Dog training

[razz]

With Float On's advice to make sure that I get little Benny trained and assure only me as the 'alpha' in the family, I went looking online to see what I could find. I eventually down'loaded (for $19) the manual for training puppies up to 18 months and have found it easy to read, very helpful with a lot of common sense. She has additional info on the concerns, that I have read before, about commercial dog food and the frequency of vaccinations.

Just passing along my results of researching the topic in case anyone might be interested.
https://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/books/RTP.html

[Teacher Terry]

There is a huge dog food study going on in the states and Europe. The evidence so far suggests that grain free diets are causing congestive heart failure and death as young as 3 years. I was feeding expensive food and non of the big 4 because I thought it was crap. Turns out the big 4 are the only companies that hired full time PhD nutritionists to make the food balanced. The big 4 are Purina, Science diet , Royal Canin and? Purina makes a variety of different priced food and I buy Purina proplan which isn’t cheap. I was reluctant to change but the breeder invited me to join the closed group on family and many breeders and show people have switched. The old dogs coats have never looked so good. Also CHF is being found in dogs eating food from many other companies.

[Float On]

There are monks that raise German Shepards I think. I remember reading their book when I came home with a golden retriever. GR's are so relationship oriented that Levi was super easy to train on my own with tips from their book. Best wishes!

[iris lilies]

Sigh, I cant help you. I dont train my dogs much. This is one reason I dont get puppies, they would run amok.

the best dogs I have ever had were retired show dogs: smart, nice, oriented to the outside world, calm, didnt get on furniture.

My current dog, a rescue who was a family dog, came with a setbof tricks: sit, shake, roll over. I don’t make him rollover anymore because he doesn’t like it. See? I am useless as a trainer. I do make him sit now and then for treats and for putting on his equipment.

[Teacher Terry]

Like IL I don’t train my dogs. They are spoiled rotten Maltese lap dogs. We have had 2 retired show dogs and they are great. Potty training is all I do. Noki the big dog came well trained. My dad trained the beagles or they will run amok.

[Tea]

I don't know anything about the specific manual you found, and I hope it's a good one, but the "alpha" reference raised some major red flags.

"Dominance" theories of dog training are considered by many experts (including myself) to be both outdated and dangerous, with the potential to cause aggression in some dogs - they feel shunned by their human pack, so they lash out at other dogs when they get the chance.

I am not talking about teaching dogs that they have to obey you - that's a given - but about nonsense like making them eat alone in a separate room, or never giving treats from your hand. That kind of treatment teaches dogs to obey their humans because their place in the family is insecure and they could be driven from their "pack" for stepping out of line, but it does not create happy, well adjusted dogs.

If anything, rather than making dogs feel like low-ranking adult pack members, you want dogs to forever see themselves as the "pups" and their humans as the "parent wolves" so to speak. They should know they have to obey you, but also know that they are loved and protected and their position within their "pack" is absolutely secure.

[catherine]

They should know they have to obey you, but also know that they are loved and protected and their position within their "pack" is absolutely secure.

Good advice for parents of human animals, too.

[razz]

I am not talking about teaching dogs that they have to obey you - that's a given - but about nonsense like making them eat alone in a separate room, or never giving treats from your hand. That kind of treatment teaches dogs to obey their humans because their place in the family is insecure and they could be driven from their "pack" for stepping out of line, but it does not create happy, well adjusted dogs.
Nothing like this at all. He is my 'cuddle bug' with his own crate beside my bed.

If anything, rather than making dogs feel like low-ranking adult pack members, you want dogs to forever see themselves as the "pups" and their humans as the "parent wolves" so to speak. They should know they have to obey you, but also know that they are loved and protected and their position within their "pack" is absolutely secure.

My dogs have always learned that they must both respect and obey me for their safety and sense of security. So many dogs that I see are pulling their owners around and excitable. My dogs have stayed at my side and been calm as a number of people have commented. My dogs feel secure that they are not required to be the adult but the follower of clear understanding and direction. Getting them to that state is the interesting part that I am working on as each dog is different.

[Tea]

Good, it sounds like you are raising him to be a happy and well behaved pup. :)

[pony mom]

Clicker training is the way to go. The dog basically trains itself. My previous dog was fear/leash aggressive, and positive reinforcement was the thing that gave her confidence in many stressful (to her) situations.

My current dog is elderly and deaf. She was learning basic commands with hand signals and a "thumbs up" instead of a clicker. After a year, her dementia progressed and now she doesn't really remember much from one minute to the next. But that kind of training is the most fun for the dog and it's easy to shape different behaviors as you go along.

No alpha stuff required by the human; you are the treat/praise dispenser! You rule!

[pony mom]

FWIW, I would never feed any of my pets anything from "The Big Four". So much information is coming out about what kinds of things are in cheaper brands....it's really scary. Euthanized pets, for one.

After years of dog ownership, I believe raw is the best. I've prepared my previous dog's diet myself, but now with a tiny 6 lb. dog, I can afford the best pre-made frozen raw food available. (Answers is the brand, loaded with fermented foods, organic, humanely raised meats).

Dr. Karen Becker has many informational videos about diet and health. Truth About Dog Food is a site about food ingredients. Good food is expensive, but you can pay for that now, or pay for vet bills later on. Everyone knows of animals that ate crap their entire lives and lived a long healthy life, but they're the exception. They can live on cheap food, but will thrive on better, species appropriate food.

Just my two cents. Many will disagree, but this is what I've learned from years of research.

[Teacher Terry]

The food I am feeding from the big 4 is expensive. Not their cheap food but top of the line. I am spending more than I was before after doing extensive research. I was in denial for a long time but once I read all the science, studies and all the young dogs dying from CHF I came around. People with very expensive show dogs don’t risk their investment on a whim. Many people only change their mind after losing a young dog.