Just add love!

Every now and again when I am out with my two dogs, I am complimented on how well behaved they are, or how well they mind. Naturally I am proud of them, even though they refuse to pick up their own toys and....sorry, I digress! The next thing that happens is usually a question regarding training. You know, how do you get them to stop peeing on everything, running away, or chewing up my favorite shoes and the kids toys?

The short answer? Just add love. The training will almost take care of itself. Sounds too simple? Well, maybe a little. But love is an integral part of any training program. If your dog is afraid of you, afraid of the leash, or any number of other things...your task will be a little harder. Maybe even a lot harder, depending on which one of those items I just mentioned scares your dog.

So lets start with a few basic training tips, and maybe even dispel a few dog myths in the process.

1. Myth - If you don't train your dog young, by the time it is 4 years old, it's too late!

Answer: False. Just like there is no date stamped on the bottom of your foot, that says you can't learn a new trade or skill by the time you are twenty, your dogs learning time is also open. Does it become harder? Sometimes. Dogs are like people. They like what they like, and can learn bad habits. They also can become stuck in their old way of doing things. They are products of their environment - just like us.

It is important to try and train your pet early in life. It makes for a happier, more well adjusted dog. Or cat. But if you need to retrain them later, just remember that you might have to un-teach them some of those bad habits you chose to ignore in the past. Kind of like teaching guys to put down the toilet seat when they are fifty, instead of when they are five!

Start slow. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes a day...everyday. Use praise every time they do what you want. And be sure to use a lot of positive physical contact. Petting, rubbing behind their ears, even a good belly rub. You can use treats in the beginning, but be careful. Too much of anything is bad for their health. Soon, just the praise and petting will be enough. Remember, in training your older pet - age is not a factor as much as patience and love. Your dog wants your praise and positive attention more than it wants food.

2. Myth - Collars are the best for training your dog.

Answer: False. I have never been a big fan of collars in the first place. They are usually too tight, or too loose. And they can cause injury to the air passages in a dogs throat...or in rare cases, death by strangulation. I prefer a harness. I have rarely seen a dog slip out of a well adjusted one, and have never heard of a dog being strangled to death by one. More importantly, you actually have better control of the dog with a harness. Pull on a dogs collar with a leash, and you can hear it choke or gasp for air. A dog spinning and jerking around at the end of a leash attached to a collar, can spin itself right out of it, or break it's neck trying. Not so with a harness. I can't even begin to tell you how many dogs I have caught, only to have the owner later tell me it "slipped out" of its collar. Slipped out of its harness? Not so much. Twice in the past two years to be exact. And neither one was properly adjusted.

3. Myth - Dogs that are afraid of things like firecrackers, will always be afraid of them.

Answer: False. Dogs learn from us. If we act like they should be afraid of something, then they will be. Remember that while a dog will feed off the positive energy you emit, they will also feed off the negative as well. In this case, it is the negative re-enforcement we gave them the first time they jumped into our lap, shaking like a leaf, when they heard their first fire-cracker. Remember how you hugged them close and said, "Awwwww....poor little Fluffy!". Bad owner! Bad! You just told them they were right to be afraid! So what would have been the best reaction? None. Just sit there, read your book, sip your drink, and act like you didn't hear a thing. Give them a favorite chewy or toy to distract them if you wish, then go back to what you were doing. Eventually, when they see that you are calm, even in the face of WW III going off outside, they will be more calm as well. Just turn up the TV and ignore it.

4. Myth - Dogs can't really understand what we are saying. All they hear is "Blah, blah, blah!".

Answer: False. Wanna see my two dogs haul butt for the back yard like two felons in a prison break? Just ask them about "Tony, their doggie friend". Ask them if they want to go for a ride, and you best not be standing in front of the door when you do it! Tell them it's time to go to bed, and they are already lying on my pillow before I get there! Trust me, your dog can understand plenty. You just have to teach them, and give them an incentive to learn. Not much point in learning if your never going to get off that chain in the back yard, is there?!

So, here are a few tips.

1. Start early, start late. But train your dog, and it will learn. Use praise, affection, and patience.

2. Be consistent. The words "off" and "down" have two separate meanings in the dictionary, and they should have two separate meanings at home as well. "Off" means to get off...like the couch. "Down" means to lie down, like flat on the ground. If you tell your dog to get down when he jumps on the couch, its a safe bet it will be confused later when you want it to lay down on the floor. And remember that words like down, sit, stay all have matching hand signals. Use them with the words when you train, and one day, all you will need to do is snap your fingers and point to the ground, and down the animal will go. Try that with little Johnnie!

3. Hands are for loving, petting, rubbing. NEVER for punishing! If you have to hit your dog to get it to listen...YOU are doing something wrong, not the dog! The answer to the question, "Why would a dog bite the hand that feeds it?" is simple. Because that hand also was used to hit it. Slap me with a hand often enough, and the next time one comes towards my face...I'd probably bite it too! Even if it was attached to little Johnnie. Think about it.

4. My dog will get fat if I get it fixed.

Answer: False. That's not to say your dog won't get fat. Only that it was not getting it fixed that caused it. Too many snacks, not enough exercise = fat dog. Spay/neuter + plenty of exercise and proper diet = lean, mean barking machine.

5. My dog would rather be outside than inside.

Answer: Hmmmmm...let me think...sleeping in mud, being eaten alive by fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, or sleeping in nice air conditioned house at foot of masters bed, or on his favorite chair. Nope...gonna have to go with "false" on this one too! Your dog may act stupid at times, but trust me. It's just an act! Dogs are companion animals. They have been bred for thousands of years to be by our sides. They are pack animals - and we are its pack. Why does your dog bark all night long, chained to that fine oak tree in the back yard? I dunno...maybe because its lonely?????

Any dog can be a dog to be proud of. They already come equipped to learn anything we want to teach them. All you need to do is just add love!