Dog Leash Training Problems
February 6, 2010 by
Filed under Dog Training
Exercise could be a major part of our dogs’ lives.
Cesar Millan, the “Dog Whisperer”, tells us that to keep up a healthy relationship with our beloved pooches, that relationship should consist of 50% physical exertion, twenty five% discipline, and twenty five% affection.
That’s a lot of exercise!
In order for us to be ready to get pleasure from exercising our dogs as much as they have, it’s necessary for them to behave well each on the lead. Sadly, there are various dogs out there who are afraid of the leash itself – resulting in neurotic, fearful, submissive behavior whenever the lead comes out.
In this text, we’ll have a look at the most effective way to accommodate fear of the leash.
Fear of the Leash
The majority of the time, the sight of the leash is enough to evoke a match of joy – the dog is aware of that leash = walk, and reacts accordingly. For some dogs, though, the leash connotes fear and submissiveness additional than anything else. Perhaps the leash was employed in a negative approach with a previous owner – as a tool for dragging the dog around. Maybe it was used to confine the dog for long hours at a time.
In some extreme cases, dogs have even been whipped with the leash as punishment. Or perhaps your dog is just very highly strung, and is at risk of developing phobias seemingly arbitrarily. Though fear of the leash can have a severely negative impact on your walks together with your dog, the nice news is that it’s straightforward to cure.
You just need some patience and a few basic equipment.
What you’ll need – A leash, made of webbing or leather. Approximately 5 feet (1.25 meters) may be a sensible length, as it enables management while not risk of the dog obtaining tangled within the leash when out walking. Chain-link leashes aren’t suggested, as they’re exhausting on the hands – and additionally will flick the dog in the face, that isn’t one thing you’d want to inflict on any dog, coupled with one that’s laid low with concern of the leash!
A good-quality collar, once more created of leather or nylon webbing. If you’re using one with a snap-lock, create sure it’s safety-approved and won’t come undone under pressure. Slip-chain collars (also called ‘choke-chains’ or ‘check-chains’) should never be used on an unattended dog, as they’re a coaching tool, not a true collar. -
A very little bit of time, and a little bit of patience.
What to Do – Your aim here is to accustom your dog to the lead a very little bit at a time, keeping him well among his comfort zone at every step of the way. As a result of he’s already got a fear of the leash, some discomfort in its presence is to be expected, but watch out for signs of extreme fear: hyperventilating, drooling, submissive urination, rolling eyes (typically showing the whites).
Thus the first step: bear in mind to take baby steps at all times! – If he’s very petrified of the leash, you’ll would like to accustom him to it very slowly indeed. Practice leaving it out in full view, preferably in ‘fun’ places: next to his food bowl, in preferred play areas, near his bed.
Once he’s stopped reacting to the sight of it, introduce the leash to him during a additional active manner.
You can do this by wrapping it around your hand as you pet and groom him. Hold the leash in your hand as you prepare his food; sit by him and stroke him, with the leash wrapped around your hand, as he eats. Keep this up till he’s stopped showing any signs of discomfort – it might take your time, but keep in mind that you’re progressing to accustom him comfortably to the leash. Any rushing is counterproductive. – When he’s not showing any signs of nervousness with this level of progress, you can begin attaching the leash to his collar.
Place him during a sit-stay, employing a firm, calm voice, and clip the leash on. Don’t create a huge deal out of it: your dog can take his emotional and psychological cues from your behavior. If you act like it’s not a huge deal, he’ll follow your lead.
Once the leash is on, provide him it slow to induce used to the feeling of something hanging off his neck. He may get a very little panicky at this stage, and start pawing at his neck and making an attempt to rub the leash off along the ground. If he’s showing signs of nervousness, distract him with a game: a brief game of tug-o’-war (providing he is aware of to drop the toy after you’ve had enough) is a sensible plan; if he can run without getting tangled within the leash, play a brief game of fetch; or, if the 2 of you’re outside during a safely enclosed area, you can go for a short walk.
Don’t attempt to touch the leash at this stage, just let him walk around freely. – Take the leash off once 5 minutes or therefore, and praise him lavishly for being such a smart boy. Offer him a number of small, tasty treats, and lots of petting. – Repeat these last three steps several a lot of times before progressing to the next level: you would like to grant him lots of opportunities to get used to the feeling of the leash itself before you begin using it to control his walking.
The additional positive associations he forms with the leash (which he will do through the games, walks, and treats whereas carrying it), the better for his progress. – Next, it’s time for a short obedience-coaching session while he’s wearing the leash. Five minutes is masses: practice a sit-keep and also the recall command (“come”) whereas he’s sporting the leash. This will reinforce your authority and leadership, and remind him that he’s still expected to obey you while wearing the leash. – When he’s readily obeying your commands with the leash on, you’ll be able to take him for a short walk while he’s wearing it.
If he’s jumpy, do not reinforce his nervousness by rewarding him with attention. Merely ignore him and carry on walking. Keep in mind, he takes his cues from you, thus keep calm and look forward to it to pass. – If, at any purpose, you’re feeling that he’s merely too nervous to proceed (for instance, if he’s still panicking once three or four minutes of walking on the leash), go back to the amount at which he was last 100% comfortable. Wait a few days at this stage before making an attempt to proceed.
Things to Keep in mind
Keep in mind to wait! Don’t attempt to rush your dog’s progress: using force is counterproductive to your end goal. You’re teaching him to relax and be calm around the leash – if you get stressed or pissed off along with his lack of progress, he’ll be ready to tell, and his anxiety levels will increase, not decrease.
Keep in mind to not indulge his nervousness or coddle him if he plays up or gets nervous. If you react to his crying and trembling with petting and cooing, you’re telling him that it’s OK to feel like that. If he’s nervous, either ignore it and persevere, or distract him with a game or short walk. If he’s still panic-stricken once three or four minutes, revert to the previous step and give it more time. – This should go while not saying, but never correct or punish him for skittishness or nervous behavior – once more, it’s counterproductive in the extreme.
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Secrets to Great Dog Health Care: Grooming Your Dog
April 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Health
Even if you’ve got the most easy-care dog in the world, she’ll still need some attention to be paid to her appearance every once in a while – so it’s worth spending a bit of time learning the best techniques for easy, stress-free grooming.
Here is some of the valuable advice I got from one of my favorite sites for dog health care solutions, The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER GROOMING MY DOG?
Not so long ago, the average American’s approach to canine grooming was somewhat cavalier. Dogs were seen as something that lived in the yard (usually in a dusty, hard-floored kennel), ate whatever was put in their bowls, and existed as a sometime-playmate for the household’s children.
Today, we tend to care for our dogs a lot more, and view them more as members of the household than the Thing in the Yard.
Ever since this rise in the estimation of our beloved pooches became widespread, grooming has been increasingly recognized as an important facet of your dog’s regular health-care. It ensures that any skin-care problems are minimized (because grooming distributes the natural skin-oils evenly throughout the coat), and assists you in monitoring your dog’s overall condition – if you groom on a regular basis, you can’t help but notice the presence of any unusual lumps or bumps.
This preventative action has saved many a canine life. Our dogs can’t tell us where it hurts, but taking just a little bit of time every so often to check them over ourselves can save a lot of grief in the long run.
The trick is getting your dog to tolerate (and even enjoy!) the process …
THE FIRST STEP IN THE GROOMING PROCESS
Something that many owners lack experience in is how to wash their dogs. Dry-grooming (brushing and ‘buffing’ the coat) seems to present little problem for most people; the rot tends to set in when water is introduced to the mix.
Most dogs have a strong dislike of being bathed, and in many cases will become utterly panic-stricken when the tub comes out.
This article is going to deal with the basics of how to wash your dog in a way that’ll keep both of you relaxed and happy.
PREPARING YOUR DOG FOR GROOMING
First of all, the absolute most important thing you can do is to accustom your dog to the grooming process. Now, starting this in puppyhood is the ideal way to handle the situation, but of course not all of us have this luxury; if you’ve got an adult dog, you’ll probably need to move a little slower, but you should still start getting her used to being touched and handled all over as soon as you can.
As your puppy or dog gets used to the sensation of being rubbed and handled, she’ll slowly come to enjoy it. Dogs are social creatures by instinct, and physical affection and contact is a big part of their lives – it shouldn’t take long before she begins to trust you, and allows herself to get some pleasure out of your touch.
All you have to do is start rubbing her slowly all over. Fondle her ears, touch her cheeks and neck, rub her back and belly, pick up her paws and – if she’ll let you – give each one a gentle squeeze (treating and praising her whenever she lets you do this, since paw touching is generally a pretty big deal for most dogs). If she has a tail, rub it between your fingers; get her to roll over on her back so you can rub and stroke her belly and hocks.
This might not seem like such a big deal, but it’s actually a really important part of the grooming process: the more your dog enjoys it, the less stressful the whole event will be for both of you, and so the more often you’re likely to groom her – which increases the health benefits for her.
HOW TO WASH YOUR DOG
Bathing always comes before dry-grooming, since it makes brushing and trimming a lot easier as well as a lot more effective (there’s not much point in brushing a tangled, dirty coat!)
You will need some basic tools: a tub, a non-slip mat, a plastic jug, some warm water, a small sponge, and some canine shampoo (not human shampoo: the pH is all wrong for dogs, and will give her dry and flaky skin.)
Stand her in the tub, on the non-slip mat. If she’s a large or unruly dog, you may want to wash her outside to minimize mess – either that, or you can restrain her by tying one end of a light nylon leash to her collar, and the other end to the faucet.
Pour jugs of warm water all over her until she’s good and wet. This breaks down the grease in her fur, and ensures a thorough shampooing.
Mix a little shampoo with another jug of warm water, and rub it thoroughly into your dog’s fur. Start off with her back and rub it into a good lather (but don’t be too harsh!)
Now you can move on to her head and face. Be very careful here – dogs’ eyes are sensitive too, and if you get any water in her ears, she’ll probably get an ear infection. (You can plug her ears with a small twist of cotton wool to help stop this from happening, if you like.)
Remember to clean under her tail before you wash her off – dip the sponge into the shampoo mixture to do this properly.
Now it’s time to rinse: using the jug and some clean, warm, shampoo-free water, carefully tip it all over her and use your fingers to help disperse the lather from her coat. Rinse her off thoroughly at least twice, since any residue that remains will irritate her skin.
Now you’ll need to dry her off: if she’s got short fur, you can use a towel (an old one will do just fine, although big dogs generally need two); for dogs with longer fur, give her a gentle toweling-off first, and then use a hair dryer to get rid of the last dampness. Be certain that it’s set on low heat, and hold it far away from your dog’s fur to prevent burning either the skin or the fur.
KEEP YOURSELF CALM
Remember that most dogs have an inherent dislike of being bathed, which can cause anxiety and even outright panic.
Your dog takes a lot of her emotional cues from you, so make sure you act like a good role model for the occasion. Reassure your dog frequently, keeping your voice well-modulated, low, and even; keep your movements slow and deliberate; praise her lavishly for good behavior, and give her a couple of treats throughout the process to make it more enjoyable for her.
The more she enjoys the process, the easier it’ll be for you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Grooming your dog is just one tiny aspect of maintaining overall health and happiness. For a complete, encyclopedic survival guide to all aspects of dog health, from preventative care to choosing a vet to doggie First Aid (even the canine Heimlich maneuver!), you should take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.
A survival guide for knowledgeable, effective, and life-saving dog care, this manual keeps your dog’s health and wellbeing firmly within your control – which is exactly where you want it to be.
It can’t hurt to look.
By: Ethan Parker
About the Author:
Review expert, Ethan Parker, helps you find what you need in self-help books: the good, the bad, and most importantly, the FREE!
Find out the best deals–and what to avoid–at his free review site, Try It Before You Buy It.
Now it’s YOUR turn!