Coming Soon Cody the Beagle!

The Lovely Shane and I would like to announce that we are adding a new little guy to our pack. Cody is a small beagle that we are adopting from Coweta County Animal Control. Cody is a handsome tri-color, approx. 7 year old Beagle. He has a very laid back and easy going personality. He was found by animal control wandering around without a collar or identification. He has been at Animal Control since May 12 and was scheduled to be euthanized on June 12.

We went to meet him on Saturday. We could not leave without adopting this little guy! I think he wagged his little tail the whole time we were there! And, like all beagles, he loves treats! One of the guys on staff gave him a treat while we were there.

I have enjoyed raising Beagles most of my life. Now I have a real compassion for older adult Beagles. These guys and gals have a difficult time finding a home because everyone seems to want puppies. I urge you to consider adopting an older adult the next time you would like to welcome a new pack member to your home!

He is now going to the the veterinarian to get his rabies vaccine and to be micro-chipped.  Once that is done he will come home with us. We expect that to be done no later than Wednesday.

I will keep you all updated on the progress.

Again, as always, I encourage you to consider adoption when you decide to add a new dog to your pack. If you are in the Coweta County area, take a look at http://www.shelterrescueinc.org. I also always recommend petfinder as an excellent resource http://www.petfinder.com.

I will be posting an entry in the future about some of the wonderful local rescue organizations and their dedicated volunteers.

Till Next Time

-William-
William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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Should the dog sleep in the bed with me

There is really no consensus among trainers about the subject of dogs on the bed. There are varying opinions and pros and cons on both sides of the issue. However, in my opinion, it ultimately is about two things: Do you want the dog on the bed and is the dog well suited to be on the bed.

If you do not want the dog on the bed, that is the end of the story. It is your bed. It is your resource to control. If you never allow your little buddy on the bed, he will not expect it.

The lovely Shane and I allow Cuddles and Copper on the bed with certain limitations. As long as they behave they can stay. If they start moving around too much, barking at each other, etc. it is time for them to get down.

Some dogs do not enjoy sleeping all night on the bed. Copper, for example will nap on the bed as he is doing after a long day of work in the picture on the left.  However, at night, he sometimes will jump on the bed to get petted, then lay on the foot of the bed for a few minutes, then he will make his way to his bed on the floor.

Cuddles, on the other hand, will sleep, most of the night, on the bed with us.

There are trainers who are concerned that the dogs see sleeping on the bed as a sign of the dog being dominant over the people. My thought is that if you have a dog who is aggressive or is guarding the bed then, obviously, it is time for the dog to get off the bed. However, from a training/behavioral perspective I do not see a need to ban dogs from the bed across the board.

There are also health concerns. I am not a doctor. I do not even play one on TV :). That being said, if you have allergies or medical issues that are impacted negatively by the dog sleeping with you, I think that is a so-called, "no-brainer" decision.  In that case I would not let the dog sleep with me.  I think what it all comes down to is that it is your bed so you decide if the dog can sleep with you.

I really like having the dogs close by when I sleep. If I did not allow them in the bed with me, I would want them at least in the bedroom. My reasoning is that if they need to go out to potty in the middle of the night they can (and do) bark to wake me.

Now , what I have written about thus far is adult dogs. If you have a puppy, I think you should seriously consider keeping the little guy in a crate at night. This will keep him from getting into trouble while you are sleeping (chewing up things, etc,) and will aide with housebreaking. It will also be safer for him. As a little guy, it would be easy for you to accidentally hurt him by rolling over on him in your sleep.

However, once the puppy is housebroken and has gotten a little older and bigger, if you are comfortable that he will not get into trouble, I see no issue with allowing him to sleep with you on the bed. He has to also be obedient enough to get down when you  give the command.

Well, I hope this has been helpful to you. Remember, the bottom line is that it is your bed if the dog is well behaved and you want him there it is fine, if he misbehaves or you dont want him there, that is fine too.

Remember if you have any questions about your dogs behavior or about training, please feel free to contact me at any time!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtraining@gmail.com

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TipsTraining Your Dog

Every dog requires training to some extent in order to learn what to do and of course, what not to do. These tips should help you train your dog.

Learn alternatives to treats as positive reinforcement when training your dog. You will find that treats do work. However, most people dont carry treats in their pockets 24/7. Learning to give praise or attention in the way of patting and hugging is a great way to reinforce good behavior, and can be a treat replacement.

 Have your dog learn to just hold one of his toys in his mouth, instead of chewing on it immediately. Every time he does it, give him a snack and use the clicker. After your dog succeeds in mouthing an object a few times, move on to rewarding the dog for picking it up with his mouth. When he does respond, click and provide a reward. Also, rewards should only be given if the toy remains in the dogs mouth.

 Stay with the training, so that he doesnt forget the lessons that he learned. Keep him in practice. A lot of times owners thing training is a one time event. You can encourage your dog to adopt good habits. That is why it is vital to ensure your dog maintains a strict rule system.

 You always want to make certain your dog has good leash manners. This helps keep both you and your dog safe when going on walks.

 If your dog suddenly starts exhibiting behavioral problems, take him to a veterinarian in order to rule out any serious health conditions. Animals that are in pain or that have certain health conditions may lash out or behave inappropriately. This behavior is an indicator to humans that there is something wrong.

 Use treats your dog really loves to achieve maximum training efficiency. This might be an extra-special treat that your dog does not ordinarily have the opportunity to enjoy.

 You need to let your dog be a dog, so give him some time to burn off that energy. Your dog requires a healthy diet, room to exercise, and plenty of activities and toys to keep him or her busy.

 Keeping your dog active is an important part of successful dog training and is also good for their health. Dogs, like people, shouldnt be sedentary. Running, playing and constructive exercise are all essential components of their health and happiness. Make sure your dog gets plenty of walks; play with it at the park, or even look into enrolling it in an agility class. It is best to make sure your dog is moving just as much as possible and does not get bored.

 When training a dog, watch that you do not overdo giving the dog treats. Too many treats can really plump a dog up. It is easy to forget about treats when you consider how much you are feeding your dog. This can happen especially when you are training him.

 Take small steps when crate training your dog. Once your dog seems to have acclimated to the crate itself, close the gate and feeding him through it. Begin with small intervals, and work your way up to longer times. If the dog becomes upset, then you need to take a step back and slow down the training.

 Always give your dog the tools for success. If you are training it to stop chewing things it shouldnt be chewing on, give it things that it can chew on. In addition, keep the household objects that could be dangerous away from your pet. Items like hairbrushes can cause a dog to choke or could block their airway.

 Every dog is unique and is motivated to learn by different things. What your dog likes, doesnt like, and what types of training work for him are all things that you are learning during this process. Regardless of the reason that you have decided to train your dog, provide him with various training exercises and copious amounts of positive reinforcement. You will find it much easier to train your dog if he is happy.

 Your dog should know the difference between right and wrong at all times. This means everyone living in the house needs to enforce the boundaries you set. These inconsistencies can cause significant setbacks.

 Training your dog can be much easier if you use a crate. Use a consistent schedule for proper crate training of your dog. Over time, a dog that is properly crated trained is less prone to having accidents inside the home.

 If dogs have similar personalities, you may be able to train them simultaneously. If your dogs fight or goof off instead of paying attention, it may be wise to do a bit of one-on-one training before training them together.

 Limit the duration of training sessions. It is possible that your dog will lose interest if it is made to do the same thing over and over. Do not spend more than 10 minutes on each session.

 Remember that more difficult behaviors should be approached in steps. A simple example is teaching your dog to get the morning paper. You first need to teach him exactly what a newspaper is and then how to hold it. He will then need to know what the object is by name. Then, he needs to be taught to pick up the object. The last step is to train him to bring the object to you. If you break it down, your dog will understand the linear relationship of the behavior.

 Do not tie a couple of dogs closely together. The dogs could get wrapped up and they may be injured. If one dog happens to be much larger than the other, the small dog could get tangled to the point that it could choke to death.

 You can prevent your dog from destroying your home by keeping it outdoors when you are away from the house. When this isnt possible, you want to provide things that both appeal to your dog and that are okay for the dog to chew on. Establishing acceptable chews toys is also about keeping those things you do not want your dog to chew up behind closed doors or well out out of reach.

 Dog training is mostly about being consistent with your pooch and setting the rules of your relationship. Once those are set, youll find you both enjoy your time together even more! Keep in mind that you must continually reinforce your dogs training lessons. Provide refresher courses when needed and continue to correct bad behavior. Once your dog gets the training basics under his collar, you will not be limited in what you can achieve together..

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