HELPFUL HINTS

Prevent or stop begging!Avoid getting your pet into the habit of begging by always placing all treats in their food bowl. This helps to reinforce in their minds that any food they receive will be found in that place. Only give a treat when your pet is sitting or laying down, never when they are up and jumping!

Get your pet accustomed to riding in the car: Start off with short trips and gradually work up to longer ones. This will also relieve some of the anxiety pets feel on the way to Veterinarian’s office by teaching them that car rides don’t always mean a trip to the doctor! Note: It is a good idea, especially with very young animals, to plan the ride a few hours after their last meal to avoid upset stomachs! Young animals should not spend any long amounts of time outside until they are fully vaccinated:

Playtime can be for learning: New experiences can be created for puppies by erecting barriers, tunnels, etc. This is an excellent way to give quality play time and exercise to a virtually housebound animal, as well as helping to stimulate mental growth and development. Give your pet a treat when he successfully completes a barrier or tunnel.The basic “come” command should always be irrestible for your pet: When disciplining your pet, NEVER call him to you to be punished: Get up and go over to him. He will be much more willing to respond to the “come”command if he associates it with affection, treats, or a trip in the car. “Punishment” should be only given at the moment a pet makes a mistake. Any corrections made “after the fact” are not likely to take hold and will only cause anxiety which may make for more mistakes. Give many more praises for the good behavior your pets shows than focusing only on corrections.

Pets should not be given any type of cloth toys, articles of clothing or shoes to play with: It very difficult for them to distinguish between these “toys” and actual articles of the family’s. Use rawhides or rubber puppy toys instead. Never play aggressive or “equal basis” games with your pet, especially a dominant puppy.
Even during play time, it should be made clear to your pet that you are the pack leader at all times.
It is possible to have lots of fun with your pet without losing your image as the authority figure. Avoid playing fighting, tug-of-war, etc. Toss a toy or tennis ball for them to retrieve. To help your pet adjust to his or her den or crate, use a rag or blanket to play with your pet on, and then use it for the bedding. This playing on the rug will help the pet to associate it with good feelings and pleasant activities.

“NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE”
If your dog does not literally look to you for all its’ needs, he wants you to read and understand the following:

The exercises described below are the foundation for regaining your pet’s control and its total reliance on your supplying all of its needs. The goal here is to control your dog’s behavior and not to incite aggression or anxiety.

The first step is to find a food that your dog loves, something really attractive! We recommend small bits of cheese or cooked meat without spices or fat; or “milk-bone” type rewards broken into smaller pieces.

Give your dog a small piece of food when starting the training exercise so it knows what the rewards will be during the training session (do not start training sessions immediately after meals since we want to use the dog’s hunger as a motivation). Let your dog smell the food, and then tell the dog to sit. Keep saying, “sit” until they do it. Use a calm voice and stay still so as not to distract your pet’s attention from your eyes, not the food treat. Eventually your pet will sit, immediately when it does say “good dog” and give the food treat.
If your dog jumps up to get the reward close your hand so it does not get the treat. Immediately ask your dog to sit. Only reward your dog when it stays still and you bring the food to them.

Sometimes the dog will be sitting but be very anxious, it may only be watching where the food is and not your face. To correct, place the food behind your back in a cup or baggie. Get the dog to look at you and listen to your voice. Always reward an adoring gaze and a relaxed posture by your pet! If your pet is too “hyper” or is holding its ears back in anxiety or tension stop the session and try again when your dog is calmer.

It won’t take long for your dog to learn that sitting (or laying down) is what gets the reward and that getting up does not. What you should be rewarding is a relaxed frame of mind and attention, not just the act of sitting- make this your goal. The dog should always look to you for cues as what to do and not to look for the reward! In this training session “sit” means sit, look at me, relax, and wait for my cue to you. Also link the giving of the treat with saying “good dog”.

Through these exercises you and all family members are establishing voice control over the dog. It also teaches them that you are in control of all situations. If at any time your dog cannot do the next step, break the step into 2 or 3 smaller steps. Call us if your pet has particular problems for advice.

**** Remember, if your dog thinks it is dominant, you must make it sit still and watch your face before: you let it or take it outside, before you feed it, and before you play with it. Your pet should not be allowed to “guard” choice locations such as the couch, recliner, bed, etc. It is only allowed to be near these locations when you ask it to for very short time periods and only after it has realized that literally, “nothing in life is free”!

Our goal is to allow your pet to learn that when it pays close attention to you it’s needs are satisfied and that you and your family are the “leaders of its’ pack” and it trusts you to be in control.

Pet owner: take time to go through these steps, they should note all be performed during the first few training sessions so as to keep your pet’s attention. You can figure that 2 training sessions per day of 15-20 minutes duration is needed to “retrain” your pets’ mind while avoiding loss of concentration. Whenever it appears that your pet is starting to be distracted have it perform an easy and quick “sit” then reward it and end the session on a “good note”.

*******Your dog’s tasks: ********
1. Sit while you step back 3 steps and return.
2. Sit while you take 3 steps to the right and return.
3. Sit while you take 3 steps to the left and return.
4. Sit still for 10 seconds.

5. Sit while you walk a quarter way around the dog.

6. Sit while you walk around the opposite direction.

7. Sit while you walk halfway around the dog.
8. Sit while you walk 5 steps backwards then return.

9. Sit while you “jog” 5 steps to the left then return.

10. Sit quiet for 10 seconds.

11. Sit for 20 seconds.

12. Sit for 10 seconds.

13. Sit while you take 10 steps briskly back and toward the dog.

14. Sit while you walk 10 steps to the right, then to the left.

15. Sit while you walk around the dog.

16. Sit while you slowly walk out of view then immediately return.

17. Sit while you leave the room for 5 seconds then return.

18. Sit while you walk 10 steps to the right, then briskly walk an equal distance to the left then return.

19. Sit quiet for 10 seconds.

20. Sit for 5 seconds.

21. Sit for 10 seconds.

22. Sit while to circle the dog.

23. Sit while you leave the room for 10 seconds.

24. Sit while you back up 10 feet, you sit down for 5 seconds, then return to the dog.

25. Sit while you walk to the front door then return.

26. Sit while you walk 10 feet from the dog, then circle the dog and return.

27. Sit while you repeat the above step at brisk pace.

28. Sit while you circle the dog at a brisk pace.

29. Sit while you circle the dog twice.

30. Sit for 10 seconds.

31. Sit while you leave the room for 10 seconds.

32. Sit for 5 seconds.

33. Sit while you circle the dog at 10 feet at a jog.

34. Sit while you walk across the room, sit on a chair for 15 seconds, then return.

35. Sit while you walk briskly 20 feet to the right, then left.
36. Sit for 5 seconds.

37. Sit for 10 seconds.

38. Sit for 60 seconds.

39. Sit for 30 seconds while you sit 5 feet away.

40. Sit while you go to the door and ring doorbell.

41. Sit for 10 seconds.

42. Sit for 60 seconds.

43. Sit while you walk to the door and knock on it twice then return.

44. Sit while you rattle doorknob, then return to dog.

45. Sit while you open door then close it, then return.

46. Sit while you open door, say “hello” then return.

47. Sit while you open door & talk to imaginary person, return.

**** Repeat entire set of procedures in a different location, for example, where the dog would be sitting when visitors enter.

****Repeat the tasks, but reward with treats after every 3rd or 4th task, still praise after every task.