Come When Called Part 1: Intro

September 8, 2014 by Fanna Easter

How to Train Your Dog to Come to You

Does your dog ignore you and run off? View part 1 of our “Come When Called” series, which will teach you how to:

Perform an emergency recall
Call your dog indoors from the backyard
Call your dog back to you around distractions (squirrels, etc.)
Teach multiple dogs to come back to you
Fun games

Directions

View first video and practice homework for seven days.
View second video and practice homework for seven days.
View third video and practice homework for seven days.
View fourth, and final, video.

Each video contains tons of information, so rewind and watch several times. Bookmark for easy future reference.

What you will need:

Delicious treats the size of a pea
Six-foot leash
Flat buckle collar or body harness
Clicker

Note: Always enroll your dog in a group dog training class. This video should not be used in place of dog training class attendance.

WATCH: Come When Called Part 1: Intro

NEXT: Come When Called Part 2: Adding Distance to “Come” Cue

Learn How to Park Your Dog

September 6, 2014 by Fanna Easter

How to Train Your Dog to Stay

Parking your dog is a dog training behavior that can really help as a strong foundation to build on. In a nutshell, the “parking your dog” behavior teaches the dog to sit and stay with you while you are doing something else, such as:

Talking to someone at the park
Having guests over
Dining outdoors
Paying at the pet store or vet’s office
Listening to instructions during group class lecture

How Parking Your Dog Applies to Your Dog Training Behaviors and Progressions

This behavior can be used when your dog becomes overwhelmed by another barking dog or excited in a new situation. Teaching your dog to stay with you shows him that it is time to bring his arousal level down.

Think of it like asking your dog to take a “yoga breath.” When teaching hyperactive dogs to be calm, many folks will ask their dogs to sit still. As you know, when your dog is aroused by other dogs, this can be a difficult thing to do.

As you train your dog to manage his extra energy and excitement, parking your dog is the perfect way to practice. Give him the chance to learn to “park it” as a cue in a non-stressful situation.

When training your dog, set him up for success. Teach your dog to sit and then build it up to “stay” and again to “park it.” Park it is a rock solid way to train your dog to stay or wait patiently.

Reinforce the positive behavior with positive actions like a click of the clicker and a great reward or treat for your pet. Using the word “park” as the indication to your dog that he is doing what is being asked of him is a great cue word.

Let’s look at it from a human perspective. Have you been with a friend who meets up with another friend and you are not part of the conversation? It’s awkward, but it happens. Now, relate that to thinking from the dog’s perspective: Would he get bored or feel awkward?

I bet your dog would. Approaching someone to have a conversation while needing your dog to wait patiently is the perfect application for this dog training behavior. Parking your dog is not the same as the “wait” cue, as you are not asking your dog to sit in one spot.

Why Train Your Dog to Park It?

Self control (teaching your hyper dog to relax)
Polite greetings to people (not to jump on people)
Polite leash manners (not pull on the leash)
Bark prevention

How to Teach Park Your Dog

Step on your leash about halfway up to your dog. He should have 3-4 feet of extra leash.
Click and treat your dog the instant the leash becomes loose. Example: Your dog is pulling to visit another dog. Wait until the leash becomes loose and click/treat!
Bingo. You are rewarding calm and quiet behavior!

VIDEO: How to Train Your Dog to Park It

Tell us other ways to use this behavior in your life in the comment section below.

READ ALSO: Training Your Dog to Leave It

Pros And Cons Of Flat Buckle Collars

September 3, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Flat Buckle Collars

As a professional dog trainer, it’s my job to keep you updated on the latest and greatest tools out there. Don’t forget to share with friends! Below, I discuss pros and cons of using a flat buckle collar, demonstrate proper fit, and share my favorite flat buckle collar brands. 🙂 Let’s dig in!

Flat buckle collars are your dog’s standard everyday collar. They should fit snug where you can only fit 1 to 2 fingers between your dog’s neck and the collar. This type of dog collars enable you to attach ID, rabies tags and a leash.

Flat Buckle Collar Pros

There are many different types and colors to choose from.
Dogs adjust to wearing this collar easily.
It’s easy to fit and adjust.
You can easily attach tags and leashes to it.

Flat Buckle Collar Cons

Until dogs learn to walk politely on leash, they will pull against this collar.
It should never be left on unattended, as the collar can get caught on fences or crates, making it a choking hazard.
It can be dangerous when dogs play together because the collar might cause choking or even death.

Fanna’s Favorite Flat Buckle Collars: Lupine and Keep Safe Breakaway Collars

Lupine Collar

It meets all pros categories plus guaranteed replacement if your dog chews it.
It’s sturdy and soft with a strong buckle.

Keep Safe Breakaway Collar

It works as a flat collar. However, it will break away if caught on anything, such as the cons listed.
It has two D-rings, to which you can attach a leash.
This collar has been tested by dog training professionals and vets to find the right breakaway point to keep your dog safe.

WATCH: How to Fit a Flat Buckle Collar

Now, it’s your turn! What’s your favorite flat buckle collar? Comment in the section below. I want to hear from you!

Stop Dog Barking Next Door

August 25, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Stop Your Neighbor’s Dog From Barking

Does your dog bark at night? How about your neighbor’s dog? Learn how to stop dog barking even at night plus how to effectively communicate to your neighbor that his dog is keeping you up at night.

Why Dogs Bark Outside

Dogs bark outside because they’re bored, or lonely, especially at night. Take this journey with me. I’m honestly and openly explaining from my dog trainer’s point of view why your “outside dog” barks and how to fix his behavior permanently. This article is not meant to point fingers or blame anyone. We do better when we know better.

Seeing things differently:

For the most part, the idea of living on multiple acres of land with no neighbors in sight is long gone. With the increase of new homes being built to accommodate rapid human population growth, most folks live pretty close to their neighbors. We need to rethink and evolve. Dogs should not be kept outdoors. It’s not fair to your neighbor and certainly not fair to your dog.

Dogs are domesticated, which means they must have constant social interactions with people. Getting your dog a friend, or bringing another dog into your household, and putting him outside with your current dog will only result in two dogs barking at night. I do not recommend this.

How to Stop Dog Barking at Night

Bring your dogs inside. Many readers will shake their heads and say, “I don’t allow dogs in my house.”

First, understand your dog’s point of view. Dogs left in the yard are bored because there is nothing to do. Pet owners leave their homes several times a week, but your dog does not. He is bored seeing the same thing day in and day out. It’s like living as a “shut in,” which is not fair.

I’m not a fan of bark control collars because using them would be punishing your dog for being bored and lonely, which isn’t fair to him. Plus, they are very expensive and don’t always work, and can lead to aggression.

Instead, bring your dog indoors at night to keep barking to a minimum or stop it completely.

How to Bring Your Barking Dog Indoors

Place a crate inside your home, but close to the backdoor.
Bring your dog inside. This will stop excessive barking and noise complaints from your neighbors.
Learn Crate Training Tips for your dog. This is much easier to teach than trying to stop your dog from barking in the backyard.
During the day, when you’re not home, bring your dog indoors. Invest $10-$20 a day for a pet sitter to walk your dog for 30 minutes.

I’m not saying your dog should live in his crate. A crate is a tool to teach polite indoor manners so your dog will eventually be allowed indoors at all times.

What this means for you:

Bringing your dog indoors, using the above steps, takes less time and money than trying to teach your dog not to bark. Plus, bringing your dog indoors will stop him from:

Escaping out of the yard
Excessive barking
Digging holes
Chewing outdoor items
Experiencing hyperactivity (Yes, just because a dog is outside does not mean he is getting exercise.)
Being exposed to hot or cold temperatures

Your Neighbor’s Dog is Barking

I live by the motto, “Doing nothing is the worst mistake.” First, understand that judgement, anger and accusations will do nothing to help this issue. Instead, if you know someone with an excessively barking dog or an outside dog, print this article and place in his mailbox or forward as an email.

If forwarding as an email, write, “I’ve noticed your dog barks at night. This article contains real solutions and will really help you both.” By providing solutions, your message will be successfully delivered, as you want to help both the pet parent and his dog. Plus, if they have any questions, I’m here to answer them, I promise. 🙂

This is not a gimmick to popularize this blog. This is to help dogs live a better life. Period. You can remove our tagline. The goal of this blog is to share because we care, and I promise you we live by these words everyday.

This was a tough article to write, probably the toughest in many years. I feel many ignore this increasing problem so I’m hoping this article can help at least one dog enjoy living inside with his family.

More:
Request Dog Barking 
Attention Seeking Barking 
Dog Barking at Sounds 
How to Stop a Barking Dog

What questions do you have? I’m here to help.

How to Stop Excited Dogs from Barking

August 19, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Barking Dog

Stop Dog Barking — Learn tips to stop your excited dog from barking.

Dogs will bark when excited or nervous. This is very common. Many times, if your dog is really excited or frustrated, his barking gets much worse. He’s usually dealing with his frustration or excitement by vocalizing it, as people do. 🙂 Exciting places can be your vet’s office, dog training classes, your home and the park as well as when they can see dogs or people walking by.

Dog Barking at Other Dogs

Many dogs become excited and start barking when they see other dogs approaching. Remember, not all dogs want to meet other dogs. Do you shake hands with everyone at the park? I think not so your dog does not need to meet every dog at the park. (This is socialization gone wrong.)

Instead, if your dog becomes too excited as a dog is approaching, turn and walk the other way. I like to teach dogs: when you’re on leash, you focus on me and not other dogs. Bring treats and reward your dog when he looks at you instead of the other dogs. Learn more about socialization and greeting dogs at Dog Behavior: Learn to Speak Dog.

Just because a dog is approaching does not mean your dog must meet that dog. Stop, turn and walk the other way. 🙂

Barking When Excited

Next time your excited dog starts barking, teach your dog to do something else instead of barking. You’ll need pea-sized yummy treats, a clicker, leash and your dog’s collar or harness:

Attach a leash to your dog’s collar.
Tether your dog to you or a piece of heavy furniture when at home.
Click/treat your dog when he’s:

Not barking (even for a nano-second)
Looking at you instead of your guests
Standing still instead of pulling on the leash

Continue to practice at home so your dog learns barking does not work. Standing still, looking at my pet parent and keeping quiet pays with lots of treats. 🙂 If your dog does not improve within 2-3 minutes, your timing is off a bit. If your dog is confused, learn to prevent this by reading this article.

Video Demo

Bark back. I’m listening! What questions do you have about dog barking?

More: 
Dog Barking
Dog Barking at Sounds 
How to Stop a Barking Dog
Attention Seeking Barking