Dog Club Newsletter, April 2009

We've got another Good Dog II class on the schedule for April. If you've completed Good Dog I, this is the class for you. We'll cover advanced heeling, retrieving, jumping, and other fun skills. The class starts on Monday, April 20^th at 7:30 pm. Space is limited, so call us at 970-416-1166 to register.

We've been working hard during daycare to train your dog to sit and wait until instructed to go through the doors in our facility. Anytime we let the dogs into a playroom, or send them outside to potty, we make them sit and wait until we release them through the door. You can help reinforce this behavior by practicing it at home. Anytime your dog is going to go through a door, make him sit. Crack the door open slightly. If he starts to move towards it, immediately close the door. Repeat this as many times as you need to until he sits and waits. Use the release work "OK!" and let him proceed through the door. You'll end up with a better mannered dog who doesn't barge through doors, but waits until given the signal to proceed.

Time outs are a great way to resolve problem behaviors. The key to a good Time Out to execute it the same way every time. Use a warning word like "Careful" or "Easy" as a predictor that a Time Out will follow if behavior doesn't change for the better. If things don't improve, take the dog by the collar to his Time Out location which could be a crate, laundry room, bathroom, or other place away from the family. Say "Time Out" as you put your dog into this space. Release the dog after 30 seconds or so. f you leave him in there too long he'll forget why he's there. You want to give him a chance to redeem himself. So let him out, if he repeats the behavior, say your warning word and repeat the Time Out. Stay unemotional throughout this process.

We use this method during daycare to resolve barking, over-stimulation, repeated jumping up, aggressive play, "zoomies", and any other unwanted behaviors. Some dogs get "Time Outs" 6 times in a row before they get the idea. Patience and persistence are important.

Does your dog jump up on you? Dogs often greet us by jumping up on us. It's natural dog behavior. If we don't want them to jump on us we need to teach them that this is unacceptable behavior and train the right behavior. At daycare we use the word "OFF", walk into the dog, ask for a sit and praise the sit. Pushing your dog off with your hands is reinforcing for the dog—it's almost like petting him. So use your body and push him off by walking towards him. Ask for a sit and praise him when you get it. Anticipate your dog's actions. If you know he's going to jump on you, say "Sit" in a strong voice before he gets to you. Repetition will make the sit happen routinely.