Training Tips

Tips from Penny:

Before you bring a dog home

Before you bring a dog home, call people, go to the internet or library, talk to people, seek out info about the breed you are thinking about buying, or even take a guess on what type of dog a mix may be and read about it.

Dogs like terriers like to dig because they are ground game hunters.  (Be prepared to take the time to teach them not to dig in your yard.)

Some big dogs people consider tough have very sensitive stomachs, or have allergies. It’s recommended to not feed them something with corn in their diet if they suffer from allergies. If people buy a dog from a breeder, ask if it’s mom or dad has allergies.

Choke Collars

When attaching your leash, attach the ring on your regular collar and the running ring on the choke together.  This will keep your animal from taking any hard hits across the neck with the chain.  It also gives your animal an opportunity to get use to the chain gradually. 

WARNING!!! Never leave a choke-style collar on your dog when unattended.

Here are the “DO’s and DO NOT’S” while having fun that’s safe with your dog!

DO…

• Teach productive games like Hide & Seek, retrieving and ball games; get involved in agility. There are many activities and tricks you can teach to your animal.
• Take your dog outside on leash or long line when going outside in a unsecured area. Dogs are in a flight period from 5 to 23 months.  Teaching them limits and where your property line stops is important during this life stage.
• Spend 10 to 15 “doggie Minutes” per day working with your dog. Add a few extra minutes for brushing and general grooming. They love the attention!
• Keep your dog’s vaccinations current and visit your veterinarian regularly! Keep in mind when you get a young puppy they should be vaccinated before you start exposing them to a lot of things.
• Schedule boarding stays in advance. (Holidays space fills up quick)
• Have your animal spay or neutered if you cannot keep them from breeding unwanted litters. We put down thousands of unwanted animals weekly in the Oklahoma area alone — millions nationally.
• Use a light line on your animal inside your home to help control unwanted behavior (please ask for assistance to accomplish this). Learn about T-touch interactions with your animal. Applying proper touch methods helps all types of behavior.
• Schedule feeding twice a-day. Ask your animal to sit/wait, then give command to eat (pick a word that is used just for eating). A great way to begin poison proofing your animal is teaching a dog to eat only when a command is given.

DO NOT…

• Wrestle with your dog, especially if it is one of the larger breeds.
• Play Tug-O-War and Let Go. Both of these seemingly harmless games promote aggressive behavior and builds a dog’s confidence against its owner. (Some tug games may be played as motivation games. These are controlled and should only be done by experienced people.)
• Leave a young (under 20 months) animal loose and unattended in your home. Never leave young children alone with ANY animal.
• Ask your dog to jump on a fence or over a gate as you communicate with them. If you encourage animals to put their paws on things you may find your animal learns to jump over things very quickly, like fences and gates. (Teaching paws up is something that would be taught with command only).
• Encourage aggressive behavior towards other animals of any kind. Animals can become obsessive and compulsive. Chasing animals in the street can get your animal hurt.
• Let your dog sit where you sit or lay where you lay if you have been experiencing aggressive behavior. Sitting where you sit sometime gives the dog the impression you are equal to them. If you want your animal to sit with you, then practice hop up as well as off command. Your dog should wait to be invited.