# Everyone is a dog trainer



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Great article by Drayton Michaels ... http://trainertails.blogspot.com/2010/04/everyone-is-dog-trainer.html


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## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

Well, I read the whole article and only have one thought. 

I guess I'm very lucky to have a puppy that is as easy to train and love as Snickers is. I'm of the opinion that Snickers COULD be a better dog than I'm training her to be, BUT I'm thrilled that she's having a great time on our twice daily walks, and could care less if she heels perfectly (I walk her on a 15 foot 'lead') as she's a pet, not a show dog nor a breeding bitch. So I wonder, if I as a non-professional 'dog trainer' choose to train the way I do, and allow the dog to be happy, and myself to be happy, well, why would I consider the instructions of a 'professional trainer'. Who sets the trainers expectations?

Cheers!
Jim and Lynda and the P&P machine.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Jim you sound like you are an excellent trainer. If your dog is happy and you are happy, that's all that matters. Good for you. Enjoy.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jim, I think the biggest point made in an over-long article (that really could have used a good editor's knife) was that every moment you spend with your dog, for good or for bad, is "training". People don't think about that much.

Dave, I wanted to insert "child" instead of "dog" in much of the article. As bad as it is that people acquire dogs on a whim, and think that things will just work out, it astounds me how many people bring children into this world with very little (if any) more thought or planning. We had the opportunity to really think about how we would raise a child, and were guided through a lot of the process by going through a "Home Study" for adoption. (then we ended up having 2 biological children, but that's a different story) To adopt a baby, they MAKE you learn and prepare, but to HAVE a baby, any two foolish 15 year olds can do it! I'd love it if there were a way to mandate the same kind of training that an adoption home study gives for ANYONE contemplating bringing a child into the world.

I think the same sort of requirement for anyone who wants to get one of the "problem breed" dogs would go a lot further toward preventing serious aggression problems than the current trend toward banning them in some municipalities, or home owner's insurance being unwilling to cover them. There are plenty of wonderful Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Bull Mastiffs and German Shepherds in the world, but they NEED to be in the hands of knowledgable, responsible owners who will see that they get the socialization and training they need to BE good dogs. 

We are lucky to be involved in a breed that was DESIGNED to be "biddable". Many, if not most, of them can grow up in a family with little or no formal training and still be nice little dogs. But my feeling is that the more you train WITH your dog, (whether that's "formal" training, or just working on tricks, or whatever is fun for both you and your dog) the closer and better your relationship will be. 

I wouldn't be happy if the only training I did with my dog (or insert horse or child) was to correct "problem behaviors". To me, the most satisfying part of working with children, horses and dogs is to watch them learn and develop, and see them have those "light bulb" moments. I think you miss that if you go no farther than training the dog to pee and poop in the appropriate places, walk on a leash and not bark at the mail man. I know everyone has different reasons for having a dog, and for many, the above is all they want. But when I see how SMART these guys are, I want them to be able to USE that brain!!!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Well said Karen.


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## Phoebs (May 28, 2009)

We did a lot of active training when Phoebe was a puppy. When she had all the basics down, we stopped training classes. It's absolutely true that every interaction with your dog is a training moment- same as with kids. When grooming, I make it clear that I'm in charge. For almost any treat, I ask her to do something for me (sit, down, etc). Most impressive of all is the establishment of routines and habits without really thinking about "now we're doing training". We keep a bathmat on the kitchen floor- she's supposed to go there instead of pestering at the table, or at the butcher block. We make sure to only give her samples on the pad ( occasionally "break the rules" by giving an unwanted treat like basil leaves when she pesters at the butcher block) and make sure to catch her being good by giving her samples when she goes there herself. It's very powerful! Now when I'm grilling a steak, or slicing chicken, she absolutely pounces onto her pad and patiently waits. When I do reward her, she's still going to be asked to do an additional trick (sit, down, dance..). We are so happy, and none of it came from "training" her to do it. She translates it very well too, and when at my parents, she'll pounce and wait on whatever towel or other similar item is on the kitchen floor to stay out from under foot. An additional funny consequence is that when she finds some contraband item around the home (wood pencil, toilet paper roll) she'll take it to her pad...


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Right on Juliette.


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## havamanis (Nov 6, 2008)

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At Last! A book on raising puppies written especially for toy breeds. 
Special pets need special care.
"Woofs, Wiggles and Wags": a celebration of your Toy puppy's first year

Available now. Also perfect to tuck into puppy packs.
See www.woofwags.com for more info.


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## nancyf (Nov 6, 2007)

Bella just turned 3 and she went to an obedience class--just her and a snobby Schnauzer who was older and wanted nothing to do with a 6 month old puppy! She has done well and we continue to reinforce what she learned. She still becomes instant best friends with anything that moves--human, animal, or plastic bag--so we still haven't gotten her to stay with us even when she doesn't want to.

But I've noticed that what wasn't something she did at 6 months, she began at 8 months, etc. It's interesting to watch and it keeps me on my toes to not take a behavior for granted. Like now she's a gentle dog who would destroy an intruder with kisses but has never bit or was agressive. But I am always looking for that behavior just in case.

That brings me to a question about growling. We read the "Growl" link---I found it to have my husband read to try to help him with Bella's growls. She will growl when excited, when she gets lifted up (when she is begging to get lifted), when she's sleeping for the evening and doesn't want to make a trip outside. But what bothers my husband is when Bella is licking her paws in the night and he reaches out to stop her, she will growl. He is concerned that Bella is being aggressive. We keep her from licking her paws so they don't get inflamed--she has seasonal allergies and I think she uses it for comfort. I told my husband that I'd write you, Dave, to find out your opinion. We need some insight. Mind sharing?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

nancyf said:


> Bella just turned 3 and she went to an obedience class--just her and a snobby Schnauzer who was older and wanted nothing to do with a 6 month old puppy! She has done well and we continue to reinforce what she learned. She still becomes instant best friends with anything that moves--human, animal, or plastic bag--so we still haven't gotten her to stay with us even when she doesn't want to.
> 
> But I've noticed that what wasn't something she did at 6 months, she began at 8 months, etc. It's interesting to watch and it keeps me on my toes to not take a behavior for granted. Like now she's a gentle dog who would destroy an intruder with kisses but has never bit or was agressive. But I am always looking for that behavior just in case.
> 
> That brings me to a question about growling. We read the "Growl" link---I found it to have my husband read to try to help him with Bella's growls. She will growl when excited, when she gets lifted up (when she is begging to get lifted), when she's sleeping for the evening and doesn't want to make a trip outside. But what bothers my husband is when Bella is licking her paws in the night and he reaches out to stop her, she will growl. He is concerned that Bella is being aggressive. We keep her from licking her paws so they don't get inflamed--she has seasonal allergies and I think she uses it for comfort. I told my husband that I'd write you, Dave, to find out your opinion. We need some insight. Mind sharing?


Hi Nancy, sorry for the delay, just got back from holidays. Yeah , growling can be for various reasons. The simple rule is never to punish it in any way. When lifting her up ,spend some time conditioning her so that it becomes a pleasurable thing. Simply offer her a treat at the same time you are picking her up. Do this for awhile , and then only intermittantly. As far as growling to be picked up, simply ignore it, don't even look at her. It is a form of attention seeking. She will stop it so long as you don't reinforce it. As for the sleeping disturbance, I would slowly wake her up , lure her with a toy but make it not so abrupt.Once she's a little more awake ,she won't be so snarly. LOL. My Molly growls all the time when sleeping at the end of the bed and we move or feet. No big deal. As for the licking problem, not sure how excessive it is but simply distracting her is the least intrusive method. Actually I just got another growling article sent to me today . And I will come back with it in a minute. How bad is the licking problem . Is she getting sores.? Here's a new growling article http://www.peaceablepaws.com/faqs.php?subaction=showfull&id=1261405123&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2& If you want a great article on obsessive licking ,email me privately at [email protected] as it is too long to post here.


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## nancyf (Nov 6, 2007)

davetgabby said:


> Hi Nancy, sorry for the delay, just got back from holidays. Yeah , growling can be for various reasons. The simple rule is never to punish it in any way. When lifting her up ,spend some time conditioning her so that it becomes a pleasurable thing. Simply offer her a treat at the same time you are picking her up. Do this for awhile , and then only intermittantly. As far as growling to be picked up, simply ignore it, don't even look at her. It is a form of attention seeking. She will stop it so long as you don't reinforce it. As for the sleeping disturbance, I would slowly wake her up , lure her with a toy but make it not so abrupt.Once she's a little more awake ,she won't be so snarly. LOL. My Molly growls all the time when sleeping at the end of the bed and we move or feet. No big deal. As for the licking problem, not sure how excessive it is but simply distracting her is the least intrusive method. Actually I just got another growling article sent to me today . And I will come back with it in a minute. How bad is the licking problem . Is she getting sores.? Here's a new growling article http://www.peaceablepaws.com/faqs.php?subaction=showfull&id=1261405123&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2& If you want a great article on obsessive licking ,email me privately at [email protected] as it is too long to post here.


I hope you had a fun vacation! 
Actually, her paws aren't as bad as last year so that's why we're keeping her from licking. We had an awfully cold winter here in Texas and during that time, she would lick her paws when she was bored, etc,. It wasn't obsessive like last summer. But when the grass began growing, the paws got irritated. She's been on Benedryl and I got that spray you recommend--I don't remember the name, peace something. What a miracle in a bottle that is. She seems to wake up in the night and then start licking her paws. If she's next to me, I'll gently stroke her ears and the top of her head and she falls back asleep. That's what makes me think she wants to be comforted.

Some years before we got Bella we had a Jack Russell Terrier. We had her ten years until she died of cancer but she was a biter. I think that concerns my husband when he hears Bella growl. He doesn't want it to escalate like our other dog.

I'm having my husband read more of the Havanese forums to know more what "normal" is with these adorable dogs. I wish we had this Havanese Forum site when we were raising our kids!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Yep , educate those hubbies, we need it. LOL. So long as we acknowledge our dogs' growls and work on calming their concerns we will be much further ahead. The forum is a great place to learn, no doubt about it.


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