable in it’s home. Now what? Many people get a dog for the purpose of companionship or protection. They assume that a dog will simply adapt to their owner’s instructions and will do as they’re told in time. This may be so in some cases. However, the following is a surefire way to teach your dog to do some simple tricks. Once taught, you will see that it pleases your dog to perform these tricks, because our pets, more than anything, love to see us proud of them.

The first thing to take into consideration when training your dog is learning environment. The environment should be familiar, preferably in your home. If you have a yard, you may want to use the same training techniques both in your yard and inside your home. Dogs can have very short attention spans, and training your dog in a place with unfamiliar landscape, objects or scents will reduce your pup’s ability to focus.




Another environmental factor is the number of people present during training sessions. Only one family member should train your dog. It should be done one on one, again, to eliminate distractions. Once your dog has successfully learned each trick, the initial trainer should model the steps to each family member. They should remain seated and quiet while observing, and then try to prompt the dog to do the trick using the exact same hand motion, words and vocal tone.

The next considerations for proper dog training are rewards and punishments. Tangible rewards should consist of your dog’s favorite snack. It should be very small in size or broken into small pieces, because you may go through a large amount of treats in a short period of time. You will also use verbal praise as a reward, so that eventually your dog will do tricks without the promise of food. This will shortly be described in more detail. Rewards should only be given to a dog when it has properly performed the trick you are commanding it to do. If you instruct your dog to sit and it rolls over, your dog should not be rewarded.

Punishments for not performing a trick correctly should only include withholding of rewards and a firm “NO.” You want your dog to respect you, not fear you. Screaming or physically punishing your dog will cause your dog to be resistant to further training.

Another, and perhaps the most important, factor in training is voice tone. Your commands should be clear and firm. Your “No” tone should also be firm, and slightly louder. Your verbal praise should be loving, encouraging and excited. Think of how you would speak to a small child who has just accomplished something great. You may want to accompany verbal praise, such as “Good Boy/Girl,” with a pat on the head or a quick back scratch. Choice of words is also crucial. Choos one word or short phrase for each trick. If your dog doesn’t respond at first, do not get discouraged and do not change your word or phrase. This will only confuse your dog.

Once all of these factors are in place, teaching your dog should be fun and simple. Spend at least a solid hour teaching each trick, and teach only one trick per week. Practice that trick each day for at least a half-hour.

SIT

1) Stand about a foot from your dog, facing him/her. With one finger, point to the dog’s backside while saying “SIT.”

2) Take your hands and gently move your dog’s body into sitting position, repeating the word “SIT” every five seconds.

3) When your dog is sitting, give him/her a treat and verbal praise.

Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3. Eliminate step two when your dog sits on their own.

STAY

1) Instruct your dog to sit. Extend your hand, palm flat (as you would signal to

stop) and say the word “STAY.”

2) Repeat the word “STAY” every five seconds as you back away from your dog

Slowly, keeping your hand extended.

3) When you are about ten feet away, take down your hand and say “COME

HERE .”

4) Give your dog a treat only when he/she waits for your hand to come down and

for you to call them.

Repeat steps 1-4 , giving treats only when your dog stays put until your cue. Say

“NO” and start over if your dog comes before you give a signal. Next, try holding up

a treat while your “STAY” hand is still extended. If your dog does not stay, say

“NO” and hold your flat hand close to his/her face, saying “STAY.” Try pushing

your hand farther forward when you hold up the treat, to keep your dog focused on

the command rather than the reward.

LAY DOWN

1) Instruct your dog to sit. Hold your hand palm down and push it to the floor,

saying either “DOWN, “ or “LAY DOWN.”

2) Gently pull your dog’s front paws until they are laying down, repeating the

word “DOWN.”

3) Give your dog a reward and verbal praise when they are laying down.

Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3, eliminating step 2 when your dog lays down on command.

ROLL OVER

1) Instruct your dog to sit then lay down. Take a treat and hold it at your dog’s

Chin. Circle it very slowly around your dog’s head, allowing he/she to

follow it.

2) Say the words “ROLL OVER” as you bring the treat around the top of your

dog’s head. At this point, your dog should roll over naturally, trying to get

the treat.

3) Give your dog reward and praise when they have rolled over on command.

SHAKE HANDS

1) Instruct your dog to sit. Extend your hand, palm up, about a foot from the

ground and a foot from your dog. Say the word “PAW.”

2) Take your dog’s paw and place it in your extended hand, repeating the word

“PAW.”

3) Give your dog reward and praise when he/she gives you’re his/her paw.

Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3, eliminating step 2 when your dogs gives you’re his/her paw

on command. Once your dog has learned to do this, try saying “OTHER PAW,” and

moving your hand slightly to the left or right, depending on which paw you want

them to give you. Keep switching back and forth until your dog alternates between

paws.

Now that your dog has learned these simple tricks, continue to allow them to show off. You should keep in mind that you and your dog have worked hard to get to this point, and being consistent about practicing will keep your dog’s tricks fresh in his/her mind. You may want to use words or phrases different than the ones suggested above for each trick. That is fine, as long as you use the same word or phrase every time, and as long as it is not a word or phrase you will use for something else. You can also use these techniques for other tricks, altering the instructions slightly for each new trick. Enjoy your dog’s new abilities, and don’t forget to let your dog know how much you care about them every day.