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Training Your APBT
Table of Contents
I. Socializing Your APBT
II. House Breaking Your Puppy
III. Obedience Training
IV. Weight Pull Training
V. Agility Training
Scroll down to learn about all five types of dog training.
Socializing Your APBT
by Cinimon Clark
Turnaround Dog-Training
Socialization means introducing your dog to people, and to a
lesser extent, to dogs and/or other animals. It is extremely important to
socialize a pup of any breed with people, but be sure that the pup's experiences
are ALWAYS positive. The pup should meet all kinds of adults and as many
respectful children as possible. Socialization with people should be part of
your dog's training for his/her entire life. Relegating a dog to the backyard or
keeping it chained 24/7 can lead to a real disaster. If you are not willing to
socialize and train a dog, please don't get one. Socialization with dogs is a
little different for pit bulls.
Socializing a puppy with other dogs may reduce the amount of dog aggression the
pup will develop, and many pit puppies get along with other dogs when they are
young. As the dog matures, ALWAYS be on the lookout for signs of aggression with
other dogs, and be prepared to break up a spat or fight, should one happen. It
is up to you, the owner, to decide whether or not to introduce your adult pit
bull to other dogs. The amount of dog aggression in an adult pit bulls varies
from no aggression at all to a dog that sees ANY other dog as a Happy-Meal with
legs, so there are no hard and fast rules. Just remember that as the owner of a
pit bull, any fight will always be your fault, no matter who started it.
More about APBT Socialization
by Cinimon Clark
Turnaround Dog-Training
I feel that to the general public, socialization = allowing
dogs to be off leash together. Either playing or figuring out the hierarchy
themselves. This is where people get into trouble. It doesn't have to be this
way at all. Being in an obedience class situation in which a dog does NOT get to
'say hi' to every dog IS socialization! We have to remember that it's not normal
for adult dogs to come together and play, be friends and interact. This goes
against dog behavior. (Especially pit bull behavior!)
I feel the definition of 'socialize' needs to be
readdressed. I know that my dogs are wonderfully socialized because they can be
with me around other dogs and not freak out. I would never force my guys to be
what they are not. They will never be Golden Retrievers! I would never force my
guys to interact with another dog which is ill mannered or foul tempered. That's
breaking the trust factor. I'm the leader and protector in my family. My guys
trust me because I would never put them into a situation in which harm would
come to them. There's where the parenting skills come into play.
When an owner allows their dog to 'work it out' on it's own in a dog park, lack
of trust is inevitable. That poor dog is out there all alone with no one to
protect it. Scary stuff! They have to learn pretty quickly to protect themselves
at all costs. They know that no one will come to save them if something does
happen. These are the same owners who ask me, "But, why doesn't he listen to
me?" Well, it's pretty obvious! That poor dog is living in a house full of
people and still has no one to trust and believe in. No
one to look up to. No one to make those hard desicions in life. They have no
'pack' to watch out for them. I feel that's very sad. (Also, have you ever
wondered why dogs 'gang up' when at the dog park? They're finally able to have
that pack feeling of safety that they don't get at home.)
My definition of 'well socialized' is...The dog being able to be with me in what
the dog deems to be scary situations or around other dogs and not have a panic
attack. (Notice I didn't say off leash with other dogs!)
Housebreaking
Race Foster, DVM
Marty Smith, DVM
Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.
Q. What are the best methods for housebreaking a puppy?
A. If your dog is going to live inside the home, and in America
over 90% of our pets do, you are going to have to go through the housebreaking
process unless you have grossly different hygienic standards than most. It is
not hard, it need not be messy, and it need not be a struggle. It does not have
to take a long time. Remember that it is a training issue and you will need to
have more than casual input. It will take some of your time but the more
involved you get, the shorter that span will be.
The Rules
Housebreaking Rule Number One: This is The Most Important Rule – If you don't
catch your puppy doing it - then don't punish him for it!
Housebreaking Rule Number Two: Praise your puppy when things go right. Don't let
this be a situation where your only action is saying "No" when they are caught
in the midst of using the wrong area. If they do it right – let them know!
Methods of housebreaking
Starting Inside: There are several ways to
housebreak a puppy. With the first, you can put down papers or pretreated pads,
encouraging them to use these areas for going to the bathroom. The pads are
scented with a chemical that attracts the puppy to use them. Whenever you see
them starting into their "pre-potty pattern," such as walking around and
sniffing the floor, you gently pick them up without talking and carry them over
to the papers/pad and then praise them when they go to the bathroom (Rule 2).
When all goes well and they are using the papers consistently, the papers are
either moved closer to the door and/or another set is placed outside. The
transition is made from concentrating the toilet habits to one spot inside the
home to one spot outside the home. Finally, the papers inside are eliminated.
The only problem with this method is that for a period of time it encourages the
animal to eliminate inside the home. In our experience, housebreaking may take
longer when this method is used.
Crate Training: The second popular method of
housebreaking involves the use of a crate or cage. The often-stated reasoning is
that the animal is placed in a cage that is just large enough to be a bed. Dogs
do not like to soil their beds because they would be forced to lay in the mess.
It works, and while in these confines, most pups will control their bladder and
bowels for a longer time than we would expect. Young puppies, at 8 or 9 weeks of
age can often last for 7 or 8 hours, however, we would never recommend leaving
them unattended in a crate for that long in most circumstances.
During housebreaking, whenever the puppy is inside the home but cannot be
watched, he is placed in the crate. This might be while you are cooking, reading
to the children, or even away from the home. The last thing you do before you
put the puppy in the crate is take him outside to his favorite spot. The first
thing you do when you take the animal out of the crate is another trip outside.
No food or water goes in the crate, just a blanket and maybe a chew toy to
occupy his time. Overnight is definitely crate time. As your faith in the puppy
grows, leave him out for longer and longer periods of time.
Most people do not recognize an important advantage of crate training. It does
more than just stop the animal from messing in the house. It also teaches the
puppy something very important. The puppy learns that when the urge to urinate
or defecate occurs, he can hold it. Just because the pup feels like he needs to
relieve himself, the pup learns that he does not have to. This is thought to be
the main reason why puppies that have gone through crate training have fewer
mistakes later on.
Make sure you buy the right size cage. You want one that has the floor space
that provides just enough for the puppy to lie down. But cages are useful
throughout a dog's life and it would be nice if you did not have to keep buying
more as he grows. That is not necessary. Simply purchase a cage that will be big
enough for him as an adult, but choose a model that comes with or has a divider
panel as an accessory. With these, you can adjust the position of the panel so
that the space inside the cage available to the pet can grow as he does.
Using too large of a crate can often cause long term problems. The puppy will go
to one corner of the cage and urinate or defecate. After a while, he will then
run through it tracking it all over the cage. If this is allowed to continue,
the instincts about not soiling his bed or lying in the mess will be forgotten
and the puppy will soon be doing it every day when placed in the crate. Now a
housebreaking method has turned into a behavioral problem as the puppy’s
newly-formed hygienic habits becomes his way of life.
Constant Supervision: The last method involves no
papers, pads, or crates. Rather, you chose to spend all the time necessary with
the puppy. This works very well for people who live and work in their homes,
retired persons, or in situations where the owners are always with the animal.
Whenever they see the puppy doing his "pre-potty pattern" they hustle him
outside. It is important that the dog is watched at all times and that no
mistakes are allowed to occur. This method has less room for error, as there is
nothing like a cage to restrict the animal’s urges, nor is there a place for him
to relieve himself such as on the papers or pad. When he is taken outside, watch
the puppy closely and as soon as all goes as planned, he should be praised and
then brought back inside immediately. You want the dog to understand that the
purpose for going outside was to go to the bathroom. Do not start playing, make
it a trip for a reason. Verbal communications help this method and we will
discuss them soon. For those with the time, this is a good method. We still
recommend having a crate available as a backup when the owners have to be away
from the animal.
Verbal cues
Specific verbal communications will also help the two of you understand what is
desired. It is an excellent idea to always use a word when it is time to head to
the bathroom. We like "Outside?" Remember that whenever you use a verbal command
or signal, it is important that everybody in the family always uses the same
word in the same way. Think of the word "Outside" in this situation not only as
a question you are asking the pup, but also as an indication that you want to go
there. Some dogs may get into the habit of going to the door when they want to
go outside. This is great when it happens but it is not as common as some
believe. We have found that it is better to use verbal commands to initiate this
sort of activity rather than waiting for the puppy to learn this behavior on his
own. It seems like your consistent use of a word or phrase like "Outside" will
cause the puppy to come to you rather than the door when he needs to go outside.
The pup quickly sees you as part of the overall activity of getting to where he
needs to go. We believe this is much better.
Once outside, we try to encourage the pup to get on with the act in question. We
use the phrase "Do your numbers." This is probably a holdover from our own
parenthood and hearing children use the "Number 1" or "Number 2" phrases. Others
use 'Do It,' 'Potty,' or 'Hurry Up.' As soon as they eliminate, it is very
important to praise them with a "Good Dog" and then come back inside
immediately. Again, make this trip that started outside with a specific word
"Outside" be for a purpose. If we are taking the pup out to play with a ball or
go for a walk we will not use this word even if we know they will eliminate
while we are outside.
When an 'accident' happens
One of the key issues in housebreaking is to follow Rule Number One: If you do
not catch your puppy doing it, then do not punish him for it! We do not care
what someone else may tell you or what you read, if you find a mess that was
left when you were not there, clean it up and forget it.
Discipline will not help because unless you catch the puppy in the act, he will
have no idea what the scolding is for. Your puppy has urinated and defecated
hundreds of times before he met you. Mom or the breeder always cleaned it up.
Nobody made a fuss before and the pup will not put the punishment, regardless of
its form, together with something he has done without incident numerous times
before. Especially if he did it more than 30 seconds ago! Puppies are just like
our children. Unless something was really fun (and a repetitious act like going
to the bathroom is not), they are not thinking about what they did in the past.
They are thinking about what they can do in the future. At this point in his
life a puppy's memory is very, very poor.
Anyway, let us face it. It was your fault, not the pup's. If you had been
watching, you would have noticed the puppy suddenly walking or running around in
circles with his nose down smelling for the perfect spot to go to the bathroom.
It is just as consistent as the taxi cab driver behind you honking immediately
when the light changes. The puppy will show the same behavior every time. It may
vary a little from pup to pup but they always show their own "pre-potty pattern"
before the act.
The same should be said as to your first reaction when you actually catch them
in the act of urinating or defecating. It is your fault, you were not watching
for or paying attention to the signals. Do not get mad. Quickly, but calmly pick
them up and without raising your voice sternly say "No." Carry them outside or
to their papers. It will help to push their tail down while you are carrying
them as this will often help them to stop urinating or defecating any more.
They are going to be excited when you get them outside or to the papers, but
stay there with them a while and if they finish the job, reward them with simple
praise like "Good Dog."
Housebreaking Rule Number One: If you don't catch your puppy doing it, then
don't punish him for it!
In the disciplining of dogs, just like in physics, every action has a reaction
and for training purposes these may not be beneficial! If you overreact and
severely scold or scare the heck out of a puppy for making what is in your mind
a mistake, your training is probably going backwards. With housebreaking this is
especially difficult for them to understand as they are carrying out a natural
body function. Carried one step farther is the idea of rubbing a puppy's nose
into a mistake he made, whether you caught him or not. In the limits of a
puppy’s intelligence, please explain to us the difference of rubbing his nose in
his mess he left in your kitchen an hour ago versus the one the neighbor's dog
left in the park two weeks ago. If the dog were smart enough to figure all of
this out, the only logical choice would be to permanently quit going to the
bathroom. Punishment rarely speeds up housebreaking. Often, it makes the dog
nervous or afraid every time it needs to go to the bathroom.
We will give you a perfect example of how this kind of disciplining causes
long-term problems between a dog and his owner. A client makes an appointment to
discuss a housebreaking problem. They are hoping that on physical exam or
through some testing we can find a medical reason for the animal's inability to
successfully make it through housebreaking. They readily admit their frustration
with the dog. The fecal and urine tests reveal no problem. We assumed that would
be the case and have no intention of charging for those services. In the
examination room, the pup is showing a lot more interest in the veterinarian
than he is in his owners. The animal's eyes are almost saying, "Please kidnap me
from them." When the owner reaches down to pet the dog on his head, the pup
reflexively closes his eyes and turns his head to the side. The dog reacts as if
he were going to be hit. What this tells us is that the dog has been punished
for making messes in the owners' absence. During this punishment the puppy is
not, and we repeat, the puppy is not thinking about what he might have done two
hours ago. He is not thinking that he should not make messes in the house. The
animal is not even thinking about the messes.
The classic line that usually goes with this scenario then comes up "When we get
home we know he has made a mess because he always sulks or runs and hides!" The
dog is not thinking about some mistake he may have made. Rather, the pup has
learned that when the people first get home, for some reason he has yet to
figure out, they are always in a bad mood and he gets punished. The puppy has
decided that maybe he would be better to try to avoid them for awhile so he does
try to hide. In this particular case, discipline, misunderstood by the puppy,
has caused him to fear his owners and this will probably affect their
relationship throughout the life of the dog.
If you want housebreaking to go quickly, regardless of the method you use, spend
as much time as possible with your puppy. In an exam room, one of us once
listened to a client complain about how he had to take some time off from work
for his own mental health and also, but unrelated, how the puppy was not doing
too well in the housebreaking department. For us this statement was just too
good to be true. It was the perfect set-up for our pitch. This gentleman, a
bachelor, truly loved his puppy. We saw them together everywhere. Still, the
problem was that he worked in a downtown office and the pup was home. His work
allowed him to get home frequently but not always on a consistent schedule.
There would be accidents when he was gone and sometimes he was gone longer than
the abilities or the attention span of the puppy.
The solution was easy. We simply suggested his health and the puppy's training
would both do better if he stayed home for a week or so. It worked. Under the
man's watchful eye, he was always there at the time when he was needed and in
less than seven days the ten-week-old puppy was trained. We are not saying there
was never another accident, but they were few and far between. In the end, the
best of all worlds occurred. The man realized his dog could be trusted, and
thereafter, they spent their days together at the man's office.
Feeding and housebreaking
The feeding schedule you use can help or hinder housebreaking. You will soon
notice that puppies will need to go outside soon after they wake and also within
30 to 40 minutes after eating. Be consistent when you feed the animal so you can
predict when they need to relieve themselves. Plan your trips outside around
these patterns.
All of this may seem simple, and it really is. The keys are that it will take
time and you must be consistent. And, of course, you must never lose your temper
or even get excited.
Spontaneous or submissive urination
Puppies may spontaneously urinate when excited. This may be when
they first see you, at meeting a new dog, or when they are scared. It is often
referred to as submissive or excitement urination. Do not discipline the puppy
for this, as it is something they cannot control. Simply ignore it and clean up
the mess. If you do not overreact, they will usually outgrow this between 4 and
7 months of age.
Summary
Your new puppy is home and you have started the housebreaking process. This is
just as much a part of training as the "Come" and "Stay" commands. However,
mistakes that occur with housebreaking can cause more problems between you and
your pet than those encountered with any other form of training. Be patient and
stay calm.
Obedience Training
Think of it - a well-trained, manageable pet in just a few
weeks! You and your dog won't have to leave the house to go to obedience class
or call in an expensive professional trainer, you will find easy-to-follow
directions on the following pages on everything from HEEL to STAY. This method
is easy enough to use that you will be able to teach your dog one new item each
week. Follow these step-by-step instructions, and your dog will love you for it.
And, it is all free!
Beginning training sessions should be in a safe area with no
distractions. After you and your dog have finished this "course" and he has the
commands down pat every time, try moving the sessions to a park so he will
eventually learn to follow commands despite any distractions.
You should only concentrate on one new command per week. Once you
start your dog's training, you will need to practice the new command for at
least fifteen minutes every day. After adding a second command, practice both
every day. And so on. It won't take long for your dog to forget these new things
if you don't keep practicing. Not all dogs learn at the same pace, so don't feel
discouraged if you need to practice each command for two weeks instead of one.
Getting Started
Beginning training sessions should be in a safe area with no
distractions. After you and your dog have finished this "course" and he has the
commands down pat every time, try moving the sessions to a park so he will
eventually learn to follow commands despite any distractions.
You should only concentrate on one new command per week. Once you
start your dog's training, you will need to practice the new command for at
least fifteen minutes every day. After adding a second command, practice both
every day. And so on. It won't take long for your dog to forget these new things
if you don't keep practicing. Not all dogs learn at the same pace, so don't feel
discouraged if you need to practice each command for two weeks instead of one.
Your dog wants to make you happy, and he will quickly do what you
want once he knows what it is you want him to do. The way for him to know it is
what you want is to praise him every time he does it - even if you had to put
his body in the right position or he did the right thing on accident. In the
beginning, your praise should sound hapy and excited and include lots of nice
petting.
The commands you give should be said in a commanding voice - just slightly
louder than normal, very authoritative and stern, and in a slightly deeper tone
than normal. "Sit!" means sit down right where you are and do it immediately.
Saying "sit?" means please sit - that is, if you feel like it - okay, when you
get around to it - maybe?
When you say come in your most authoritative voice and he runs
through the front yard of three neighbors before coming to you, do not say no,
yell at him, or sound mean. He came, so praise him. The last action is the only
one he will relate to your praise or lack of it - the only one that he will
think made you happy or mad.
All commands must be enforced. Dog training is not for a lazy person. In the
beginning, each command will be given at the same time that you literally put
his body into the position that you want. When you think he knows the command,
try it with the verbal command alone - once. If you have to give the command a
second time, it should be done at the same time that you physically put him into
position. Otherwise, he will think that he can either obey or not, or that he
can take his own sweet time to obey.
Anything that you have been allowing a dog to do in the past that
you want to change now will take longer than if you start with a new puppy that
does not yet have any bad habits. A six-week old puppy can learn to sit, come,
stay, get off, and heel in a matter of days. Stay takes longer with the really
young ones because they are usually only not moving when they are sleeping or
chewing on your good slippers. But, a dog of any age can and will learn all of
these things if you are persistent, you sound authoritative when you give the
commands, and you praise him as soon as he does it right.
First, raise your hand and repeat after me. "I swear that I will
never leave the training collar on my dog except when actually training him or
taking him for a walk."
Obedience training requires a special collar. This is called a
choke-chain collar and is meant to "choke" the dog for a matter of seconds to
tell him that he can't continue to do what he is doing, and to release quickly -
this doesn't actually hurt him. When the collar is put on incorrectly, the
"choke-hold" will not release at all. Even if the collar is on correctly, he
could be choked to the point of injury or death by something in the house or
yard if he is wearing the collar without supervision.
The collar must form a circle with the loop continuing to the right at the top.
(You can test this by doing it incorrectly on your own arm to see the
difference.) The leash attaches to the loop. With the leash attached to the
collar loop, hold the loop at the other end of the collar and allow the collar
to drop down through the loop. With the leash on the right, put the collar over
the dog's head. You need to be sure that the collar has about 2 inches of extra
length once it is on. The collar links should be as thick as needed for your
dog's size. Thin links will do fine for little dogs, but a very large dog needs
very thick links so the choke chain collar won't break if he decides to run
after another dog someday.
The training lead or leash should be about 6 feet long.
You may want to have some healthy treats on hand.
Stay Command
Have your dog sit next to you in the heel position. Once he is
not excited and is settled down into a relaxed sit, "push" your open hand
directly in front of his face as you say stay, and take two or three steps to
get right in front of him. Just the action of a hand seeming like it was going
to hit him in the face (do not actually make contact!) will shock him and almost
push his butt farther onto the ground long enough for him to actually stay put.
Only make him stay for a few seconds - not giving him time to move, and say good
boy!. He did it. Each time you do this, you can increase the time a little, but
don't yet increase your distance. And, don't look him in the eye because it will
make him want to leave the position.
After your dog is able to stay nicely for a minute or two, you
will start to increase the distance. Stand a little farther back, next time
going farther back, and farther still the next time.
Stay will become old hat to him, boring, and easy as pie. Then, put your hand in
front of his face while saying stay no, sit, and push your hand in front of him
again while saying stay. After making him stay for just a short time, say good
boy! Walking around him while he is in the stay position does several things. It
definitely makes him keep an eye on you - and you do want him to pay attention
to you during the entire training session. Also, this lets him know that he is
safe in the stay position - that he doesn't have to be afraid of someone that
comes up from the front, side or back of him. and walk all the way around him.
This one may cause him to try to get up and go with you. If he attempts to get
up, say no, sit, and push your hand in front of him again while saying stay.
After making him stay for just a short time, say good boy!
Walking around him while he is in the stay position does several things. It
definitely makes him keep an eye on you - and you do want him to pay attention
to you during the entire training session. Also, this lets him know that he is
safe in the stay position - that he doesn't have to be afraid of someone that
comes up from the front, side or back of him.
Now, the down-stay. Have your dog sit on your left. Say down.
Then, say stay! as you push your hand in front of his face. While still holding
the leash, take a few steps around to stand in front of him. Don't forget to end
with good boy!. Continue this as you did the sit-stay, getting farther and
farther away. After he is doing really good at staying in the down position,
walk around him while he is lying still. Later, you will even be able to walk
over him, showing him he has nothing to fear in this vulnerable position.
Eventually, you will be able to be any distance from him and he will stay for as
long as you need him to.
Heel Command
Let's begin heeling.
Hold the leash tightly with your right hand, and let it be loose
in your left. With your dog on the left side of you, say heel, give the leash a
quick tug as you start walking, and say good boy! as soon as he starts moving.
Keep walking - different directions - different speeds - all the while saying
heel with a quick tug of the leash and saying good boy! every time he stays with
you. You might have to tug heel, tug heel, tug heel, three times or so before he
gets near your heel area and you say good boy!. If his mind starts to wander,
his attention will go back to you the first time you make a turn and he doesn't.
Left turns are great - walk almost into his head, kind of pushing it and him
with your leg while saying heel and good boy! It won't take long at all for him
to realize that he has to pay attention to where you are at all times. This is
the essence of heeling - paying attention. After he seems to be getting the hang
of go straight and making left turns, throw in a right turn. Yeah, he will not
be expecting this, and he will probably need to tug heel, tug heel, tug heel
before he gets to hear good boy! Keep this first session down to about 20
minutes of actual heeling. Finish up with an extra happy and excited good boy!
and lots of petting and hugging. This is the signal that this session is over.
And, now is when you healthy training treats on hand. What about tomorrow?
A dog has a very short attention span. You will need to have a heeling session
once or twice a day for 15 minutes everyday for the next week to get him to
remember what to do.
Your dog may get the hang of this early and improve more and more each day. Or,
your dog may be one of the tougher ones and will need a full week - or even two
- to really catch on. If your dog is one of the "slower" ones to catch on, it
may actually be that you are not being consistent enough, or not saying good
boy! like you really mean it, or you are not tugging hard enough to get the
message through. It may not be his fault.
Down Command
Down is not to be used when he is jumping up on you - that is off
(which we will get to later). Down will mean to lay down. And, don't say "go lay
down," as that is another command still.
Get your dog to sit. If he is sitting next to you, reach over and push your arm
from behind his front legs. As you say down, slowly and gently force his legs
forward, and his body will go down to the ground. It should not take much effort
on your part since it is a natural reflex for him to move his own legs once they
are being bothered. As soon as he is in lying on the ground, say good boy!. He
will probably pop right back up. That's fine because he did lay down. If you
prefer, you can have him sit in front of you. Grab both of his front legs, down
by the bottom, and gently pull them out toward you as you say down. Say good
boy! as soon as he gets all the way down. Each time you give the down command,
try to have your own body less stooped or bent over. If you continually are bent
over when you give a command, he may not respond later when you give the command
from a standing position.
After your dog does know what down means and he usually does it on command, you
may have to get his attention sometimes if he is distracted. With him on your
left (looking at that cute little poodle walking by a few yards away and not
wanting to change position now while she's watching), bend down and give the
leash a quick snap down and to the right. This should get him in the down
position quickly.
When this session is over, you can give him a healthy treat.
Down is used for your dog to lay down right where he is when you say it -
immediately - as part of the obedience training session. Go lay down is used
outside of the obedience training, comfortably and relaxed around the house or
yard. Go lay down means go pick a good spot yourself for yourself, take a little
time if you need to, and eventually lay down.
Stand Command
Stand is a necessary command for the show or obedience ring. And,
it can also be quite useful around the house or yard, like for having him stay
standing while you bathe him.
Have your dog sit on your left. As you say stand, pull his leash forward with
your right hand and move your left foot forward like you are going to start
heeling. Say good boy! as soon as he stands up.
Here is another way to have your dog stand. Have him start in a
sit and bend down to him. As you say stand, pull his leash forward just a little
while you push your entire left arm backward from just behind his front legs.
Your pushing backward should make him stand up. Good boy!
When this session is over, you can give him a healthy treat
In the show ring, your dog is required to stand while being
touched all over for inspection. Once your dog stands on command, have a family
member touch the dog so he can get use to it. The person's hand should start by
going slowly toward the dog's face and stopping briefly in front of the nose so
the dog can smell the hand. The person then rubs his hands down the dog's sides,
down each leg, down the tail, and then goes back up to pet the dog's head. (In
the ring, the judge would also open the lips to see the dog's teeth.)
Sit Command
Even with a puppy as young as five or six weeks old, he will
learn to sit after only a day or two of you putting him into a sitting position
while saying sit if he gets praise each time.
Sit training is easiest with the choke chain collar and leash.
Have your dog at your left side. Say sit as you pull up on the leash with your
right hand, and gently "push" his rear end down with your left hand. With most
dogs, the "push" needed will only be a gentle guiding. As soon as he is in the
sitting position, say good boy!, good boy! Do this several times, and he will
understand what sit means. If you have a very large dog that just grins at you
when you try to push is rear end down, you will need to get a little tricky. You
could (1) stand in front of him (facing him), say sit as you lift his face up
with your hands and start to walk toward him (almost into him) and push his head
back just an inch or so. The combination of his head going up and back and his
body starting to go back to avoid you walking into him may "push" him right into
a sit position. Good boy! Or (2), you could stand to the right of him and say
sit as you really pull up on his leash with your both hands. His butt will
"fall" to the ground. Good boy! This sounds mean, but this will all happen in a
matter of seconds and he won't be hurt at all. In fact, it will be such a shock
to him that you will probably never have to do it again.
You may help the sit command along by giving him a healthy treat and saying good
boy! Treats are too distracting to use while heeling.
From now on, you will begin each heeling session with the dog in a sitting
position, and you will tell him to sit every time you stop. "Heel" said outside
of going for a walk actually means for him to immediately come sit next to your
left heel.
Come Command
This is a fun one, and possibly the most important command you
can teach your dog.
"Come!" means to come immediately and sit right in front of you. ("Come here" in
a loving, questioning voice means that he is allowed to come to get a hug in a
minute or so - at his own pace - when he wants to. For this kind, you can even
start down on your knees.) Before he is trained, you may find he is running all
over the yard before he comes to you. Never, never, never tell him no or scold
him when he DOES come to you or he will think that is what he did wrong!
Start with him sitting next to your left heel. Say stay while pushing your hand
in front of his face, and go stand in front of him. Push your hand in front of
his face again and say stay again. Now back up a few feet. Say come! as you give
a little tug on his leash. If he is coming slowly, repeat come over and over
excitedly. As soon as he gets an inch or so from you, loudly say sit!.
Technically, he has not come until he is right in front of you and sits, so
don't say good boy! until he sits. Practice this way for a week. If the sessions
are going well, you can back up more and more each day until you are at the end
of the leash.
Start with him sitting next to your left heel. Say stay while pushing your hand
in front of his face, and go stand in front of him. Push your hand in front of
his face again and say stay again. Now back up to the end of the leash and hold
your arm out in front of you - making you 8 or so feet away. Say come! as you
give a little tug on his leash. If he is coming slowly, repeat come over and
over excitedly. You may even have to pull on the leash a few times to keep him
coming quickly. As soon as he gets an inch or so from you, loudly say sit!. Good
boy! when he sits. Practice this way for a week.
If he is not coming quickly enough or is not coming without extra pulls on the
lead, change the pace with this next one.
Start with him sitting next to your left heel. Say stay while pushing your hand
in front of his face, and go stand in front of him. Push your hand in front of
his face again and say stay again. Now back up to the end of the leash. Say
come! as you give a little tug on his leash. When he gets up and starts toward
you, run backward as you excitedly repeat come. As soon as he gets an inch or so
from you, loudly say sit!. Good boy! when he sits. Practice this way for a week.
Now you will need to extend your training lead. Either buy a 20- or 30-foot-long
training lead, or tie a 15-foot-long rope onto the loop handle of your
6-foot-lead.
Start with him sitting next to your left heel. Say stay while pushing your hand
in front of his face, and go stand in front of him. Push your hand in front of
his face again and say stay again. Now back up to the end of the 20-foot-long
training lead. Say come! as you give a little tug on his leash. This is a long
way, you may have to keep repeating come excitedly - and you may also have to
pull on the lead a few times to keep him coming quickly. When you stop and gets
a few inches from you, loudly say sit!. Good boy! when he sits. Practice this
way for a week.
Don't forget to give him a healthy treat.
In the end, he should be able to come directly to you immediately and sit in
front of you no matter what he is doing or how far away he is.
Off Command
Off is the correct command when a dog is jumping up on you or the
couch. If your dog has jumped up on the couch, literally push him off while
saying off. If he is small enough, you can just pick him up and put him on the
floor. As soon as he is off the couch, say good boy!. If you have allowed him to
get away with this in the past, it may take many tries before he learns it. And,
once he learns that he can't jump onto the couch without being told to get off,
he might stay on the floor and put his front legs on the couch. It's up to you
if this will be acceptable or if you want him to keep his paws off the couch
also. If so, take both his paws in your hands, push them gently toward the floor
while saying off, and say good boy! as soon as his feet are off the couch.
Your dog likes to jump up on your dress with muddy paws just
before you leave for the office. But, he is only trying to give you a hug or get
some attention, but he has to learn that this is not acceptable. As he is
jumping up, turn your body away from him while saying off! He should then simply
sit down, at which time you immediately pet him on the head and tell him he is a
good boy! He wants your attention, not your back! Even if he has already jumped
on you, turn away.
Or, since you already know that he will jump up on you, you can
try to beat him to the punch. As he starts to jump up, put your hand out quickly
and pet him on the head and start to bend over. This action would encourage him
to stay off or to sit. This is an acceptable position for him to be in when he
first sees you in the morning or when you get home at night. If he is sitting
patiently waiting for you to pet him each time, go greet him quickly with by
petting his head (while saying good boy! or hello!) or bending down to take his
paw and saying good boy! or shake. He won't see the need to jump on you to
receive a greeting if you greet him first.
A third method is to stick your knee out and say down! if you see him starting
to jump up. Jumping up into your knee is not comfortable. If he is really large,
you might have to push him off you. When he is off you, say good boy!.
Continue either of these actions until he actually stays off, then give him
extra praise and some petting and saying good boy!. This may start him jumping
up again because he may get excited, so you continue the same method until he
really gets the idea. Eventually, you will be able to tell him to get off
anything or anybody from any distance.
To reinforce all of this, it is best to always have your dog sit before you
greet him or give him a treat or anything else. This way he will soon learn that
he won't get any of these things unless he does sit nicely and calmly. (Some
people take it even farther and teach their dogs not to eat any dog food, or
even human food, until they are sitting and given a command to eat. This
prevents them ever taking poisoned food from a bad stranger.)
Weight Pull Training
To train a dog for weight pulling is not rocket
science. It mainly takes a lot of time, patience, and work. I'll be straight
forward on this, if you are lazy and don't like to work dogs, it's not for you.
There are a few key elements in getting a great weight puller... Health &
Nutrition: To be a top puller, your dog has to be in the best shape possible.
But, not as extreme as a complete keep, but close.
Whether it is an ADBA, AADR, or IWPA competition, they group
according to pounds. Therefore, you want your dog lean, but not fat, and not
skinny either. You also want your dog flea and worm free. Use either Bio Spot or
Frontline flea and tick killer and a good deworming program (may want to take
note about the hookworm article). If you dog has fleas, worms, and other
parasites, he will not have his top blood flow of red blood cells which is
highly needed to carry oxygen. You want him eating at least 2 regular daily
meals and a snack after work out in order to keep his body in a good state. You
may have to increase different parts of the meal as the training grows as he
will need different nutrients.
Equipment: You will need a real weight pull harness, not just any
harness. Mainly one that places an "X" across the chest with open areas for the
shoulders and legs. Do not use a harness that straps across the shoulder as then
your dog can not stretch out his legs forward. You will also need 3 15-20 ft
chains, heavy duty, but we're not talking giant log chains, 2 swivels, and 4
clips to add weights. Weights can be various items, weighing 5-25 lbs each. You
may also want to consider some form of sled, wagon, cart only to familiarize the
dog with "pulling a cart".
Training: Always keep distractions away from him while training.
Try a field, backyard, state park, etc where there is always room. First place
the dog in the harness and hook up a swivel and chain (with of course the swivel
between the harness and chain). Step only a few feet in front of him (distance
comes with training) and call him. Most likely, he/she will turn and look at the
harness & chain in puzzlement. Just continue to call, also try using a small
snack or play toy the dog is use to. If all else fails, simply grab the harness
at the shoulder calling him and pulling him forward at the same time.
***Very Important*** Use the same "call" or command during the
entire program. You must repeat, repeat, and repeat. You may choose what you
would like for the command to be as well as add claps, snapping of fingers, or
other body suggestions. Keep it short and simply like "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's
Go" or "Move it, Move it, Move it". Only stop when it is time for the dog to
stop. I can not tell you how many people lost a pull simply because the dog
stopped before it was time and couldn't catch back up. At first have the dog
pull just a few feet. When he stops; praise, congratulate, and rub him. Letting
him know what he did was correct. If he wants to keep going, keep going. Just
remember you need to stay in front of him at all times, walking backwards,
walking forward looking back at him, calling him the entire time.
***Very Important*** If the dog wants to continue, but is not focused on you,
stop him immediately. The dog must give you his entire attention at all times,
waiting for the next command. If the dog is not use to being out of the
kennel/chain, you need to take him out more often and walk him in the area you
are training making him familiar with the area. Dogs may learn the commands in a
day, others a week. Sometimes the dog may take longer depending on his interest
and intelligence level. You can not make a dog pull, he must want to pull and
come to you in order to succeed.
***Very Important*** While training, if he stops to sniff, look, or just gets
plain out distracted, snap your fingers, beat the ground, clap your hands, or
anything you can do to get his attention once again. Once you have his
attention, start your call again and continue. Remember to use the same item to
get his attention. This command is very important. There will be all kinds of
distractions at a pull. This is also an opportunity to teach another command to
increase his pulling power. Once you have his attention, go ecstatic on calling
him, a higher/louder voice, beating the ground, stomping feet, etc. Remember to
use the same command each time you teach this. Continue doing so until he is
able to run with only one chain, then connect the other chains according to his
speed.
You will notice that he starts lowering his head and raising his shoulders by
the time he is pulling the third chain. If he has good speed with all three
chains, great it's time to really start training for pulling. If not, take your
time, the dog will work at his own pace. With patience and time, the dog will
come around. Just don't give up on him. Work the dog only every other day once
you start adding weights. He will require his rest. Make sure you rub him all
over for at least 10 minutes, preferably 15 minutes. Especially the legs,
shoulders, and thighs. If the dog cowers his leg or pulls back, you're rubbing
too hard. This is a highly needed message. If you don't he'll pull a muscle and
you will have to start from square one after a week or two. At first only add a
single weight at the end of the first and beginning of the second chain. Make
sure it is a light one only 5-10 lbs. Once he is running with this weight added,
add another between the second and third chain, again only between 5-10 lbs.
Once he is running with this weight added, add another on the end, again only
between 5-10 lbs. Once he is running with this weight at the end of all the
chains; may you increase the weights by 5 lbs each.
This will only happen after a few weeks of training or a very strong dog. The
purpose of the weights with such long chains is training the dog to lower his
head, pull with his shoulders and stretch is legs out (front and back). As he
trains, you will notice that he does this as he pulls and hits each weight in
order. Now, let's back up a little. While teaching the commands, just have him
go distances of any size only to teach him commands. Once he knows his commands
of when to pull and stop, when to pay attention, and when to increase pulling
power, you need to work and strength & sprint training. Strength training is
where he/she will pull the chain and weights for at least 15 minutes each time.
NO MORE than 15 minutes for the same reason as a keep. Give him a few minutes of
rest with rubbing and praise. Then continue again. Each session on every other
day is up to the dog and you. You don't want to over work him, just a little
more work than the time before. Sprint training is where you will allow him only
to pull 20 feet and stop, then pull 20 feet and stop, over and over again. This
is very important. I can not express how many people drop out on the 8th or 9th
pull simply because their dog is tired. Now, here is where you may use the cart,
wagon, etc or just double loop the chains so they do not exceed 18 feet. Tips:
#1 If it is a hot day, between pulls, set your dog in the shade. Have squirt
bottle of AMP (made by Mountain Dew) or other high caffeine drinks (with ice) to
help your dog catch his second wind. Remember, you don't want your dog to
actually drink, just get a sip to cool down a bit with some added punch. #2 You
want to keep your dog in a crate at least the day before the pull in order to
make him rest. Do not pull at least 3 days before the pull. #3 When messaging,
especially after a real hard work out, use a horse ligament that can be found at
any live stock store for sore muscles. If you have a pulled muscle, it will set
you back at least 2 weeks. #4 If the dog has a hard time getting use to the
harness, simply let him wear it in your house. Though, do not continue this once
he is familiar with it. You want him to become a "serious puller" once he has
the item on, which means you can only have the harness on when it's time to
pull.
Agility Training
Tasha's Favorite Tricks
by Pat Saito and Tasha
Thanks to our teacher, Sherri Davis of BRB K-9
who taught us these tricks
I love food and like to do tricks for my mom. I have been in two movies because
I learned to do these tricks. One was called "Dogmatic" and the other last year
was a Disney movie called "Murder she Purred. If you see them, look for me. In
Dogmatic, I mostly run with a pack of other dogs but I do get to jump over a big
flowerbed in one scene and I did it real good!!! I played a German Shepherd
Guard Dog in the Disney movie. I had lots of scenes in that one, including
chasing a cat. I had to do things on command like opening a door and then
standing still, good thing I had been trained.
Most of the actions you see dogs doing in movies are just a bunch of simple
tricks. If you learn these tricks, maybe you can be in a movie too. My mom says
these tricks are good exercise for me too.
By teaching your dog to do each trick, you can have him/her capable of being a
movie dog (or just a fun pet).
Some of these tricks help the dog in other sports such as agility and in
obedience. Likewise, agility work can be incorporated into movie work. For
example, dogs that can jump obstacles can be taught to jump in and out of moving
cars, leap over people or other dogs, or jump in and out of windows. A-frame
work can be used to teach the dog to go over fences or other high obstacles and
dog walk training can be used to teach dog to walk along narrow walls, etc. The
circle obstacle with the hole covered with saran wrap can be used to teach the
dogs to jump through a window.
This list doesn't include tricks such as retrievals which are used often in
movies or bite work. Bite work should only be done by a trained handler as you
must do it properly to be effective. None of these tricks require special
equipment. They are meant to be fun for you and your dog. This list includes
some instructions on how to do them but there are many ways to teach the same
trick. Use the one that works for you and your dog.
PLAY DEAD/BANG
Agility Use: to get dog to down on table if you are having problems with this
obstacle
How: With dog in sit or stand stay, point finger and pull hand up while saying
bang. This action is similar to the down hand signal. Dog must lie down on side
with head down. You may have to do in stages - down and side.
CIRCLE
Agility Use: to improve corners and turns and weaving - helps increase
flexibility
How: With dog in stand stay in front of you, give "circle" command and entice
dog with food treat or toy to turn in circle. Don't encourage to "chase tail'.
Give reward when dog turns fully. Gradually give command from greater distances.
For distance, it helps to put reward on end of pole and use to get dog to turn
in circle.
BOW
Agility Use: before doing agility, this is a good stretching exercise. Can also
help on down contacts
How: With dog in stand stay, handler in front of dog, with reward (food treat)
in hand. Move both hands in towards dogs front paws (above paws) while saying
"bow". As dog extends head down for treat in a bow position, reward. This trick
is eventually down at a distance and can be down from the side with a single
hand command.
CRAWL
Agility Use: Helps dogs who will not go through tunnel
How: Dog in down stay. Hold treat in right hand with left hand on dog's withers
(farther back on large dogs). Move hand with treat up and down (short movements)
while saying crawl. As dog moves forward, hold him/her down with hand on back.
Move treat hand away from dog so dog has to follow to get treat. Reward
initially after any movement and then require longer distances. If dog has
trouble crawling, this can be down under someone's legs or under a solid chair
or low agility table.
BACK UP
Agility Use: positioning dog at start, repositioning if dog slightly overruns
weave poles, general control
How: Handler in front of dog. Step into the dog, move hands towards dog in a
pushing motion (palms up facing dog). Dog will have to move backwards as you
move into it. Reward with "good back" as soon as dog takes one step. Best way to
reward is to toss treat into dogs mouth. If you let him take it from your hand
it is hard to get distance on this one. Leash can be used to move dog back if he
has trouble. Wall keeps dog straight. Gradually stop moving towards dog as you
give the verbal command and hand signal. When learned properly, the dog will
back away from you in a straight line for extensive distance (depending on
comfort zone of your dog).
TOUCH/TARGET
Agility use: use to send your dog to an obstacle or to encourage touching
contact
How: Train this one by first having dog touch a piece of paper stuck to the
wall. Take dog to wall, command "touch" or "target" and touch the paper. When
dog jumps up and touches the paper, reward her. Then place an object on floor
and send dog to "touch or target. Reward when dog moves to object and touches
it.
TURN OUT LIGHT
Agility Use: same as target - a fun trick to do that helps dog learn to go away
from handler and touch or manipulate an object
How: Hold treat at light switch (make sure dog can reach the switch when on back
legs. For short dogs, place on sturdy table at light switch). Give command "turn
out light" or "light off". When dog jumps up to get treat make sure her paws hit
the switch. Reward with "good light off/out", or whatever your command was.
Gradually start to stand away from switch and send dog. Toss treat when dog
jumps up and paws at light. You can also teach this by placing the treat on the
switch so dog has to knock it off. This method may, however cause the dog to use
the mouth to hit the switch more than the paw so it is preferable to hold the
treat in the hand.
JUMP OVER DOGS
Agility use: Practicing jumping obstacles, socializing with other dogs, being
handled on obstacles from both sides
How: This is an interesting trick to do once you have a group of dogs that meet
certain qualifications:
• Get along ( i.e. non aggressive with each other)
• Keep a still down stay
• Good at jumping low obstacles
If you have this combination, this trick can look very impressive. First start
with pairs. Have one dog in a down stay with the handler holding the leash short
and a treat in hand if required. The other handler gives the "over" command and
while on leash has the dog jump the one who is down. Repeat in opposite
direction to get dog used to jumping on both sides of handler. Then switch dogs.
When the pairs are reliable, put up to 6 dogs in down stays about 3 feet apart
(depending on size of jumper). One dog (on leash to begin) jumps all of the
other dogs. This is repeated several times for each dog and then they change
places until all dogs have had a turn jumping.
WALK UNDER
Agility Use: apart from teaching a long stretch exercise which is good for
warming up, there isn't too much related to agility in this one but its fun and
looks good.
How: Same qualifications for dogs as Jumping Dogs. Once all of the dogs can bow
and hold it, line up dogs very close together and give the "bow" command at same
time. Tell dogs to "stay" - handler holds treat close to keep attention. You
need to use a very small dog such as a terrier for the next part. While the
larger dogs are in bow position, the small one starts at one end and walks under
their rear legs. Trick is to keep the large dogs from lying down. This takes
great concentration and muscle control by the large dogs.
WEAVE HEELING
Agility use: improves flexibility
How: Start heeling off leash. Have a treat in both hands. As you step with right
foot exaggerate the step and bait dog under your leg while saying "weave". Dog
is to walk under your leg to your right side. Then as you take the left foot
step, repeat to left side. Continue as you move forward. This trick takes time
to learn and if you have a large dog it can be more difficult. The trick is to
keep the dog weaving in and out under your legs. Once you have this one, you can
combine it with the next trick (circle me) into a complete heeling pattern.
CIRCLE ME
Agility use: circles improve turns and keeps dog focussed on handler. May help
in direction changes
How: Start heeling with treat in hand. Bait dog while saying "circle me" and
draw the dog around your body so dog is completing a circle around you. Remember
to continue to move forward while doing this. Make it lots of fun and get dog to
skip around you. This is a fun trick - not an obedience exercise. Change
direction until dog can circle you in both directions. When you've got this down
to a fine art, do two circle me's, 2 weaves, repeat, repeat. Then make up
different combinations. For example: circle me, circle me, weave, weave, circle
me, circle me, bow (and then reward). Note that this can takes several weeks to
get or your dog may pick it up very fast.
BOOK ON HEAD
Agility use: balance
How: Find a book that is suitable to the size of your dog. Balance book either
on head between ears, on withers or on muzzle. This depends on your dog's body
shape. Hold the dog still with left hand and place book with right. Hold book
while saying "stay". Eventually remove both hands (slowly) until dog is
balancing book. Count to 3 and remove and release and reward. Idea is to
increase time the dog holds the book. The ultimate is to have the dog come while
balancing the book. This is a hard one so don't expect instant success.
GO THAT WAY
Agility use: sending dog to a location
How: The object is to tell the dog to go in a certain direction and she will
move wherever you point. First use a bait (can be food or toy). Place three
baits - one directly in front of you about 10 feet away, one along the same line
(10 feet away) to the right and one to the left. Dog is in sit or stand beside
you on long line (or flexi). On command "go that way", point to the treat you
want the dog to go to. If dog has trouble, toss a treat in that direction to get
her started. Reward when she moves correctly. If the dog goes wrong way, stop
her with the long line and direct again. Continue to give the command until
there is success. Once dog picks up first treat point to the next one and say
"go that way", and so on. The dog must pay attention and move in the direction
you are pointing to. Eventually you will start to give commands when the dog is
in a position away from you. For example, send your dog to the left (may have to
toss a treat.) When she gets there tell her to "down" or "sit". If she does it,
walk in and reward. Alternate commands until your dog will obey from longer
distances.
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