EXCITING NEWS:

After many years, I have decided to take some classes and actually get my Dog Training Certificate. I have done this as an private owner for many years. The time and circumstances are perfect for me to move further along in something that I love.

I am more than excited about this. It could lead to bigger and things for me,

So D and D Ausshole Academy will result into a real business. I am thrilled with this prospect. Wish me luck.

ON TO BIGGER AND BOLDER THINGS

I have posted the basic 11 behaviors, that I believe every dog should know, I have posted my methods of training these behaviors along with several links to sites with other methods. I hope you have enjoyed learning a bit.

I am now plotting my next course of action.

There is so much information about the art of Dog Training, it is hard to know what to cover next, there is really no set outline. So from now on if it is a post about Training a behavior it will be marked TRAINING POST, with a sub heading of what the behavior is.

I have also added a subscribe by email, so you can subscribe and get the blog in your email, if you should so choose.

Please don't hesitate to make comments, let me know what your looking to train.

TRAINING POST

THE RELEASE WORD

As I have already posted about SETTLE, this is the last post about the BASIC 11, that every dog should know.

The Basic 11, are basic manners and the platform base from which all other training extends, be it obedience, agility or tricks. You really need to train the basic 11, if your not training anything else. This will make your dog a better companion to live with and will also help keep your own sanity. No one likes a dog that doesn't have manners.

Once the basic 11 are taught and taught well, all other training will fall into place in a relatively easy manner. I am not saying that your dog will major in everything you try to train, but with the basics under their belt they will have a easier time learning other behaviors.

THE RELEASE WORD: The release word will let your dog know the behavior he has been asked to do is over, and he will get his treat, or play time. The release word should be one word that is used all the time and not changed. Sometimes its hard to remember this rule. Sometimes you will say "OK", or "GOOD DOG." This will lead to slight confusion on your dog's part. So pick a word and stick with it forever.

CUES: My personal word is "OK" Others have used "GOOD" "GOOD DOG" "YES". My advice is to pick a word that works for you and will not be used in any other context with your dog.

SIGN: I have no sign.

My Method: I command the dog into a behavior I wish, such as sit. When I wish the dog to move or be released from the behavior. I Say "OK" I say this with much delight and happiness as I can, and I bounce around, so the dog moves. When on leash and out walking. I use the release word alot, we come to a curb, I put my dogs in a sit, and then we wait for traffic, as soon as traffic has passed, I say "OK" and start to walk. This lets the dogs know its time to move.

Here are some links that explain it far better than I.

AKC- What is the Release Word

Fort Dogworth- Release Command

Paw Leaks- Training a Release Command

Dog Discoveries- Release Command

TRAINING POST

TEACHING THE NO

The word NO is a common word that is used daily by everyone. I have mixed feelings about teaching it to a dog. Because we say it so often, it can be quite confusing to a dog. But if you insist on teaching it, here are a few links. The first link I would ask everyone to read before just jumping it. It gives several problems with teaching NO, and maybe it will lead you not to train it.

Pet Helpful- Problems with Teaching No

Wiki How- How to tell your Dog No

Wag Walking- Train to Understand No

Purina- Train to Respond to No

Brandon McMillan- Teaching No

TRAINING POST

LEAVE IT

The Leave it: This is another one of those that might save your dogs life. By teaching this, your dog will not pick up that piece of food on the ground while walking, a piece of food that might make him sick. This will also teach the dog that things laying around on the floor are not his to chew up and destroy.

CUE: "LEAVE IT." spoken in a firm voice. Do not use a wishy washy voice for this command. For that matter never use a wishy washy voice for any command.

SIGN: I have no sign for this.

This is another that is hard to explain so I will leave that to the pros in the following links.

AKC- Teaching Leave It

Rover- Teaching a Super Strength Leave It

The Bark- Leave It

aawl.org- Teach the Leave it Command

TRAINING POST

THE COME OR RECALL

The come or recall is probably the very most important thing you will ever teach your dog. This can save his life. It is also one of the most difficult things to teach, especially when you have a squirrel reactive dog. Dogs want to explore and dogs will chase, once the chase is on, its like the dog has no focus except on the chase, everything else goes out the window. Until your dog has a good reliable RECALL, I suggest you do not attempt anything off leash, especially outside.

Every time you ask your dog to come to you, you are asking them to stop whatever they are doing and return to you. Sometimes what they are doing is way more interesting to them than you are. You must find a way to make yourself the best thing in the world to them, above and beyond another dog, above and beyond another person, above and beyond that elusive squirrel or rabbit.

There is no shame keeping your dog on leash all the time, there is no shame in having a dog that does not have a reliable recall, some dogs will never be able to have a reliable recall. This is just a plain and simple fact. This is nothing against you, nor anything against your dog. The world is big, the world is huge, and there are so many many distractions in it. So again if your dog does not have a steadfast recall, it behooves you to keep them on leash for their own protection.

Puppy Leaks- 13 Steps to Improve a Recall

Preventive Vet-Teach an Emergency Recall

Victoria Stillwell-Recall (Come)

Guide Dog Org-Recall

The links above offer different perspectives on training the Recall. As I stated above, there is no shame in not having a reliable recall. There are many different reasons this may happen, a squirrel is more interesting than you, another dog is more interesting than you. Some dogs will never have a reliable recall. This is one of those aggravating things in owning a dog. Its all part of it. AGAIN NO TWO DOGS ARE THE SAME. If you train and semi reliable recall and that's all you can get, be happy, and keep your dog on leash. If you can train a 99 percent reliable recall, WOW, super, fantastic. But do not beat yourself up if it doesn't happen.

TRAINING POST

THE WAIT

The Wait, there are different waits, one is wait at the door, the other is WAIT FOR IT, waiting for a treat or a toy. The Wait we are focusing on today is WAIT at the door. Nobody likes a dog that will run you over to get out the door. This can be dangerous for the dog, and dangerous for anyone who is coming to the door. Escapees is what I call them. Then there are the dogs that absolutely must be the first one out before everyone, again a dangerous thing, especially if you have a child vying for that same position.

By Training the wait, you fix several problems, the escapees, and the I gotta be first out.

CUE: WAIT

SIGN: I don't have one.

The WAIT is fairly hard to explain, so I am posting links to other sites that explain it way better than I can.

Again WAIT is invaluable, and should be taught to everydog.

Save Them All- Teach Dog to Wait at Door

Wag Walking-How to Train Your Dog to Wait

One Tail at a Time-Teach Dog to Wait at Door

Vet Street-Teach Your Dog to Wait at Door When Visitors Arrive

Pet Finder- Teach Your Dog to Not Dash Out the Door

TRAINING POST

THE STAND

The stand can be relatively easy to teach and it can also be fairly hard to teach, depending on the dog. I have had dogs that catch on in a few seconds, and I have had dogs that took days and days to figure this one out.

The stand is a good behavior for your dog to have. It makes vet and groomer visits go a lot more smoothly.

Cue: "STAND"

Sign: I have no sign for this.

My usual method: I start very close to dog, with treats and clicker. I put the dog in a sit in front of me, and use the treat to lure him to his feet, by placing treat in front of his nose and moving it backwards away from him, this should result in the dog standing to reach the treat. As soon as he starts to get up I click. I repeat the process several times, the I add the cue word, and slowly get rid of the treat.

How to Train Your Dog to Stand Without Moving

Dog Time-Teaching Stand Command

Batter Sea-Learn How to Teach a Dog to Stand

Dog Training Excellance- Teach the Stand

TRAINING POST

THE STAY

The stay is relatively easy to train, because you have already worked on Distance and Duration with the sit and the down. Which is exactly what the stay is.

In a sit stay, you are asking the dog to sit down and stay in place, so working on the duration, or time you expect your dog to remain in the sit, is exactly what you are doing in a stay. The same applies to a down, or a stand.

Cue: STAY

Sign: I use the cop stop sign, my hand raised palm facing dog.

If you work on the sit and work with duration you have worked the stay, if you work the down with duration you have worked the stay, if you work the stand with duration you have worked the stay. Same applies to distance.

You can introduce the cue and signal as you work on any of these three.

TRAINING POST

DOWN

Down is number three on my list of basics. Watch me is Number 2 and has been previously posted.

The down, Like sit there are different types of downs. For this post we will deal with the plain down, the one where you tell your dog "DOWN", and he lies down where he is at.

My method:

Treats and clicker in hand. I will position the dog in a sit in front of me. Using the treat as a lure, I will lure the dogs nose down, producing a lying down position. Repeat several times. Click as soon as the dog is in the position you want him, and treat immediately.

I will then proceed to use the Cue, luring him into position, once he has the cue under his belt, I then work in the sign.

Cue: "DOWN" I have heard "PLATZ" used for down, but I use that for a different kind of down as opposed to the common down.

Sign: I point my index finger at the ground.

Again, as in sit, we work towards duration, longer downs, and Distance, father away downs. Also as in any training we start in a small non distracting place and work our way outside to the big wide world.

If your dog struggles with down, its ok, take your time, sooner or later he will get it.

Below are links to various methods of teaching the DOWN.

AKC- Teach a Dog to Lay Down

Victoria Stillwell- Teach a Dog to Down

Be Chewy-How to Teach a Dog to Lie Down

Fido Savy-The Down Command

A FEW REMINDERS

I started this blog to help others with training issues and to spread news about my favorite animal the DOG.

You are all welcome to make comments at the end of a post, keep them clean, and within the sphere of the post please.

I would also like to invite any and all to follow the blog, there is a follow button at the top of the page, just click and it follow the instructions. By following you will not miss a post.

If you wish to have a certain item discussed and researched please do not hesitate in commenting and letting me know. I will do my best to find information for you.

Domino and Dandy and I just want to write and help. I may be blunt sometimes, but that is how I am, I do not go round and round the bush to make anyone happy. If you don't agree, that is fine, if you think you have a better method, that again is also fine, please share in the comments. Remember the motto, ALL DOGS ARE NOT THE SAME. Your method might work for others, why not share it and maybe help someone who is struggling.

Also, I include a lot of links to various places that have training information. I try not to use the same places over much, as there is a huge amount of information out on the Web. By using various links, I am trying to give you varying opinions and different methods. I encourage you to click a few links, you may just be surprised at the information you will learn.

Thank you. Shawnee

Emergency Prep Kits for your Dog.

With the world as it is today, everyone is prepping. Don't get me wrong, preparation is a good thing. But let us not forget our four footed family members while doing it.

Just as in human prepping you should have a 72 hour kit, ready and available for your dog. Items in it should include but not be limited to, Identification, vaccination records, health records, food, leashes. There are numerous other items that should be included. Below are some very helpful links to get you started.

Humane Society Emergency Preparedness

CDC's Pet DIsaster Kit Checklist

There are many places that sell Kits, its your choice to buy or prepare one yourself. You never know when disaster may strike you and your family. So never say never, and prepare a kit for your pet, just in case, it might save its life, and it might help reunite you in the end.

GUEST ARTICLE

DNA TESTING AND OTHER TESTING- BY HEATHER AHRENS OF BELLAHARA AUSSIES.

I understand the usefulness of all the testing we have available to use nowadays to make informed decisions within our programs.

What I don't understand is how/why folks don't seem to understand that without DNA verification on all Aussies. NO AMOUNT OF TESTING done on the parent's MATTERS if parentage is NOT VERIFIED!

I can't tell you the number of folks I've visited with that have no clue what DNA verification is. The simplest way I know to explain it is by comparing it to paternity and maternity testing.

The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) is the only registry in the USA, that requires all aussies MUST HAVE THEIR PARENTAGE VERIFIED VIA DNA, prior to any of their offspring being registered!! ASCA has required this for decades, so there is no reason to doubt that every Australian Shepherd listed on a Certified ASCA pedigree is in fact the exact bloodlines that dog is from.

Yes, I'm aware that the AKC does require verification of parentage via DNA of any male that has sired 3 litters in a calendar year and/or after he has sired 8 litters in his life. However that is in my opinion pointless especially considering what AKC's policy is IF it is discovered that a males parentage verification is incorrect, but that is a whole nother topic for another post.

Please understand I am ot insinuating anything about folks who opt to utilize any other registry besides ASCA. I even know some that do and they choose to voluntarily verify parentage via DNA on their dogs, my kudos to them.

Rather I am simply attempting to educate folks. All living beings on Earth, have two basic instincts: survival and reproduction. Any of us that have been at this awhile know oh to well when a female is in heat, its amazing the things dogs will do to get the second one done.

I just pray folks will come to understand the importance and please consider adding parentage verification via DNA to the top of the long list of must haves when placing their in search ofs.

For if they really want all those "i's" dotted and "t's" crossed they must start with the basics by verifying that the parents with all their genetic, health, and color testing are in fact the parents.

PS. As for the "what breed is my dog tests"...Well if you have parentage verification via DNA, going back several generations, I'd consider those tests a total waste of money.

Heather Ahrens

BellaHara Aussies

TRAINING POST

SIT

The SIT. Probably one of the easiest things you will ever teach your dog, and also probably one of very first things you will teach, next to house breaking, and crate training. The sit, all humans know what it means, but dogs are another thing. This is why we must teach them. You can't get a new puppy and expect him to automatically know what you mean when you tell him to "SIT."

How I teach "SIT"

I grab a handful of treats and a clicker. I use the clicker quite often in training basics, and other things. Here is the best of the best in Clicker Training for both you and your dog.

Karen Pryor Clicker Training

A handful of treats, a clicker, and your dog. Start with the dog standing in front of you, a treat in your hand. Hold the treat close to dog's nose, slightly above it, raise the treat slowly, your dog's butt will lower to the floor. The exact second your dog's butt hits the floor, click and give him the treat. Repeat the process at least 5 times. Now when you raise your hand, use the CUE word "SIT", again when the dogs butt hits the floor click and trick. Repeat the process, slowly fading out the use of the treat as a lure. Once the dog sits on the CUE word, then bring in the hand sign. Use the Cue word and hand sign together several times, so the dog understands they mean the same thing. After awhile you can fade the CUE word. Once the dog sits automatically on both, just the Cue Word or the Hand Sign, your ready to move on.

Moving on, we will take the dog to another room, and repeat the process all over again, usually this won't take much time, but again all dogs are different, so be prepared. Once the dog has mastered the sit inside the house, move it out into the yard. (Please keep your dog on leash if you do not have a fenced yard, it is a good idea to keep him on leash even in the yard to keep him focused on what your teaching.)

Continue in this manner, moving around the yard, then moving beyond the yard out into the big wide world.

Teaching duration: this means you will ask the dog for longer sits, before clicking and treating, move slowly with this, working your way up to having the dog sit for a minute before clicking and treating. Again move slowly. Do not rush this. Some dogs will take more time than others.

Teaching distance: This means you will ask the dog to sit at a bigger distance from you. Start close to the dog, then move back a few steps, if the dog gets up to follow you, repeat the closer step. Continue on this way, until you can ask the dog to sit at a distance of 5 feet, 10 feet, ect. Again move slowly, let the dog decide what he can and will do.

Here are a few links to others training methods.

AKC-How to Teach a Dog to SIt

Wiki Pets- 4 Ways to Teach Your Dog to Sit

Purina-How to Teach a Dog to Sit

RSPCA- Learn How to Train Your Dog to Sit

I hope you enjoyed this post. Teaching SIT is fun, as well as useful.

The Basic Every Dog Should Know.

Over the new few posts I am going to try and cover the basics of what every dog should know. These are the essentials. In other words, this is where you need to start.

1. Sit

2. Watch me (which I have already posted about.)

3. Down

4. Stay

5. Stand

6. Wait

7. Come or Recall

8. Leave it

9. No

10. Settle or Place

11. Release word

Each of these is a behavior unto themselves. Below I will describe each behavior and the cues and signs I use.

1 SIT- You want your dog to sit down, his butt on the floor. My cue is "SIT", my hand sign, I have my arm lowered at my side, I raise my hand, palm flat, bending elbow until palm is facing my face, not in front of my face, but to the side of my head.

2. WATCH ME- I have posted a watch me training post. You want your dog to focus on you, watch you, make eye contact with you. My cue is "WATCH ME." or "EYES", my sign is pointing one finger at my eyes, or temple.

3. DOWN- There are a few different downs, just as there are a few different sits, but for the basic down, you are expecting your dog to lay down, in any position. My cue is "DOWN", my sign is I point one finger at the floor.

4. STAY- In a stay you want your dog to remain in a position, be it a down, a stand, or a sit, he is to remain in that position until you use your release word. Cue- "STAY", my hand sign is like being a traffic cop, palm up facing dog's face.

5. STAND- The stand is a bit more difficult to teach but it is worth every minute you spend on it. You are demanding your dog stand up on command. Cue is "STAND", I don't have a sign I use for this, but you can invent your own. I have seen others use this, hand palm facing the sky, and raising the hand.

6. WAIT- The wait is also a bit more difficult, especially if you have a go get them dog. But, again it is well worth the time spent to train it. You will expect your dog to wait, meaning calmly wait at a door and not bust ass to be the first one out that door. Cue "WAIT", again I have no sign.

7. COME OR RECALL- This is one of the most important things you can ever teach your dog. The object of come or recall is to have the dog return to you on command, without lollygagging around. Cue- "COME", "HERE", I use "TO ME". My sign is waving my arms in a come to me motion.

8. LEAVE IT- This is a good command to have under your dogs belt, because it will keep him safe, and teach him just because its on the ground or floor, doesn't mean it belongs to him. Cue-"LEAVE IT". I have no sign for this.

9. NO- Teaching the dog the meaning of the word no is useful in many situations. Cue- "NO", sign may be wagging your finger in a no no manner.

10. SETTLE OR PLACE- I have covered this in another post. The object of this is to get your dog to go to a spot, be it a crate, a mat, and just settle or calm down. Cue- I use "SETTLE", others I know use "CALM", "GO TO YOUR SPOT", "PLACE", "GO TO BED". I do not have a sign for this.

11. RELEASE WORD- The release word is not really a command, or a behavior in my book, its just letting the dog know that the behavior you wanted can no end. Such as you commanded dog to "SIT", and now you want him to know the "SIT" command is over you will use the release word. Cue- This should be a word that you don't use commonly in everyday language, when speaking to your dog. It can be anything you want, just be sure to use it only as a release word. I personally use "OK", others I know have used "DONE". There is no sign for this.

Over the next few posts I shall be going into detail on each of these, and sharing various links to how to train them. Once you have the basics down, its easy to move onto other more difficult behaviors. But please take the time to teach these to your dog, and take the time to teach them properly. Distance and duration do count, as well as different locations.

PET PEEVE

The AKC dog show. While its a grand thing to watch, and the people who participate spend large amounts of money to do so, it sends false messages out to the people watching. The dogs that participate are bred for a certain standard and are well trained in conformation work. They are also bred for a certain look. Not all dogs can live up to the AKC standards.

For example, the Australian Shepherd has taken the title in the herding class. People watching are going that is a beautiful dog, look how calm he is, look how well mannered he is. Then the next thing you know, they are saying I want one. They do not research the breed, they do not take the time to understand the breed, they rush right out and buy one, and six months later they are saying, hey this isn't the dog I signed up for, and that dog ends up abandoned or put into a shelter or a rescue.

Do the research to develop an understanding of the breed. Learn what the breed entails, learn what the breed needs to thrive. Do not just go out and buy. Aussies, or any other herding breed are not for couch potatoes. Spend the time reading up on the breed you are wanting to purchase, the time will be well spent, if it saves a dog from ending up in a shelter, or abandoned, or even abused.

A good breeder of any breed, will take the time to help you understand. They will explain the quirks of the breed. They will spend the time to help you make a honest and worthwhile decision. A good breeder is concerned with where their pups end up and if that pup will thrive. They will also take the pup back for any reason, or will help to rehome the pup.

There are alot of breeders out there who are only in it for the money. These are the breeders who will sell a pup without a thought as to who they are selling. These are the breeders who don't do health tests and genetic tests on their dogs before breeding. These are the breeders who breed merle to merle, producing pups with a chance of deafness or blindness. These are the breeders whose pups after being sold, end up in shelters.

Another pet peeve of just the last year. Covid Lockdown puppies. A lot of people, starting working from home, they got bored. Went out and bought a puppy to keep them occupied. Now with the lock downs over, people going back to the work place, these puppies are being rehomed. I don't have the time needed for the dog anymore. Its not fair to the dog to be locked up in the house while Im at work now, all matters of excuses to rehome a dog they didn't need in the first place. You don't rehome your child, the only difference here is sometimes a child is not planned, where as you knew what you were doing when you BOUGHT a puppy.

Spontaneous actions do result in responsibility. Take the time, think before you run out and buy a puppy. Think in long range, are you going to be able to take care of this dog in six months. In six months this puppy isnt going to be a little ball of fur any longer, its going to be grown, and need more than just love and play.

DO THE RESEARCH before buying any animal. Take the time, it is well worth a few minutes of your day to understand the breed the you saw on the AKC dog show. IT DOES SAVE LIVES.

Dogs Past and Present

This was Bear-dog. Bear was the dog of my children's youth. He was part chow and part lab. He wasn't the smartest dog, but he was the protector of my kids. He lived to be 17 years old, we finally had to put him down, due to cancer.

This was Rudolph Valentino. She was not a he. She was part Aussie and part Border Collie. I called her Rude Bitch, Rudy. She was extremly smart, very easy to train, and very much a lover dog. She was also very dominant, with the other two I had at the time.

The Iceman Cometh. Full name Cinnamon Iceman. Ice came from his ice blue eyes. He was a rescue from a breeder. He was a DEAFIE. He was also one of my heart dogs. This boy was very smart. Deaf dogs can be trained just as well if not better than hearing dogs. Iceman, took third place in showing with my nephew in 4-h. He was the only deafie in the group.

This goofball is my heart dog at the present time. His name is Domino Archer Rhydian. He is a minimal blue merle Australian shepherd. I purchased him from a breeder in the expectation of turning him to my hearing service dog. He is not completely trained yet, but he does his job well, in announcing something isn't right or someone is at the door. He also does well with smoke alarms, and lets me know the moment something is burning in the house.

This is Dandelion Allain, she is my current soul dog. Yes she is a yellow Aussie. She is a big dork. She is called Dandy. She is also very smart, but in a completely different way than Domino.

Training Post

TEN GOLDEN RULES TO TRAINING

These are my top 10 GOLDEN RULES of dog training. Everyone has different ideas of what these should be. These are the ones that I do not bend on.

1. GOLDEN RULE 1: NO DOGS ARE THE SAME, THEY DO NOT ALL LEARN IN THE SAME MANNER. Once you realize this, things will go much easier for you and your best friend.

2. GOLDEN RULE 2: PUNISHISMENT DOES NOT WORK. If your dog is not responding to a command after several attempts on your part, don't blame the dog. They may not understand what you are asking from them. Change your method, but never ever punish the dog for not getting it. You want to praise the dog and reward him for accomplishing a task, and if you punish him for not understanding, you will make it that much more difficult for the dog to finally get it.

3. GOLDEN RULE 3: MAKE IT FUN FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG. Training should be enjoyable for both of you. If things start to turn sour, end the session on a happy note. Never train when your in a bad mood, the dog will pick up on your emotions and it will not go well. Never train when your in a sad mood, either. Make it fun all around.

4. GOLDEN RULE 4: KEEP IS SHORT AND SWEET. Most dogs, especially puppies have a short attention span. A good rule of thumb is no training session should last longer than 15 minutes.

5. GOLDEN RULE 5: WHO DICTATES TERMS? Does your dog listen to you or do you listen to your dog? In most cases, its not a matter of purposely not listening to you. A new puppy or adopted dog does not know what words are and what you are meaning when using them. Dogs also rely on body language to let them know what we want. Remember until the dog is taught the word SIT, they don't know what you want.

6. GOLDEN RULE 6: HE WHO CONTROLS THE TREATS CONTROLS THE TRAINING SESSION. When it comes to feeding and training, my rule of thumb is to limit the intake the dog is given in free range feeding. In other words, use his dinner as a training tool. If your using a toy, such as a favorite ball, remove the ball while not using it to train with, use it only when training. You bring out the food or the ball, and the dog is going to go, "hmm reward time."

7. GOLDEN RULE 7: WORK TOWARDS PERDICTABLE OUTCOMES. Help your dog succeed.

Make it easy, break it down into small steps if that is what it takes to get the outcome or behavior you want.

8. GOLDEN RULE 8: DO NOT REPEAT YOURSELF. Ask for the behavior once, "Sit.", lure into a sit position, DO NOT REPEAT, "Sit, sit sit."

9. GOLDEN RULE 9: CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY. Always be consistent in sign and cues, if teaching sit, use the cue "sit" not "sit down." Always use the same sign for a behavior, changing around words and signs just confuses the dog. Make sure every member of the household uses the same signs and cues.

10. GOLDEN RULE 10: NO DOG IS THE SAME. This has made it my first and my last rule. All dogs are different, what one will learn easily, another will take a long time to learn, or may never be able to achieve at all. If something doesn't work, find another way. IF YOU REMEMBER THIS, THEN YOU HAVE WON THE BATTLE.

Training, Training, Training

CRATE TRAINING

Where to start, that is always a big question. Did you just get a new puppy? Did you adopt an older dog?

Training starts the minute you pick up the dog. There are essentials that must be taught first before moving on to bigger and better things. These essentials will lead both you and your dog into a balanced, bonded relationship.

The first thing I always do, either with a puppy or an older dog is housebreaking, and crate training. Crating a dog is not cruel nor is it inhumane. A crate creates a safe spot for the dog, a place it can go to be alone, and yes sometimes dogs just want to be left alone, not much different from a human.

Crating: My top five reasons for crate training.

1. Creates a safe spot for the dog.

2. Helps with house training

3. Damage control, to your home and furniture.

4. Eases overnight vet visits, because the dog is comfortable in a crate

5. Makes travel much more fun.

The crate should NEVER EVER be used as a punishment tool. The dog should associate it with good things.

Here are some links to teach you how to train a dog to Kennel Up, Go to bed, Get in your Crate.

9 Easy Steps to Crate Train Your Dog.

Crate Training 101

How to Successfully Crate Train

TRAINING POST

SETTLE OR PLACE

Place or settle is completely different from a stay. When a dog is over rambunctious or totally haywire, Place or settle is a good thing for them to know. Its sending the dog to its mat or bed or even a crate to calm down, and relax. This is an invaluable behavior to have your dog know. The doorbell rings and all chaos ensues, but if your dog knows this, you can send the dog to their place, calming everyone down.

This runs along the lines of crate training, you can train a dog to settle in their crate or on a mat.

Its hard to explain how to teach this, so I will post some links to various sites with methods. I use the cue "Go to your bed."

This is a very good article about Stay vs. Settle. It explains the differences between a Stay and a Settle in easy terms.

Stay Vs. Settle

Train Your Dog to go to its Place

Teaching your Dog to Calm

Teach Go Settle

How to Teach Your Dog to Settle

TRAINING TIPS AND TRICKS

Training a dog is a wonderful thing, it makes for a happy dog, and an even happier owner. There is an enormous amount of information out there, in books, and on the internet. Some may work for you and your dog, some may not. Remember all dogs are different, what works for one does not mean it will work for another.

I train with a clicker, and sometimes I don't use the clicker. I ALWAYS, ALWAYS train with treats, be it food for a food motivated dog, or a toy for a toy motivated dog. I ALWAYS carry treats with me when out walking my dogs, its a staple, just like a poop bag. Dog on leash, pocket is full of treats and poop bags. Never walk your dog without a treat.

Remember training doesn't stop because the dog has the behavior you want under his belt. Training never stops. Also remember, dogs are like humans in the aspect, hey you want me to do something, you better have a reward in hand. Think about it, you go to work, your reward is your paycheck. Dog goes to work, their reward is a treat. You wouldn't work for nothing, so do not expect your dog to work for nothing. This doesn't mean you have to treat them all the time for every behavior, but it does mean, hey once in awhile throw a treat out there. The dog will learn good things come when I do good.

TRAINING POST

EYE CONTACT

WATCH ME

What is eye contact? This is probably the first thing you should teach your dog, but it never is. Sit always makes the first. Eye contact, is teaching the dog to watch you, focus on you. You are the center of their world. Some dogs do not like to look directly into your eyes, some consider it a threat. Some dogs will look everywhere but into your eyes. There are trainers out there that have their opinions on this, and their opinions are vast. But once you teach your dog it is safe to make eye contact, and focus on you, you will be amazed how much easier it is to train other behaviors.

Cue Word? I have heard several used. "Watch me", "Eyes", "Look at me." I personally use "Watch me, and Eyes."

Hand Sign. This is a no brainer really, just "point to your eyes". You can point with the ever popular "I am watching you sign", two fingers pointed at eyes, or you can use one finger pointed at temple. Its your choice, you may also find another sign more appealing.

My method is as such. I will position dog in front of me, on leash of course. I will have a handful of treats sitting beside me and my clicker ready. I point my finger at my eye and say Watch me or Eyes.

The instant the dog looks into my eyes I click and treat. I repeat this process several times. Sometimes its hard to catch the behavior, because your eyes moved off the dogs face. So pay attention to the dog, and not something else in the room. Repeat, practice, practice, practice. Once you have the dog staring into your eyes and not at the treat, move to a different spot, stand up, or sit down, just move so your position to the dog is different that what you started with. Once the dog has eye contact down inside your home, move outside. Continue in the same manner.

Once eye contact is good, move on to duration, asking for a longer stare into your eyes. Pretty soon you will have a dog that is a champion at staring contests. After all dogs don't blink as much as a human.

Here are a few links to other methods.

Teach Your Dog to Make Eye Contact

Why Eye Contact is so Important

Teaching Eye Contact as a Default Behavior

Teach Your Dog to Give You Eye Contact

Teaching a Dog to Look at You

Once again, once the Eye contact is taught, other behaviors are more easily taught.

I follow alot of people on the internet, I also follow a few dogs. One of my absolute favorites is a mini Aussie named Dually Dude. His owner is a wonderful story teller and puts his adventures into such wonderful words.

He can be found on Facebook. under Adventures of Dually-Dude.

He can also be found here. Dually Dude

Dually and the creepy crew will keep you chuckling for hours. Check him out. He is an amazing dog, gorgeous, freaky, funny, and loving. His owner is a wonderful woman, who shares her stories about her amazing dog.

Another Aussie I follow on Facebook is Lewis. If you want mind blowing photography you really should look this one up. Lewis is a beautiful blue merle aussie from Wyoming. The photography alone is worth the time and effort to check his fb page out. Lewis-from Clark.

CONTESTS, PHOTO CONTESTS, FREEBIES, GIVEAWAYS, SWEEPSTAKES.

Have you ever entered a contest and been happily surprised a month later with a box in the mail with a prize. I have, several times, they can be won. Pet contests are out there, I am sharing a few with you all.

Take that picture of your dog that everyone says is just adorable enter it in a photo contest, who knows your dog might end up in a calendar or on the cover of a magazine. Enter that sweepstakes for that pair of dog goggles, I did, I won.

Be sure to read rules and enter before end dates.

1. Modern Dog Giveaways They have weekly giveaways, and its all for the dogs.

2. Modern Dog Photo Contest That cute picture could win your dog an appearance in their magazine.

3. Orvis Cover Dog Another photo contest, win $500.00, help in canine cancer research, get your pup on the cover of Orvis magazine.

4. The Bark Contests A few contests here, prizes from books to other dog related items. Also a smiling dog photo contest.

5. Facebook Dog Contests I havent entered any of these, but hey who knows, you might win.

6. Great Pet Care Adventure together sweepstakes.

7. The Good Pooch Giveaways Several different contests here.

8. Weekly Giveaways A few contests here.

9. Dog Tripper

10. Bark wikki

11. Top Dog Tips havent updated for 2021 yet, but I am sure they will

12. King Pets monthly photo contest

13. Pet Parade Photo contest

14. Pet Safe not sure about this one but they have several contests on their page.

These are just a few, soon there will be more out there as 2021 rolls along. Just do a search for Pet Photo Contests, Pet sweepstakes, Pet contests, Pet giveaways. You will find them.

WHAT IS AN AUSSHOLE?

There are people that get offended by the use of the word Ausshole, there are people who laugh at its use.

AUSSHOLE: a term or endearment or anger pertaining to Australian Shepherds. Most generally it is a term used to describe a australian shepherd who has done something naughty. Tore up a wall, ate the carpet, destroyed something. But here's the thing, if you own an Aussie you know there is no way you can stay angry at them, they won't allow it.

Australian Shepherds are the clowns of the dog world. While the Border Collie has been named time and time again one of the smartest dogs around, which I will not argue with, because I've known Border Collies and they are one of the smartest dogs, the aussie is also smart. The thing with an Aussie, is they are smart in a way that out thinks their humans. They seem to have an inner sense of knowing when to be cute and silly to get their butts out of trouble. They also seem to have the ability to know, oh man I'm gonna be in so much trouble for eating the carpet.

I own two Aussholes, yes I said it. AUSSHOLES. Both know right from wrong when it comes to destroying the house, but do they care, not really. Both know how to make it seem like it was my fault they ate the couch cushion. Both also know how to smile, paw at me, and wiggle their little behinds in all directions, just to get out of trouble, because they know that sooner or later I will laugh at their antics.

So when using the term Ausshole, remember its most generally used in Love, and anger at the same time. Its not derogatory, and its a personal choice to use it. If you don't like the term, then don't use it. But in my case, I honestly have to say, yes both of my Aussie have their Ausshole moments.

Leerburg, what can I say. Very intensive site. They have been around for a long time. Vast training information, Products and supplies. Videos, online courses. Questions and answers, a Blog. This is a huge and wonderful site, its main focus is training, training, training. If you have questions about behavior problems you can find answers here. This is also a site I tend to find a lot of my training books on. While it is not the end all of dog training sites, it ranks up in the top 10 of my list.

Leerburg

Another site I frequent a lot, is The Bark online magazine. This site offers a newsletter, giveaways( we all love free stuff.) and much much more.

They have various sections in their magazine.

Well Dog

Food and Nutrition

Health Care

Healthy Living

Recipes

Dog's Life

Activities

DIY

Dogs at Work

Home and Garden

Humane

Lifestyles

Off Leash

Smiling Dogs

Travel

Dog Culture

Art and Music

Dog Patch

Humor

Readers Write

Reviews

Science and History

Stories and Tributes

News and Views

Bark Editors

Letters

News and Insights