Hysterical yapping at every sound in the stairwell or barking at the fence. It annoys the neighborhood and puts massive pressure on the dog owner. Why do dogs do this? And what can be done about it?

Why do dogs bark?

While only puppies and very young animals bark at the close relative, the wolf, many adult domestic dogs enthusiastically comment on every sound in their surroundings and often bring the dog owners to despair.

Some dog breeds were even bred specifically for this, because this behavior was used. Certain hunting dog breeds indicate the location of the game through their so-called “ringing” (eg beagle) and Spitz and Hovawart act as bell dogs to inform that someone is approaching the house and yard, to name just a few examples.

People seem to be particularly gifted at understanding barking and its meaning. And you don’t even have to be an experienced dog owner to do this.

In a 2005 study, a research team led by A. Miklósi and Peter Pongràz played various bell forms. All human listeners were able to correctly decode the bell sounds and assign them to the different context categories given by the experimenter. People also correctly judged the emotional context of barking (Pongràz, 2005)

This study explains the astonishing fact that dogs that live with people obviously bark a lot more than dogs that travel independently without the social partner.

Barking seems to change the dog owner’s behavior. It is therefore understandable that dogs often continue to bark stubbornly until the “desired reaction” has been achieved.

“Why is he barking now?” I am often asked by dog ​​owners.

Why does a dog bark in training? Why do dogs bark when the doorbell rings? Why do they bark at strangers at the fence, why do some dogs bark when there is food or when people hug?

It is worthwhile to approach the dog sounds a little “scientifically”.

Barking is not the same barking. If you take the trouble and listen to this acoustic phenomenon in peace, you can quickly hear very different bell shapes.

There are many different reasons why a dog barks and it sounds different each time.

The most common are:

• Stress and excessive demands
• Fear and insecurity
• Warn the social group (family)
• Joyful excitement
• Learned barking (it was consciously or unconsciously intensified)
• Separation anxiety
• Hunting behavior and much more

For each of these situations, the motivation to bark is different and it sounds different.

In order to prevent or stop barking, you will have to deal with it differently in training.

Management is the first choice to avoid barking. Barking can be very rewarding and the respective amplifiers that keep the dog’s barking behavior stable can be controlled poorly or not at all.

So not barking at all is the method of choice. This works best with good management.

• Don’t let stress and overwork arise. Protect your dog! Establish distance to all triggers that your dog cannot handle. Train short and well, don’t ask too much of your dog
• Arousal is a great thing,but I have to protect some dogs from themselves. A dog that barks cannot think. Refrain from games, that excite the dog too much. Strengthen your dog’s self-awareness and don’t expose it to uncontrollable situations.
• Fear and insecurity,protect your dog from all situations that it cannot cope with. Establish distance to all triggers and train below the stimulus threshold on these triggers (e.g. click for look)
• Learned barking is consciously or unconsciously amplified by people. People are very sensitive to the noise that a barking dog makes. Barking, as a form of communication, is used deliberately by dogs and rarely miss their target. Attention is an amplifier not to be underestimated. A sign of learned barking, which is kept stable by attention, is the pause between the barkers. (Woof-woof pause- woof-woof pause)
• The barking is also increased unconsciously when the dog gets exactly what he wanted to achieve. A good example is barking on the fence: the dog barks at passers-by and wants to chase them away from its property boundary ( motivation). The passers-by quickly pass the fence and disappear from the dog’s field of vision ( consequence of the barking). The reinforcement that “people bark at the fence” does not stop is that the passers-by disappear. To train the barking here, the passerby would have to stop and only continue as soon as the dog was calm.
• Separation anxiety: Get a dog sitter. Separation anxiety must be trained carefully
• Hunting behavior: Tow line to the dog to prevent actual hunting behavior. Hunting behavior must be trained carefully

Be generous!

Counter conditioning : a very quick and effective way to defuse many situations in everyday life. The previous trigger stimulus is linked to feed, which gives it a new meaning.

Eating makes you happy, not just most people. Food is a basic need, all dogs have to eat. At the same time, foraging can calm the dog. When sniffing, the dog lowers its head, which relaxes the neck muscles and the whole dog.

Be generous!

We have an apartment in our house. This keeps strangers walking through our stairwell, which our dogs like to comment on loudly.

I am annoyed by the hysterical yapping and I also find it uncomfortable with the tenants.

Now I have started to give every dog ​​a cookie with every little noise. I give the trigger stimuli a new meaning.

The sound that has so far barked to inform the group that unknown persons are moving in the stairwell, the sound now has the meaning: “Run fast and pick up your cookie”.

This has changed a lot in the dog group. Recently my dogs have shown me that someone is walking through the house by looking at me and sitting down in front of me. Which, of course, I am delighted to reward.

All behaviors related to fear and insecurity will improve if you train on the triggers .

Click for a look is an effective method here.

We don’t want to suppress joyful excitement. But we can alternately practice excitement, rest and relaxation.

 Nerves can be trained like muscles .

Abort signal, the diversion for the dog              

Abort signals have a bad past ☹ In the past, training was primarily about punishment. It was physically regulated, threatened and worse. Fortunately, the times are over.

Today you can train termination signal positively. Signals are built up that reliably end the behavior just shown and initiate behavior that is incompatible with the undesired behavior. A dog looking for food in the kitchen cannot bark at the fence at the same time. And the problem is solved. The detour for the dog. This will get the dog out of the situation and barking will no longer be practiced as a strategy.

A few years ago I moved into a house where the garden was right next to a bus stop. In the afternoon, when people came from work and went home from the bus stop, they had to pass our garden.

My three dogs back then thought it was a cool game. Barking, they followed the fence along the entire length of the garden, barking loudly, and immediately positioned themselves to receive the next busload. So it went from 4 to 6 p.m. every 15 minutes.

At that time I didn’t have much experience with positive training and was at a loss. An experienced trainer gave me the advice to set up a signal that I could use as a termination signal. The result was really amazing. After practicing “bingo” for 2 days, I carefully “used” it on the third day in the afternoon when the screaming started on the fence.

Incredible! Once called “bingo” and the whole furry team stood expectantly in the kitchen with shiny eyes.

I was overjoyed to end every bark on the fence. A few days later my three beauties surprised me again. After two “woof” on the fence, all dogs turned around, marched into the house and sat in front of me with meaningful looks. “You forgot” bingo “,” they seemed to want to tell me.

Sure, I was a good mistress and immediately delivered a handful of cookies.

“But isn’t that a reward for barking?”

This question is asked regularly. No, you don’t. Only if the dog barks specifically to get food, would you increase the barking with food.

Which brings us back to the motivation for behavior. The dog owner has to think a little bit about why the dog is barking now.

Try to avoid any situation in advance, in which your dog can bark uncontrollably.

Otherwise he will keep practicing (self-rewarding)

– Once is an attempt – twice is an experience – three times is a strategy –

Bingo – the diversion for the dog

The post How to Stop a Dog from Barking appeared first on Dog Fiesta Online.

As a mother of a little daughter, dog owner and trainer, I have often seen how relaxed the relationship between toddler and dog can be when everyone involved meets with calm and respect. Provided they adhere to the general rules described below.

Always under supervision

Contact between toddler and dog should always be done with the full attention of an adult. This also applies if the toddler and dog have known each other for a long time and nothing has ever happened. Full attention means that the adult only pays attention and does not answer e-mails on the phone, on the phone or talk to other adults.

With the first contact with strange dogs, the toddler can sit on the lap of an adult or the adult can sit between the toddler and the dog. Excited dogs can also be secured with a leash by the owner to avoid jumping up or the like.

Who is approaching whom?

Ideally, it is the dog that is invited to approach the toddler. For example, by sitting on an adult’s lap and calling the dog. This should not be a must for the dog.

If the child crawls, stumbles or runs towards the dog, the dog feels threatened and restricted more quickly. It is important to avoid this. If the toddler is curious and wants to go to the dog all the time, an adult should position between the two, as shown above, in order to be able to intervene in time.

If a dog (regardless of whether foreign or familiar) comes running towards the child unleashed, it also makes sense to stand quietly in front of the child or between the dog and child.

The strange dog

Infants should know that they can never approach a strange dog on their own / never touch it!

First of all, the dog owner should always be asked whether approaching the dog is permitted at all. Then the dog should be “asked”. This takes the form that the dog can sniff the child without being petted directly. Since this is difficult for toddlers to understand when they actually want to cuddle, they should be protected by the arms of their parents. Only when the dog shows interest in the toddler it can pet under the supervision of an adult.

Note:
If the dog is simply stroked without sniffing it may be overwhelmed by the situation. It is possible that he feels frightened or feels spatially restricted. The reaction can vary depending on the dog.

Short interactions and retreat

For toddlers interacting with strange dogs, it is best for both sides if the encounters are short and relaxed. This enables toddlers and dogs to process what they have learned better than when they are together for a long time without a break or rest.

If parents and toddlers are visiting dog owners, the dog should have a retreat that is unreachable and taboo for the child. Here the dog can relax and feel safe after the encounter. Children’s grids or kennels / boxes offer opportunities here.

How can the toddler pet dogs and show their affection?

Toddlers like to hug; they hold on to whom they like; they love to kiss their loved ones and cry out for joy. Unfortunately, all of this is uncomfortable for most dogs. Fortunately, there are alternatives that are comfortable for both sides, provided the dog showed (as described above) that he would like to contact the child:

• Only stroke the dog with one hand (guided by the adult)
• The second hand can hold the adult’s hand to keep it busy
• Pause between petting and count to 5 to see if the dog enjoyed the interaction. If the dog comes closer or stays with the parent and toddler, you can continue petting with one hand
• Petting zones are the side of the dog and the side of the neck (not the head from above and not the tail or buttocks of the dog from behind)
• Kisses are sent by hand kiss and blown in the air towards the dog
• Stand to the side of the dog and do not lean over while he is being petted
• The dog can walk at any time and has enough space in all directions

Toddler and dog eat separately

Eating should always take place separately to ensure that the child does not go to the dog food to try it / to watch the dog eating up close and possibly encourage him to defend his food. It can also prevent the dog from stealing food from the child’s hands.

For example, during family meals, the dog can lie in its place, separate from the child, while the toddler is eating at the table. Alternatives are provided by a kennel with a positive structure or a children’s grid. The dog can be fed in its safety zone, which is taboo for the child.

Does wagging tails always mean that the dog is happy? Or how do I know that the dog is relaxed?

Contrary to popular belief, wagging tails does not always mean joy. Dogs wag their tails when excited. This can be friendly, but it does not have to be.

A lack of tension in the body is a sign of relaxation. The dog’s entire expressive behavior plays a role here:

• Snout including lips: hanging and snout slightly open
• Forehead: neither wrinkled nor smoothly tightened backwards
• Eyes: neither wide open with a white crescent moon around the pupils, nor drawn into slits
• Ears: neither strongly pulled forwards nor backwards
• missing hair in the back
• Tail: in neutral position, neither lowered nor raised
• Legs: not stiff

What is absolutely taboo when children meet dogs?

• Sit on the dog or ride on it
• Running wild / walking past dogs: this can cause fear or hunting behavior in dogs
• Jerky and rapid movements, such as waving your hands or kicking the dog
• Shouting: Dogs have a fine ear
• Drag games: If the dog has something in its mouth, the toddler should not pull on it
• Never disturb dogs while sleeping, eating or playing!

One last thing:
We adults are role models and toddlers imitate us. It is therefore important to teach the toddler how to treat animals respectfully and lovingly right from the start. This includes that animals are not toys and that they can withdraw at any time.

The post How to Keep Toddlers Safe with Dogs appeared first on Dog Fiesta Online.

On the Internet you can see many videos where a baby is lying next to a dog, crawling to it, wiggling towards it or touching it. Many dogs lick the baby’s face, look briefly at the camera and continue licking. Such pictures appeal to many people. Many wish to see exactly this relationship. You see love, care and closeness. Unfortunately, the reality is often not as rosy.

Not always loving?

Parents learn what exactly licking a baby or child can mean in every free Dogs and Storks and Dogs and Baby Connection lecture. It is important to know that it is often an indication that the baby or child is too close to the dog. For me personally it was difficult at first to believe that. The more I learned and the better I could read my bitch’s body language, one thing became clear to me: she often licked my daughter when she was overwhelmed with a situation.

But what can parents do?

First of all, it always makes sense to act and not just to react. In simple terms, this means getting ahead of the licking. There are different options. The adult sits between the dog and the baby, which provides privacy and both can still be in the same room. Alternatively, the adult can send the dog to the positively occupied place.

However, some dogs like to have a break from the hustle and bustle with the baby and should therefore be given the opportunity to leave the room and withdraw.

If the dog is already licking, it should under no circumstances be punished for this. Too great is the risk that it negatively links the baby. It is better to call the dog over to you and avoid such situations in the future, for example by sitting between the two.

Dogs don’t automatically know how to behave near babies

When a baby comes into the family, a lot changes. In the beginning, the behavior of the parents in particular is changed. Over time, the baby then begins to move more and crawl towards the dog if necessary. It is incorrect to assume that the dog knows how to handle a baby. Some dogs show fear behavior, others get excited, some are overwhelmed. It is up to the adult to show the dog that he does not have to be afraid to reward him for behavior in the presence of the baby and to show him what he can do. For safety reasons, dogs and babies should never be left alone. Only a really attentive adult can ensure a harmonious coexistence.

If 100% attention is not possible because, for example, as a parent you would also like to make a phone call or answer an email, security measures such as a children’s gate or a dog crate should protect baby and dog from an unpleasant encounter. Both can be pleasantly linked for the dog during pregnancy.

Learn to stroke

Babies don’t instinctively know how to handle the dog. Babies have a great need to get to know the world. A lot is gripped, pressed, put in the mouth. This is important for the development! The child may want to painfully explore the dog’s tail, paws, or even ears. Neither of them learn what we want. The dog learns that the baby hurts him. The baby learns to handle dogs like this. Stroking should therefore always be done by an adult.

Jeniffer Shryock taught me how this can look. A parent holding the baby on her lap invites the dog to come. If possible, the adult should not lean over the dog from above, but sit to the side of him. The child should learn from the beginning to stroke only with one hand. Two hands quickly lead to hugs that dogs sometimes endure, but usually don’t enjoy.

Note: it is an invitation. If the dog does not want to come, it should not have to. Dogs that do not want to get close to babies should always know that they are allowed to walk.

Graduation

Give them both baby and dog time to get to know each other. Nobody wants to be forced to interact – that is not the basis of a harmonious coexistence. Time and help from the adults help both of them to become a good team.

The post Is it Ok to Allow Dogs to Lick Toddlers? appeared first on Dog Fiesta Online.

“He bites my hands when I want to play or cuddle with him! It bites my nose when I carry it in my arms! It bites my calves when I walk through the apartment! ”

What new puppy owners can almost drive to despair is, first of all, normal puppy behavior: Puppies explore the world with their mouths because they have no hands and with her teeth.

They also like to play and this includes brawling.

You have to learn that the other person doesn’t always find it funny and that they hurt us humans when they’re too wild.

Often it is enough to squeak or shout “Aua!” And briefly interrupt the game: The puppy notices “if I play too much, the other one is tired”. But as with human children, in the heat of the game it can happen that the message doesn’t get through. That people continue to rage because it is so fun.

If I now push my puppy away, as is unfortunately often recommended, it may well happen that he thinks it is an invitation to a funny game and really accelerates. If I push harder, I get used to rough brawls. I can only achieve an effect if I immediately push so hard that my puppy is very scared and stunned. But do we really want to treat a dog child like this?
The same applies to spray bottles, water pistols, discs, jelly cans and what they are all called: they scare the dog and intimidate him. He may no longer dare to bite us, but it has not taught him how to play with us.

Please do not let them tell you that you will lose your status as pack leader if you “give up” the fight against a puppy instead of fighting back! Your puppy doesn’t want to fight with you! If a three-year-old steps in your shin, don’t think (hopefully!) That he wants to fight with you.

Aside from the theories about packs and pack leaders (which are long outdated, but explaining that would go a little far at this point), it is often argued that dogs would do the same with each other. But if you observe how a confident adult dog treats a puppy, it is one thing above all: very, very patient. And if the young one has bitten his lips and ears long enough … he gets up, lifts his head out of reach and leaves.

Of course, it happens that a completely annoyed dog mom sometimes regulates a puppy. Or that the siblings simply bite back.

However, we do not have to deal with our dogs like this: we are human and have other options.

But the most obvious of these possibilities, our ability to speak, only seems to help us at this point:

If my puppy goes crazy and I then say strictly “Out!” Or “No!”, My dog ​​recognizes the unfriendly one Sound and may react intimidated. If I lean over and look at him (he is small), I also appear threatening and intimidate him even more. The word itself means nothing to him. He may stop the unwanted behavior for the moment – but he doesn’t learn how to play with us.

Too wild a game can usually be redirected to a cuddly toy, into which the puppy can bite to his heart’s content. If these are not attractive enough at such a moment, a delicious piece of beef jerky may help (it can be big enough so that he cannot accidentally swallow it) or a filled Kong. Instead of your own calf or trouser leg, a handful of chunks of feed can be released for hunting, which are rolled over the floor.

However, it is important that the behavior is redirected BEFORE he bites!

Otherwise he may learn that there is always a party when you bite people …

Otherwise, praise and reward any behavior that you like! Tell him what he’s doing right!

A puppy playpen and / or a house leash serve as emergency measures.
As soon as you notice that your puppy will “turn up” again and start to bite, take him calmly and friendly and put him in the playpen: This way you can keep him at a distance without “handicaps”. A house line, a piece of soft cord that you attach to your dishes works in a similar way: you can simply use it to keep it away from you. Of course, you can just close a door in front of the little bite. However, social isolation is a severe punishment for dogs. And actually you wish so, he also learns eventually relaxed to stay alone. For this, “being locked out” is not a good start.

He is still with you in the playpen or on the house line and you can praise him as soon as he calms down.

It is even nicer, of course, if you manage to finish games calmly before he bites.
For this purpose, a signal iSv “this is now over, now is pause” is helpful: Every time you end a common activity (be it playing, cuddling, or a small training session), you speak the signal (for example, “pause”, “End” etc.) and do nothing for a moment. First use the “end” signal only in situations in which your puppy is (still) calm and notices it. Then later you can use it even when he’s excited.

In the unlikely event that your puppy gets stuck, please keep quiet first of all. Dogs tend to follow up if you pull something away from them. And if they have already got it, it becomes a tug-of-war – this can be done with dummies and gnomes, but also with trouser legs and toes …

Carefully slide your fingertips (eg thumb and middle finger of one hand) from both sides into the corners of the mouth. The line automatically opens.
Small dogs can then be picked up by reaching under the rib cage with one hand from behind. The index and middle fingers are pushed between the front legs, the other fingers behind the front legs surround the chest. With the other hand you stabilize the bottom. Keep your head away from yourself.

With larger dogs, you push your hand between the forelegs so that the chest lies on the forearm. Thumbs and fingers each encompass one side of the chest from the front.
So you can hold your puppy for a moment until it has calmed down, or you can put it in its playpen without it biting any further.

Do it calmly and lovingly! Even if he should have hurt you, even if you may be frustrated and angry, it’s not about “showing him now”. They just help him calm down.

If the tips mentioned do not work and your puppy (or young dog) continues to “turn up” quickly and react vehemently, it is worth taking a look at the daily routine:
Many puppies and young dogs are completely overwhelmed with the best of intentions (too many and too long walks , too much action, too little rest) and then react like children who go overboard when they have missed the time to go to bed.

Puppies should rest for 20 to 22 hours a day. So sleep, doze, lie around relaxed. Walks  should not take longer than 5 minutes at a time. Game phases (for example in the garden), in which the dog can take breaks himself, may take longer if he actually takes the breaks. But then they replace at least one walk. Everything that is exciting (and if they are just getting to know the world, this applies to pretty much everything) should be followed by a long break.

Just lie down: cuddling and taking a nap is good for us too!

The post How To Stop A Puppy From Biting Everyone appeared first on Dog Fiesta Online.

If a family decides to take in a dog, it often does the same for the children. Children usually want to have a pet at some point, that is almost a natural law;) Whether hamster, rabbit, mouse, rat, cat or dog – something furry is needed. It would be interesting to research why this is so. I could imagine that the reasons can be very different. For me, of course, the desire for a dog also came up in early childhood, because I always thought dogs were great, my girlfriend also had one and such a journey, who would support me emotionally in the struggle of growing up and feeling unintelligible – that would be been great. But unfortunately – or luckily for the dog? – I was not granted that.

So a dog, possibly a puppy, comes into the house, and now the dog and children should live harmoniously with each other, become pretty best friends, inseparable and go on adventures together. A bit like the 5 friends. Or Lassie.

And maybe in many cases it works the same way. But in many cases I don’t know either. Parents sometimes have strange ideas about how dogs and (small) children live together.

So a former customer once asked me what she could do so that her three-year-old son became the caregiver of the puppy because she didn’t feel like it herself. The puppy was referred after a few weeks because he did not meet expectations: he constantly pinched the son in his hands and arms while playing, he peed in the apartment, he bit shoes – he was just not the nice soft toy with a bit Life of its own that only moved when asked to do so.

The parents are responsible – always!

Unfortunately, parents are often not aware that they are responsible for the animal. And the smaller the child, the safer it is. Of course, children are fired up at the beginning and promise death and the devil to help with the unpleasant tasks. But children are children. And so the new toy very often loses interest. And you can’t blame them either. They are far too young to take responsibility and to be aware of the scope of all duties.

So parents have responsibility for the animal. But not only that! You are also responsible for managing and monitoring the handling of children and animals. And from there it often becomes really difficult – usually for the animal. Maybe because many adults naturally focus on the children, but not on the dog. They don’t even notice if a dog is mistreated. They don’t see it or they think that “he must be able to do it”. After all, the dog literally has the task of walking along without any effort, because there is no time for the child-rearing ,child anyway – and to function.

The fact that a dog can have a rather idiosyncratic interior, that depending on the situation, it can have difficulties with certain situations and that it requires a time-intensive upbringing so that family harmony can be established permanently – many people are actually not aware of this.

Children must learn to treat animals with respect

When I partially see how children deal with their “best buddy” without parents intervening, the hair on the back of my neck is raised. But of course the children cannot be blamed, they don’t know better, they have to learn it first! From responsible parents!

The playing behavior of children and dogs is very different, as are the needs of children and dogs. Generally speaking, children are loud, hectic and often shrill. They run, bounce, screech, howl and behave spontaneously and incalculably. These are the qualities that at least sometimes upset a reactive dog: his level of arousal will shoot up, and it is quite possible that he will start to rush or jump up, that he will start barking excitedly or even exuberantly snap. If there are no common rules in such cases, the child-dog relationship will be very difficult.

Of course, a healthy dog ​​can learn to endure the – soberly – less dog-friendly properties of children. Of course, it would be an advantage here that he grew up in a household where children lived from birth. So if I had small children and wanted to buy a dog, I would definitely only choose a dog that already had contact with children as a baby. And positive! Nevertheless, this is not a guarantee that the dog will get along well with children later.

Keep stress down for dogs

Dogs in households with small children naturally have a lot to endure. Unfortunately, this is often not noticed. It starts with the fact that the actions of children very often do not give the dog anywhere near the sleep and rest that it needs to grow into a chilled dog. A puppy should sleep and rest for 20 to 22 hours, an adult dog for up to 18 hours. If parents do not pay attention, it quickly happens that the children disturb the dog in its resting phases. However, a dog that does not get enough rest in the long run often develops into an unbalanced dog whose level of arousal never really goes down. And a dog that is permanently at a high level of arousal will not become an easily bad dog and can even grow into a danger.

Parents have an obligation to recognize that the dog is not just a beautiful member of the family, but as such is also taken seriously

Because like a child, a dog needs attention, time, and patience to teach him things. If this time is not spent, something will get out of hand very quickly.

Rules for everyone prevent misunderstandings

Parents should set up rules, all of which must be followed without any ifs and buts to ensure the needs of the animal and the safety of the child. Only if these rules are followed does the dog have the chance to become mentally strengthened and to become a relaxed dog, and this is the only way to avoid dangerous accidents.

Children should be taught from the beginning that animals should also be treated with respect and that animals as well as people have emotions that can be both positive and negative in nature. An animal is not a soft toy that can be carried, tugged and shaken around. An animal has needs, likes and dislikes like we humans do. And above all, each animal has its own character. And while there are also many dogs that can bear the unpleasant without complaint, there are also as many dogs that do not. However, if a dog defends itself and hits the child, the damage is usually quickly quite large and instead of thinking about what could have gone wrong, these dogs are then handed over, because they bit “without warning” and are now classified as “dangerous” and “unpredictable”. In most cases, of course, this is an avoidable, self-inflicted situation due to a lack of caution, indifference, negligence and misjudgment. In most cases, the dog has tried to communicate long before that something is uncomfortable, that it feels uncomfortable or under pressure. Unfortunately, these friendly signals, which for example can start with a head turn, are not noticed. As soon as the dog becomes more aggressive, there is of course an intervention or the dog gets the distance he wants. The dog learns that he is only understood when he “speaks” more clearly,

Absolute NO GOs:

Rules are extremely important if you want to avoid escalations and get close to the dream of “the best buddy of the child”. So it would be very desirable that children should NEVER do the following :

• be unattended with the dog in the room
• go for a walk alone with the dog
• disturb the dog when eating
• take away food or toys from the dog
• disturb the dog while sleeping / resting
• take the dog on your arm without asking and as you please
• bother the dog in the basket or other retreat
• sit or lie down on the dog
• petting the dog against his will
• hug the dog closely
• staring into the dog’s eyes
• bend over the dog
• pull the dog’s ears or tail
• drag the dog around on a leash
• press or constrain the dog in any way

Those who implement such rules kill two birds with one stone: the dog has the chance to feel safe and secure even in a busy children’s household, there is no need for him to develop undesirable behaviors that would endanger the children.

The children learn for their lives to respect other living beings and to deal with them in a way that they would wish for themselves. As parents, we also don’t watch – I hope – how our child hits someone else’s head with a shovel. So a child should learn that it doesn’t matter whether it’s another child or an animal.

And maybe this way, dog and child actually become the pretty best friends we dream of in our ideal.

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Turning a puppy into a well-behaved dog will take a lot of time, patience and love, but your attempts will bear fruit in the long run. A well-trained puppy will become a wonderful dog to have around, while not training your puppy could mean that you will soon have a dog in your hands which will always create problems for you. Start training your puppy by establishing a good relationship with him and then go on to teach him all the important commands he will have to know in life.

How can you educate your dog? When it comes to educating your dog , try to always keep in mind patience and love for him, it will be the basis of success!

Things you should keep in mind when give training to your dog

• If your dog is an adult or a senior, never give up. And even if your dog is too puppy or too old, it is never too late to start training and educating your pet.
• If you share your life with a puppy, you can start your education by teaching the basic rules.
• If on the contrary, it is an adult or senior dog, it is always in time to assimilate new things!

10 basic tips to educate your dog

If you have finally decided to educate your pet, try to dedicate an extra dose of love and affection. Educating a dog takes a while so don’t despair!
Patience, the key: Remember! The learning process will progress little by little. So do not despair if your pet ignores you the first few times. Try to teach him to rule by rule, so that he assimilates them.

Be Patient: Repeat the training again and again! And most importantly, don’t be discouraged if you don’t move forward as fast as you would like. Repeat the commands and be patient, you will achieve it.

How to teach your dog basic tricks.

Be clear: For your pet to understand you, use few words (and better be short).

For example:
• Come
• Sit
• Lay down
• Still

The awards, that great ally
Every time your dog does something right, give it a caress, compliment, or a treat! Remember our post about prizes and penalties for our pet. With positive reinforcement, training your pet will be a piece of cake!

Don’t punish your dog
Correct canine training cannot be based on punishment methods under any circumstances; on the contrary, we must always use positive reinforcement as a fundamental tool.
Know that means?

The positive reinforcement is to reward the dog with specific treats for dogs, caresses and even with kind words when it shows behaviour that we like when it responds well to command or simply when it is calm. This allows the dog to positively associate a certain action. Do not punish your dog for what he does wrong; reward him for what he does well.

Training, better in quiet places
To start any canine training exercise it is of great importance that your dog is free from distractions, since only then can he concentrate fully on you and on what you ask. Avoid external stimuli that are excessive such as street noise or the presence of other dogs as they can distract him. Start the exercises when he is relaxed and enjoys a completely calm environment. For an command, always use the same term. And also remember, what you allowed today, you can’t ban tomorrow! Otherwise, you would be confusing him!

Talk in family: Before taking the step and educating your pet, get the whole family to agree. If you are going to teach him commands, agree on the words you are going to use.
• It would not hurt to fix what you are going to allow and forbid. In this way, there will be no confusion when it comes to training him!
• If you want your dog’s training to progress, try to be in an environment of tranquillity. If you are nervous yourself, you will not get anything!
• One option you can try is to train your pet while playing

Concrete physical and verbal cues: At the time of educating a dog, we will use words and gestures, in this way the dog understands exactly what we expect from him and helps him remember more easily. Both the physical and the verbal signal must be always the same, otherwise, the dog will be confused and will not know exactly what he is asked for. They must be simple signals and the tone of voice must always be firm.
Using body language will help in the future if your dog suffers from hearing impairment when he grows up.

Training in different situations
For the training process to give all the expected results you must practice the exercises with your dog in different situations once you have them assimilated. If your dog always obeys the command “sit” in the kitchen, it may be that he is confused and that when he is outside of that environment he does not recognize it or thinks he should not execute it.
It is for this reason that you must train it in different environments, in the same way, it is very important for your learning that you vary the order of the exercises.

Have fun with your dog.
Undoubtedly, another of the keys to educating dogs effectively is to have fun with them while we train them. If the dog notes that we are bored or have turned the training sessions into a routine that does not awaken us any interest, he will perceive it and adopt the same attitude. In this sense, we recommend playing games with the dog that, also, reinforce your bond, stimulate your mind and encourage learning.

How to train a puppy
Puppies do not need to be trained, because they simply just think about playing and having fun. It is only after five or six months when we can begin to train them little by little and in a very soft and playful way. We must never force or stress them. The ideal age to start training a dog is from one year of age, smoothly and progressively.

Puppies only need to play and run, interact and socialize with other dogs… let them be happy, there will be time to learn. However, when you see them doing something wrong like biting people (they will play it evidently), you can use with the “No!” commands so they begin to learn little by little.

Adult dog training
They say you can’t teach older dog new tricks, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Even if you have adopted a new adult dog that needs some help with the basics, or if the dog needs just a short reminder, here are some tips on his training.

Being Consistent is the key
Whatever the behavior of an adult dog you are facing, the basic training principles used for puppies will still apply. Training an adult dog already accustomed may require a little more time and patience.

First and foremost, it is vitally important to be consistent with the commands and praise. It is also important to ensure that all family members know the objectives of the training and how to use the commands correctly, to prevent your dog from receiving conflicting messages that may confuse him.

Praise instead of punishing
Dogs learn by positive reinforcement. This means that you can only reach your goals by praising the behavior you want to encourage and teach your dog what good behavior is. Punishing your dog for bad behavior probably causes him to behave worse, and it will make it harder to train him in the right way.

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The puppy leaves his family at about 8 to 12 weeks of age and thus also his previously known world.

Many new situations patter on the puppies – everything is different and unusual at first.
Depending on their origin – and what the puppies got to know from the breeder or their family of origin – they are able to react differently and adapt accordingly to the new environment. This can vary from very anxious to very curious and of course also depends on the character of the respective puppy (Shyness-Boldness-Continuum).

This uncertainty is easy to recognize when you present a new item to the puppy and While carefully approaching the nose, the buttocks remain in the same spot for as long as possible and the young dog stretches longer and longer. They often startle when exploring and the throat, previously giraffe-like, has shrunk back to normal length very quickly.

This behavior makes great biological sense: new things are always potentially dangerous! In nature, the cautious simply survive longer! No one who wanted to examine the bear’s fangs in detail in the wild has managed to reproduce afterwards !!
Biologically speaking, fear of novelty is extremely useful.

But how can we now help our anxious puppy to find courage to get to the bottom of (harmless) things?

1. We give the puppy all the time in the world. He can explore things at his pace.
2. We can support the puppy by engaging ourselves (or pretending to be the most exciting thing in the world) and by encouraging the puppy to volunteer! to also deal with the subject. (The puppy chooses his comfort distance.)
3. If the objects are moving, we may be able to make sure that we take out movement. For example, if the rolling garbage can is scary, we can have the puppy try exploring when the bin is standing.
4. We can reward the puppy for “safe observation from a distance”. To stay in the example: If someone rolls the bin, we look at a distance at which the puppy is still comfortable and reward the quiet look. When looking, the puppy grapples with the bin and learns.
5. If something strange comes to him and he is looking for protection from you, please protect him. It is vital that the puppy learns that it can rely on you.
6. Ultimately, you can also commute back and forth.
   It is a training technique that is very quick and effective. As details matter, ask your trainer for instructions.

Isn’t it a little bit faster?

As mentioned at the beginning, your dog’s curiosity is also anchored in his personality structure.
Now force a puppy to disregard its natural limits, e.g. For example, by luring the puppy to the scary object with treats, they add additional stress to the “stress” (purely physically, the dog feels stress when he is in conflict between approach and distance). With feed-loving animals, it can happen that they come closer due to the attractant, because they only have the feed in their head and hide the “danger”. and suddenly they find themselves in a situation they would never have gotten into without food. A wild attempt to escape starts.
This can be dangerous at times, and your dog will surely approach the next time more carefully than courageously.

So my recommendation is: No, please do not try to accelerate anything. You still have a whole dog’s life. Be patient with yourself and your dog. Enjoy the small steps.

Your dog will thank you and you won my heart!

The post What to do with Anxious Puppies? appeared first on Dog Fiesta Online.

The size of the puppy group is crucial

One of the most important learning goals of a puppy group is the further learning and practicing social competence. This is about the puppy gaining as much good experience as possible with other puppies or adult dogs. If a dog has the opportunity to learn that his attempts to communicate with other dogs are worthwhile, an important cornerstone is laid in dealing with other members of the species. The smaller the puppy group, the better the trainer can supervise game units. The game partners should fit together well in size and temperament. A good game is always balanced and reciprocal.

In puppy play the rule is: less is more!

Puppies are quickly tired and often overwhelmed by many impressions. Playing is also very tiring. If the dog’s arousal level increases during a long game phase, the likelihood that undesirable behavior will occur, such as changing his dog, several dogs chasing a dog (bullying) or excessive snaping and biting. Negative experiences can be avoided in advance: good observation of the dogs, anticipatory action by the trainer and short, high-quality play units. Game and training sessions should alternate.

A good learning atmosphere is important

All participants in a puppy lesson – whether human or dog – should feel comfortable during the lesson. A friendly tone, a sympathetic trainer and a lot of fun with the training create a good learning atmosphere. It is also important that each human-dog team is addressed individually, so that the training can be designed to be highly effective and targeted. In addition to learning a high level of everyday practicality for the dog, theoretical learning content is also important for the dog owner: How do dogs communicate? How do you correctly assess the body language of the four-legged friends? How do I intervene in time if my dog ​​feels uncomfortable in the game? Ideally, people and dogs learn together.

Stay away from training methods that cause fear in the dog

Imagine yourself in a state of stress and fear: learning at such a moment is very difficult for you, isn’t it? In the worst case, learning cannot even take place. The learning behavior of our four-legged friends is the same. If the dog is under the influence of fear or stress, learning becomes almost impossible. If, for example, punishment by intimidation (alpha throw, snout handle, splashing water), pinching, kicking, loud scolding, leash pushing, spiked collar, spray collar, throwing chains, training discs and electric collars are used during the training session “for education”, it is not only the trust between humans and dogs sustainably damaged but also favors fear and stress.

Should I go to the puppy play group with my puppy?

In order to be able to finally answer this question, many factors play a role. How big is the puppy group? Are the dogs encouraged according to age? What experiences can the puppies have in the puppy group? Is there a good learning environment – for humans and dogs? What training methods are used? Before the puppy moves in with you, you should look at different groups in advance. So you can get a comprehensive picture, after all, not only should your four-legged friend be well, You too should feel comfortable and have fun while studying. Not only the dog learns in the dog school you too..

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Oh yes, I forgot, then there is sometimes a totally social adult dog that takes care of the young children a bit for breeding and order and makes sure that everything is well behaved.
And the people (and the trainer) stand next to them, shouting ecstatic Aaahs and Ohhhhs.

If a puppy comes to him, the coffee-drinking trainer suddenly speaks up and often advises that you should not make a mistake and send the puppy back immediately, ignore it and never pick it up, otherwise the dog never learned to deal with other dogs .

Since people are observing properly, they naturally notice certain things. That one or the other Pupsi is pretty dominant . Or early . Or submissive .
Not infrequently one notices that the people of the aspirants for the ” pack tour ” swell a little bit the chest and that those with the reserved, anxious dogs look a little disappointed from the wash.

After an hour of free-running, the little putzis are so ready that they don’t say a peep for the rest of the day. However, some people are now freaking out and do not see why they should be put on a leash and the fun should be over, others then romp around the table and benches again at home and still somehow do not seem to have their necks after hours to get full enough.

MY URGENT TIP:
If it actually goes like this, take your dog and legs in your hand.
Why? Because something is totally counterproductive!

Regulated game and different age groups

There are certainly also well-run puppy play groups, in which it is actually not a matter of pulling the moneyout of people’s pockets with very little effort, but rather of teaching the dogs to be “nice” with one another. Such groups certainly do not have more than three or a maximum of four puppies, are at best mixed-age groups and are led by a competent trainer who trains people in the body language of the dogs, among other things.
Because what the layperson interprets and what he thinks is very often no longer a game.

One hour of free running is a no go!
Good game often only lasts a few minutes. Playing is very tiring and the line between play and seriousness is very narrow! A game can tip over quickly and a coach should recognize this before it happens and interrupt the game on the spot. Playing has to be learned, that is not innate. Therefore, pure puppy play groups make little sense. Mixed age groups would be much more instructive for the youngsters. Because what should a puppy learn from another puppy, both of them can’t do anything yet?

Lots of breaks and relaxation

A few good minutes of play should alternate with long breaks. The puppies should learn that you can not only romp when other dogs are around, but also rest when other dogs are in sight.

This already sets the course for whether a dog later regularly breaks out when he sees other dogs or whether he can stand it well to see a dog without having to go straight there.

The trainer should be able to recognize bullying AND above all prevent it! Because both the bullied puppy will learn a lot as well as the bullying – and not a good thing. The bullied person will become more fearful or learn to defend himself aggressively, the bullying person will learn to succeed with his unsocial nature and will solidify his behavior.

However, it is extremely important at this time that the little ones have as many good experiences as possible. A high number of social contacts is not necessary at all. Here too, as is so often the case, quality instead of quantity! Better two or three good contacts than just one bad one. This bad contact can traumatize the puppy so much that it will develop undesirable behaviors in order to keep other dogs off the neck later.

Bad experiences come early enough that can hardly be avoided. But if he has already collected many good ones, there is a good chance that he will get along with one bad one.

Arousal control

The puppies should never be allowed to “play” in the play group until they overturn. If a dog really ticks off afterwards, then you can be pretty sure that the workload was far too much and the little one cannot come down on its own. This is often misinterpreted as “It can’t be broken”. Not correct! Less is often more.

And very often, the high level of excitement of the dogs is due to the fact that they overturn, do not come down, are fidgety, bark or that they ride up and start rushing and bullying others. This has nothing to do with dominance and early development.

If a game is not balanced, it is definitely NOT a game anymore. The coach’s job is to ensure that a game remains a game. And he should make people’s eyes aware of it so that they know when to intervene in everyday encounters and when not.

Provide protection

If a puppy seeks protection from its human, it should definitely be granted it! Then he would like to come back into the game – great. Would he rather watch from a distance – also great! Because even if you watch, you learn a lot – and stay calm and watch. A quality that will suit you very well later!

Humans should not be tempted to divide dogs spiritually into winners and losers. After all, this is not a competition! There are brave dogs and fearful ones. There are agile and less agile dogs. There are those who like to frolic in the middle of the fray and those who prefer to watch the edges. There are game-crazy people and those who think that games are overrated.

Each dog is individually and with its own preferences – just like humans, by the way. You shouldn’t force a puppy to do anything, and especially not when he’s scared.

Real game is balanced

You should really only have one goal in mind:
The encounters should be friendly and balanced. The puppy should learn what it means to politely approach another dog and to play with it in such a way that the other perceives this as a game.

No puppy can learn on its own! Sayings such as ” They take care of it themselves ” speak clearly against the qualifications of the trainer and should be acknowledged with immediate termination of the course.

Because of course the dogs take care of it themselves is always at the expense of the weaker – with unforeseen long-term consequences.

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✓ Management

The be-all and end-all to avoid unwanted behavior on the one hand and not to let it be practiced on the other. Everything that is sacred to you and that the dog must not get between his teeth or knock over, you should bring to safety. Provide your dog with enough alternatives to play or chew so that he can meet his needs afterwards.

✓ Promotion of stress-free getting to know new situations and stimuli

Your dog should be able to explore new situations and stimuli in a relaxed and uninhibited manner. Allow him as much time as he needs. If you are already familiar with marker training (eg clicker), you can reward your puppy precisely for approaching creepy objects.

✓ Practice touching

You can playfully touch the puppy, which you need for later veterinary or nursing measures. Important: do not force your puppy to do anything! We do not want him to be afraid of it, but that he would like to cooperate with us.

✓ Train / promote bite inhibition

There are many things you can do to teach your dog to use his teeth wisely. For example, you should only play with the dog with a toy and never allow him to bite your hand or clothes. The careful acceptance of food from the hand and the handing out of things that the dog takes into its mouth are also beneficial.

✓ Stay alone training

All puppies should learn to be able to stay alone in the apartment or house for some time. It is important to start this training step by step and ideally when the dog is tired from a walk or play. A chewing job is also a good way to bridge the gap.

✓ Promote house cleanliness

In short: Didn’t the puppy take care of the apartment well enough! Pay attention to early signs that the puppy has to go: eg by scratching, whimpering, up and down or walking in a circle. Mostly this is after playing, after eating and after sleeping.

✓ Watch the game

Do not leave your dog unattended when playing with other dogs. On the one hand you can intervene immediately if necessary and on the other hand you learn a lot about dog behavior!

✓ Family rules

Establish rules:
where can the dog go? (eg on the guest sofa)
Where shouldn’t he go? (eg in the kitchen)
What should the dog do in certain situations? (eg if he is leashed, he should sit down)
Hang it up visibly for all family members. If everyone follows these rules, your dog will learn desired behavior faster.

✓ Acquire knowledge of body language

Last but not least: Recognizing, understanding and correctly interpreting the dog’s body language will help you with your assessment in all situations. School yourself in it! Read books about it and watch the dogs play and interact.

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