TRAINING DOGS: THOUGHTS ON TRAINING

I have been thinking about training and all the different methods and ideas out there, and some of them are really out there a long way.

What I can say for certain is that there is no one single method of training dogs that will improve every dog. The methods used by Anna Lee work well to improve the behavior of most dogs. Each animal is an individual, and each handler is unique. The successful handler always remembers this, and will use methods from a collection of skills acquired through experiencing several individuals. If you are not seeing the results you desire, take a close look at your own performance not the dog’s ability. Try something else but do not abandon what you know. Constantly build your knowledge data base. The handler is supposedly of higher intelligence so, if you have a problem, fix the situation, do not just talk about it. Look at your life style critically. Are you getting enough sleep? Vegetables and Fruit? Grains for vitamin B? If not, then perhaps your dog feels the stress on your system. Dogs see things like that; they can detect disease, eminent seizures, subtle changes in body chemistry and have senses we can only imagine. Your dog is a very healthy best friend with no bad habits like smoking, not eating and staying up all hours partying. Is your life style or your behavior a bad influence on your dog?

Use fragrance free personal grooming products and cleaners; your dog has superior scenting ability and some products are irritants that drive dogs into radical beings.

Do a selfie video of your training. Have a mental image of how you want the team of you and your dog to look and move. Make it happen; seriously.

Don’t be in a hurry to work your dog without a leash until you have a thoroughly trained companion dog excellent or equivalent. CDX is an internationally official Kennel Club obedience title for recognized pure bred dogs. All dogs, purebred or mixed, showing or just being a dog, should be trained to this level. It just makes life so much better for everyone; yourself, your family, your friends, people coming to your door or walking past your house, and the dog.

Have a spa day with your dog. Do your nails together. Have a friendly non training chat. Watch a movie together, let your dog chose the movie.

Anger is something we have to deal with in dog training. Mostly our anger, but sometimes the dog will be angry. Over corrected dogs will try to flee, will lay down in submission, or will come out and bite (sometimes as a warning sometimes as pure anger)

Best advice; don’t over correct your dog by jerking too hard on the leash. It should be more of a shake than a jerk. The sound of the collar cues the dog and at times the actual pop, propels him into motion. Use wrist action, kind voice and praise, more than strong arm or approach; dogs seldom run from happy laughing people. When all else fails laugh out loud.