TannerRedBoneCoonhoundAdolescent

 If you can not get Tanner to bark, then you can use his low whine to start with.   That being said, some ideas for barking: Start outside where he might see something he is interested in barking at. If you have time and he starts barking, take the time to practice this then.  Some common occurrences of this might be mail man, oil man, dog barking in the distance, unable to get to one of you for whatever reason (and assuming other person has Tanner), video of dogs on YouTube might help.  In auto is the obvious, but for many reasons this is not the ideal place to start, although it could be done (more difficult to design it for the beginning point though). Sometimes if one of the owners rides a bike that will make a dog bark. If you are out walking and he is on leash, that could be a good time to practice with him if he sees a dog. Here are some youtube videos that I sometimes use in training (dogs are sometimes not fooled or get used to them quickly): https://ww...

  STEP 1:    Lure your puppy into a sit in heel position (puppy's shoulder should line up with your leg) on the side of you and facing in the same direction as you .  When sitting in position, you can give your puppy the food reward. STEP 2:   Before heeling, be sure to have a food reward in your left hand. STEP 3:   Now you want to stand straight with the treat now held above your dog's nose.   Remember though, that you still are luring him into the heel position that you want.  Arm should be extended slightly in front of you (not off to the side) to lure your puppy's head forward straight and slightly beyond your leg. STEP 4:   Say "heel" and step forward with your left foot.  Your treat hand should be held slightly in front of your puppy's nose. STEP 5   Go a number of steps forward (be sure that you can retain your puppy's focus (If it is difficult you probably need to reduce the steps).   If your puppy walks or veers ...

    NOTE 1:  ALL TRAINING SHOULD BE DONE WITH TRAINING COLLAR AND TRAINING LEASH DONE. NOTE 2:  DO NOT LEAVE TRAINING COLLAR ON WHEN YOU ARE NOT ACTIVELY TRAINING YOUR DOG. NOTE 3:  EVERYTHING THIS WEEK SHOULD BE DONE IN LOW AND EASY DISTRACTION, UNLESS IT IS TOO VERY EASY.  IN THAT CASE, YOU CAN SLIGHTLY INCREASE THE DISTRACTION FOR SIT ON THE DOG FOR INSTANCE. NOTE 4:  WHEN I SAY  EASY, THIS MEANS THE DOG IS CALM, NOT PANTING, AND YOU CAN DO THE MORE ACTIVE EXERCISES FOUR TIMES IN A ROW EASILY. NOTE 5:  THE TEXT IN BLUE GOES TO THE LINKS OF THE DIRECTIONS OR THE VIDEOS FOR THE EXERCISES. NOTE 6:  IF YOU DON'T GET THROUGH ALL THE EXERCISES IN ONE DAY, YOU CAN JUST BE SURE THAT THE EXERCISES YOU DID NOT GET TO ARE DONE THE NEXT DAY.   THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, I THINK, IS THE MOLDED SITS.   HOWEVER, THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER TO START TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR. NOTE 7:  THE GOALS ARE PLACES TO WORK TO IN THE FUTURE.  IF ...

  Behavioral Exercises: (New) Behavioral Downs (not down command): Another dog doing a behavioral down with me: Obedience Commands: Continuing Molded Sits with Tanner, Food Treat Only after 4th molded sit: Still Sit Stays: Circle Place with Leash Dropped Increase Distance and Work Towards 1 minute (video of Tanner Missing for this one, so putting in another dog's video): ***Note we will be working to getting onto the long line and possible outside (weather permitting) with Tanner.  You can just work to getting to the end of the short leash this week or even possibly dropping (but not taking off) the short leash. Long Place Started:

PROPERTY OF MANNERLY MUTTS DOG TRAINING AND ROBIN RUBIN. WE ONLY ALLOW PAYING CLIENTS TO COPY THIS MATERIAL FOR THEIR USE ALONE. THIS MATERIAL MUST NOT BE DISTRIBUTED TO OTHER NON-CLIENT PARTIES OF MANNERLY MUTTS WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. NOTE1:   DO NOT RUSH THROUGH THIS EXERCISE.   IF YOU STOP AT ONE SECTION, BUT DO THE BEST WORK POSSIBLE THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.   IF YOU CAME HERE MORE ADVANCED, BUT HAVE TROUBLE AT ONE LEVEL, THEN BACK DOWN TO THE PREVIOUS LEVEL, AND GET THAT DONE CORRECTLY BEFORE MOVING ON.   CORRECTLY GOING ON MEANS THAT THE DOG CAN PERFORM THE TASK WITHOUT TREAT OR CORRECTION FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIMES. NOTE2:  SINCE WE HAVEN'T STARTED GIVING THE COMMAND FOR SIT (WITHOUT A TREAT), YOU CAN COMBINE THIS WITH YOUR MOLDING EXERCISES, AND NOT GIVE A COMMAND FOR HIM STAYING STILL UNTIL YOU RELEASE HIM. Equipment Needed: 6' Leash (to begin with) Training Collar (martingale, metal chain collar, or prong collar) Explanation and Goa...

  Long place is technically the 4th step in the overall place command:   First step is intro.  Intro is just walking the dog and letting them pass over it.  "Place" is said when all paws are on the place. Second step is teaching the dog to step on the place themselves. Third step is teaching them that there is a boundary they should not step off. Fourth step is beginning to proof and advance this exercise by having them keep themselves on the place for a period of time.   Trainer only gets involved if they try to leave. This teaches your dog that you might very well be in a seated position when they are in a place (while the third step has started the idea that you may be moving around the room).   This is tricky for dogs as they usually want to be petted or cuddled when you take a seat, but it is important that owners have time to read, work, eat a meal, and so on without constantly needing to pay attention to their dog.   Usually ...

 STEP 1:  Place flat leash on the ground. STEP 2:  Step on the leash, but you do not want the leash tight on the dog or puppy.    They should be able to stand if they want, but not get too far away from you.  ***Note unlike sit on the dog we are standing, and also we need to start in a really quiet non distracting area first, whereas on sit on the dog you can get away with being in a much more distracting area. STEP 3:  Wait not only for the puppy to go down, but also, you want their chin to rest on the ground.   Additionally, you want them totally relaxed and not sniffing or still actively seeking to check out their environment. STEP 4:  Time how long it takes to 1st Target behavior (total body relaxed and everything on the ground including their chin) and then how long the puppy or dog remains in target behavior. STEP 5:  Once the puppy or dog lifts their head up or engages in the environment again, wait until the second target be...

Equipment needed: 6' Leather Lead Training Collar Explanation and Goal of Exercise: This method of molding the dog into position, teaches the dog to allow our hands to mold and manipulate various parts of their body. The handler is also teaching themselves how to determine if a dog's muscles are relaxed with trust OR tense with distrust. Additionally, it is possible to detect a physical problem by touch as you mold your dog down. This also prepares your dog to sink into a sit readily when given the correction later on (if the correction is even necessary).  A sit is when your dog's upper torso is upright,  front leg(s) on the ground/floor, and bottom area is on the ground. Hand Drills (practice until your moves can move swiftly through the motions without the handler needing to think about it, before practicing with the dog): Practice these without the dog for a few minutes prior to starting. Your left hand will hold leash, transfer to your right hand (grasp near snap bol...

   NOTE 1:  ALL TRAINING SHOULD BE DONE WITH TRAINING COLLAR AND TRAINING LEASH DONE. NOTE 2:  DO NOT LEAVE TRAINING COLLAR ON WHEN YOU ARE NOT ACTIVELY TRAINING YOUR DOG. NOTE 3:  EVERYTHING THIS WEEK SHOULD BE DONE IN LOW AND EASY DISTRACTION, UNLESS IT IS TOO VERY EASY.  IN THAT CASE, YOU CAN SLIGHTLY INCREASE THE DISTRACTION FOR SIT ON THE DOG FOR INSTANCE. NOTE 4:  WHEN I SAY  EASY, THIS MEANS THE DOG IS CALM, NOT PANTING, AND YOU CAN DO THE MORE ACTIVE EXERCISES FOUR TIMES IN A ROW EASILY. NOTE 5:  THE TEXT IN BLUE GOES TO THE LINKS OF THE DIRECTIONS OR THE VIDEOS FOR THE EXERCISES. NOTE 6:  IF YOU DON'T GET THROUGH ALL THE EXERCISES IN ONE DAY, YOU CAN JUST BE SURE THAT THE EXERCISES YOU DID NOT GET TO ARE DONE THE NEXT DAY.   THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, I THINK, IS THE MOLDED SITS.   HOWEVER, THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER TO START TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR. NOTE 7:  THE GOALS ARE PLACES TO WORK TO IN THE FUTURE.  IF Y...

 Sit on The Dog: Molded Sits: Intro to Place (note Tanner's video did not come out so another dog's video is below): Send to Place: Circle Place:

   THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PLACE (STEP 1): STEP 1:   Position your place equipment in the middle of the room. STEP 2:  Start walking your dog around the room. STEP 3:   Walk  with your dog over the place area.   When all four paws are in the place, say "place". STEP 4:   Repeat step three from every angle of the place mat or bed (remember dogs can totally interpret something as "just from this direction", so help them to learn to generalize the command by doing this). STEP 5:  After several (15 or so) repeats of this, stop short of the mat, and see if the dog is ready to step on themselves.   SEND TO PLACE (STEP 2): STEP 1:   You still have a leash and collar on your dog.   The place (board, mat, dog bed) item is in the middle of the room so you can walk around it, and use all sides to place your dog (so that they do not generalize). STEP 2:    Now as you a...

Exercise: Sit on The Dog (do not confuse with the down exercise later on) Equipment needed: Metal Training Collar (for puppies a flat collar will due but be sure they can't slip their head out if it's too loose), 6' leather lead, chair for handler to sit on that they aren't too worried about (IE an antique chair would not be a good idea, especially for a dog that might try to chew something other than their toy while you aren't watching, but a good metal folding chair will do), silence which means no verbal commands, praise, or corrections. Also no conversations of any sort with your dog. Objective and Goals: This exercise starts the leadership portion of dog training in a very non confrontational way. You are defining the space and activity that the dog will inhabit while you are engaged in other activities. It starts the process of showing the dog how to quiet themselves down during certain times of day, and employ self control in distracting situations. You are...

  Dog lovers know that a dog's physical appearance as far as size, hair length, hair color, ears shape, curly or flat coated, age, and so on.   Dog's are also individuals, and these internal characteristics do not show on their outsides.  These personality traits and temperaments can vary wildly from playful, wary, suspicious, defensive, resource guarding, driven, active, laid back, and so forth.   Add to the mix that some dogs have some training or real life experiences that may be useful as a dog owner or trainer creates a training plan.  Recently, one of our blogs went over  why there are so many different methods, techniques, and tools  that help a dog owner to train their dog. A professional dog trainer will look at the dog you have right now (as best they can in the time they have) to determine the right path to start down.  A dog owner who is honest with themselves can begin to assess this too.   None of these traits det...

  If you spend time working with the dog you have, you will grow to appreciate them for who they are. A professional dog trainer will be able to design a training plan that will help you maintain an incredible working relationship:) I have said before, I do not see dogs as a listing of their faults as their total personality or "the real dog".   I always see dogs as them plus their potential.   That being said, not every dog's potential is to be the idealized "bomb proof" dog who loves everything and anybody no matter what.   A dog with behavioral problems does have a very statistically high probability of dramatic improvement in some way.  If we get beyond the point expected for the team, I will gladly take that.   Sometimes and not often a dog does much better than I imagined for them.   Owners should take that kind of success, if it happens but should know not to expect more of their dog than they can deliver realistica...

  Many dog owners, who have trained their dogs, do not realize the tools for working on many dog behaviors that are problems to us are the  training commands  themselves. The ability to use these commands repetitively in different situations can help build the types of reactions that dog owners prefer from their dogs in many situations. Here are some common dog training issues and the commands (trained well) that can help your dog know what you want in certain situations: NOTE: ALL OF THESE ARE ASSUMING YOU ARE IN SIGHT AND SUPERVISING THE DOG ISSUE: MY DOG COUNTER SURFS OR BEGS AT THE DINNER TABLE  Let's go (which is an informal type of recall) or recall (come command) away from the counter to you. Also a back or go command can be used if you are in the counter area. A place and or down stay command can be used to station the dog away from the area. There are also other options that are not in the basic commands such as negative space training, or training...

  Dog parks can be a dog owning city dweller's solution to a space challenged environment so they can provide for their canines exercise needs.  Urban budgets usually do not allow for dog park supervisory staff. There is no one in most parks checking on the doggie guests coming in, whether people are cleaning up after themselves, or available to safely and knowledgeably break up an inevitable fight. Vaccination or pest control medical records are not checked before people come in. The population of individual dogs and personalities changes all the time in these parks. Not all dogs are going to get along with any strange dog that walks up to them, even if they get along with most dogs. Some dogs are reactionary around toys and strange dogs, some dogs just don't like certain other dog personalities, and some dogs are jealous of attention taken away from their owner or live in canine companion. Combine with this the changing pack order that happens, and dog wanting to naturally m...

  Puppies (and some adult or adolescent dogs) are in need of much learning and guidance. One of the most important things to do is to socialize your puppy well in the critical early weeks and months. The first thing that you want to check is that your vaccinations are up to date, and that it is safe to take puppy out to areas with other dogs and puppies. Take a moment to have a discussion with your vet about the best plan. ​ Realize that this is not just about letting puppy loose with people and dogs. There is more to socialization than that. You want to monitor within reason how they react to other people and dogs, and also to control the interactions with people and dogs so that your puppy feels safe with you. Ideally practicing training exercises is also a great way to socialize. For instance, practicing a sit before greeting a human friend or a canine friend. Secondly, do some research to find out what puppy play looks like. Talk to professionals about appropriate correcti...

For the purposes of this article, I am talking about fear (not fear [with] aggression , which has both positive and negative definitions in dog training , behaviors OR aggression behaviors) . Nor the fear that a resource is going to be taken away, and not dominant behaviors (which in my definition are not necessarily undesirable). A dog's personality or temperament, IMO, can not be described as simply "fearful", "dominant", "abused", or "aggressive". Dogs have rich lives (or should have) just as we do, and are not put into one simple box definition. They may have behaviors that fit that definition (and will have other behaviors and characteristics beyond those), but dogs (themselves) can not be IMO defined this way. There are many environmental, medical, neurological, and genetic factors that can push a dog towards fearful behaviors. It's important for owners to know that things they may do can make (one would hope inadvertently) a dog mo...