Last time we discussed possible reasons why dogs respond well at training class but not in other situations.  If you missed the first part of this article, you can read it here. Now that we listed some reasons, lets discuss them in more detail.

There is a lack of consistency at home and in between lessons. You have to practice at home in order to truly benefit from a training class, there is just no getting around this.  If you don’t practice in between lessons and you don’t have mini training sessions at home, you are never going to gain control of your dog and your problems will continue to exist.  By the way, your trainer can tell who works their dogs and home and who doesn’t!

There is a lack of follow through at home. When participating in training class, your dog trainer is right next to you, holding you accountable to a certain set of standards and makes sure you do things correctly with your dog.  It’s up to you to set the same set of standards when you are in the home with your dog.  In the home the roles switch, you are the one setting and enforcing the standards for your dog; so if you tell your dog to come, make sure they come, if you tell your dog to sit and they lay down, fix it!!  Just practicing at home is not enough, we have to make sure we are practice correctly.

The dog is not being supervised correctly in the home. Most people are totally focused on their dogs when they are participating in a training class, however, life is full of distractions.  Phone calls, kids, tv, making dinner, and all of the other things in our lives can constantly take our attention off of our dogs.  These are the times when they are getting into trouble and we are missing our training moments.  The more often your dog gets to practice chewing on furniture or or stealing things off the table, the more they perfect those behaviors.  If you have a dog that can’t be trusted with a little bit of freedom and you can’t actively watch your dog, crate them.

Your dog’s current training state may be situational. By this I mean your dog knows when you are in “training mode” and does great while you are actively having a training session, but the skills have not yet carried over into daily life.  Example – your dog has a great down/stay when you are training, but constantly breaks when he is told to down/stay while you are preparing dinner. The only way to increase the functionality of your dog’s skills is to practice and hold them accountable during these real life situations.

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This is something we occasionally hear from time to time; the dogs are great during class or in the presence of a trainer, but they are behaving differently in other situations.  This can be very frustrating for some owners and they just can’t figure out why this is happening.

There several reasons why we see these types of behaviors and it varies from dog to dog and handler to handler, but here are just a few possible reasons…

• There is a lack of consistency at home and in between lessons
• There is a lack of follow through at home
• The dog is not being supervised correctly in the home
• Your dog’s current training state may be situational

Out of the above reasons, do any of these apply to you and your dog?  What are some other possible reasons that you can think causes this type of frustration?

Stay tuned to our blog for the second part of this entry where we will discuss how to correct these issues.

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For all of the local readers – The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is conducting a public survey to see how to make the best use of Bartholomew District Park.  There are a few different suggested master plans on the PARD website. For those who are fans of public dog parks, there is good news!  All of the suggested layouts for Bartholomew Park include off leash areas for the dogs, Austin rocks!

Please take a look at the different options and fill out the brief survey listed in order to make sure your voice is heard.  The Bartholomew District Park survey will remain open until Monday, September 13th, 2010 so make sure you head over to their website and vote!

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Going from a single dog household to living with multiple dogs can be a burden and a decision that some people regret, but it doesn’t have to be that way!  Last year we made a post about things to consider when thinking about getting a second dog, and I wanted to follow up that article with some more information, specifically what to look for in choosing a second dog.

Age – Depending on the current age of your dog, consider looking for a dog that is at least one year older or younger than your current dog.  Spacing out the ages of your dogs can sometimes help reduce competition and other problems that arise with dogs of similar age, similar to when you get two puppies from the same litter.

Male/female - The sex of a second dog really depends on some personality traits of your first dog.  Sometimes going opposite sex can be a good thing when getting that second dog, but in some cases it really doesn’t matter.  Knowing the right things about your first dog will help you make a decision about selecting the sex of your second dog.

Lifestyle – If you have an active lifestyle with your dog, make sure your second dog has the physical traits that can still support your lifestyle.  Here are some examples of my point:

• If you’re a runner and typically run 8 miles a day with your Belgian Malinois, don’t get a Basset Hound as your second dog and expect that dog to join you on your runs
• If you are very social with your dog and are around people, children, and other animals often, maybe a bully breed or typically protective and aggressive breeds should be crossed off of your list*

Personality – The personality of a second dog is very important, especially if you have a shy and nervous dog already.  A confident and outgoing “goofball” who is socially stable can greatly help a shy and nervous dog to gain confidence and be brave.  If you are getting a second dog to help your first dog, consider adopting a dog that is 2+ years old, this way you have a better gauge of their personality compared to a very young puppy.  Remember to always ask a ton of questions when rescuing a dog from a shelter.

These are just a few things to consider when choosing a second dog.  These tips are great, but the most important information and decisions should be based on your first dog in order to help make the transition go as smoothly as possible.

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* I have met plenty of great, stable, well-socialized dogs that belong to the “bully” category.  Training makes our dogs act and behave in certain ways, but breed traits should always be considered as well.  My point is to make stack the deck in your favor.

The short answer to that question is “yes!” Now exactly where to put your dog’s crate is open for a bit of debate, and you may get varying answers depending on who you ask.  The type of crate and a suggested location for a crate may differ based on the needs of a particular dog, but here are some general guidelines that may help you and your family decide where to crate your dog.

• Make sure the crate is in a climate controlled area of your home and avoid areas that get direct sunlight throughout the day
• I personally don’t like my dogs to be crated in my bedroom, they need to learn to exist away from us and have a sense of independence
• If you are still working on potty training, have your crate near the door to help prevent accidents
• If you have a young puppy, consider putting your crate in a well populated area of your home
• Avoid locations where the dog can see outside of the home and practice unwanted behaviors like window barking

How about you, do you have any tips that you think should be added to this list?  If so, leave your suggestion in the comments section of this article.

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We are pleased to announce that Cyndy Douan is returning to Austin to instruct another agility seminar!!  After a great time last year (check out some pictures from last year’s event) we are excited to do it all again, but this time it’s going to be 100% focused around agility.

The hands-on seminar will start off by introducing your dogs to all of the agility equipment, so don’t worry if your dog doesn’t have any experience with agility, we will cover that!  It’s important that the dogs know how to safely maneuver over all of the obstacles because then the REAL fun begins – agility games!

Agility games are going to be a large focus for the weekend, and those of you who attended last year know exactly what I’m talking about.  Fun and challenging games like beat the clock, dare to double, and the box game are just some of the games you can expect to see.  Cyndy sets up these games with the intent of challenging you and your dog in a fun way, it’s a blast!

The Agility Seminar will be held at our Leander Training Center during the weekend of October 9th and 10th (don’t worry, it’s a bye weekend for the Longhorns!).  For more information about the Agility Seminar and to learn more about Cyndy Douan, check out our Austin Agility Seminar Page.

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The 2010 San Marcos Pet Fest is coming up in September. The Pet Fest, which is sponsored by PALS, is an event organized to generate public awareness for the needs of animals, promote responsible pet guardianship and celebrate the human-animal bond.

The Pet Fest is going to be held at the San Marcos Plaza Park on Saturday, September 25th, and will have lots of great attractions and vendors.  In addition to pets available for adoption, The San Marcos K-9 unit will have a demonstration, D&D Dancing Dogs and Miniature horse will entertaining the crowd, and there will be live music all day!

If you are in the San Marcos area, check out this event!  For more information you can visit the PALS website.

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Life really is much more enjoyable when you have a dog who rides well in the car.  Trips to the vet are not stressful, rides to the park are a breeze, and why not bring the dog along for a ride to pick up the kids from school?  Of course in order to enjoy riding in the car with your dog you first have to teach them how to behave in the car.

Safety is the most important factor, both for you and your dog when in the car together,  so here are some key points to make your rides safe and enjoyable.

Do not let your dog travel freely from the back seat up to the front seat and vice versa while driving.

• The best skill to use while driving is a down for your dog.  Simply put, use a solid down-stay to prevent your dog from traveling freely in the car.
• If you are still working on a functional down-stay, try tying your dog’s leash to the head rest in the back seat to prevent them from being able to come up to the driver’s compartment.  Be sure to give them enough leash where they can safely maneuver within a designated area.
• If you have an SUV, consider getting a cage that separates the trunk area from the passenger compartment.
• Do not let your dog ride in your lap while driving, no matter how cute they are, this is a serious safety issue.

The last thing you want is a dog bolting out of the car as soon as you open the door.

• Teach your dog to wait and only enter and exit the vehicle with your permission.
• If you are still working on this skill, try tying your leash to a sturdy part of the vehicle so your dog can not bolt when you open the door.

Be sure to have your dog ride in the car with you.

• Be careful of letting your dog stick their head out of the window, debris and other hazards can be dangerous if it strikes them in the face.
• I think this goes without saying, but please don’t leave your dog in the car during a hot or warm day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.  We all know that temperatures inside a car can quickly reach very high numbers quickly.
• Do not let your dog ride in the back of an open pick up truck bed.

What do you have to say, do you have any other advice for riding in the car with your dog?  We would love to hear your feedback, simply leave your advice in the comments section below.  happy motoring!

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We have been working with quite a few dogs that have some pretty serious window barking tendencies.  To some extent window barking is your dog’s natural role as a watchdog, but it’s not something that you want to encourage or allow to happen.  Many behavior issues result from this type of activity and it’s very difficult to fix when it has been practiced for an extended period of time.  Here are some common undesirable traits that can stem from window barking:

• Creates frustration which can easily be redirected onto other dogs and people
• Can create unwanted associations in social situations in and away from the home
• Can lead to territorial issues and other behavior problems

Just as with a lot of our dog’s behaviors, these dogs need to be interrupted and redirected in order to reduce the amounts of window barking incidents or prevent it from happening all together.  Here are some simple things that you can do to make sure window barking is not a problem for your dog:

• Don’t allow your dog to window bark when you are home, simply use a reliable recall to interrupt and redirect your dog
• Use reliable obedience to help change the dog’s state of mind
• Don’t allow your dog to window bark when you are not at home, kenneling your dog is always an option

Remember, it’s up to us to help shape our dogs and puppies, this is just another example of us molding our dogs into social and well adjusted animals.

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