5/2/2012 0 Comments Social AnxietyMany of my customers lately are asking about their dog having some social anxiety. If this sounds like you I have a few little tips for you. Does your dog go crazy as soon as you leave the house? Do they wait until you've been gone for a while? Do they have a lot of toys or things to keep them busy? If you don't know for sure then you can leave a recorder or some kind of device and find out. If they are going crazy as soon as you leave then you will have to work on their anxiety. If your dog waits until you have been gone for a while then they may just not have enough to do! The last question is does your dog piddle in the kennel? it may be time to restrict water before bed. Place some scraps of paper under or in the kennel and see if they have been wet. Next time I will talk about helping your dog cope with anxiety. Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville
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It does not matter if your dog is chewing a little or chewing a lot, before your dog trainer shows up there are a few things you can do to alleviate this issue. First and foremost you can get your dog something else to chew. If your dog doesn't like his new toy he will not stop chewing your shoe/couch/face or whatever he has found. Pay close attention to your dog when she is free to roam the house. If you can't watch them you can't control them. If your dog has a chance to chew up something they can fall back into bad habits. Figure out the motivation. Most of the time this is when people call me is when they have tried everything and nothing is working. If the they have separation anxiety or maybe they are just having fun it can be a little difficult to know. You have to set them up and observe them to find out! thank you for reading today. Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 4/10/2012 1 Comment Teaching your puppy not to biteTeaching a puppy can be very different from teaching a dog in many ways. Puppies have a very limited viewpoint and need to be taught to discern right from wrong. We love to play with our puppies but a puppy wants to play with us as it will with other puppies. The most prevalent ways to stop this behavior will be laid out in this article. First and foremost is to let your puppy know that biting is not ok and will not achieve positive results. When the puppy bites you can yelp loudly and jerk your hand away. Another way is to grab the puppies lower jaw under his tongue and with your pointer finger and hold for a few seconds. The puppy will pull back and then you let him go. Continue as necessary. The third and final way is with positive reinforcement. You can place a toy between you and the puppy, which allows him a reward and something else to chew on. If he is teething use ice. You may also reward him in your treat training for not biting. Depending on the customer or the puppy these are my usual methods. Except method two, it is rarely called for or needed. Thank you for your time and as always feel free to contact me with any questions. Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 4/10/2012 1 Comment Dealing with an aggressive dogI have been bitten many times growing up. I learned a lot about not having that process repeated. After I became a dog trainer I found that a lot of people are needlessly injured by dog bites every year. I'm going to start by laying down rules 1) Never simply approach a strange dog. You don't know this dog or what he may do once you are close enough to reach. 2) Always ask permission of the owner. If they have an aggressive dog they are usually pro-active about letting strangers approach but anyone can be caught unaware. 3) If the dog is showing signs of aggression definitely do not approach them. If they are roaming loose call the dog warden. 4) Do not hover or make sudden movements. Even when a dog is not normally aggressive someone hovering over them or rushing into them may be seen as a threat. 5)Don't attempt to corner a dog. Even if you are trying to help all they understand is they can only escape past or through you. 6) In the event you are attacked do not run. Many dogs may bite and then stop right away. If you run they will chase you so simply walk away and do not stare at them. These are just general guidelines to help you in the event of most dogs. Many situations will differ but these rules will frequently apply to most dogs. Above all be aware and stay safe! Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 4/5/2012 2 Comments Dog trainer drawing contestAll you have to do is guess where the frisbee is and you will win a twenty dollar gift card from that location! Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 3/28/2012 1 Comment Touch CommandMy customers recently seem to be asking quite a bit if you can teach an old dog new tricks. In this video I used a totally green 11 yr old and proved it. Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 3/20/2012 1 Comment Dog trainer general tipsWhen I first started training it took me very little time to find out that puppies can be destructive and dogs are hard on toys. I also found out that the better nutrition I fed my high end puppies the better they could progress. I really like any toy that can withstand a Belgian Malinois puppy. Most of my toys come from Bluegrass Barkery they also sell Taste of the wild dog food, you can find them at http://www.bluegrassbarkery.com/HOME.html . If you like to order your things online my favorite place from a dog training point of view is http://www.indestructibledog.com/ and their dog beds are fantastic, also if you sign up for their email they will have you try out the products they are reviewing. My favorite dog and puppy foods can be found at http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/ and http://www.diamondpet.com/ if you have any suggestions let me know and I'll post them and try them. Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 3/15/2012 0 Comments Puppy crate trainingAt Artisan dog training we use crates to train our puppies and dogs when they are needed. In my posts about puppies and dogs I usually advocate a pen over a crate but both have their uses and reasons. I addressed the reasons for a pen before and now I will cover crates. When you choose a crate it should be sufficient for your dog to stand turn around and lay down in. If you are buying a crate for traveling the airline has various restrictions which you will have to consider separately. Your pet will need to be introduced to a crate slowly and over a few hours although it can vary wildly. Start out by placing a treat near the crate. Then in the door of the crate then, if the dog takes it with no trouble in the middle of the crate. Each time she gets it praise her and be patient don't push him. After a few of these then place it in the back of the crate and swing the door shut a little. Gradually work until your able to shut the door without him getting nervous and finally latch it. Continue stepping up the amount of time she is latched until your able to leave the room without incident. Be sure to place his favorite toy and a little bed in there with him and he will eventually be good to go overnight. Good luck and as always feel free to send me any questions. Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 3/13/2012 1 Comment Puppy socialization trainingThe most important thing to remember when you socialize a puppy is that everything is new. You have to start with the least amount of stress and build on it. If you are expecting your dog to compete or hunt you should take them out around these environments just like anything else. I usually start with myself and my car since these are my puppies first interactions with me. I start in a quiet room when I pick them up and have treats on hand,I patiently let the puppy check me out or just roam around a little while I wait. After they are comfortable with my presence I will make sure the puppy follows me well and head outside. I let them go potty and take them to the car. If she is not interested in it I open the door and shut it a few times so the sound isn't so startling. I put him inside and let him roam around before placing him in the crate.If I have a long way to go I stop frequently to check on the puppy and let them out a little. The first car ride is a good example for you to see how an everyday occurrence needs to be broken down. This will be the same for your yard, house, other dogs, and,cats. If the puppy seems frightened and you don't see a reason for it (ie pulling on a leash and crying loudly when they first see an automatic door) just wait for a minute and take off the slack. Don't pick them up or try to reassure them it will only hurt their growth. When introducing a puppy to a new dog you must have control of the situation and trust in the other dog. If the other dog shows aggression just pull your puppy away quietly, no fuss. Generally puppies can handle their own with puppies their size but be sure to break up any spat without coddling. I'm going to leave off here because I could write a chapter on this but if you have any questions don't hesitate to write me an e-mail or call. Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville 3/12/2012 0 Comments Puppy potty trainingI said in my last Artisan blog post that I would talk about potty training and now the wait is over! Potty training should be thought of as a heavy chore. When you begin potty training you will need to take the puppy out directly after food or water and every hour. Directly after food and water because your puppy will act like a vessel and when you put some in some will come out. You should allow your puppy access to water every hour and food three times a day once, every time you would normally eat. You will also need to get up three times a night and take them out to try. No water or food two hours before bed is a good rule of thumb. Your puppy may cry very loudly her first night but you shouldn't immediately go to them because they need the time apart. This will result in some accidents but if you reward the puppy for going outside they will soon get it. When you are playing with your puppy or sitting with them and they decide to go potty grab him up and use a negative re-inforcer verbally while you sprint outside. The moment you reach the door you go quite and walk to your puppy spot and wait, they go tinkle and you reward. You will soon notice that she doesn't go every time and you can back off on the trips little by little. This method can also be paired with a crate if you prefer. Next I will be addressing socialization so stay tuned! Adam Madore
professional dog trainer with Artisan dog training Lexington / Nicholasville |
AuthorAdam Madore is a dog trainer with a passion for training and dogs in general. Archives
July 2014
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