Monday, February 26, 2007
Use the things your dog likes to teach her/him obedience
In order to encourage a behavior you should use reinforcers. These reinforcers vary. They can be something your dog really enjoys for example: food treats, rubbing behind her/his ears, playing with a favorite toy or it can be a verbal appraisal like “Good”. The above mentioned reinforcers can be combined. For example: you can say “Good” and also give a food treat in order to increase your dogs awareness of the situation. This combination can stop when your dog responds to what you want 9 out of 10 times.
Considering the above mentioned practices we conclude that: If you give your dog the things s/he enjoys only after s/he has obeyed, s/he will anticipate obedience, because s/he knows that it only leads to the things s/he really enjoys!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Keep your dog healthy
There are also products that help promote healthy skin and hair coat, reduce unwanted shedding and come in various kinds so you can even use them as a food treat. Also a good shampoo is essential when you give your dog a bath.
You must give to your dog protection against worms on a regular basis. Your vet will advise you on which pills must be given.
You can also give to your pet vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, always in agreement with your vet; all these can help your dog live a healthy and extended life.
Especially for dogs we must be very careful of their weight. An overweight dog is an ill dog, vulnerable to many diseases and dangers. SO, BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR TREATS! If needed there are special food products, diet products that can help maintain or reduce your dog’s weight. The best natural thing you can do to keep your dog in good health is to give her/him exercise on a regular basis.
Another important point that needs to be made concerns your dog’s dental health! Teeth should be in good health because they are really important to your dog. You can choose chewing bones or other chewable products / food treats in order to help your dog keep his/her teeth clean.
Health & Pet Meds
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Importance of appraisal & rewarding - Part II
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Importance of appraisal & rewarding - Part I
Example: Take a cookie in your hand hold it in front of the dog and start moving it up and behind her face until you lead her to sit down as she cannot follow the cookie anymore. As soon as the dog sits you say sit and appraise her, Good Dog, and then give her the cookie. The dog will associate the appraisal and the cookie with sitting. The desired result would be after a lot of repetition; the dog connects the above mentioned actions with sitting and reaches a point where she reacts only to the word sit, thinking that the rewarding will follow. After that the dog reaches a point where she can “obey” to the word no matter who gives it. This means that another member of your family can make her sit, just by saying the word wherever the dog is (during her walk, or in the house etc). In order for her to maintain the desired behavior you should repeat it many times, even under various circumstances and in different places, so as the dog performs in the expected way at all times (at least 9 out of 10).
Monday, February 12, 2007
Conditioned & Unconditioned Reinforcement
Sunday, February 11, 2007
What kind of punishment and when?
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Positive & Negative Motivation
- Another way to prevent your dog from doing something you don’t want is to use a negative motivation, like taking his toys, or ignore her.
Example: In order to support/reinforce a behavior you should for example rub her tummy when she sits beside your bed, or you can spray water on her face when she climbs on your bed and stop as soon as she gets off.
Friday, February 9, 2007
When you realise that "screaming" doesn't work
When I first got my puppy I left her in my apartment and she started sniffing around my room in order to get familiar with her new surroundings. She thought that my new leather boots were really interesting and started smelling and playing with one of them. I thought she was funny and went to get my camera. As soon as I got back she had put it in her mouth and started chewing it. I went close to her and yelled at her NO, STOP, DON’T DO THAT, NO!!! I grabbed the boot and saw her reaching for the second one. I thought that my screaming at her was not very effective after all. This is a common situation that I suppose most dog “owners” have come up against with.
I then decided that I should find a more effective way to deal with my dog’s inappropriate behavior in order to prevent things from happening rather than react in a “hysterical” way after the damage has been done.
Make sure what the problem is, in order to “fight” the cause and not just react to the problem itself.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Getting Started
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Your Dog is totally dependant on you!
Unfortunately there are many people who think of a dog as another “game” and do not think twice before getting one. It is a great responsibility and no one should get involved in such a situation without considering all the pros and cons. When you become a dog owner you must be sure that your life will not be the same as long as you two live together. It is the same as when you become a parent only even more difficult because as people say “a dog is a child that never grows up”. You are responsible for your dog’s life as it cannot take care of itself. Your dog is totally dependant on you! Never forget that!
So, after being absolutely certain that you can adjust your life in order to get your favorite pet the next step for you and your dog is to get some training. I hope I can help you with some basic ideas. I strongly advise you to do your own reading and maybe also visit an experienced trainer, since what will follow may not be applicable in every situation. These are some general rules that may vary depending on where you live (e.g apartment or country house) or what breed your dog is.