Doorbell Barking

Does your dog go crazy barking when the doorbell rings?

Or do you have a dog like mine that greets everyone at the door as if they came to be with her?

If your dog barks at the doorbell and runs excitedly to the door, here are steps to train your dog to stop this behavior:

The trick is that you want to teach her to go to a new spot.

1. Pick up a new treat and once you have her attention say, "Go to the rug/pillow" (or whatever) and toss the treat there.

2. As she is eating say, "Good,rug/pillow" then give her the "Stay" command.

3. Practice this gradually replacing treats with praise until she gets the hang of it.

4. Now, phase in the doorbell.

Speak or Sing

Encouraging your dog to bark or howl is easy.

How do you do it on command?


Dogs often respond to the sound of barking by issuing their own woofs. The same is true of howling. When dogs hear howling or sirens or other high-pitched sounds, many dogs try to sing along.

To teach speak or sing, have plenty of treats ready for both you and your dog.

1. Look at your dog and say, "Speak!" Then make a barking sound and pop a treat into your mouth.

2. Repeat your verbal cue, and bark. After some repetitions, your dog will make some sound; a whine, huff, or woof. Any sound counts. Say, "Yes!" and give your dog a treat.

3. When your dog catches on, it will bark when you say, "Speak," and will not wait for you to park.

4. Teach "Sing," the same way, but make a howling sound instead of barking.

Once your dog knows Speak or Sing, teach your dog to stop on cue.

1. Get your dog barking or howling, then say, "Hush!" and toss a small handful of treats in your dog's direction so they hit the floor and scatter. The dog will stop to eat the treats.

2. When you notice your dog stopping as soon as it hears your cue, quit throwing treats on the floor and just hand them to your dog.

Once your dog learns this trick, you can also use it to quiet the dog when barking or howling on its own.

Heel Backward

We usually think of heeling with your dog as a forward movement, but once your dog understands heel position, you can teach her to heel backwards, too.

How to teach heel backwards:

1. Start next to a fence or wall, with your dog between you and the barrier. This will help guide your dog to take straight steps.

2. Show your dog a treat in your left hand then heel forward several steps. While in motion, suddenly bend forward and hold the treat below your dog's chin so her chin tucks toward her chest. Let her nibble the treat.

3. Without halting, shift into reverse and take one or two small steps backward, pushing the treat toward your dog's chest to encourage her to move with you. When she moves any paw backwards, say, "Yes!" Let her eat the treat.

4. Repeat several time, until she gets the idea of stepping backward to get the treat. When she's easily taking one step, urge her backward until she moves another paw, then "Yes!" and another treat. Add a left hand signal, gesturing a back-up waving motion, and a verbal cue, "Back up," while making the hand gesture.

5. Phase out the treat; instead, tuck it between your thumb and forefinger, and release it to your dog when she steps back. Switch to signaling without a treat, still rewarding with one when she steps back. Gradually decrease the amount you bend forward when cueing, eventually not bending at all.

6. Increase to three backward steps or more. Gradually move farther from the wall until your dog does not need it to move straight.

Ball Game

Is your dog ball crazy?

Loves to retrieve a ball?

Or is happiest with a ball or two in his mouth?



Try a different ball game; "roll a ball"

First use a ball too big to fit in your dog's mouth.

Tell your dog to stay while he watches you place a small treat on the floor by the ball. Then roll the ball forward to almost cover it.

Stand close behind the ball so it rolls toward you and release your dog to get the treat.

As he takes it, the ball will roll. Say, "Yes!" and reward by tossing a treat behind him. He will turn away from the ball to get that treat. Place another treat under the ball.

Repeat this several times, encouraging him to push the ball toward you to get the treat, rewarding with a tossed treat. He will expect a treat under the ball and will quickly return to push it again after collecting the tossed treat.

At this point, quit putting the treat under the ball and just encourage him to push it. Dog s are optimistic - he will look for the treat and the ball will roll. You might use, "Yes, roll the ball," and reward with a tossed reward treat. Soon your dog will understand that pushing the ball earns treats. Gradually stand farther back from the ball, and he will learn to roll it a longer distance.

Cesar Shares What Dogs Teach

When humans bring a dog into their lives, they are most often looking for a companion; what they may not realize is that they are getting a teacher as well.

Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, says, "One of the most valuable lessons my dogs have taught me is how to have a healthy relationship. In any relationship - human-canine, human-human, human-pachyderm you cannot have the bond you are looking for unless you fulfill the others' needs. If you're not giving your dog what he requires, he'll let you know by chewing your shoes, jumping up on your guests, pulling on the walk, or one of many other behavior problems. It's not malicious. He's just finding another way to meet the needs programmed in him by Mother Nature."

According to Cesar, "In order to fulfill one another, we need to look outside ourselves and really understand what the other needs and how their psychology works. That's the foundation for a balanced, healthy relationship with any species."

But that's not all dogs have to teach us. Cesar states, "They educate us about the value of consistency. If you apply Exercise, Discipline, then Affection every day without fail, your dog will reward you with loyal companionship."

He emphasizes that "They show us how to live life to the fullest by being balanced and celebrating every moment. They have taught me to value the simplicity of life itself. They intensify every moment that I am with them. And for that, I am eternally grateful."

Teaching Older Dogs

The old saying that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is NOT true.

Old dogs may not learn as quickly as they once did, but with time and patience most older dogs can be taught to do just about anything that a young dog can do.

If you would like to teach your older dog some new tricks, here are some tips:

1. Teach one word commands. Teaching the correct response to voice cues or hand signals is as fundamental to communicating with a dog as the alphabet is to human language.

2. Be consistent. Consistency is the key to learning.

3. Provide rewards. Reward your dog's good behavior with a treat and tons of praise.

4. If the dog is slightly deaf, speak louder.

To put it all together, this is what you do:

Add a word cue or sign that must preface the behavior if it is to be rewarded. This is called a conditional stimulus; and it must be present if a reward for performing the behavior is forthcoming. The word cue or other cue should be delivered once, and once only. Whatever you do don't repeat the command. If the dog obeys, he must be rewarded immediately. If he does not, there is no reward. The opposite of reward is not punishment it is simply the lack of reward.

Using the above method, any behavior can be trained although more complicated behaviors have to be trained in stages ("shaped").

Reward your dog for performing a desired behavior when that behavior occurs naturally. For example, give your dog a food treat for sitting, lying down or to stop barking. Initially, the reward should be selected to be practically irresistible, not just kibble or a piece of dry dog biscuit. The frequency with which your dog will perform the behavior will increase if the reward is more appreciated.

Lessons Dogs Teach Us

What can dogs teach us? Or is all that training and teaching one way? We all teach and train our dogs, but they teach us, too.

I think that dogs can teach us a lot of good lessons.

For instance, when life gets super busy and stressful, take a look at your dog's life... then take a deep breath, slow down, smile and just relax.

THAT IS A GOOD LESSON!

Dogs can also teach us something about positive energy. When you come home, they jump up and run to the front door to greet you with tail wagging and plenty of kisses. They're so loving and excited just to be near you - how can you not smile at that?

Here are some more things that dogs can teach us, but we must pay attention:

1. Always be happy to see your friends and loved ones.

2. Attitude is everything, so approach each day and each new experience with enthusiasm.

3. Never underestimate the power of praise.

4. Play every chance you get.

5. Don't be afraid to show your joy! When you are happy - show it. Wiggle and wag.

6. Enjoy a nice nap, and always stretch and yawn before you get up.

7. Never turn down a chance to be with someone you love.

8. Be loyal.

9. Lounge under a shady tree on a hot day.

10. Every once in a while, put your head out the window and enjoy the feel of the wind on your face and hair.


I like this poster