Dog Training For Dummies^®, 4th Edition

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020932726

ISBN: 978-1-119-65682-1; ISBN 978-1-119-65684-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-65687-6 (ebk)

Dog Training For Dummies®

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Table of Contents

Cover

Introduction

About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here

Part 1: Setting the Stage for Successful Training

Chapter 1: Dog Training: The Key to Your Dog’s Safety and Your Sanity
1. Understanding Why You’re Training Buddy: To Do Something or Not to Do Something
2. Identifying a Well-Trained Dog
3. Selecting a Training Model
4. Identifying Six Basic Commands Every Dog Needs to Know
5. Recognizing Factors that Influence Success
6. Oh, the Places You and Your Pooch Can Go: Beyond the Basics
7. An Exercise to Get You and Your Pooch Started
Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Dog and How He Perceives the World
1. Determining What Motivates You and Your Dog
2. Being Aware of Your Dog’s Body Language
3. Recognizing Your Dog’s Instinctive Behaviors
4. Determining Your Dog’s Personality Profile
5. Deciding How You Want Buddy to Act
6. Remembering Who’s Training Whom
Chapter 3: Developing Training Savvy
1. Managing the Dog Within
2. Stressing the Effects of Stress
3. Managing Your Dog’s Environment
4. Understanding the “You” Factor
Chapter 4: Understanding the Vital Role That Nutrition and Health Play in Training
1. Finding the Right Food for Buddy
2. Understanding the Nutrients Your Dog Needs
3. Making Choices about How to Feed Buddy
4. Exploring Common Health Issues That Affect Behavior and Training
Chapter 5: Gearing Up for Training Success
1. Choosing the Right Training Leash and Collar
2. Readying a Reward: Treats Are Your Training Buddies
3. Considering Other Equipment You Can Use

Part 2: Performing Puppy Preliminaries

Chapter 6: Bringing Your Puppy Home: What You Need to Know
1. Preparing for Puppy’s Arrival
2. Bringing Puppy Home — Now What?
3. Starting Buddy’s Education
4. Solving Perplexing Puppy Problems
Chapter 7: Surviving Your Puppy’s Critical Growth Periods
1. Understanding Your Puppy’s Early Development
2. The Terrible Twos: Managing the Adolescent from 4 Months to 2 Years
3. Spaying or Neutering to Help with Behavior and Training

Part 3: Tackling Training Basics

Chapter 8: The Ins and Outs of Housetraining
1. Helping Buddy Get Used to His Crate
2. Training a Dog to Eliminate Outside
3. Establishing a Regular Feeding and Elimination Schedule
4. Designating a Regular Toilet Area
5. When Accidents Happen — Knowing What to Do
6. Using an Exercise Pen for Housetraining
Chapter 9: Focusing on Some Basic Training Commands
1. Training for Attention: Praise Versus Petting
2. Practicing Name Recognition
3. Teaching Your Dog the Touch Command
4. Greeting with the Hello Command
5. Leave It: Getting Your Dog to Leave Stuff Alone
Chapter 10: Coming and Going: Two Essential Commands to Teach Buddy
1. Understanding the Importance of Leadership: Okay Is the Word
2. Teaching Your Dog to Come When Called
3. Training Your Dog to Handle Distractions
4. Focusing on the Opposite of Come — Go
Chapter 11: Mastering Some Fundamentals: Sit, Down, and Stay
1. Understanding Why Sit Is So Important
2. Introducing Down and Its Commands
3. Training Your Dog Sit and Down Simultaneously
4. Warming Up with the Long-Down Exercise
5. Staying in Place: Sit-Stay and Down-Stay
Chapter 12: Going for a Pleasant Walk
1. Using the Right Leash and Collar When Walking Your Dog
2. Taking a Pleasure Walk with Your Dog
3. Teaching Buddy How to Heel at Your Side
4. Adding Distractions
Chapter 13: Going to Bed and All of Its Practical Uses
1. Selecting a Bed for Your Dog
2. Deciphering How You Want to Use the Command
3. Training Buddy the Go to Your Bed Command
Chapter 14: Getting In, Out, On, and Off and Mastering Door and Stairs Manners
1. Getting In and Out
2. Getting On and Off
3. Training Door Manners
4. Teaching Stairs Manners
Chapter 15: Dealing with Common Doggie Don’ts
1. Preventing Bad Habits — The Five General Prescriptions for Good Behavior
2. Handling Your Dog’s Objectionable Behavior
3. Teaching Buddy to Keep All Four on the Floor
4. Putting an End to Counter Surfing — Leave It
5. Quieting the Incessant Barker
6. Contending with Chewing — The Nonfood Variety
7. Dealing with a Digger
8. Managing Marking Behavior

Part 4: Taking Training to the Next Level

Chapter 16: Retrieving: Time to Fetch
1. Introducing the Common Retrieving Commands to Your Natural Retriever
2. Explaining the Basics of Retrieving
3. Polishing and Perfecting the Retrieve
Chapter 17: Trick Training for Fun
1. Shake and High Five
2. Find the Pea under the Right Cup
3. Hide in a Box
4. Pick a Hand
5. Play Shy
6. Roll Over
7. Play Dead
8. Find Mine
9. Jump through a Hoop
10. You Have Food on Your Nose
11. Take a Bow
12. Dog Catcher/Stranger Trick
Chapter 18: Training for Fun and Competition
1. Understanding the System: Your Road Map to the Companion Dog Title
2. First Things First: Teaching the Ready! Command
3. Heeling Despite Distractions
4. Let’s Dance, Buddy: Heel On and Then Off Leash
5. Putting a Twist on Things: Teaching the Figure 8
6. Your Dog Isn’t an Elephant: Reinforcing Training
Chapter 19: Completing the Companion Dog Title
1. You’re Getting a Check-Up: Preparing for the Stand for Examination
2. Heeling Off Leash
3. Mastering the Recall
4. Training for the Group Stay Exercises

Part 5: Handling Special Situations

Chapter 20: Addressing Aggression
1. Understanding Aggression
2. Managing a Dog’s Aggression — Prey, Pack, Defense Drives
3. Coping with Aggression around the Food Bowl
4. Dealing with Fear-Biters
5. Handling Aggression in Different Circumstances
Chapter 21: Helping Buddy Handle Special Situations
1. Reacting to Loud Noises and Thunder
2. Coping with Separation Anxiety
3. Soiling the House
4. Dribbling and Submissive Wetting
5. Taking Buddy on the Road
6. Going to Doggie Daycare
7. Minding Your Manners at the Dog Park
8. Keeping Your Canine Calm at the Vet’s Office
9. Being Patient with the Rescue Dog
Chapter 22: Keeping Your Senior Dog Young: Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
1. Old Gray Muzzle: Exploring the Signs of Aging in Dog Years
2. Teaching Exercises to Keep Buddy’s Mind and Body Sharp
3. Taking Care of Your Older Dog’s Health and Nutrition Needs
4. Keeping Up with Grooming
5. Bringing Home a Puppy to Help Rejuvenate Buddy
6. Looking Into Dog Beds, Ramps, Wheelchairs, and Carts
Chapter 23: Supplementing Your Training Efforts with Expert Help
1. Going to Obedience Training Class
2. Hiring a Private Trainer
3. Sending Buddy to a Board and Train

Part 6: The Part of Tens

Chapter 24: Ten Training Traps and How to Avoid Them
1. Procrastinating on Basic Training
2. Buying into Attention-Seeking Behavior
3. Forgetting to Release Your Dog from a Stay
4. Eliminating Rewards Too Soon
5. Using Your Dog’s Name as a Command
6. Having to Repeat Commands Away from Home
7. Punishing Your Dog When He Comes to You
8. Running After Your Dog
9. Expecting Too Much Too Quickly
10. Ignoring the Principle of Consistency
Chapter 25: Ten Fun and Exciting Sporting Activities
1. Agility Events
2. Tracking Titles
3. Barn Hunt AKC
4. Lure Coursing
5. Schutzhund Training
6. Flyball Competitions
7. Freestyle Performances
8. Dock Diving Dogs
9. Detection Dogs or Scent Work
10. Working as a Service Dog
Chapter 26: Ten Reasons Dogs Do What They Do
1. Why Do Dogs Insist on Jumping on People?
2. Why Do Dogs Sniff Parts of Your Anatomy That You’d Prefer They Didn’t?
3. Why Do Male Dogs Lift Their Legs So Often?
4. Why Do Dogs Mount Each Other?
5. Why Do Dogs Like to Chase Things?
6. Why Do Dogs Roll in Disgusting Things?
7. Why Do Dogs Eat Weeds or Grass?
8. Why Do Dogs Hump Humans’ Legs?
9. Why Do Dogs Scoot on Their Rear Ends?
10. Why Do Dogs Circle Before Lying Down?

Index

About the Authors

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

Chapter 1

FIGURE 1-1: Well-trained dogs.
FIGURE 1-2: The difference between training to do something and training to sto...
FIGURE 1-3: Teaching your dog the Stay command as a part of feeding him.

Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: Dogs showing the chase, a typical prey-drive behavior.
FIGURE 2-2: A dog enjoying physical contact with a person, a typical pack drive...
FIGURE 2-3: A dog growling, a typical fight behavior.
FIGURE 2-4: Your dog’s Profile at a Glance.
FIGURE 2-5: How a dog can go between any drive as he chooses.
FIGURE 2-6: Switching from defense drive into pack drive.
FIGURE 2-7: A typical Teacher’s Pet profile.

Chapter 3

FIGURE 3-1: A Labrador Retriever bred to bring game to hand.
FIGURE 3-2: The Newfoundland, a large breed, is a laid-back dog except around w...

Chapter 4

FIGURE 4-1: A very healthy dog.
FIGURE 4-2: Choose a food that can be fed to all life stages.
FIGURE 4-3: Pavi, an 11-year-old Newfoundland, in Agility competition.
FIGURE 4-4: Thinning hair due to hypothyroidism.
FIGURE 4-5: Obesity due to hypothyroidism.

Chapter 5

FIGURE 5-1: Cotton web leash.
FIGURE 5-2: The floating ring is the live ring and the stationary ring is the d...
FIGURE 5-3: Correct snap-around collar placement.
FIGURE 5-4: A pinch collar.
FIGURE 5-5: A head halter.
FIGURE 5-6: A dog in a nonpulling harness.

Chapter 6

FIGURE 6-1: Items you need before your puppy comes home.
FIGURE 6-2: A crate is a comfy den for your dog.
FIGURE 6-3: A solid-sided crate.
FIGURE 6-4: A wire crate forces a dog to be exposed.
FIGURE 6-5: How to put on a snap-around collar.
FIGURE 6-6: A harmonious relationship, a boy and his dog.
FIGURE 6-7: Grooming a puppy on a table.
FIGURE 6-8: Bathing your puppy.
FIGURE 6-9: Drying puppy after a bath.

Chapter 7

FIGURE 7-1: Puppies discover valuable lessons while playing.
FIGURE 7-2: Yes, your pup will grow up.

Chapter 8

FIGURE 8-1: Feeding a puppy in a crate.
FIGURE 8-2: A potty tray to hold pee pads.
FIGURE 8-3: An X-pen is another form of containment.

Chapter 9

FIGURE 9-1: Offer your dog a treat with an open hand.
FIGURE 9-2: Offer the treat between two fingers with your hand flat.
FIGURE 9-3: Hold the treats in your other hand as if it were a cup of treats.
FIGURE 9-4: Your dog moves to your hand any time you give the Touch command.

Chapter 10

FIGURE 10-1: Learning Come with the Recall Game.
FIGURE 10-2: Use a hand signal for Go.

Chapter 11

FIGURE 11-1: Gently lowering your dog into the Down position.
FIGURE 11-2: Reinforce the Sit-Stay.

Chapter 12

FIGURE 12-1: Use this clockface to train your dog to walk.
FIGURE 12-2: How to hold a leash.
FIGURE 12-3: Heeling with distraction.

Chapter 13

FIGURE 13-1: A well-trained dog showing off his good manners.
FIGURE 13-2: Different types of dog beds.

Chapter 14

FIGURE 14-1: Practicing door manners.

Chapter 15

FIGURE 15-1: Tired dogs have happy owners.
FIGURE 15-2: Does your dog jump on people?
FIGURE 15-3: A puppy showing early signs of counter surfing.

Chapter 16

FIGURE 16-1: Gently opening your dog’s mouth.
FIGURE 16-2: Putting the dumbbell in your dog’s mouth.
FIGURE 16-3: Holding the back of your hand under the dog’s chin.
FIGURE 16-4: Retrieving with third-degree distraction.

Chapter 17

FIGURE 17-1: Help by sliding your hand from the elbow to the paw.
FIGURE 17-2: Two cups, one is loaded and one is empty.
FIGURE 17-3: Watch Buddy sniff out the correct cup for the treat.
FIGURE 17-4: Buddy leaps into the box after you tossed a treat into the box.
FIGURE 17-5: Hiding in the box by going into the Down position.
FIGURE 17-6: Offer both fisted hands, but only one holds a treat.
FIGURE 17-7: Have him choose which one.
FIGURE 17-8: Only Buddy’s face should be able to push through your legs for the...
FIGURE 17-9: Load your gun (your pointed finger) with a treat in your hand.
FIGURE 17-10: Tie down the unscented pencil and have your pencil loose.
FIGURE 17-11: Use only one scented pencil.
FIGURE 17-12: Cup your hand over his nose on a Sit-Stay.
FIGURE 17-13: Balance the treat on his nose.
FIGURE 17-14: Take a Bow to thundering applause.

Chapter 18

FIGURE 18-1: Using Control Position.
FIGURE 18-2: The perfect Figure 8.

Chapter 19

FIGURE 19-1: This well-behaved pooch stands for examination.
FIGURE 19-2: Using the leash-in-pocket technique.
FIGURE 19-3: Leash-in-pocket technique with the snap looped in your pocket.
FIGURE 19-4: Coming with distractions.
FIGURE 19-5: Using chutes to teach a straight front.

Chapter 20

FIGURE 20-1: Releasing energy from prey drive.
FIGURE 20-2: The tug-of-war game.

Chapter 21

FIGURE 21-1: A DAP dispenser.
FIGURE 21-2: Dogs getting the exercise and social interactions that they need a...

Chapter 22

FIGURE 22-1: Twelve-year-old Annabelle walking backward.
FIGURE 22-2: Neck stretches to keep Buddy in shape.
FIGURE 22-3: Swimming is a great activity for your senior dog.
FIGURE 22-4: Keeping your senior’s nails short is a must.
FIGURE 22-5: Clean teeth keep your old dog healthy.
FIGURE 22-6: Playing with a puppy keeps an older dog feeling young.

Chapter 23

FIGURE 23-1: A group class of dogs showing off a beautiful Sit-Stay in line.

Chapter 25

FIGURE 25-1: A dog in action during an agility trial.
FIGURE 25-2: A Dock Diving dog.
FIGURE 25-3: You can recognize assistance dogs by their jackets.

Introduction

Both of us have had dogs of one kind or another since childhood.

Many years later we’re still sharing what we have learned along the way. Every one of our dogs has been more of a teacher than a pupil, and we’ve discovered much more from our dogs than we could ever have hoped to teach them. This book is our attempt to pass on to you what our dogs have taught us.

Without help, few people can become proficient, much less an expert, in a given field. We certainly have had plenty of help. A well-trained dog is the result of education, more yours than your dog’s. You need to know what makes a dog a dog, how he thinks, how he reacts, how he grows, how he expresses himself, what his needs are, and most important, why he does what he does. When you understand your dog fully, you can achieve a mutually rewarding relationship. A dog isn’t a homogenous commodity. Each one is a unique individual, and in their differences lies the challenge.

As a dog trainer, every dog teaches you something. Most dog trainers you meet also show you something even if it’s only how they communicate with the dogs with which they work. Communication is the key to all dog training. Without communication no training can take place. Dogs need to understand what you want, they need to know when you’re pleased, and they need to know when you’re finished and moving on. Play is a big part of training a dog. After all, training can be viewed as play as well as work, enjoyable either way.

Our goal in writing this book was to show how communication works and how you must communicate with your dog so both of you can learn the game of dog training. Enjoy as you read and put into practice all the information and advice in this book.

About This Book

We truly want this book to be a useful tool for you. And we don’t want dog training to feel like a chore that you have to slog through step by step. So we’ve structured this book in such a way that you can jump in and out of the text as it interests you and applies to your situation. For instance, is your dog partially trained but needs to learn a few things? If so, consult the table of contents or index and go directly to the chapters you need.

Nor do we expect you to internalize every bit of information in this book. Throughout the text, we include reminders of key points and cross-references to more information about the topic at hand. Remember, dog training is fun! It isn’t a series of tests that you have to pass — unless, of course, you and your dog enter the world of competitive events.

Because training starts the moment you bring your little bundle of fur home, we tell you about behavioral development and what to expect during the few weeks and months. We guide you with tips on training, tell you about up-to-date training equipment, and help you to establish a daily schedule. We devote a whole chapter to housetraining and crate training.

This fourth edition of Dog Training For Dummies is chock-full of new and revised exercises for you. In addition to a wide array of new photos, we’ve also

Reorganized many of the training exercises to make that more accessible and easier to follow
Updated exercises to reflect current training trends
Added exercises to make living with your dog easier and more fun from the start
Added new tricks so you and your dog can achieve the AKC Trick titles easily
Updated and revised Wendy’s nutrition chapter with the most current information available

We consider our older dogs our friends as well and have included in this edition a chapter on keeping your old dog young. We offer exercises that can be used to limber up the old joints, tips on feeding, information on the latest supplements, and much more.

All in all, this is a practical book that we hope will make your relationship with Buddy the very best it can be.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing this book, we assume a few things about you:

You have a dog or plan to get one.
You want your dog to be well behaved — for his sake as well as yours.
You’re self-motivated and ready to make training a priority.
You’re looking for an inexpensive guide that gives you the freedom to train your dog what and when you want.
You want to know more about training a dog.

No matter the amount of training experience you have, you can find this book helpful. Through our many years of working with a wide variety of dog breeds and personalities, we’ve picked up many tricks that are sure to prove useful even to experienced dog trainers.

Icons Used in This Book

To help you navigate your way through the text, we have included some highlights of important material, some hints, some cautions, and some true stories of success. This key information is marked with little pictures (or icons) in the margins. Here’s what the icons tell you:

This icon draws your attention to ways to save time, money, energy, and your sanity.

This icon raises a red flag; your safety or your dog’s may be at risk. It also tells you about the don’ts of dog training. Proceed at your own risk!

This icon directs you to information that’s important to remember — key points that you want to focus on.

This icon highlights in-depth information that isn’t critical for you to know but that can enhance your knowledge of dog training and make you a better teacher.

Where to Go from Here

The important thing about dog training is getting started today. The sooner you train your dog to behave the way you want him to, the sooner the two of you can live in peace together, and the more problems you can prevent down the road. So turn the page (or use the table of contents or index to get to the information you need the most) and get going! Your dog will thank you for it. You can also visit www.dummies.com and search for the “Dog Training For Dummies” Cheat Sheet for access to information you may need on a regular basis.

Part 1

Setting the Stage for Successful Training

IN THIS PART …

Discover what a well-trained dog looks like. Become aware of what your dog is learning from you at the time. Whether you know it or not, you’re sometimes teaching your dog something and other times stopping him from doing something unwanted. Pick the six most important commands you want to teach your dog as the foundation of his training.

Look into your dog’s personality and see how you affect everything he does and perceives through your body language and how you communicate with each other.

Find out what it takes to be the best dog trainer for your dog. Be aware of the other factors that surround your dog, such as his environment as well as those things born within your dog such as how he perceives the world.

Read about how your dog’s nutrition and health affects his learning and retention of the training.

Know what you should buy to help you train your dog. A wide selection is available. Different things work better for different dogs.

Start on the right foot as you bring your new dog or puppy home, what to plan, and what to do first. Training doesn’t end with Sit and Down but includes brushing fur and teeth and saving your house from destruction.

See what it takes to raise the best dog in the world, from birth to adolescence. All the critical periods of development can change your puppy for life, so learn what they’re all about.