How To Raise A Bombproof Puppy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen, do you hear that?

Scratch, scratch, ah-oooh!

That’s the sound of your new puppy searching for answers.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

You are beginning to realize that raising a puppy is damn hard work, and you are worried about getting it right. After all you don’t want to make any mistakes and end up with a dog that get’s into trouble.

I know you want the best for your puppy but you worry that you won’t have time for obedience classes, and proper exercise, and all the information you searched out on the internet has only left you more confused.

One trainer says you have to teach your pup that you are the boss. Never let her go in or out the door before you, and if she is disobedient then toss her on her side and pin her to the ground until she submits to your Alpha status. Another says to give your pup a cookie when she is doing what you want, and ignore her when she is being bad.

What if I told you that all these trainers are wrong.

What if I told you that there’s a better way to make sure you never make any mistakes with training you new puppy, well maybe minimal mistakes, that are very easy to correct and have no negative emotional effect on your fuzzy faced friend, and takes up very little of your valuable time.

Lots of new dog owners face these same struggles, but the ones who succeed are the ones that found a coach that understands what they are going through, because they have a long history of raising puppies and have proven that they can raise happy and well-adjusted puppies into adult dogs.

Three Important Principles to Remember When Training a Puppy

There is much more to understanding the best ways to raise and train a puppy, and if you want to know more you can always contact me through the comment section below, but for now I will outline three of the main things to remember.

#1. The most important thing is to teach your pup what to do with all that energy.

Your new pup is full of vim and vigor and has a relentless need to sniff, taste, and see all the things in her environment. What is important for you to remember is that while physical exercise is a must, it is even more critical for you to provide emotional exercise for your pup, and one way to drain her energy is to play games that engage her prey drive, games like tug of war, and pushing. Be sure to follow the links to find out exactly how to do each exercise.

Important to note: When playing tug of war with your pup, go easy on her little teeth, just hold onto the tug toy and let her do the pulling. Tug is a great way to re-direct her from biting and mouthing things she shouldn’t. The same goes for pushing,. at first you should just apply a little resistance, and as she grows she will become more enthusiastic for the push. The pushing technique demonstrates what the little girl experienced with her Mama when she struggled against her litter mates to get a drink of life-giving milk. Pushing with your pup will help you stay bonded with her in much the same fashion as she did with her Mother.

These exercises should be done with your pup on a long line, for her protection, just drop the line and forget about it, and focus on having fun with your pup. Encourage your pup to chase you around the yard or follow you for tasty treats.

By tapping into your pups natural prey drive, or the desire to chase and bite things, you can connect with your pup on an emotional level, and build a strong foundation that will help to ensure your pup is attracted to you in times during their life when things get intense in the human world they live in.

#2. Teach Your Pup How To Relax

The next thing you will want to do is to make sure your pup has plenty of time to just lie around doing nothing. There is going to be times when her energy is high, and times when it is low, and by taking the time to structure these times so her behavior is shaped in accordance to these arcs will go a long way toward having the kind of success you want.

One way to do this is to try your best to make sure all her high energy activities are done outside, don’t be concerned about obedience at this point there will be plenty of time for that later on. Right now you want to focus on teaching her when and where to let her energy out, and when and where she should relax.

When she is inside, this is the time to relax and just chill, this is the time to give her a bone to chew on, or gently massage and soften her muscles into a fluffy lump of relaxation.

#3. Guard Your Pup From Stress, and Resolve it When it Happens

Your pup is going to absorb stress during the day just by virtue of being alive.

You will want to observe how her experiences in the world make her feel,  and you will get to know when your pup is stressed because her behavior will reflect her emotional turmoil.

She might run hog-wild around the house, barking or growling, she may even be submissive, or become physically tense. This means that you have exposed her to things she can’t handle, and you will want to try to not let things go that far again.

Tips For Preventing Stress In Your Puppy

1. Instead of taking your pup down town on busy streets, take her for a walk though the woods or in a quiet park.

2. Dog parks are bad business for puppies, instead get to know other like-minded people who have pups around the same age as yours and arrange play dates.

3. Get to know the signs that your pup needs some rest, and don’t fall into the trap that says you have to keep your pup busy with training and socialization., rest, relaxation, and following this simple outline without placing demands on your pup is more important at this stage.

4. Consider each activity that you are going to expose your pup to and ask yourself if this is going to produce stress for your pup, and keeping in mind that anything done inside is going to be more intense for your pup than it is for you, and if the answer is yes, then consider your alternatives.

For example if you are having friends over, it would help your pup if you met them outside, or even go for a short walk around the block together. Another example would be if you are going down town to shop, it would be better if your pup stayed behind in her crate, with a tasty bone to chew on.

How To Resolve Stress In Your Pup

All that energy has to go somewhere and if you want your pup to stay in that emotional flow then you have to give that energy direction. The exercises I outlined above, pushing and tug of war will certainly release any stored up stress your pup might have, and all you need to do is re-direct your pup onto one of these more positive outlets for their energy.

So, congratulations on your new pup, and remember you are not in this alone, if you have questions please let me know what they are in the comment section below, and I will be happy to answer them for you.

You can get some more great dog training tips that will improve your dogs behavior when you follow this link

5 Tips To Improve Your Dogs Behavior Starting Today

All the best,

Harley

The Key To Understanding Your Dog, Is In Knowing It’s Nature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been called worse, but I guess you could call me a self educated naturalist.

I find it very interesting and quite frankly grounding, to observe nature in action without outside influence.

The fall reminds me of the times as a young boy when the leaves changed colors
and could no longer cling to the trees, and there was that nip of winter in the
air, my  Uncle Eldon would say,

`Well it`s time to get the traps out and lay the line for winter.“

We would spend hours walking through the woods looking for signs of our quarry
and discussing the best spots to set the traps.

We would look at an old log that had fallen over a
natural animal trail, and ponder if it was high enough off the ground to
ensure a bobcat would have to go under it and not jump over..

Because the nature of the bobcat is to be stealthy, so that means low to the ground
and when faced with the option of jumping over something and possibly giving away
their position, or belly crawl under something they will inevitably go under the
log, thus our reasoning for placing he trap under the log to increase the likelihood
of success.

Now I don`t trap and kill anything for any reason, that was the way my Uncle lived
out of necessity and he provided well for our family.

What I learned about the animals that lived in the woods around where I live, gave
me the knowledge to be able to communicate with our family dogs in the way nature
intended, by observing how they interact with one another and how their instincts
dictated how they behaved.

I learned how to think like a dog..

 

I learned from and early age that it is not possible to teach a dog to think like
a human, they are not that complex, but when you take the human factor out, and think
about your dog as an animal, with instincts and needs that are very different than that
of humans, then it becomes much easier to know what they instinctively and naturally need
to feel safe, protected and have a sense of well-being.

Dogs crave physical and mental exercise as well as strong leadership that sets clear and consistent
rules, boundaries, and a structured way of life.

When a dog’s natural needs are being met, they will feel that the pack is safe and not have
to deal with any stress.

Dogs have evolved to have a close bond with people, but I believe most people, (not all, but most)
have forgotten or don`t think about the dogs natural instincts, and relate to their dogs in a
very human way, and in my experience this is where people create the stress that causes their dogs
to develop behavior problems that for most dog owners is unmanageable.

But when I am called to come and help someone with their dog troubles, and I tell them that the
reason their dog is acting out is because of the way they interact with the dog on a daily basis,
and that the dogs natural instinctual needs are not being met, and that their dog`s temperament
is a direct result of the relationship they have formed with their dog,and that they simply don`t
understand their dogs needs, they look at me like I have three heads.

Here are a couple of tips for having well-behaved happy and balanced dogs..

 

Teach your dog to respect your personal space, at the door, on the stairs
and when you are watching t.v. or eating supper..

Don`t worry so much about if your dog sits before going out, but be more concerned about how your
dog behaves at the door., is he polite and gives you room to open the door, or is he jumping,and
pushing at you, nose right up against the door waiting to bolt out the door?

Teach your dog to have respect, for example if you get up to move through the house does your
dog get up in anticipation of your movements or do they lie in your way and force you to walk
around them or step over?

If you answered walk around or step over, you can be sure that something about your relationship
with your dog has gone wrong, and you will need to re-evaluate how you interact with your dog.

If you liked today’s post, then let me know by liking my Face Book Page

River Valley Dog Training

all the best,

Harley

How To Train Your Dog To Not Growl Around The Food Dish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to tell you a story about a friend of mine who thought she
had raised the perfect puppy.

Until that day she was forced to call
me to come and help her because as she put it, “My dog has gone off
the edge!”

I listened intently while she remembered the first day she brought
that fuzzy little puppy dog home, the whole family was so happy.

Julie did everything right, obedience training, socialization
training, and the best care that money could by.

Or so she thought.

She was just beginning to think that she had done it, because her
puppy was now 10 months old, and completely house broken and had
never chewed anything that he shouldn’t, went to his crate when she
asked, and got along with the kids and the cat, even played well
with the old dog in the next yard.

And then “it” happened..

Julie was just walking by her beloved dog as he was eating when she
heard it for the first time..

Grrrrrrrrr,

Julie looked down and could not belive what she saw..her dog was
frozen stiff, with his face in his food, lips curled up, showing
teeth, and giving her the stink eye.

I told her to relax that I could fix this up right away, and that I
was glad she didn’t wait to call me as this behavior is much more
difficult to modify if time has passed and it becomes a way of
life.

So I explained that her dog was showing the first signs of resource
guarding, and that is can present in many forms, over toys, places
to rest, people, a hamburger wrapper that has fallen to the floor.

Basically anything that a dog thinks is important to them, and in
Julies case it was over food.

Once a dog has something he believes it is his, and will take
measures to keep it.

That’s why I always tell people to never, and I mean never let a
child under twelve, feed your dog.

As with Julie’s case, even the best trained and socialized dogs can
literally snap in second and strike.

Remember “Kids + Dog + Food = Bad Business”

Now to get back to how I was able to help Julie with her resource
guarding pup.

How to train your dog to not growl around the food dish.

I told her I was very happy that she called me because there are
still trainers out there today that would tell her the dog is being
dominant and needs to be shown who’s the boss, maybe get the belt
out.

Those people are wrong, and are only making matters worse.

Dogs are not trying to take over your house, dominance is a dog
thing, between two dogs and it is more an act of confidence than
anything else.

I asked Julie what she did when her dog growled at her and she said
I did nothing I just walked to the kitchen sat down and made my
self a coffee, thought about what had just happened and why, then I
called you.

I told her that was exactly what she should have done.

You see if you confront your dog in that moment of him growling to
protect his food, you will only convince him that growling was not
enough to get you to back off, and he may very well go to the next
level and bite you.

The old saying is true “violence only brings more violence”

This is what I told Julie to do the next time she fed her dog.

Feed him at the regular time, but this time instead of one bowl
have two and fix his food and have him sit and wait.

Then put down the empty bowl and watch what happens.

He will cock his head, and look at the bowl, and then look at you,
maybe push the dish with his nose or paw, and will be very confused
about what is the deal, where is my food.

I told her to ask him to sit again and this time take a few pieces
of food and toss them into his bowl from a distance of about three
feet, and be careful not to get your fingers close to the bowl in
case he lunges in.

Feed him his entire meal this way,,and teach him that in order for
him to eat you must be present around his bowl.

Over the next few days, slowly inch closer to his bowl until you
are standing right next to it.

Then you can begin to put about half of his food in the bowl before
you put it down, and then periodically drop a few of the remaining
pieces in the bowl.

Around day 5 you can give him the entire meal in one go and then
every once in a while throw in a piece of sausage, chicken, or
steak.

This will teach the dog that he has nothing to worry about when you
are around his food dish, he will understand that you are not going
to steal his food, in fact he will begin to like having you there
because he gets extra tasty treats along with his kibble.

Depending on the severity of the food guarding this process will
take the better part of a week, but in some cases could take
longer.

Julie said she had no idea why this was happening all of a sudden
and asked me what I though started this all.

I hesitated to ask but she wanted my opinion,

and I knew she had a boy friend that was there quite often,

so I asked her if he had ever tried to take the food dish away from
the pup just to prove that he could.

She gasped and said how did you know.

I told her that this is the most common reason a dog will become
aggressive around the food dish, a lot of well-meaning people think
it is necessary to muck around with the dogs food to prove they are
the Alpha.

I told her to explain to her friend that doing this will only make
the dog worried about his food, and to tell him to stop doing it.

There you have it, if you have a dog that is growling around the
food dish, be sure to not confront your dog as this will only make
things worse.

Try what I told Julie to do, it worked for her and it can work for
you too.

If you like this post let me know by liking my Face Book Page

River Valley Dog Training

All the best,

Harley

Does The Thought Of Training Your Dog Make You Want To Pull Out Your Hair?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s no wonder that people are totally confused about how to train
their dogs, they need only do an internet search using the key words
dog training..there are literally thousands of so-called experts
giving advice to everyday dog owners about the right way or wrong
way to train their dogs.

Trouble is most of these people have little or no experience with
actual real dogs to back up what they may have learned in a book,
or in a 3 minute video on You Tube, yet there they are steering people down the wrong path.

Then, if that’s not enough to spin your head around..

Head on down to the local post office or barber shop, and there you
will find plenty of people to give you advice about the way they
train their dogs..and as well-meaning as these people are, and
convinced, as well that they are right, sadly, most of these people
are wrong too.

I understand that sometimes our dogs behavior can be frustrating
and can very easily make you angry, even make you cry..and I can
understand the desperation that comes with having an out of control
dog,that you love, but have absolutely come to the end of your
leash.

I urge you to take a step back, don’t just take the first piece of
advice that anyone gives you and apply it to your dog, take the
time to search out a reputable trainer, or behaviorist, who has had
many years of experience dealing with dogs and their behavior and
has a proven track record of success..this might take a few days,
but no doubt the behavior that is causing you stress has been going
on for some time, so what’s a few more days to be sure to get it
right.

One more piece of advice, I always ask my clients when they tell me
that they tried some training advice and it didn’t work, from whom
did they get their advice. It surprised me how many responded that
they got the advice from their vet.

I always respond with the same thing..I ask them, You wouldn’t ask
a dog trainer to spay or neuter your dog would you..and they always
say no..to that I reply well it probably is not a good idea to ask
your vet how to teach your dog to not be aggressive to other dogs..

Let me know if you liked this post by liking my Face Book Page River Valley Dog Training

All the best,

Harley

How To Teach Your Dog To Come Every Time You Call

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For most dog owners it is common to have a dog that will come to
you sometimes.

Maybe 7 or 8 times out of ten.

Then there are dogs that simply won’t come at all.

Even run away from you when you call

This is not only frustrating but it can be very dangerous for your
dog.

If you follow the tips below you can teach your dog to come every time you call. 

I am sure many of you can relate to at least one of these
scenarios.

You’re at the park and you let your dog off leash, and he or she is
gone, out of the park into the woods and if your lucky they come
back a few hours later..

You call your dog to come and he or she gets just about to you and
then veers off to go sniff another dogs butt.

You call your dog to come and they just stand there and look at you
like you’ve lost your mind..and the second you take a step toward
them they take off and you can’t catch them, it’s like a game to
them.

Now your dog knows what it means when you call them to come and
there are several reasons why they are not complying.

#1 The Deal You Make With Your Dog.

By this I mean if you expect your dog to come to you when you call
you had better have something more interesting and exciting that
what it is they are distracted by..however in a lot of cases what
happens is you call your dog to come, and he gets to you and you
clip the lead on, put him in the car and take him home.

What your dog has learned is, I was having fun, my leader called
and suddenly the fun is over and I am back home in the yard, or at
the vet, or to the groomers to have my nails clipped.

What you have inadvertently taught your dog is that it is not a
good deal to come when called, and the next time you call your dog
he is not likely to come straight away.

I suggest you practice calling your dog and when they get to you
tell them good dog, give them a big piece of sausage, and then let
them go and play again..

When you do get ready to leave, instead of calling your dog to
come, just walk up to her take her by the collar put the lead on
and take her to the car.

You never called her to come so she won’t relate coming when called
to a negative consequence.

This is a good deal for your dog.

#2 The Prize

Some dogs like food as a prize,

This don’t mean the dry kibble they get twice a day in their bowls,
this is not going to be a good deal for your dog. Use powerful
treats like whole sausage, big chunks of last nights steak, ect.

Be random with your selection that way your dog will not know what
he is getting but will know that whatever it is will be good and
well worth coming to you to find out what he has won for a prize.

Look at it like this, if I gave you a dollar to do a job you
wouldn’t be very keen to do it, but if I gave you 1000.00 dollars,
you would be much more willing to do as I ask, and would be ready
to go the next time I asked you to do a job..make sense?

Some dogs like praise and belly rubs as a prize.

Some dogs like toys, sticks balls, ect as a prize.

#3 The 50 Foot Rope

If you can’t get your dog to come at all, then it’s important to
control your dog from the start. The rope will give you control
over your dog in any environment, and make training the recall much
easier. Don’t let them off the line, until you are sure he is going
to come when called.

Call your dog to come give a little tug on the rope and when he
gets to you give him the prize and let him go..repeat..for a couple
of days and you will be amazed at the progress you will make.

#4 What You Are Saying With Your Body Language

Sometimes people will call the dog to come and then start moving
toward the dog, this will cause your dog to stop to see where you
are going, and may even cause him to walk the other way..in
anticipation of you chasing him.. it would be better to walk away
from your dog.

The best way is to crouch down,,and show the dog the prize, and in
a cheerful and excited high pitched voice call him to come. If you
stand up tall, and command your dog to come they might think they
are in trouble and be less likely to come.

#5 The Words You Use

Use the words good boy or good girl when your dog is coming to you
that way they will know that they are not in trouble, because you
have never used good boy or good girl when they were in trouble.

The most powerful and effective way to teach your dog to come every time you call is too establish with your dog that you are the leader, and once you have, your dog will trust that you are in charge and make good decisions so he or she will stop flipping you the paw as much to say who are you to tell me what to do..and will naturally want to follow you.

If you liked this post let me know by liking my Face Book Page River Valley Dog Training.

All the best,

Harley

All Positive Dog Training, Is It Really Enough?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not one to be controversial, or stir up sh*t, and I might take
some criticism for today’s post but hey, I promised to always speak
my mind and tell you the truth as I see it, thus today’s post is
about all positive dog training…is it really enough?

Nope, I don’t believe it is.

It’s good in theory.

But has a couple of fatal flaws.

Now don’t get me wrong, for some dogs all positive training does
work, but for the vast majority of dogs that I have worked with,
all positive training does not go far enough.

I think having a positive approach to dealing with your puppy or
dog is very important, and the use of treats comes in very handy
when teaching your dog to come, sit, down, stay..however that being
said I believe that sometimes you have to control your dogs
behavior and in some instances that means using a negative
consequence to modify emotional state and behavior.

This doesn’t mean you have to hurt you dog, but I think using a
tool like the time out works wonders for a dog who is a little bit
out of control.

It effectively modifies the behavior and changes the emotional
state of the puppy or dog.

For example if I am working a dog on a long line and suddenly he
gets too excited and begins to bully a dog he is playing with..I
will first step on the long line and then pick it up and give a
little tug..just enough to get his attention..the tug is his
warning..settle down now or I will reel you in and you will have to
sit by me for 5 minutes and watch the other doggies at play, in
other words I will take away your freedom.

This is very powerful and the dog is much better behaved when I
release him again to play.

Or, perhaps your 4 month old puppy is biting a little to hard and
you know that he knows better because you have taught him to use a
gentle mouth..then taking him by the collar and giving him a 3
minute time out is very powerful in sending the message that biting
people is not acceptable, and if he does it he will get a negative
consequence for his actions.

I have learned a lot about being a parent from dog training. The
German Shepherds I have raised are very intelligent and have the
learning capabilities of a 3-year-old child.

Most times my children were well-behaved but there were times when
things got a little to out of control and I or my wife had to step
in and put an end to it.

It wouldn’t make any sense for me to say to my children, “If you
stop pulling hair and slapping one another I will give you a
popsicle..my god they would be slapping and pulling hair 24/7.

Instead I always give them a warning by going in the room and in a
stern voice I would say, “Now if you don’t settle down and quit
hurting one another I am going to sit you in a hardwood chair in the
middle of the floor and you won’t be able to play with anyone or
anything for 10 minutes.”

This is very powerful..no child wants to sit and watch other kids
playing and having fun while they sit on a chair watching..so the
likelyhood of that child slapping or pulling hair is less apt to
happen again.

I did not hurt my child with the negative consequence, but their
behavior was modified and the emotional state was changed.

The other flaw that I have observed, and I have tried many of these
positive reinforced methods of training..classical conditioning,
threshold training, counter conditioning, ect.

While I have no doubt that they work in most instances..the problem
lies in the amount of time it takes to get results..

The average dog owner does not want to spend a lot of time training
their dogs, they want it to be quick and they want it to work.

If the training takes up to much of their already stretched thin time..they will not be consistent enough and many will simply give up.

That’s why I believe that my method of training works the best..I can accomplish in days what positive reinforced training takes weeks if not months to accomplish, and once I have shown people the steps they need to take to put the laws of nature that govern all dogs in place, they too see positive results in a very short order.

That’s all for today, if you liked this post let me know by liking my Face Book Page River Valley Dog Training.

And if you have any questions or comments, put them in the spot below.

All the best,

Harley

Dog Training Questions and Answers About Using Metal Prong Collars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fact: Prong collars are designed to do one thing and one thing only

Their purpose is to cause pain to a dog to get him or her to stop any
number of behaviors, such as pulling on the leash or becoming aggressive
towards dogs or people.

Question: Do they work?

Answer: Prong collars do work if you are into the quick fix, but in the
long run they do nothing to address the underlying reason your dog is
pulling on the leash, and once the collar is removed the behavior comes
back.

Question: Can they be used by the average dog owner?

Answer: Yes, but unfortunately it’s been my experience that if not used
correctly,( timing has to be perfect every time to be effective) a metal
prong collar will only increase the likelihood of the owner getting
bitten by their own dog, and at the very least the dog will begin to
associate pain with whatever else is close by at the time when the pain
comes..ie, another dog, a child.

Question: Is it safe for my dog to interact with other dogs in a social
setting like the dog park while wearing a metal prong collar?

Answer: I have witnessed many dogs in play and at times they will tug on
the collar of another dog in play..if this is a metal prong collar and
the dog feels pain when the other dog tugs on his metal prong collar the
likelihood of a fight increases 10 fold.

My advice is if you plan on taking your dog to the dog park, (which by
the way I think is very risky for you and your dog,) be sure to take the
metal prong collar off before you let your dog go. This will be one less
reason your dog might get into trouble.

I feel strongly that this should be a rule to gain entry to any dog park,
or area where other dogs are going to be running around off leash with
little or no supervision. A big sign that reads..

Absolutely No Metal Prong Collars Allowed!! One Strike And You Are Out.

What I hope you take away from this post is that it is never a good idea
to cause your dog pain. Your dog will live in fear, and nobody wants that
right.

I have a technique that I use to convince people that using these
contraptions are hurtful to their dog, and unnecessary.

When I meet a client that uses a metal prong collar but is still having
issues with behavior, I first point out the scar tissue that has built up
around the dogs neck which makes the use of the collar ineffective, and
then I ask them to put the collar around their arm and then tell
them to give it a good yank.

As they rub the pain away and check for bleeding and bruising

They often comment that they had no idea how much they were hurting their
dogs and most of them promise to not use them again.

There are more effective methods for modifying your dogs behavior that
don’t use force,fear,or pain.

I recommend putting in place the 4 laws of nature that govern all dogs,
and once you have won your dogs mind, then you can influence their
behavior, without having to resort to gadgetry or other adversive
methods.

Let me know if you found this post to be informative by liking my
Facebook Page, click here to like.

All the best,

Harley

How To Teach Your Dog To Come Using A Hill Billy Long Line.

In today’s video post I will show you using my home-made Hill Billy long

line, how to teach a dog to come with distractions.

I added a bonus at the end demonstrating how important it is to be silent
when a dog is thinking about being aggressive.

Rex is hell-bent on killing any cat he sees

Not that he would really eat one, but the sight and movement of a cat
sends his adrenalin on high and kicks in his prey drive to the max, if he
catches one of these cats and gives it a good shaking while in the clamp
of his strong jaws,,well the cat is toast.

He is a very strong dog and would easily pull most people right along
with him.

However the strain he puts on the leash is no doubt causing him some
internal throat damage and this behavior must be stopped before he does
himself serious harm.

What you see in the video is after one day of my putting in place the
four laws of nature that govern all dogs.

If you like this video click here to===>to like my page so I will know.

All the best,
Harley

 

Why I Think Most Dog Obedience Classes Are A Waste Of Your Time And Money

Let me begin by saying that with all things there are exceptions to the rule.

and now on with my story…

I left this place scratching my head in total confusion.

I kept thinking to myself on the ride home, “Is this what dog training
has evolved into?”

Let me tell you why I will never set foot in another dog obedience class, and why I think they are a total waste of time and good money.

A few years back when I was first starting my online dog training
business, I decided to visit a few obedience classes to see what all the
fuss was about.

What I saw made me more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of
rocking chairs.

There were people walking their dogs in and out of cone pylons, zigging
and zagging in any number of geometric patterns, none of which I could see
had any real world applications, and every so often they would have the
dog sit for maybe 2 seconds and then give the dog a treat.

Not once did the instructor speak about corrections or discipline, which
by the way is one of the corner stones of my dog training philosophy.

I did not see anything that would help keep a dog from jumping up on
people or stealing food off the counter, or be able to be around other
dogs without reacting, which is what most people want from their dogs,
and the thought of treating a dog for basically nothing at all really
made my skin crawl.

Everything the dogs did in these classes was motivated by food rewards.
Not only is this impossible it’s not something you will see in nature.

So I put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and did some investigating.

I asked several people I knew that had problems with their dogs and more
often than not these people had at one time or another had their dogs in
obedience class.

Fast forward 6 years

If anything has changed it’s been for the worse, most of my work is un-
doing what was done to the dogs in a formal obedience class. You only
need to look at the streets in your neighborhood to find dogs pulling
people down the street, and if you knock on any number of doors you will
inevitably hear someone yell, “There’s someone at the door put the dog
away!”, followed by uncontrolled insane barking.

These dogs won’t sit for more than a few seconds, rarely will come when
called without being bribed, and forget about holding a stay for any
length of time, it’s just not going to happen.

The simple truth is that dogs and their owners who attend formal
obedience classes are not taught the correct way and much of what they
are taught is unnecessary.

This is why I think the dog training obedience classes are a waste of your
time and money, not to mention detrimental to your dogs well-being.

People don’t want their dog to be like the “Littlest Hobo”

Most of the people I work with just want well-mannered dogs that for the
most part are easy to handle and stay out of trouble. So you have to ask
yourself..

With the large number of dogs coming out of obedience class with no
usable skill and in most cases worse off than when they went in, is it
the dogs fault, the owners fault, or it the methodology messed up?

So just in case you’re not convinced by my insightful posting and you are
hell-bent on taking your new puppy  or dog to obedience class..here’s my number
506-375-4143.

Keep it in a safe place cause I will be hearing from you real soon.

If you liked this post then let me know by liking my facebook page River Valley Dog Training

if you look to your left you will see the big like button just give it a click..

Your support is very much appreciated.

All the best

Harley

Video Post: The Earliest Age To Begin Working With Puppies

I have been raising and training Blue Blood German Shepard’s since 1976

and in that time I have learned one thing to be the absolute truth,people
love puppies and will do just about anything to get the one that pulled
at their heart-strings.

Unfortunately for most of these people their fantasy about what it’s
like to have a cute little puppy is short-lived.

Once they get the little critter home it begins to bite fingers, chew up
the shoes, run around the house like their tail is on fire, and poop and
pee every where.

I made this video to explain that there is a way to
make sure the pup you buy and bring home has some manners,is house
broken, and has been learned appropriate chewing habits.

That being said, once the puppy comes to live with you, it is your job to
ensure the training and socialization continues for a lifetime.

So go ahead and watch this short video, where I bring out my new puppies
for the very first time.

If you like this video please share it with all your friends so they can
have this important information the next time they think about how
wonderful it is to have a new puppy.

and if you haven’t visited my Face Book Page please have a look and click

the like button and that will tell me that you approve.. click  here

All the best,

Harley

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Video 2 Puppies getting used to solid food at the age of 36 days