January National Dog Training Month Announced by The APDT

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers Declares January “National Train Your Dog Month!” www.APDT.com
The APDT announces new annual campaign to promote the benefits of positive training and socialization to create a healthy relationship between dogs and their owners.

December 15, 2009: Hundreds of thousands of dogs have been turned into animal shelters because their owners didn’t know how to deal with behavior problems and couldn’t find a reliable resource to help them. We, at the APDT, think it is long overdue to dedicate a month where we can bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training, and most of all, to inform the public that training your dog can be simple and fun! The APDT has selected January as the perfect month because, as we all know, so many dogs and puppies are adopted and brought home during the winter holidays. Our desire is to help these new pet parents start off the new year with their newest family member in the best way possible.

The APDT is planning a variety of events in January 2010 to celebrate National Train Your Dog Month. It is our hope that the everyday dog owners will visit the event web site, www.trainyourdogmonth.com, so that they can see how easy and fun training can be, and how patience, consistency and a deeper understanding of their dog’s behavior can lead to happier, healthier and harmonious households. We have a wide range of topics that we’ve covered so that pet owners will recognize themselves & their dogs. We have provided a great deal of information that will help using methods that are kind gentle and that have an emphasis on building your relationships with your dogs.

Your local DogSmith, a Certified Dog Trainer can offer you a selection of different training services

Private Dog Training Classes – Private lessons are suitable for dog owners who, due to time constraints or certain dog behavioral issues, do not find class training a viable option.

Group Training Courses – DogSmith Dog Trainers offer a minimum of 11 different Dog Training group classes to meet the needs of you and your dog.

DogSmith Dog Training Board & Train Packages – Your dog can stay in the home of a Certified Dog Trainer and will receive a minimum of 2 hours training each day. The remainder of the dog’s time will be spent with the Dog Trainer managing their new and unwanted behaviors through interaction and play and enjoying a family environment.

Latch Key Dog Training – While you are on vacation a DogSmith Certified Dog Trainer can care for your dog in your home and train your dog. Alternatively a DogSmith Certified Dog Trainer can visit your home daily or on an agreed schedule to train your dog.

To learn more about our DogSmith training services that can meet the needs of every dog owner visit www.DogSmith.com

The Rewards of Becoming A Dog Trainer & Behavior Analyst

I can still remember the first time I left a clients house feeling I had saved a dogs life. As I drove slowly away my emotions moved from tears to joy. The owners had become desperate, were stressed, losing sleep and fighting options and decisions they felt they needed to make. They had a dog that was considered aggressive and they recognized the social liability of this. They had tried many dog trainers who had offered anecdotal advice and punishing options that had worsened the dog’s behavior.
The dog they had once loved had become a chore a daily battle and a liability. Very quickly we established what needed to be done, they offered as much commitment and compliance as necessary and I offered then hope. Things worked out well and the relationship improved. The behavior change program showed immediate results that motivated them onwards. A dog’s life was saved.

This is an extreme situation but not an unusual one. There is nothing more joyful and rewarding for a Dog Trainer and Behavioral Analyst than knowing you can quickly impact the life of a dog by providing tools and techniques that owners can use to change their dogs unwanted behavior.
The tools and techniques that are most effective are minimally invasive and intrusive and actually strengthen the relationship bond between the dog and its owner. The goal is always to reduce the animal shelter population, keep dogs in their homes enjoying a quality of life that impacts the quality of life an owner should experience. Dog ownership is very rewarding, it has to be a win-win situation for both the dog and the owner

Understanding Pet Food Labels

What is Guaranteed Analysis?

We love our dogs and cats. We buy them gourmet treats, designer apparel and lavish them with our time, love and attention. They share our lives, our woes and are by our side throughout all of our ups and downs. They are purely and simply an important part of our family. But how many of us stop to think about what we are really feeding them until it becomes a front page headline or a news alert on the web about yet another food safety recall?

Pet nutritional experts believe that our dogs and cats have the genetic potential to live up to 20 years, yet many of our four legged family members are considered long in the tooth if they reach eleven or twelve. The National Institute on Aging (2006) has stated that the average human life expectancy has almost doubled in the last century mostly due to improvements in nutrition and the control of disease. Maybe it is time to expect the same for our pets. As we demand more from our own food source we should be asking the same tough questions about our pet’s food.

Where is our pet food prepared? Is it a USDA certified facility? Are the ingredients ‘cast-offs’ from our food supply chain rejected because of their poor quality or are they human grade quality? Has the food been prepared using chemicals such as BHA and BHT, known carcinogens, and Ethoxyquin, a rubber stabilizer? Last of all, who from the company we buy our pet food from, can we talk to for advice and honest answers concerning the nutritional welfare of our pets?

Most people are surprised when they learn that the pet food industry, a multi million-dollar industry, came about during World War II. Cereals and grain considered waste from factories was bagged and sold as pet food. The industry then evolved as manufacturers recognized that to ensure animals were not undernourished they would have to incorporate meat into their products; meat that had been rejected from our food supply chain due to its poor nutritional quality, dubious source, condition or health risk.

Read More. Download the FREE DogSmith E-BOOK
www.DogSmith.com

Watch a short video on the ingredients in pet food and what you should be looking for when you buy  pet food .

Free Samples of Life’s Abundance Cat Food and Dog Food
Dog food samples are approximately 3.8 ounces and cat food samples are 2.2 ounces. The samples are NOT meal-size and are enough to satisfy the taste, feel and smell senses. Since Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food For Dogs and Cats has a 30-day money back guarantee, rather than ordering a sample, you might consider ordering the smallest bag of Life’s Abundance Dog Food. This is a great way to try our other HealthyPetNet products, too! What have you got to lose?

DogSmith Holistic Pet Food Gift Certificates and Holiday Baskets

It is so easy to order a Gift Certificate. Just click on this link and simply select from three attractive designs, choose the amount of your gift and enter the recipient’s email address. You can even include a personalized message.

The recipient will receive an email with a unique gift certificate code, along with a printable version of the gift certificate. With no hidden fees and no expiration dates, recipients can redeem these gift certificates for any Trilogy or HealthyPetNet products on the web sites or by phone order. Persons who purchase Gift Certificates can  view their balances by logging on to the “My Account” section of the web site and scrolling to the “Gift Certificate Options” section.

There is also a great selection of  Holiday Gift Baskets for dogs and cats, so if you are thinking about purchasing a gift basket, please order now.
Dog Treat Sampler Pack

Dog Treat Sample Pack

The Dog Treat Sampler Pack is a great way for you to  try HealthyPetNet’s nutritious and delicious treats. 

It contains a sampling of our five most popular dog treats:

  – Three Gourmet  Dental Treats
  – Three Antioxidant Health Bars
  – Three Wholesome Hearts
  – One-quarter-ounce Bag of Tasty Rewards
  – One Porky Puff 

Priced at  $3.49. 

Click here to view this product on the web site.

In this amazing collection you’ll find: three Antioxidant Health Bars – Oatmeal & Apple Recipe (with oatmeal, flaxseed meal, peanut butter, apples, honey, eggs, cranberries, carrots, vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E); three Gourmet Dental Treats – Honey Peanut-Butter Recipe (featuring harvest grains, top-quality proteins, calcium, vitamin C and parsley); three Wholesome Hearts – Low-Fat Treats (with pumpkin, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, apples, yellow field peas, cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg); one-quarter-ounce of Tasty Rewards Nutritional Training Treats (mouthwatering morsels containing high-quality proteins, lecithin, vitamin B12 and pumpkin seeds); and one Porky Puff, delicious, hickory-smoked pig snout.

Dogs will rejoice with our Dog Treat Sampler Pack!

Dogs’ Living In Solitary Confinement?

If being in jail or solitary confinement is expected to punish a human being, a social being, then surely when a dog is isolated to a back yard or chained or tethered in one spot it has the same effects on the canine soul. Dogs are domesticated, the most domesticated animal there is. Through the domestication process we have selected and bred dogs that have highly social genes. As a result of this selective breeding we now have dogs with personality traits that need our attention our time and our kind leadership. If our attention and participation in their lives is missing then dogs become lonely and bored.  This loneliness leads to frustration and stress that leads to behavioral problems.  Excessive barking, pacing, self mutilation and destructive behaviors are all symptoms displayed of a dog that is not having his mental and physical needs met by its guardian.

 Dogs are not only very social beings they are also very inquisitive and like to explore.  Dogs need to explore sniff and smell; they need the mental stimulation brought about by being exposed to new environments and new sight and sounds. Dogs also need the opportunity to meet and interact with their own species, other dogs.  If they are restricted from companions or there life is reduced to a tedious environment then they suffer a horrible mental punishment. For a dog Loneliness is abandonment.

Many dogs find themselves reduced to a life in the yard isolated from their human pack because their behavior is such that living in the house is very stressful for their owners. Below is an example of the downward spiral we see in a dogs behavior because they receive no training and inadequate exercise

1. Dog enters the home as a puppy or young dog – Owners are excited, dog is a bundle of fun but no management plan for the puppy is put into place.
2. Dog is not housetrained correctly – Accidents occur outside the period that new owners deem normal so human frustrations begin.
3. Dog is not leash trained – Puppy grows so leash pulling is now an aversive to the owners and walks become a chore.
4. Dog is highly active – The dog has no leash manners so any social outings are reduced resulting in the dog not having its physical needs met.
5. Dog becomes destructive – The dog is left alone in a state of arousal due to lack of exercise so the dog finds ways to mentally and physically stimulate itself. Chewing and destructive behaviors are observed.
6. Dogs’ behavior gets worse – The owners become increasingly frustrated, the dog gets punished and the relationship breaks down. The dog is seen as an inconvenience.
7. Dog is reduced to living in the yard.
8. Dog now digs holes, chews at fencing or attempts to escape.
9. Dog is now restrained to control its behavior.

  

Solutions

Invest in some dog training lessons right off the bat whether you bring home a puppy or a mature dog. Teach the dog the basic skills that will ensure your dog can integrate into your life in a positive way.

Take the time to socialize and house train your dog. Teach your dog solid sit/down/stay behaviors and some nice leash skills then your dog is set up for a successful life sharing your home.

I just want to be with my family

Train Your Dog Efficiently and Effectively – The DogSmith Way

To train a dog efficiently you should set quickly achievable criteria. This means splitting the behavior into very small increments and training each increment to a high level of fluency. With dogs we believe that fluency at each level should be 80% before you move onto the next level or criteria. If you set good criteria then you should be able to achieve each criteria or level of behavior within 5 to 8 trials. At the DogSmith we work on 1 set of 5 trials and establish from the results if the animal has learned. We decide then if we can move onto the next criteria, repeat the current criteria or sometimes if necessary make a decision to drop down to the criteria below until the behavior is solid.

For example when teaching a dog to sit/maintain, or sit stay. The criteria may look like this

1. Dog places bum on ground for 1 second with a lure
2. Dog places bum on ground for 3 seconds with a lure
3. Dog places bum on ground for 5 seconds with a hand signal
4. Dog places bum on ground for 5 seconds  with a verbal cue
5. Dog Places bum on ground for 8 seconds with either a hand signal or a verbal cue

This builds a duration behavior. To build a distance behavior you may start your training with a sit for 3 seconds 1 step away and then increase your criteria, the distance a step at a time.

For each step, criteria you would repeat the behavior 5 times, if the fluency level is 80%, then you can move onto the next level. The dog has shown that not only have you trained but they have learned as the new behavior has been demonstrated. Where most trainers go wrong is that they get fluency at the lower levels and then jump too quickly to building distance and duration behavior.

Train effectively and efficiently. Have a plan and follow it.

Training a Puppy is fun and develops a great life long relationship

Teach A Puppy How Not To Bite

If you or your friends have a dog that still nips or bites inappropriately during play then you may have a “Bite School Drop Out” on your hands.  Because most dogs are adopted into our homes as 8 week old puppies we take them from the “bite school” of their mother and siblings before they have learned important “bite inhibition” skills. So we have to pick up where mom left off and teach our puppies how to use their mouths appropriately. 

Puppies explore the whole world with their mouths, they learn about sizes, shapes, textures and the pain they can inflict when they bite too hard. Puppy mouthing is cute when they have little pincers but when they reach 80 pounds and have big teeth even mouthing should not be acceptable. It will be hard to explain to friends that your 80 pound German Shepherd that puts its teeth on their daughter is ok because “our dog will not bite”. All dogs can bite and if pushed or threatened they will defend themselves by fleeing or biting. A dog that has learned appropriate bite inhibition however will cause little or no damage even if pushed to the extreme of biting.

But puppies need to bite and chew, especially when teething, so we must provide them with the correct things to bite and chew on.  For example, it is not a good idea to give your puppy one of your old shoes to chew on. Your puppy does not understand the concept of ‘old.’  They do however know what a shoe is so shoes and other personal non-dog items of ours should be off limits. 

Teaching a puppy not to mouth and not to bite are two different exercises. And we won’t try to completely stop them from doing both right off the bat because then they may not learn about bite pressure if we do.   It is more important and critical to their development that they learn what mouth pressure is acceptable and what is unacceptable. One of the best ways for puppies to learn bite inhibition is to enroll them in a well run, safe puppy class where they can play and learn the fight and play rituals with their own kind. Dogs teach other dogs great lessons about bite inhibition so playing with other dogs is an important part of your puppy’s education. 

 

Bite inhibition Training

 

Puppies have to learn at a very early age that they cannot put their teeth onto our skin, clothing or body in any way. They have to be taught a soft mouth. Puppies learn to develop this soft mouth from their mother and siblings through feeding, play and mock fighting. In addition, children or adults inappropriately playing with small cute puppies often encourage biting and only when larger teeth grow in and/or the puppy’s jaw strengthens does the biting suddenly become a problem if the dog has not learned bite inhibition.

The following are simple guidelines for owners when they have a puppy that is biting during petting or restraint. First we address the biting and then we can address the mouthing. While we address the biting the puppy can mouth, have a soft mouth, but they must not apply any pressure or cause pain. As soon as we have a good soft mouth then we can work toward eliminating the play mouthing with a leave it or off command.  The goal is to teach the puppy that they cannot use their teeth to grasp, manipulate or gain control over a human hand or in fact any other item other than their toys.

  How To Prevent Puppy Biting.

During play with the puppy if the puppy bites, applies pressure with their teeth, then you stop petting them. This teaches the puppy that biting ends the interaction. (This is assuming we have a normal puppy and not a puppy that is resistant to human contact of a normal nature).

 When petting the puppy and he is exploring and using his mouth, as soon as pressure is applied say ‘OUCH’. If the puppy stops then lure them into a sit using a nice treat and reward them

• If ‘ouch’ does not do the job then you will have to create some false pain and associated noises. I recommend a high pitch yelp and pull back the hand. Remove yourself and stop interacting with the puppy. This is exactly what a puppy sibling would do if nipped too hard.
• Return after 30 seconds and continue playing. Your puppy will learn very quickly that nips stop the game and fun ends.
• Use the level, tone and pitch appropriate to get results, do not traumatize the puppy as this will make them hand shy.
• Do not allow the puppy to play bite anything other than toys.  They cannot differentiate between your hands, your cloths and your furniture

Playing with a puppy that has a soft mouth is an important part of their development; they need to train their mouths to have bite inhibition. If we scare or punish them into stopping any mouth contact at all then we have not done our jobs in teaching them and enabling them to develop good mouth control.

When puppy is only mouthing then we can teach them an ‘off’ or ‘leave it’ command to remove their mouth from us completely.  That way they can mouth when they play but we can stop them if necessary.

• Hand feed the puppy using a large soft chewy treats you can hold in your hand
• As puppy is nibbling, remove your hand, if puppy comes to get the treat say ‘off‘ and close your hand.
• When puppy backs away, sits down or stops, reinforce and reintroduce the treat.

This teaches the puppy that mouthing is ok if we allow it and it teaches them that if they “off or leave” they will gain access to the treat.

Healthy Holiday Gifts For Pets

The holidays are upon us and while you are rushing around shopping, attending office parties and planning for family gatherings don’t forget to include your dogs and dog loving friends in the festivities.  Interactive toys and healthy treats are the most appreciated and valued gifts you can give your dog at this time of year.  Healthy, wholesome treats can help offset some of the holiday food your furry friend will inevitably find around the house or in the hands of well meaning toddlers.  Nutritious treats like Premier’s Liver Biscotti, which the Whole Dog Journal says “is the best treat we have ever come across,” or their Buddy Berries,  Buddy Ohs or Freeze Dried Liver Treats, also from Premier, are a healthy choice for training or every day rewards.  You can also find an assortment of premium holistic dog food and treats as well as holistic cat food at the DogSmith Store

Interactive toys are a great gift idea because your dog will love them and they provide hours of mental and physical activity for your pooch.   You can keep your pooch entertained for every one of the 12 days of Christmas with a different challenge from Premier’s range of interactive toys fitted with their patented “treat meter” that allows treats to be randomly dispensed as your dog plays and manipulates the toy.  The range of interactive toys includes the Chuckle, Squirrel Dude, The Waggle, Twist ‘n Treat, Football, Tug-a-Jug, and the Kibble Nibble.  We use these treat dispensing toys to give our dogs their meals.  Feeding them this way appeals to their natural instinct to pounce, stalk and chase prey for t heir food.  Premier also has a range of chew toys with replaceable healthy treats which can be adjusted to provide the quantity of treats you desire.  These toys stimulate chewing, clean teeth and give your pup plenty to chew even after the treats are gone.  Bristle Bone, Bouncy Bone, and Funny Bone all provide hours of healthy fun.  And the Waggle, Twist ’n Treat, and Squirrel Dude come in puppy sizes that are gentle for puppy teeth but durable enough for extended play.  Let your new puppy gnaw on these, not the table leg.

For the dog lovers in your life that may need some help with the new puppy they found under their tree on Christmas morning how about a DogSmith gift certificate good for training, sitting or walking services.  Help your friends and family get their new puppy off to a great start in their new home.

For these and other gift ideas contact your local DogSmith or visit www.888DogSmith.com.

The Best Route To Take To Become A Dog Trainer

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers recommends that you look for a training school that offers a good training program. There website describes a good training program as covering the following topics.

1. History of Dog Training. A complete history of dog training from late 19th century to present. Comparison and contrast of dog training with other animal training endeavors.
2. Animal Learning. Classical and operant conditioning, positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment, conditioned reinforcers, discrimination, generalization, habituation, sensitization and desensitization, blocking and overshadowing, motivation, establishing operations, conditioned emotional responses. Comparisons of dog learning to human learning.
3. Dog Behavior. Dog development and ethology, genetics of behavior, fixed action patterns, social signals, body language, social development, critical periods, hormonal influences, breed characteristics.
4. Designing Classes. How to design your courses/instruction materials once you graduate. How to counsel individuals, motivate handlers/owners, how to screen and steer clients.

Sourced http://www.apdt.com/trainers/career/default.aspx December 2009

Peggy Prudden in her article on the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors website sourced at http://www.nadoi.org/howdoi.htm says “to be a good dog trainer one must be physically fit, goal oriented, self-starting, and love dogs. It takes a lot of stamina, patience, understanding, insight, common sense, and fortitude to dedicate one’s life to training dogs”

There are many schools and online courses that can be attended to learn and gather the required theoretical knowledge to learn about dog training. However as James Kesel in his article titled, A Career in Dog Training quotes “more dog training businesses fail as a result of poor business practices then because they are doing a poor job of dog training”

Becoming a Dog Trainer like many professional services requires that you also have a broad knowledge of business skills if your goal is to make a career and earn a living out of the profession.  Many service professionals are good technicians, are able to perform the actual skill of their trade, but are lacking in the knowledge and experience of opening and operating a business. Business finance and marketing are equally as important to the success of your business as being able to actually perform the dog training skill and these skills are acquired through business degrees and/or years in a business environment.

Join a franchise, a business entity that has all the necessary support functions, skills and experience to assist you in your success. Dog Training Franchises that are not selling systems with a huge capital outlay at the beginning are invested in your business, if you succeed they succeed. A good dog training franchise will be on hand pre-launch, during your launch and continually to support your business growth.  Join a dog training franchise that has a leadership team with a proven track record of owning and operating business successfully. The leadership team should include persons with finance skills, marketing skills and strong benevolent leadership skills.

Visit this website and review the following pages to get a clear understanding of how a dog training franchise can help you. http://www888dogsmith/franchisephp

Click here to learn more about a professionally developed Dog Training School Curriculum

http://www.888dogsmith.com/nationalcenter.php

A Great Christmas Gift For You – Buy Job Security For Less Than A New Car

“We pamper them. We take them wherever we go. We spoil them with gifts and treats. They even get presents for holidays, birthdays and special occasions. They are our pets!” (APPA Pet Product Trend Report 2009).

71.4 Million Americans have a pet – that’s 62% of American households. 38.2 million Americans own cats and 45 million Americans own dogs. Financial analysts at a meeting of industry experts held in 2008 discussed how the pet industry may be resilient to the economic downturn. And it appears they were correct. Not only are more households pet owners but owners are spending increasingly more on their furry critters.

In 2009, 45 billion dollars will be spent across the US Pet Industry, a 2 Billion dollar increase from 2008. The expenditure in pet products and services is no longer restricted to the necessities such as food and veterinary visits. Owners are now investing in high-end pet products, state of the art services and designer clothing.

The trends in pet ownership in America coupled with the increase in what pet owners are willing to spend makes it the right time to join the exploding pet industry.

Join The DogSmith, the only pet Industry franchise in the United States that offers five businesses under one business model -

There are multiple streams of income from each of these five and a premium range of retail supplies such as dog toys, training products and apparel.

About Us-The DogSmith
Founded in 1998 by Niki Tudge, a leading proponent of positive animal training techniques, The DogSmith was always an organization destined to lead the pack.
Long recognized as an expert in America and the U.K., Niki was one of the first to recognize the disconnect between the needs of today’s pet-loving American families and the confusing, sometimes overwhelming and often misguided options provided by many unregulated dog training and pet care companies. Niki watched as, time and time again, dog lovers struggled to live comfortably with their pets. Niki has used her unique combination of “people” teaching expertise and dog training skills to create a proprietary system of education known as ARRF©.

DogSmith Revenue Generation Areas

1. DogSmith Dog Training
   – Private Lessons
   – Group Lessons
   – Retail Sales of toys, training aids and apparel
2. DogSmith Dog Walking
   – Private Walks
   – Dog Park Romps
3. DogSmith Pet Sitting
   – Home Alone Visits
   - Lunch and Dinner Breaks
   – Canine Slumber Parties
4. DogSmith Pet Nutrition Partnership
   – Dog and Cat Food
   – Treats
   – Supplements
5. DogSmith Pet Waste Cleanup
   – Residential Accounts
   – Commercial Accounts
   – Retail Sales and service of Pet Waste Stations and Supplies

 Why refer your clients to your competition?

Steps to Becoming a DogSmith

1. Initial Phone Call: The president and founder of The DogSmith will explain The DogSmith training and business philosophy with you and answer any of your questions.
2. DogSmith Franchise Profile and Application: Our profile and application form is designed to help us get to know you and will provide us with information on your background, experience and skills. This information indicates whether you will potentially qualify for a DogSmith franchise. This form also gives us the opportunity to understand your goals and concerns.
3. Second Phone Interview; A second discussion will take place with the Franchise Development Manager to review your Franchise Application form and your eligibility to join The DogSmith.
4. Franchise Disclosure: We will review the Franchise Documents with you. The Franchise Disclosure addresses the legal and technical aspects of owning a DogSmith business. We will also provide you with information about The DogSmith Franchise Services head office and your relationship as an independent business owner.
5. Due Diligence: By talking to current DogSmith Franchise Owners you will gain valuable firsthand perspective on our business. You will be welcome to speak with as many DogSmiths as you like.
6. Territory Selection: Using demographic data, we will work with you to determine the exact boundaries of your exclusive DogSmith territory.
7. Systems: You will learn more about the tools and techniques The DogSmith uses to operate their business from marketing to finances. Our Franchise Development Manager will explain the training program and the comprehensive pre-work required prior to training.
8. Discovery: You are welcome to visit the DogSmith Training Center and learn more about our training program, philosophy and observe DogSmith Dog Training methods.

Decision and Acceptance: After the steps above, you will know if The DogSmith is the right business for your future, and we will know if you are DogSmith material. Together, we can make a decision about the business 

FREE consultation and No obligation – 1-888-Dog-Smith Call us Today!

Read The Full DogSmith Franchise Brochure Here