Whenever we bring a new dog to our house we need to be careful.  This is true even if it’s a for a few minutes, but especially important when you actually bring a new dog to your home for good.  Like during holidays.

Unfortunately every year hundreds of dogs and their owners get severely hurt (with all the good intentions) because they thought it’d be OK to put both dogs out in the back yard and let them sort it out.

As I have mention on the WCNC 36 Charlotte Today show There are a few steps you can take to make sure everydoggy gets along well handsomely.  Here is another post on the subject written by my Ridgeback Djembe back in 2009

First is to remember not to super impose your values on your dogs.  Older, Bigger, My sweetie etc. are human concepts and dogs will not obey by those guides.  Meaning ?  New dog maybe a higher ranking member pretty quickly (as in 2 seconds) regardless of size, age, breed

It’s best if you can make the meeting take place in a neutral area where the scent of the existing dog is not imprinted on everything/everywhere.

Take both dogs for a walk and insist on a good walk (loose leash, proper location in relationship to the guardian (this is you) and of course not competing with the other dog for a lead position IT IS YOUR WALK.  this will help reduce the stress on both dogs.

It’s a safe practice (we do this on the first day of our JumpStart students) for the new dog to spend first couple of days in the kennel/crate.  This practice will everydoggy safe while they get used to each others smells.

If you need further help please contact us or visit our Facebook page and post your question.

Here is a great question submitted by one of my clients:

Hi Turk!, I just have a quick question, Toby is nice to everybody in the building we live at but an old men who is very scared of him, whenever Toby see him, will start barking like mad, do you know why???

A: Hi J,

Do you know the saying dogs can smell fear? What you describe is a textbook case of Toby exploiting the fear of the people who are afraid. Best way to deal with this is ask the person who is afraid to stand calmly (ask him to read a paragraph on a piece of paper) and you walk pass him with Toby on leash. Do this a few times while praising Toby while he’s acting normal.

After a few times where Toby simply ignores the person. Stop and sit Toby praise and walk away.

Let me know how this works

Thanks
Turk

I often train adopted/rescued dogs for people who often don’t want to use the old name of the dog.  We changed the names of all the dogs we rescued.  Changing the name of an adult dog is not any different than naming a puppy.

When you feed your dog, do so by calling your dog by name to their food.  Take them out walking with you every day for an hour; put some of your dogs favorite treats in your pocket, give the dog a few bits at starting [establishing operation], call him by name occasionally when running forward, and every time he returns to you when called, give him a piece of the treat; pat him and caress him
for a  little. Follow this lesson for a week or ten days, and the dog will soon begin not only to know but to love you.

When a dog is shy of anything and will not come near it, you should teach him that there is nothing to be afraid of, either with the help of a courageous dog—which is the surest way— or else by touching the object that looks alarming yourself, and gently leading your dog up to it.
To force him with corrections only increases his terror; for when dogs feel pain in such a predicament; they think that this too is caused by the thing at which they shy.

I always believed nothing stops growth in its tracks faster than the phrase “This is how we’ve been doing it for ……….long  and it works fine.”  As an owner of a successful  dog training company here in Charlotte, NC I have enough successful clients to prove my way of dog training works great.  But that simply won’t cut it for me.  So when I got an invitation to go learn from legendary Bart Bellon I jumped the opportunity.  Here is a quick footage to share with you in hope of providing couple more tools for your toolbox. Enjoy.

I am reading a fascinating book on dog behavior and training.  Here is an interesting piece :

Xenophon (circa 380 B.C.), a student of Socrates, wrote a valuable tract on dog training entitled Cynegeticus.

Xenophon recognized the value of early training and recommended that a dog’s education be started while it was still young and
most eager to learn. During the early stages of training, hare-hunting dogs were trained to drive fleeing prey into snag nets by feeding the dogs near the location of the nets, at least until they developed a sufficient appetite for the hunt itself to perform the task of coming to the nets without such aid. Young trailing dogs were placed on long leashes and paired up with more experienced dogs to hunt hare.

As their training progressed, novice dogs were restrained until the hare was out of sight and then released to ensure that they relied on scent rather than sight to follow and locate the fleeing prey. If a puppy failed to trail an animal in the correct direction, the puppy was recalled and the procedure repeated until the behavior was mastered (Hull, 1964).

Xenophon  also anticipates with surprising accuracy a number of modern training theories and techniques. Although
Thorndike has been credited with the discovery of the law of effect, stating that behavior is strengthened by reward and weakened  by punishment,  Xenophon enunciated this basic rule of animal training well over 2000 years ago in his essay On the Art of Horsemanship:
Now, whereas the gods have given to men the
power of instructing one another in their duty
by word of mouth, it is obvious that you can
teach a horse nothing by word of mouth. If,
however, you reward him when he behaves as
you wish, and punish him when he is disobedient,
he will best learn to do his duty. This rule
can be stated in few words, but it applies to the
whole art of horsemanship.

Dog obedience training  is the very best thing you can do for your relationship with your dog.

Here are some points to consider:

• Basic obedience training makes life simple to your dog and cuts down on confusion. By learning from you the handler/guardian (owner),  your dog will know her place in the world and understand right from wrong.  Remember, for dogs there are no gray areas. They see the world in black and white terms and your dog will appreciate you showing “our mostly gray world” in  black and white to her.

• Training your dog when done properly is fun and rewarding for both of you.

• When your dog is trained you will  have a happy, obedient and balanced dog that you can take anywhere with you. Not to mention when you know your dog will come back to you when called  you can provide greater freedom to your dog. Leash is a human invention to Restrain dogs, but trained dogs don’t need leashes.

• Obedience trained puppy or dog is a safe dog .

• By training your dog you gain trust and respect  with your dog. She will understand what is expected of her and knows that you will always be fair and consistent with this.

• When your dog is trained she will be just as great when you have friends/kids around.

• If your dog is unruly you are less likely to exercise your dog. So training your dog will fulfill some vital needs for your dog:  Exercise, mental stimulation, spending time with you and providing her with a “job”.

• Dog training will reduce the time your dog spends away from you locked up in a crate because you (you and your dog) is struggling over dominance. You’ll be the always fair guardian , who she’ll respect and look to for guidance.

We view dog training as a process which we build upon over time.  Not only that but this process will build your (you and your dog)  confidence along the way.

If we can help you with your dog training needs please let us know.

Everyone who has done any sales training is familiar with tecnique called “Puppy Dog Closing“  The reason this technique is so effective is once we see a cute dog it’s really hard to not get it.  So if you are planning to get a new dog it’s better to think about some things before we get to the shelter or a rescue organization.
There is a perfect dog for everyone.
So these questions are not to deter you from getting a dog, but to identify what type of dog would be suitable for you.

Things to consider even before going to look for a dog.

1) The “Your reason” for getting the dog: What is your purpose for taking on this responsibility?

Remember Dogs love unconditionally, but we the humans always have a “motive”.  What is yours?

Hopefully your reasons are  more than  a gift or to make you feel good. (This will happen regardless)
Think about it. there is no right or wrong here; Just clarification. Are you looking for a friends to hang out with?  a work out partner ? Are you trying to save a dog’s life by adopting it from a kill shelter? Getting a dog so your family can feel safe while you are away?

2) Life style/ Your social life:
This will help you decide on the activity level of your next dog.
Do you have kids in  different sports?  Do you travel 200 days a year for work?  Do you mountain bike every chance you get or watching football on TV is what you call exercise?
Do you entertain at home?

3) Your Home Environment:
Do you live on 35th floor in downtown  or do you have a nice sized yard?  Do you have lots of fragile antiques or lots of yard sale bought furniture that can be replaced next Saturday’s yard sale?  Do your 7 year old have kids screaming, running in and out of the house? Do you have existing animals?

4) Finances:
Everything that has “dog” attached to its name cost more.
There are going to be added expenses when you bring a new life into your home.
Vet, Food, flea meds, toys and yes the best dog training.
Are you able and willing to spend your money on a dog or would you rather spend that money on other stuff?

5) Breeder vs Rescue:
Benefit of buying from a “reputable” breeder is ability to know the bloodline.  If that is not an issue for you    Great news  Thanks to internet now all purebreds have their rescue organizations online. So whatever is your choice of breed you can be sure to find it by typing the [breed] rescue and hit search. NC Border Collie Rescue, Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue Carolina Vizsla are 3 of the breed specific rescue organizations we work/support

Then  of course there are  No kill rescue shelters. where they don’t specialize in any breed.  Project Halo is No kill shelter we work/support.

Once you think and answer these questions you should have some idea of the type of dog that is suiatble for your lifestyle and activity level and a dog you can commit to.
Time to find meet a new dog.  These are some considerations when you meet your next dog.

If you have decided to check out your local rescue organization or shelter Most important thing to remember is to ignore the barking. These dogs are not hanging out at Club Med. They are locked up. Not getting nearly enough exercise. Don’t hold barking against them.
Let’s move on

1) Cuteness.
Is the dog cute ? have good markings?
Let’s not kid ourselves. No one wants to hear people say wow what an ugly dog when they’re walking their dogs.

Unfortunately  this is where a lot of people stop and get the dog, but DO NOT STOP HERE. There are more things to check.

2) Is the dog engaging.
Look at the dog. See if she will look back at you ? is she running away? cowering? or engaging? Or is she hostile when you have an eye contact.  Direct eye contact is a form of challenge in dog world and this is a good indicator of the dogs nervousness.

3) What’s The story of the dog?
Was she found on the street or has he bitten a child?  How old was he taken away from his litter mates?
Get as much information as you can

4) Check nerves and playfulness:
Now physically play with the dog. Give a gentle push, play rough if that’s something you will be doing, see what she does,  can you touch her feet ? tail ? will she play with you or just sit there? Will she fetch if you throw a frisbee or a ball?  If you are planning to play fetch with your dog it’s much easier to do it with a dog who wants to play in the first place.

OK you’re almost done.
NOW you have enough information to  decide if this dog is a good candidate to join your family.   I would recommend to see if you can foster the dog for a week.  This way you’ll have a better idea on what it will be like living with “this” dog.

Please remember dogs are social animals and we must respect the being in that animal, and just because we are higher on the food chain doesn’t mean this is a disposable creature.
Dogs love unconditionally. We are the one who is coming to this relationship with selfish reasons.

I hope this was helpful. If we can be of service please let us know.

I came across question about the uses of remote collar on the internet. The site didn’t have an option to register and you had to register to leave a comment. So, I hope via trackback Alysa can read this.

Alysa,
I’m former Sit Means Sit location owner (now have my own dog training co.)

Remote collars are all different and the stim levels can change from one collar to another even within the same brand. When you say is a no name brand I cringed.
Julie is right. Throw away the no name brand and get a reputable collar.  I test different collars all the time. I hope the following information is helpful. These are my findings based on my actual test/play with these:

Although they are reputable brands I don’t recommend /use PetSafe (too cheap  -not inexpensive.. cheap), Innoteck (not consistent stim), or TriTronics (way to strong for average pet dog)

Lucky dog mentioned Dogtra brand. I tested 280NCP and 300. I liked 280 NCP  better than 300 because the stim dial (the dial that controls the stimulation levels) has a little tab. It’s helpful to use your nail to adjust levels. When using remote collars you want to be able to adjust your levels quickly with a single hand. I really like the LED screen and ability to control stim levels just 1 click at a time with Dogtra and the vibrate option (Pager)

SMS collar is comparable to SportDog 800.
The thing I like about SportDog series is the single hand operation. dial and buttons are all in one place so if there is an emergency and you need to bump the levels you don’t even need to look at the remote to increase stim levels.

As far as training with remotes. You didn’t leave any information about the trainer and her/his philosophy and techniques. But based on what you wrote it seems like you’re using the remote for “avoidance” or “correction” although that method works and fast it does nothing to strengthening your bond between you and your dog.
The rest is philosophy:
The issue I have with that approach is You the owner now reduced yourself into a button pusher and because when your dog the pet is around other dogs he switches to being a dog the animal stim levels will not be perceived as communication from the owner essp. in early stages of training and/or during aggressive exchanges.

I’d recommend teaching your dog to leave high value items and coming back to you. Play with him in high energy situations and have him come and sit. (Toss a ball and have him come back in the middle of running to it) rough house play and in a climactic point put him to sit and have him stay there for 10 seconds and start playing again.  This will teach him to listen to you in high energy situations.

Feel free to visit my site and/or Facebook FanPAge:

www.OffLeashDogTraining.com
www.facebook.com/OffLeashDogTraining.