ARTICLES
ARTICLES
BORN TO LEAD DOG TRAINING ARTICLES
Aggression in Dogs
The Early Window Of Socialization To understand canine dysfunctional aggression you need to understand factors in play when the dog was a puppy. Beginning at three weeks, when their eyes open, and lasting until fourteen weeks of age, puppies develop bonds and sensitivity to the people and animals in their life. If a puppy is not exposed to positive interaction with dogs during this period they...
Bloat
If you’re a dog owner, it is imperative that you are familiar with a potentially deadly canine condition known as Bloat or GDV. Minutes count with dogs suffering from an attack of Bloat/GDV, and immediate veterinary intervention is imperative. Bloat is a top killer of dogs. Bloat can affect any dog of any size, though it is most common in large and giant breeds with deep chests. Dogs that...
Bringing Home a New Puppy
This article is not a step by step guide to house training. This is a practical, natural approach to introducing a dog into your home the right way to maintain your rank. Many people have delusions of grandeur when bringing home a new puppy. They think it will be all hugs and kisses and the dog will magically respond to all of our human thoughts and wishes as if their mother warned them that...
Canine Sibling Rivalry
Sibling rivalry, or fighting amongst dogs inside the same household, usually stems from either normal competitiveness amongst dogs of similar age, sex and development, or adolescent dominance struggles, or both. Fights among siblings can sometimes seem severe with blood drawn, etc. However, when the animals are close in age and similar in temperament, (i.e. not willing to give in) these fights...
Come!
The biggest complaint we hear from people is “My dog doesn’t come when he is called.” Teaching your dog to respond to the “Come” command immediately and consistently is important not only for your dog’s safety but also allows you to give your dog more freedom. The mistake we make: People often inadvertently train their dog to NOT come when called. Dogs are creatures of habit. If you often call...
Easing Separation Anxiety
Many dogs will whine or bark for a few minutes when left alone, but if this behavior escalates to continuous vocalization, destructive behavior or out-of-character housebreaking accidents, then your dog has separation anxiety. Many owners believe their dog is “getting back at them” for being left alone. In actuality, chewing, digging and barking help the dog relieve stress. Anxiety speeds up...
Fear and Aggression
Let me preface this whole thing by stating flatly: fear aggression is THE single worst behavior problem to deal with in a dog. It is also THE single hardest behavior problem to "correct". "Get thee to an expert" should be the response to almost all queries concerning fear aggression. That said, there is something to be learned in a generalized discussion concerning fear aggression. Fear...
Helping Your Fearful Dog
Dogs can be fearful because of past trauma, lack of proper socialization during puppyhood, genetic predisposition or a combination of all these factors. Our natural instinct when our dogs are fearful is to soothe and comfort them. Unfortunately, this sends exactly the wrong message to our dogs. From their point of view, we are praising and rewarding them for being fearful. Obedience training can...
House Training Dogs
There are 2 methods to housetrain your dog, the crate method and the paper training method. The crate method is preferred but requires constant supervision. The paper-training method is a bad idea and can lead to real difficulty down the road, after all, you’re training your dog to relieve herself in the house! This is only a good idea for a small percentage of pet owners depending on their...
How to Live with a Dominant Dog
What is dominance? Because dogs live in packs, they need a way to avoid fighting over limited resources such as food, bones, and mates. They establish a pecking order with the most dominant dog as the leader. If there is one bone and two dogs, the more dominant dog usually gets the bone. Each dog is born with a certain amount of dominance in his personality. Even in a litter of puppies, you can...
The Dominance Quiz
Here is how you can tell if it’s you or your dog in charge of the household. Take the following quiz. If you flunk any one of the questions and you are sending a subtle message to your dog that it may be the one in charge. Flunk them all and you better change things quickly. 1) Does your pet get out of your way when you walk? Alpha dogs do not move out of the way of sub members. Rank has its...
Toxic Substances to Dogs
There are many substances that are toxic to our canine friends. Some of these substances are obvious but others most people are not aware of. Antifreeze Rat Bait/Poison Ant Bait/Poison Slug/Snail Bait Household cleaning products Many, many types of indoor and outdoor plants Cocoa Mulch Grapes Raisins Onions Onion Powder (in many types of dips) Alcoholic Beverages Dried...
BORN TO LEAD DOG TRAINING ARTICLES
Aggression in Dogs
The Early Window Of Socialization To understand canine dysfunctional aggression you need to understand factors in play when the dog was a puppy. Beginning at three weeks, when their eyes open, and lasting until fourteen weeks of age, puppies develop bonds and sensitivity to the people and animals in their life. If a puppy is not exposed to positive interaction with dogs during this period they...
Bloat
If you’re a dog owner, it is imperative that you are familiar with a potentially deadly canine condition known as Bloat or GDV. Minutes count with dogs suffering from an attack of Bloat/GDV, and immediate veterinary intervention is imperative. Bloat is a top killer of dogs. Bloat can affect any dog of any size, though it is most common in large and giant breeds with deep chests. Dogs that...
Bringing Home a New Puppy
This article is not a step by step guide to house training. This is a practical, natural approach to introducing a dog into your home the right way to maintain your rank. Many people have delusions of grandeur when bringing home a new puppy. They think it will be all hugs and kisses and the dog will magically respond to all of our human thoughts and wishes as if their mother warned them that...
Canine Sibling Rivalry
Sibling rivalry, or fighting amongst dogs inside the same household, usually stems from either normal competitiveness amongst dogs of similar age, sex and development, or adolescent dominance struggles, or both. Fights among siblings can sometimes seem severe with blood drawn, etc. However, when the animals are close in age and similar in temperament, (i.e. not willing to give in) these fights...
Come!
The biggest complaint we hear from people is “My dog doesn’t come when he is called.” Teaching your dog to respond to the “Come” command immediately and consistently is important not only for your dog’s safety but also allows you to give your dog more freedom. The mistake we make: People often inadvertently train their dog to NOT come when called. Dogs are creatures of habit. If you often call...
Easing Separation Anxiety
Many dogs will whine or bark for a few minutes when left alone, but if this behavior escalates to continuous vocalization, destructive behavior or out-of-character housebreaking accidents, then your dog has separation anxiety. Many owners believe their dog is “getting back at them” for being left alone. In actuality, chewing, digging and barking help the dog relieve stress. Anxiety speeds up...
Fear and Aggression
Let me preface this whole thing by stating flatly: fear aggression is THE single worst behavior problem to deal with in a dog. It is also THE single hardest behavior problem to "correct". "Get thee to an expert" should be the response to almost all queries concerning fear aggression. That said, there is something to be learned in a generalized discussion concerning fear aggression. Fear...
Helping Your Fearful Dog
Dogs can be fearful because of past trauma, lack of proper socialization during puppyhood, genetic predisposition or a combination of all these factors. Our natural instinct when our dogs are fearful is to soothe and comfort them. Unfortunately, this sends exactly the wrong message to our dogs. From their point of view, we are praising and rewarding them for being fearful. Obedience training can...
House Training Dogs
There are 2 methods to housetrain your dog, the crate method and the paper training method. The crate method is preferred but requires constant supervision. The paper-training method is a bad idea and can lead to real difficulty down the road, after all, you’re training your dog to relieve herself in the house! This is only a good idea for a small percentage of pet owners depending on their...
How to Live with a Dominant Dog
What is dominance? Because dogs live in packs, they need a way to avoid fighting over limited resources such as food, bones, and mates. They establish a pecking order with the most dominant dog as the leader. If there is one bone and two dogs, the more dominant dog usually gets the bone. Each dog is born with a certain amount of dominance in his personality. Even in a litter of puppies, you can...
The Dominance Quiz
Here is how you can tell if it’s you or your dog in charge of the household. Take the following quiz. If you flunk any one of the questions and you are sending a subtle message to your dog that it may be the one in charge. Flunk them all and you better change things quickly. 1) Does your pet get out of your way when you walk? Alpha dogs do not move out of the way of sub members. Rank has its...
Toxic Substances to Dogs
There are many substances that are toxic to our canine friends. Some of these substances are obvious but others most people are not aware of. Antifreeze Rat Bait/Poison Ant Bait/Poison Slug/Snail Bait Household cleaning products Many, many types of indoor and outdoor plants Cocoa Mulch Grapes Raisins Onions Onion Powder (in many types of dips) Alcoholic Beverages Dried...
