Train Me..Thats how i become the best

Training your furkid will help you all get along the correct way!! There is no skipping a day or wait until tommorow thats just not fair.. I know you would not do that yo your child, so dont do it to your furkids either!!

much love..

momma

Momma says check out some local dog trainers...

Hello my feriends! So being the fact that i live in NY i figured lets give some props to my fellow peeps..LOL, so i went on a web search for some LI Dog Trainers and came up with Best Friend Dog Training http://www.muttmanners.com/ in case you would like to check out the site yourself. But no worries if you dont live on the island you can find them in a few other places like Nassau. Suffolk, Queens, Manhatten, NJ and also in Maryland... Why did i choose to write about them, Well as i was reading more and more i felt very at ease. They get to the point with out overdoing it. I have also searched reviews on them and they have a 3.5 out of 4 stars on yelp and 5 star on yahoo, thats comming from clients! Momma says Check it out!! You can look at there videos also     Message from Frank Bonomo, BFDT's President
When I founded Best Friend's Dog Training in 1999, I started with the belief that anyone who is willing to invest in training deserves the best, most personalized training available. Over the past 12 years, Best Friend's has adapted and changed the way we train to keep our dog trainers up to date with the best training methods available. We are not interested in the latest fads, toys, or TV show Trainers. We look only for highly reliable, fast, training methods that people can learn.In fact, Best Friend's Dog Training is the ONLY New York company of Dog Trainers to offer, and require their trainers to understand, train and teach ALL major methods of training including clicker training, leash based training, and modern remote collar training. If you need to be enrolled in a School for Professional Dog Trainers or have a PhD in Psychology to make something work, it's useless to you and never makes our program. Since our company has grown,we also have the unique distinction of having trained most of the trainers offering off leash, or lifetime obedience programs in our area. We often get referrals from other professional trainers for difficult dogs, or unusual cases. We have found through the past 11 years, that training with multiple methods isnt enough. There must be a team of trainers available to help you and your family when you need it. Best Friend's is the only company that can say "Our team of trainers is here for you." We want to make sure you have a happy, well mannered dog no matter where you are visiting or where you live. If you are by the quiet woods and waters of northern NY, the crowded streets and parks of Manhattan, or the busy lifestyle of suburban Long Island and Westchester, we have a program for you. If you don't see what you are looking for, call or email and ask for it. We'll try to find a solution.
Our programs do not stop at obedience training, it promotes a beter understanding, health, safety and socialization of your dog. Any worries about taking a walk in a crowded public place, or running out of an open door will become a thing of the past. You can go on vacation, walk on the beach, or visit a busy street fair with your dog, offleash. Our dedication to our customers can be seen before you ever invest in training. Please consider this your personal invitation to watch any of our weekly group classes, meet our trainers, our clients, and our clients dogs. After you have watched us, whether you choose Private Lessons in your home, or the Board and Train (some call it Train & Stay), I believe you will see dogs that meet or surpass your expectations.
I'm telling you this because I don't want you to think we're like any other dog trainers. Not only does our program surpass any other dog training program around, but our clients are welcome and encouraged to train with us for the lifetime of their dog. If you keep coming, we'll keep teaching. At no additional cost!! Our "Lifetime" clients are also invited to our annual picnics and parties for dogs, as well as receiving a discount on boarding. Over the years, we have helped thousands of people with their family pets, therapy dogs, hunting dogs, personal protection dogs, police dogs, narcotics detection dogs, and service dogs for people with special needs. If you have any questions, please watch our training videos, feel free to call, send an e-mail, or stop by a group class. The training staff and I look forward to meeting you.

A few more posters i wanted to share

Here are some more  that you can print out and show your children!

Please Remember: Sharing is Careing

I have found these by searching the internet i am not using these as my own creations i am just sharing them with you because i think that these are very helpful and sometimes easier to understand in picture form.

How to Greet a Dog Correctly with printable poster

Sharing is Careing

Good Morning Sunshine

Today i would like to share with you  some informtional posters that you can print out  for you  family. They are the right and worng ways to greet any dog. This is especially great if you have small ones in the house, or family that comes over with children. A animal can only take so much pulling poking and getting in there face before something happenes. Im not saying it will happen but there is always a possability. If your furkid could speak to y0ou and say hey mom im just not feeling well today or im just not comftorable in this situation it would make things a hell of alot easier..But thats not the case so here are some linls to some posters
Here is the link
 http://info.drsophiayin.com/how-to-correctly-greet-a-dog-free-poster/

Thank you Dr. Sophia Yin!!!     

Free Poster: How to Greet a Dog Correctly  Thanks for visiting Dr. Sophia Yin's animal behavior website. We've shown you how kids should and should not interact with dogs and showed you a PSA about what happens when kids approach dogs incorrectly. Now get the poster that shows kids how to greet a dog correctly so that the dog feels comfortable instead of threatened Download this informative poster "How to Greet a Dog Correctly" today! Download the poster by clicking on the button at the bottom of this blog. This poster clearly outlines how to correctly greet a dog and: How to move in ways that help kids appear friendly What body postures to kids should avoid How similar the greeting situations are to situations where humans greet each other Preventing Dog Bites by Learning to Greet Dogs Properly Posted On: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 By Dr Sophia Yin                                                         Download the How to Greet a Dog poster here. The consensus among animal behavior professionals is that the major cause of dog bites to humans is related to failure of owners and dog bite victims to recognize when dogs are fearful and know how to approach and greet dogs appropriately. But what exactly is the correct approach and why do so many people fail to do it? One issue is that we humans have an instant gut reaction to the cuteness of some dogs. It’s the same reaction we had as a child when we saw a cute teddy bear or other stuffed animal. As a result we treat pets as if they are cuddly toys. While many dogs are friendly, cute, and love interacting with humans, they are definitely not toys. In fact, when you think about it, dogs are a bit like humans in that the same types of inappropriate greetings that would cause a human to be afraid or irritated would cause a dog to become fearful and even aggressive too. Here are some examples: Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: You’d probably feel threatened if someone randomly walked up to your car and stuck their hand into the window to reach for you. Similarly dogs may feel scared or violated if you reach into their safe space. It’s best to stand out of the dog’s safety/ threat zone and even look away so it’s clear you’re not some bad guy trying to break in. Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: People frequently see a cute pooch and want to rush up to pet him. Just as you might feel scared if a stranger or even an acquaintance ran right up to you, a dog may feel uncomfortable too. It’s best to approach slowly—at a leisurely walk while watching the dog for body language signs of fear (Download this poster showing fearful body language in dogs) Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: It’s mostly kids who rush up uncontrollably to pet a dog, but even adults encroach threateningly. For instance, suddenly reaching out from nowhere without first asking parents or the owner can lead to bad results.  Even children are nervous of strangers approaching, and rightly so. We shouldn’t expect our dogs to be more comfortable with stranger danger than our kids. That’s why it’s important to always ask owners if it’s OK to greet their pets.  It’s up to the owner to know their pet well enough they can inform others if it’s safe to pet their dog and if the dog will enjoy the interaction. Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: Starting in childhood, we were all told to avoid staring. It’s rude, and even creepy. So even if a dog’s owner says it’s OK to greet Rover, avoid approaching head-on and staring. Instead, approach offset or sideways and look using your peripheral vision. Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Have you ever seen a toddler or young child visiting Disneyland or some other theme park to see their favorite beloved cartoon character? But when they see Mickey Mouse or Yogi Bear he’s gigantic in size and looming over them and they get scared. The same thing happens to dogs. They may seem friendly and happy as you approach, but if you loom over them, especially if you’re facing them head on, you can cause them to have a meltdown. That’s why it’s better to stand facing slightly sideways and remain outside their personal space or bubble. Note that the size of the bubble varies from dog to dog. Then let them approach at their own rate if they feel like it. If they don’t feel like approaching, then just admire them from a distance. For little dogs you can squat down to their level. But be careful to do so from far away and face sideways so that when you are shorter your face isn’t right in their face. Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Although you’ve probably heard that you should greet dogs by letting them sniff your hand, reaching out to their face is actually pretty rude, especially if you’re facing them or staring. Imagine if someone was standing near you and they reached a hand out towards you. It’s best to let the dog approach at his own rate and avoid putting pressure on him by reaching out. Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Some kids have phobias about clowns or certain types of people. Similarly some dogs are afraid of some types of people or people wearing or carrying certain objects or in various environments. Even if you’ve followed all of the appropriate greeting rules so far, some pets may still feel uncomfortable. So if you see signs of fear, discomfort or tension (link to the dog body language/ dog bite prevention-the one from Friday’s blog), even if the dog comes up to sniff you, still avoid petting him. Instead just admire the pet from nearby. Appropriate and inappropriate interactions: Lastly, remember that some interactions are just not appropriate or aren’t as fun for the animal (or for children) as you think.  For instance, most kids don’t like being pinched on the cheek even if they will put up with it. Similarly most dogs dislike being hugged even by family members even if they allow it. Imagine how a dog who dislikes hugging might react if they are hugged by someone with whom they’re only mildly familiar. When interacting with a dog, especially an unfamiliar one, avoid hugging, patting or petting in an overly familiar way. Instead pet in a calm, gentle, relaxed manner. While many humans routinely greet dogs inappropriately and many dogs put up with this socially inappropriate behavior, if you stop and think about it, correct greetings are common sense. We should be respectful of dogs instead of assuming they should be friendly and polite even when we humans are not.

Free Poster: How to Greet a Dog Correctly 

Thanks for visiting Dr. Sophia Yin's animal behavior website. We've shown you how kids should and should not interact with dogs and showed you a PSA about what happens when kids approach dogs incorrectly. Now get the poster that shows kids how to greet a dog correctly so that the dog feels comfortable instead of threatened
Download this informative poster "How to Greet a Dog Correctly" today! Download the poster by clicking on the button at the bottom of this blog.
This poster clearly outlines how to correctly greet a dog and:

• How to move in ways that help kids appear friendly
• What body postures to kids should avoid
• How similar the greeting situations are to situations where humans greet each other

  Preventing Dog Bites by Learning to Greet Dogs Properly

  Posted On: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
  By Dr Sophia Yin

                                                         

  Download the How to Greet a Dog poster here.

  The consensus among animal behavior professionals is that the major cause of dog bites to humans is related to failure of owners and dog bite victims to recognize when dogs are fearful and know how to approach and greet dogs appropriately. But what exactly is the correct approach and why do so many people fail to do it?

  
  

  One issue is that we humans have an instant gut reaction to the cuteness of some dogs. It’s the same reaction we had as a child when we saw a cute teddy bear or other stuffed animal. As a result we treat pets as if they are cuddly toys. While many dogs are friendly, cute, and love interacting with humans, they are definitely not toys. In fact, when you think about it, dogs are a bit like humans in that the same types of inappropriate greetings that would cause a human to be afraid or irritated would cause a dog to become fearful and even aggressive too. Here are some examples:

  Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: You’d probably feel threatened if someone randomly walked up to your car and stuck their hand into the window to reach for you. Similarly dogs may feel scared or violated if you reach into their safe space. It’s best to stand out of the dog’s safety/ threat zone and even look away so it’s clear you’re not some bad guy trying to break in.

  Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: People frequently see a cute pooch and want to rush up to pet him. Just as you might feel scared if a stranger or even an acquaintance ran right up to you, a dog may feel uncomfortable too. It’s best to approach slowly—at a leisurely walk while watching the dog for body language signs of fear (Download this poster showing fearful body language in dogs)

  Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: It’s mostly kids who rush up uncontrollably to pet a dog, but even adults encroach threateningly. For instance, suddenly reaching out from nowhere without first asking parents or the owner can lead to bad results.  Even children are nervous of strangers approaching, and rightly so. We shouldn’t expect our dogs to be more comfortable with stranger danger than our kids. That’s why it’s important to always ask owners if it’s OK to greet their pets.  It’s up to the owner to know their pet well enough they can inform others if it’s safe to pet their dog and if the dog will enjoy the interaction.

  Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: Starting in childhood, we were all told to avoid staring. It’s rude, and even creepy. So even if a dog’s owner says it’s OK to greet Rover, avoid approaching head-on and staring. Instead, approach offset or sideways and look using your peripheral vision.

  Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Have you ever seen a toddler or young child visiting Disneyland or some other theme park to see their favorite beloved cartoon character? But when they see Mickey Mouse or Yogi Bear he’s gigantic in size and looming over them and they get scared. The same thing happens to dogs. They may seem friendly and happy as you approach, but if you loom over them, especially if you’re facing them head on, you can cause them to have a meltdown. That’s why it’s better to stand facing slightly sideways and remain outside their personal space or bubble. Note that the size of the bubble varies from dog to dog. Then let them approach at their own rate if they feel like it. If they don’t feel like approaching, then just admire them from a distance. For little dogs you can squat down to their level. But be careful to do so from far away and face sideways so that when you are shorter your face isn’t right in their face.

  Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Although you’ve probably heard that you should greet dogs by letting them sniff your hand, reaching out to their face is actually pretty rude, especially if you’re facing them or staring. Imagine if someone was standing near you and they reached a hand out towards you. It’s best to let the dog approach at his own rate and avoid putting pressure on him by reaching out.

  Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Some kids have phobias about clowns or certain types of people. Similarly some dogs are afraid of some types of people or people wearing or carrying certain objects or in various environments. Even if you’ve followed all of the appropriate greeting rules so far, some pets may still feel uncomfortable. So if you see signs of fear, discomfort or tension (link to the dog body language/ dog bite prevention-the one from Friday’s blog), even if the dog comes up to sniff you, still avoid petting him. Instead just admire the pet from nearby.

  Appropriate and inappropriate interactions: Lastly, remember that some interactions are just not appropriate or aren’t as fun for the animal (or for children) as you think.  For instance, most kids don’t like being pinched on the cheek even if they will put up with it. Similarly most dogs dislike being hugged even by family members even if they allow it. Imagine how a dog who dislikes hugging might react if they are hugged by someone with whom they’re only mildly familiar. When interacting with a dog, especially an unfamiliar one, avoid hugging, patting or petting in an overly familiar way. Instead pet in a calm, gentle, relaxed manner.

  
  

  While many humans routinely greet dogs inappropriately and many dogs put up with this socially inappropriate behavior, if you stop and think about it, correct greetings are common sense. We should be respectful of dogs instead of assuming they should be friendly and polite even when we humans are not.

Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: You’d probably feel threatened if someone randomly walked up to your car and stuck their hand into the window to reach for you. Similarly dogs may feel scared or violated if you reach into their safe space. It’s best to stand out of the dog’s safety/ threat zone and even look away so it’s clear you’re not some bad guy trying to break in.

Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: People frequently see a cute pooch and want to rush up to pet him. Just as you might feel scared if a stranger or even an acquaintance ran right up to you, a dog may feel uncomfortable too. It’s best to approach slowly—at a leisurely walk while watching the dog for body language signs of fear (Download this poster showing fearful body language in dogs)

Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: It’s mostly kids who rush up uncontrollably to pet a dog, but even adults encroach threateningly. For instance, suddenly reaching out from nowhere without first asking parents or the owner can lead to bad results.  Even children are nervous of strangers approaching, and rightly so. We shouldn’t expect our dogs to be more comfortable with stranger danger than our kids. That’s why it’s important to always ask owners if it’s OK to greet their pets.  It’s up to the owner to know their pet well enough they can inform others if it’s safe to pet their dog and if the dog will enjoy the interaction.

Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: Starting in childhood, we were all told to avoid staring. It’s rude, and even creepy. So even if a dog’s owner says it’s OK to greet Rover, avoid approaching head-on and staring. Instead, approach offset or sideways and look using your peripheral vision.

Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Have you ever seen a toddler or young child visiting Disneyland or some other theme park to see their favorite beloved cartoon character? But when they see Mickey Mouse or Yogi Bear he’s gigantic in size and looming over them and they get scared. The same thing happens to dogs. They may seem friendly and happy as you approach, but if you loom over them, especially if you’re facing them head on, you can cause them to have a meltdown. That’s why it’s better to stand facing slightly sideways and remain outside their personal space or bubble. Note that the size of the bubble varies from dog to dog. Then let them approach at their own rate if they feel like it. If they don’t feel like approaching, then just admire them from a distance. For little dogs you can squat down to their level. But be careful to do so from far away and face sideways so that when you are shorter your face isn’t right in their face.

Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Although you’ve probably heard that you should greet dogs by letting them sniff your hand, reaching out to their face is actually pretty rude, especially if you’re facing them or staring. Imagine if someone was standing near you and they reached a hand out towards you. It’s best to let the dog approach at his own rate and avoid putting pressure on him by reaching out.

Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Some kids have phobias about clowns or certain types of people. Similarly some dogs are afraid of some types of people or people wearing or carrying certain objects or in various environments. Even if you’ve followed all of the appropriate greeting rules so far, some pets may still feel uncomfortable. So if you see signs of fear, discomfort or tension (link to the dog body language/ dog bite prevention-the one from Friday’s blog), even if the dog comes up to sniff you, still avoid petting him. Instead just admire the pet from nearby.

Appropriate and inappropriate interactions: Lastly, remember that some interactions are just not appropriate or aren’t as fun for the animal (or for children) as you think.  For instance, most kids don’t like being pinched on the cheek even if they will put up with it. Similarly most dogs dislike being hugged even by family members even if they allow it. Imagine how a dog who dislikes hugging might react if they are hugged by someone with whom they’re only mildly familiar. When interacting with a dog, especially an unfamiliar one, avoid hugging, patting or petting in an overly familiar way. Instead pet in a calm, gentle, relaxed manner.

1000 treat challenge

Good Morning Furkids mom's and dad's..
                                        Remember Sharing is caring.. please share my blog withh all your friends!

I am sorry that i did not get to get this up sooner BUT i was helping my 3rd grader do his HW untill 10 pm last night! He had a book report to do that he procrastinated on and all of a sudden it was MOM ITS DUE TOMMOROW, ohh and i have a poster to make also.. and a few min after that was mom, i have to find 100 of the same items and glue it on this sheet of paper for my 100 day project.. AHHHHHHHHH .. so this is what 100 pennies looks like glued to the 100 day sheet:

Ok so now on to the coolest challange for your furkid..

1000 treat chalange, i was sent this website through my friend Harriett, from the Red Hook Dog Rescue and if you read Relax on a mat you will see a link to her information, so the name of the site is

http://www.dogsandbabieslearning.com/

and i had emailed Madeline Gabriel who gave me permission to link her site to my blog, So awsome of her !!

                                      

                                                        Learning to Live Happily Ever After

Take the Thousand Treat Challenge!

Posted by Madeline Gabriel on Feb 3, 2013 in Dog Training, Uncategorized | 23 comments

Last week I took delivery of 32 pounds of dog treats.  Thirty-two pounds!  Imagine the possibilities!

Just in case anyone is doing the math on my 32 pounds, there is one four pound roll already in use!

As I lugged them all out to the garage, I was suddenly struck with the fear of, “What if at the end of these 32 pounds my dog is no more proficient in training skills than he is today?”  That’s because I tend to be somewhat aimless in my training at times:

Even though it is VERY cute, maybe my puppy didn’t need quite SO many treats just for tilting his head so endearingly…

Many of the people who attend my Dogs and Babies classes have the opposite situation.  For whatever reason, people come in thinking that it’s somehow “cheating” to use food in training or they have been taught ineffective techniques for food reinforcers and are, understandably, not enamored of the results.

The Thousand Treat Challenge

Then it hit me - I can solve both problems with one low commitment game.  If you already give your dog treats freely, the Thousand Treat Challenge will add more precision to your training.  If you are new or even a little opposed to giving treats, it won’t hurt to give it a limited try.  After all, you do feed your dog, don’t you?  You may as well come away with your dog better trained for those calories he was just going to eat out of a bowl.

1. Choose a behavior or skill you want your dog to perform better/differently
2. Set aside 1,000 treats (see below)
3. Over the course of two weeks, spend your 1,000 treats to practice and reinforce progress

What Does 1,000 Treats Look Like?

My combination below of home-dried hot dogs, freeze-dried liver treats and Natural Balance Roll-a-Rounds took up less than one sandwich bag and weighed 8 ounces.  The trick, of course, is that effective treat reinforcers are very small and highly delicious (to dogs).  Dog trainers know this but pet owners are stuck trying to make it work with a bag of dry biscuits.
Choose a variety of palatable treats and cut/break up your 1,000 pieces.  Mine had to be dry and relatively non-perishable because I’m bringing them to class next week, but you can feel free to chop up bits of leftover meat from dinner or cheese or the trainer’s standby – rolls of Natural Balance or Red Barn as pictured above.  Set aside in a designated container or bag to draw from throughout the course of the challenge.

1,000 treats – ready to go!!

Make a Plan

Don’t let this step slow you down!  The Thousand Treat Challenge is all about doing!  Pick anything!  Here are some ideas:

• Reinforce the behavior of looking at you
• Teach Down to a snazzy hand signal or a whisper
• Practice standing around people (not jumping!)
• Improve elements of leash walking
• Reinforce coming when called
• Help your dog be comfortable with touch – maybe even work on nail clipping!

Don’t know how to train these behaviors?  Someday, I will finish writing/videoing these and other easy-to-improve-with-very-little-effort behaviors.  In the meantime, check out Emily Larlham’s wonderful set of YouTube videos for tons of quick ideas and step-by-step instructions.  Really, just close your eyes and pick one and you’ll do fine!
If you want to make a written plan, allocate the number of treats you want to “spend” on each aspect of the behavior.  This will help you keep on track and monitor progress.  Write down:

1. Here’s what my dog does now
2. Here’s what I’d like it to look like instead
3. List a few aspects you can work on and how many treats for each
4. Measure progress

For example, a dog that sits well in the kitchen might benefit from practicing 50 times in each other room (not all at once, of course – remember, you have two weeks for the challenge).  If you notice the dog only sits when you inadvertently “announce” training time by being too obvious with the food in your hand, you can decide, “I am going to spend 200 treats practicing with empty hands,” and so forth until you have the behavior you want.  One thousand treats give you lots of chances to provide clear information to your dog!

Take the Challenge!

I have a one year old Flat-Coated Retriever who likes to eat all kinds of junk.  I am going to start with teaching him to prefer looking at me over dive-bombing for dropped food.

What will YOU do with your 1,000 treats?

One day my puppy will be as good at this as my old dog was!

Again i would like to thank Madeline  for letting me share this with you! Please let me know if you try this and come back and post your sucess stories with me!

 

Relax On A Mat..

So as i promissed i am going to be featuring different web sites that offer stratagies to help you help your fur-kids relax. In talking to my friend Harriet from the Red Hook Dog Rescue in Brooklyn NY,(http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY773.html) this is where i adoped my Bella from,

YES i know she is the cutest thing you have ever seen..LOL. So she has put me on to http://www.wholedogtraining.com where i had found a very cool artical about helping your furkid to relax. The artical is named Relax on a mat.

here is the link to this article: http://www.wholedogtraining.com/images/stories/Relax_on_a_mat.pdf




Relax on a Mat
If you teach your dog nothing else during his life, teach
him this exercise and you will reduce your dog’s stress
and attention-seeking behaviors by noticeable amounts.
This simple exercise teaches your dog a behavior that
will help him relax his body, rather than getting excited
or demanding when you are not paying attention to
him. This will also give your dog a very useful tool in his
toolbox.
Teaching your dog to “Relax on a Mat,” is different than
telling your dog to lie down. The reason you want your
dog to make the choice of relaxing on a mat, rather than
you asking for the behavior, is that many dogs become
perplexed when their humans ask them to do certain
behaviors at the wrong time.
Consider what it would be like for your dog if you asked
him to do something such as “lie down” when he feels
anxious, is worried or excited about his situation at the
time. Your dog may be able to comply with your wishes,
but he may not really be relaxed or comfortable carrying
out the behavior in an environment that might be the
very cause of his concern. This definitely takes a toll on
your leadership abilities, and your dog may give pause in
future situations when you ask for that same behavior
and he remembers back when your decisions might not
have been in his best interest (at least in his mind).
Goals of this exercise: To teach your dog how to relax on
a mat when you do not want to pay attention to him, and
without telling him to, “Lie down.” Relaxing on the mat
will become an alternative to attention-seeking activities
such as whining, jumping, barking, pawing, stealing items,
dropping the ball in your lap repeatedly, and other
annoying, reactive or anxious behaviors. Trained well, this
skill will become so strong that your dog will choose
relaxing over the unwanted behaviors. This new skill will
become a default behavior—one your dog chooses all
the time when he is not sure what he should do.
Benefits of Teaching Relax on a Mat: This exercise will
empower your dog with the ability to calm himself down,
and enjoy the benefit of relaxing and recuperating his
body. It will give your dog something on which to focus,
as well as give him a way to resolve anxiety or stressors
he may encounter in your home, or out in the world, via
healthy mental exercise.
“Relax on a Mat,” also teaches your dog independence
from always being told what to do all the time, and in
doing so, builds his confidence when he is able to figure
things out on his own. In turn, this supports you and your
dog’s relationship since you won’t have to “command” or
tell your dog what to do all the time.
The final benefit of training “Relax on a Mat” is that it
teaches your dog to relax when he is on a leash, since
the beginning of this exercise is always practiced on
leash, teaching your dog to calm down even when he has
some restrictions—a big plus for leash walking.
What you will need:
A portable mat (different from a favorite bed or
crate mat), which can be a bath towel, bath mat or a
small blanket. If you have tile or hardwood floors, find
something that won’t slide around.
Treats: 1/8 cup for toy dogs, ¼ cup for small dogs, ½ cup
for medium dogs, and ¾ cup for large dogs of (pea-sized
or smaller if you have a tiny dog) medium to high-value
treats. (See chapter 4 for list of treats and their values)
Something to put your treats in that is easy to dip into
and get more as needed, (a treat bag is best)
A six-foot leash and a harness, or regular collar (no
choke chains, or pinch collars.)
Training time: 5-10 minutes, at least five times a week—
twice a day is best. A well-trained behavior should be
achieved in just a couple of weeks.
Training location: Indoors in a quiet, comfortable place
with minimal distractions. You will train in different
locations with more distractions later, which will
eventually teach your dog how to relax anywhere,
anytime.
Whole Dog Training 619-561-2602
 www.wholedogtraining.com   Email:  dogmomca@cox.net

I wanted to say thank you to Nan Arthur whom gave me permission to put this on my blog.

This is the pic that inspired me

Hi!! So i wanted to show you all the picture that my son drew for me that has inspired me by his words it nothing out of the ordanary and it probably how most younger children draw. But i just can not get over the three words he put on the paper and to be honest they are words you hear everyday from people, Love, that word gets tossed around more then any word i know. It's used on a daily basis from husband to wife; wife to husband; parents to children so on ans so forth. Is, used every day a million times a day! Powerful, im sure its not used a million times a day but these are all commen words. Never in a million years did i think my 8 year old would use it in his drawings. I know how silly it sounds but it just really inspired me!

What a day....

Good Morning all! I am so happy that i started this blog. I am working with a dog trainer (and new friend) Harriett and she is helping me get on my way to becoming a trainer..well at least directing me. I will be putting up some info that she has sent me later and some links to some really good information on training your furkids so please dont forget to check back.

Also follow me on twitter @mommasfurkids

                          <3 Love is Power <3
                          as stated by my lil man

LOVE IS POWER

So I'm sitting at my table with my 8 year old and he was drawing me a picture. I was just about to start dinner and he says mommy look at the picture I drew you, and look what I wrote, so I look at the picture of a smily face with a body and on it he writes "Love is power" I said to him JASON that's genius.  That can be applied to all aspects of life.  It could be toward a human or an animal!!  

I think that looking through the eyes of an 8 year old really opens up your eyes to things. They have no hate at this age they are not seeing things the way an adult would. All day I was sitting around pondering on life ,its trials and tribulations. Worrying about money and bills and is the house clean enough what's for dinner planning my night out who's showering when ...breakfast for tomorrow .. I already have dinner planned for tommowow. 

Kids and animals have so much love to offer we just have to take the time to see it.  My four legged kids are always so happy to see me. They love me no matter what kind of mood I'm in. If I'm sad or mad or sick or sad they are by my side . SO I'll say it again LOVE IS POWER...as stated by my 8 year old!

Happy Valentines Day!

Good Morning from my furkids to yours!! I thought that today would be a GREAT DAY to start my blog!

This is my Bailey Boy 

This is Our Bella Girl

This is Missy..As of right now she is  the ruler of the house!

                              HAPPY VALENTINES DAY FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS