  
Our Training Philosophy  
The goal of our training is not only to teach
your dog the exercises, but also to help you form a proper relationship
with your dog.   
Good training depends on mutual respect
between trainer and dog. Your dog
must respect you and understand that he must obey you. And as his guardian
you must see to it that his needs are met. This includes shelter, proper
feeding, plenty of exercise, play, training and establishing the rules and
boundaries that he must abide by.
Training provides a means to communicate
to our dogs, what it is that we want them to do, in a way that they
will understand. Through training we can strengthen the bond we have with
our dogs.
We believe that fair
and effective communication is the key to improving and enhancing the
relationship between dogs and people. We also believe that the education
of each dog and owner must be approached on an individual basis. Each
dog’s training should be based on the dog’s individual personality,
temperament, age and history.
About
Our Training Methods
There are many different methods to train dogs.
If you have done any research on the subject you probably have
found that there is often controversy about which way is
best.
Years ago dogs were not the house pets that
they are today. The family dog spent most of the time outdoors,
tied to a tree in the back yard or roaming free.
They received little or no training. Formal training was usually only
for working dogs. Many trainers back then used methods that would be
considered harsh today.
As dogs became part of the family, more
training was needed to help these pets conform to their human world.
Training became less harsh over the years. Even to the point that some
trainers today wont use any discipline at all, not even verbal
corrections, reprimands or a firm “NO”.
We believe that good training lies between the
harsh methods of the past and the treat only methods that are
sometimes employed today. A dog needs to be praised when he does well and
corrected when he disobeys. This is how dogs learn. There is nothing wrong
with telling a dog NO. In fact it is part of our training.
Our training is
based on positive reinforcement. When you share a bond with your dog,
the best positive reinforcement you can give is your praise, verbal and
physical. Your dog seeks your praise and approval. A common mistake made
by many handlers is not giving enough praise and encouragement
when his student does well. The handler should find him/herself
giving at least twice as much positive reinforcement as negative.
Withholding praise will cause your dog to become bored and frustrated
resulting in poor performance. The purpose of corrections is not to teach
the dog what to do, but to help him understand what not to do and only
have to be firm enough to be effective. The purpose of correction is not
to punish. Correction, when administered properly and fairly,
and punishment are two different things.
The methods we use are the same as the methods
commonly used to train Guide Dogs
for the blind.
A trainer
that keeps an open mind about training can easily make adjustments to
suit a specific dog.
Plenty of genuine praise can make
training a happy and rewarding experience for you and your dog.
Training
Tips
Give your dog plenty of exercise. It is
difficult for him to behave and focus when he has too much pent up energy,
Playing with him will help you bond with him.
Be consistent! - Your dog can’t learn when the
rules keep changing. Use the same command each time.
Be patient! - Don’t lose your temper. This will
only impede your efforts to train.
Persevere! - Don't get discouraged. Stick with it, he will get
it.
 
Give your dog plenty of
praise when he responds properly.
When you get your new puppy make sure he
gets proper socialization. 
Socialize him from the start. What he experiences
when he is young will stay with your dog his entire life. Expose him
to as many people, other dogs, children, and everyday situations as
possible. But remember until he has all his shots you must be careful
about where you take him and keep him away from dogs that you do not know.
Also, very important you want these to be positive
experiences. Supervise his interactions with children and other dogs.
Don’t force him into situations that will make him fearful. For example I
do not recommend that you take your young pup to a “Dog Park” . An experience
with a large aggressive dog now could make him fearful, reactive or
aggressive to dogs forever. This is part of his training, so think
about the effect each situation will have before exposing him to it. Every
dog is different. Get to know your pup and what he might be sensitive to.
Early socialization cannot be stressed enough! More
When
you bring your new puppy home he will need to releive himself after the
ride home. Take him right to the area in your yard that you intend
for him to use before taking him into your house. This will get him off to
a good start with his house training.
FAQ
How old should my dog be before I
start training her?
Do you use treats to train
dogs?
Can I leave my dog with you to be
trained?
Some people like the idea of
Dog-Parks, others don't, what do you think?
What do you feed your
dogs?
Q. How old
should my puppy be before I start training
her?
A.You should start
training her as soon as you bring her home. We aren’t talking about formal
obedience training here. Training your new puppy should be done in
a playful and positive manner. Make it fun for her now and she will
always enjoy training sessions. No harsh corrections. Call her name,
always praise her when she comes to you. Teach her to sit. It soon will
become her way of saying please when she wants something and give her an
alternative behavior when she is doing something you don't want her to do.
Prevent unwanted behavior before it becomes established. You can help do
this by keeping all forbidden items out of reach, don’t leave food on
counters to steal or shoes lying around for her to chew on. These
behaviors are self rewarding. For example your dog jumps on the counter
and steals a steak. She will not forget and will continue to counter surf.
You would have to make a pretty strong case to convince her that it's not
in her interest to do this. It takes constant vigilance on your part. But
it is easier to keep a watchful eye on her or keep all items out of reach
than it is to eliminate the behavior after it has become established.
A proper sized crate is great for keeping her out of trouble when you
can't supervise her. Also remember that some of the things she does now
that are cute will be considered bad behavior or annoying even intolerable
when she is older. Don’t unintentionally train her to do these things by
encouraging her when she is small. This is the time to bond with your pup.
Praise and affection will help you bond. The best age to begin formal
training is from four to six months.
7 Tips for training your
puppy
1. Make training fun
for both of you
2. Be patient and progress gradually
3. Keep sessions
short and fun, avoid boredom (for both of you!)
4. Reward good
behavior with praise and treats
5. Never shout at or
punish your puppy
6. Teach one thing at
a time
7. Always use the same command
words for the same actions – and make sure the rest of your family does
too
(Back)
Q. Do you use
treats to train dogs?
A. Sometimes. Some breeds respond
better to training with treats. It depends on the individual dog and the
type of training required. Treats and toys can be very effective tools to
teach a new behavior or motivate a dog to perform an advanced exercise.
Treats can be useful in training for Agility and other Dog
Sports. Use treats for training tricks never corrections. Tricks are meant
to be fun.
But learning and obedience are two
different things. Your dog should be expected to obey simple commands. If
your dog will only perform an easy
exercise, for example sit, if you offer him a treat, he is not working for
you or obeying you. He is working for the treat, a bribe. Sometimes it’s
not clear who is bribing whom. If you use treats to train your dog be
certain you are rewarding him, not bribing him.
However each dog is
different. So each dog will require a different approach.
Training with treats would usually be appropriate to train a shy
dog, a fearful (but not aggressive) dog, and dogs with a history
of abuse. Using treats with these dogs can help you gain their trust and
coax them into the proper position. Caution must be used when working with
aggressive dogs. Treats can make the problem worse if not properly used.
Sometimes a combination of treats and Traditional Training is
useful. And of course early training for young puppies should include
treats as well as praise and affection.
If you have an older dog, chances
are that he already knows what you are asking him to do, and giving
him more treats wont make him more obedient. And training with treats,
like any other method of training, depends on proper timing and knowledge
to be effective. We feel your praise is the best reward for most dogs. If
you use treats you must still praise your dog to maintain a proper
relationship with your dog. This is not to say don't give your dog treats.
We all like to spoil our dogs and shower them with affection. When we do
give treats it is just that, a treat to reward our dogs for good
behavior. Be careful not to fall into the "treat me or forget
it" trap when training. (Back)
Q. Can I
leave my dog with you to be trained?
A. This training sometimes
referred to as Board And Train, Boot Camp or Sleep Away is usually not
effective. The dog is being trained but not with the owner. The
relationship between dog and owner has not changed. Soon after returning
home the dog slides back into his old, poor behavior. Most dogs know the
commands and how to perform the exercises, but persist in stealing,
jumping, chewing and all the other offending activities. Exactly the kind
of behavior that led their owners to seek training in the first place. I
have trained dogs like this for clients who cannot physically do the
lessons themselves with mixed results. Usually the client calls a couple
of days after their dog returns home to thank me. They tell me how good
“Fido” is and that he is like a different dog. After several weeks I call
to see how things are going only to find that “Fido” has regressed. When I
return for a refresher “Fido” acts like a perfect gentleman. The client
remarks how well he always behaves for me. I want your dog to behave for
you. Most trainers that offer this service include a lifetime guarantee.
But when they return to “fix” the dog its not certain how long it
will last. Also dogs become more attached to the person that trains them.
Even more so than the person that feeds them. This is why it is better for
you to train your dog with the help of an
experienced instructor who can explain why your dog is behaving the
way he is and help provide you with solutions to change his behavior.
Q. Some
people like the idea of Dog Parks, others don't, what do you
think?
A. I have mixed feelings about Dog
Parks. They can be a great place to let your adult dog run and play with
other dogs. My dogs and I have shared some enjoyable times with other
owners and their dogs. However you must be very careful. Not all people
are responsible dog owners. I have seen aggressive dogs that don’t belong
there. Some
owners completely ignore their dogs and their aggressive behavior
toward other dogs. Many owners have no control over their dogs. I
always watch to see who is approaching and I am ready to leave at a
moments notice. The mood of the dogs can change quickly when a new
arrival enters the park. A new female or male entering the park can
change the whole dynamics of the group. Remember dogs are pack animals and
their pack instincts can take over in a group of other dogs. I do not
recommend taking your young puppy to a Dog Park. You should never take a
puppy to a Dog Park until he has had all his shots. Even then a bad
experience at a young age could cause a puppy to become fearful,
aggressive or reactive to other dogs for the rest of his life. I
would recommend you try to find owners with dogs, that you know to be
friendly, to socialize your young dog. Also it is your duty as your dog’s
owner and leader to keep him safe. If you don’t, your dog could be
injured. Or he could take matters into his own hands and begin to fight.
This could diminish your standing in his eyes. And of course there are
health issues. So if you have a dog park nearby and a dog with lots of
energy by all means check it out but beware of the potential for problems.
I have found that times when there are only several dogs at the
park are best. (Back)
Q. What
do you feed your dogs?
A. I am frequently asked by my
clients, what is the best food to feed or how many times a day
should they feed their dog. First of all puppies should be fed
three times a day. They should be fed on a regular schedule. This will
help with their house training. Depending on the dog and your own
schedule, they could begin to be fed twice a day from about six months to
a year old. I do not recommend free
feeding (leaving their food down for them to graze on through out the
day). This can lead to health-weight and sometimes behavior problems
(with some very dominant dogs it is better to control the food).
However I know a few dogs that have none of these problems with
free feeding. Usually you should pick up your dog's food after 10 -
20 minutes. At one year they could be fed once a day. For
years people fed their dogs once a day, but I prefer to feed my dogs twice
a day. That is what I recommend. As a matter of fact Sandy has IBS and I
often feed her three times a day. More frequent smaller meals seems to
help. Once a day feeding can cause problems. Some dogs become so hungry
that they will start to eat things that they shouldn’t. Others have a hard
time eating a large quantity of food at one time. Some dogs seem to thrive
on just about anything, even the cheapest brand of food. I feed my dogs a
high quality natural dry food (Canidae). It is a little more expensive than what you
would pay for foods found at the supermarket, but what I save on
veterinary bills makes up for it. Sandy has her IBS problem and she does
very well on this food. Wilson gets one ear infection after another when
fed foods with grains (Food allergies cause ear infections more than
anything else. The most common foods that dogs are allergic to are wheat,
soy and corn. These are commonly used as fillers in cheaper foods.). There
are many other quality brands out there. Everybody has their
favorites and some dogs do better on certain brands. In my opinion they
are all worth the extra cost. I put a dollop of quality canned food on
top. They seem perfectly happy with just the dry food but I don’t mind
spoiling them a little and it adds a little diversity and source of
nutrition. Meat scraps from the table are great as long as they don’t
have sauces and stuff on them. Especially onions. Onions are among the
foods that are toxic to dogs. Also be sure to feed any scraps in their own
bowl with their meal so they don’t start to beg for your food. Give your
dog plenty of fresh water, especially in hot weather. Water is important
to help regulate a dog's temperature when it is hot. I
give my dogs bottled water. I don’t know if there is any scientific proof
to back it up but it seems to help Sandy with her IBS problem.
I believe the chlorine in tap water kills the beneficial bacteria
that help dogs digest their food. The store brand in the gallon jug is
fine. I have found that a lot of dogs don’t like the taste of chlorine.
Many people are amazed at how much more water their dogs drink when they
come to visit. Below are a few links about dog
food.
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