Just Right Dog Training Blog

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We found a really cool new thing to do with your dog the other day... since we are all about bringing new things to do with your dog to all the "dog people" we can out there we'll be doing a series of info on this subject... "Cool Things To Do With Your Dog".

Have you ever heard of Disc Golf?  I was vaguely familiar with it and then Gary Guller took me out in Taos, NM and showed me the game... and what I found was that not only is it a fun sport but it is dog friendly as well!

By this I mean I found out that the course in Taos allows you to bring your dog along, off leash... I was amazed and thought it might just be the cool laid back Taos thing.  We travel back and forth between Taos and San Diego so of course when we arrived in San Diego the search for a Disc Golf Course was on.

It was really easy to find several... but what REALLY blew me away is that they are dog friendly as well.  With a little research I found out that most Disc Golf courses around the country are.  So of course I'm all stoked about it and want to let people know of another cool, and inexpensive activity that can be done with your dog exists.

There could be a little training required if your dog isn't used to being out and about in unfamiliar places... and if you have a dog that doesn't know off leash stuff... no worries there either.  Check out our online dog training program and you can get all the help from where ever you are.

We are off this afternoon to go play with the dogs... but more on the game of Disc Golf and your dog soon....  and please feel free to contact us anytime with questions about your dog!

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It's down to two breeds for the Obama family, a Labradoodle or a Portuguese Water Dog... what do you think?  Take our survey and be counted!

Not every breed of dog is for every family, that's for certain.  The Obama girls have some allergies and need a hypoallergenic type situation.  Thus the reason for the two breeds that it's been narrowed to.  Both are bigger dogs, and both are very trainable.

It will set the precedent for many families to choose their next dog... so lets hear what you think, which dog would be the coolest for the Obama family.

Take our survey below and remember to follow us at www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog as well as join us for our weekly webcasts, Wednesday nights 5 pm pst, 7 cst 8 pm est at www.DogTrainerGuru.com

From 21 Day Challenge: Walk Your Dog Every Day

It's well past the beginning of the year and time to really implement that new commitment you made in your head about getting into shape!  So, why not make it seem like not such a chore and go out to play with your dog every day instead?

Everyone who has a dog knows they should walk the dog every day.  Period.  It's just that no one really does it because there are so many other things to be done in the day.  We don't get out and exercise because there is too many things to be done in the day as well.

Yet it is a proven thing that if you get out and exercise first thing in the morning, not only is it great for your health but it also makes everything else in your day much more productive.  Now lets add a big huge benefit if you are a dog owner.  If you get your dog out and walk every day for at least 20 minutes the training base you have will come into play in a VERY big way.

Dogs who walk with their owners for 20 minutes a day learn to look to you as leader, you bond with them in a much different way, and in the end, your dog's behavior becomes calm.  You can have the fun you had wished you could have with your dog rather than having to deal with the out of control feeling you get with an untrained dog.

So, we have come up with a great training weight loss program for you and your dog.  We have come up with the 21 Day Walk Your Dog Every Day Challenge.  You can form a habit in 21 days, so we picked it so that the routine will end up so easy it's just something you do with your dog every day... or at least most days anyway!

We'll be giving you tips along the way and you can stay up with the daily fun by following us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog

For now, commit to getting up tomorrow and walking your dog for 20 minutes.  If you've got leash pulling problems... no worries.  Check out our free webcast on Wednesday night at 5 pm pst , 7 pm cst at www.DogTrainerGuru.com
 
Our upcoming dog training show is on getting out to walk with your dog and all the cool things you can do to solve the "my dog pulls my arm practically off" feeling you get when you think about taking your dog out for a walk.

Getting a new puppy or dog is always very exciting.  One the big things we've found in working with many people online and the questions they have at first has nothing to do with training but, where can I find a really cool name for my dog!

Love that!

So we are compiling a list of names that can get your creative mind going and come up with something that everyone is happy with.

We're all about everything dog so make sure to watch our dog training broadcasts on Wednesday nights at 7 pm central time.  You can even ask your own questions....

And for some more fun follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog

Now for the beginning of the dog name list... stayed tuned for more names to come.... we have so many on our list we're going to keep adding to our blog with more dog names all the time....

Abby, Abracabra, Apollo, Babbette, Baccarat, Baldwin, Baxter, Betty, Ceasar, Calvin, Chantilly,
Charlotte, Dante, Digby, Dude, Dudette, Elroy, Einstein, Fedora, Fenway, Gatsby, Gertrude, Goober, Harvey, Heidi, Ignatious, Inky, Jet, Jethro, Karma, Katmandu, Laker, Larry, Lilith, Macintosh, Marilyn, Neptune, Newton, Ollie, Ophelia, Otis, Pandora, Pebbles, Pinto, Quinn, Quatro, Remy, Radar, Richochet, Ruby, Sammy, Savannah, Sherwood, Tank, Tattletale, Tinker, Trilogy, Uma, Velcro, Wanda, Xavier, Zeke

There are a few to start you creative mind in coming up with a name that fits your dog!

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This article was written for a local journal but I thought it may be useful for our Just Right Dog Training readers to gain additional perspective on how to handle dog behavior problems also. Remember to sign up for the membership site to gain more tips and insights.

It's that time of year again, you know, the "back to the new television season" time of year. When we all anxiously await our favorite shows to air each week so that we can find out "what happens next"

As a dog trainer I certainly advocate not getting too caught up in couch potato behavior, it doesn't help Fido get his much needed exercise.  However, I too have my personal favorites and enjoy curling up with my pack for some down time. I love SURVIVOR and it dawned on me the attraction is probably because it is so similar to the profession of dog training.

How so? Well take a look at the tag line for the show; OUTWIT, OUTPLAY, OUTLAST

That mantra sums up who wins the Survivor game but it also sums up the keys to training your dog and winning the battle against behavior problems.  If you can Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast you can pretty much teach your dog to have impeccable manners in any situation.

Let's measure this concept in regard to a common dog problem.  The Door Charger. You know, the overly friendly; bundle of muscle and hair that hears every footfall as it turns up your sidewalk and enthusiastically begins the process of peeling the paint from your front door. You wrangle him away as your guests step in and next thing you know he breaks free to accost them with slobber and a tail capable of clearing small children from the room! A seventy-pound bundle of joy but a bit over the top when your friends try to visit. Let's call him Crash and see how we might be able to solve this problem

We'll begin with OUTWIT
Devise a strategy.  You need a plan if you expect to win against Crash's desire to propel himself into all the action. One possibility would be to teach him to perform an incompatible behavior to the jumping up. What does this mean? Simply put, your dog can't do two things at once. So if we teach him to do something else when visitors arrive, he can't be at the door going crazy. Consider having him lie down and stay in the kitchen or perhaps have him go to his bed and remain there until you tell him he is free.

Next we must OUTPLAY
Your strategy must be effective.  If what you are practicing is NOT working, then it is not effective in changing his habits. If Crash won't go to his bed when told and certainly won't stay there, then you must find an effective way to make that happen. Consider a leash as the simplest way of enforcing what you expect. With a leash on him you can escort him to his bed, restrain him until he settles in and then reward him for the good behavior. And yes, he is going to try to get up as soon as you move away. Your responsibility is to put him back and enforce your new expectation each time he moves.

And finally you must OUTLAST.
This is probably where most people fall short in their dog training efforts. You must be consistent and expect repetition if you want to get solid results. How much repetition, well that depends on the dog. Some are certainly more biddable than others. It is reasonable to expect you will need to repeat your efforts every time someone comes to the door for a least a few weeks and perhaps a few months. And you must be absolutely consistent with each visitor that arrives. If not, Crash will simply outlast you. He will persist in his self-rewarding behavior if you allow it. Stay vigilant and practice having him do the right thing each and every time some one comes to the door. And remember to praise him for it so that this new habit can be equally as rewarding for him.

So the next time you tune into Survivor think about the similarity between your dog training efforts and the top competitors in the game. If you are playing like a pro you will get to the end and reap the prize; a great dog who makes you proud of his good manners. Oh and you might also notice both the cast-a-ways and your dog are capable of consuming some pretty nasty entrees!

Happy Training.

We've been telling you it really is possible. This just in from one of our clients:

Robin,
It's amazing what you can teach a dog with the e-collar!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Lori


We can help you achieve great things with your dog too. http:www.DogTrainerGuru.com

Luca came to us with a history of aggression problems. He lunged at most everything, wouldn't let visitors in the house, had bit a friend of the family and could not go for a simple walk down the street.

But those problems didn't deter us from believing he is a good dog and it could be fixed.

We hear these stories all the time. "You guys are my last hope" And we fix the problems. It is what we do for a living and we've gotten really good at it.

So watch the video, and if it any of it sounds familiar and you're looking for some help, know that help is available and we can even teach you to do it yourself

The whole idea around training your dog is about being able to have a good time, being able to have harmony in the household... being able to have the "best friend" that Lassie was.

There are all kinds of myths floating around out there about how to train your dog and as a pro dog trainer, the idea that remote collar "takes the spirit out of your dog" seems to be one that is prevalent.  What I found very interesting is that I've never heard that statement out a person who actually researched it, tried it, found a professional dog trainer that explained what a great communication tool it is when used correctly.

This is just one small reason why Just Right Dog Training was created... a way to bring education to dog training online.  To dispel the idea that remote collar (some describe as a "shock collar") takes the spirit out of your dog we created this video and will be creating many more to help people visually see the training method is really fun for everyone.

Remote collar training when done correctly is really a "tap on the shoulder", a much gentler sensation that a yank on the leash hooked to a collar around the dogs neck...
It's even a gentler method that spending much of your time yelling at your dog... all the while the poor dog has no idea what you are talking about, or shouting about.

Remote collar allows your dog to "get it" ... to know right at the precise moment that they have done what you asked and then associate the word you are using with the action.

To help more people enjoy their dogs and to get the correct education out there about how to train your dog at home visit our site(s) and become a part of the private online dog training forum.  You'll be happy you did.  Your dog will be really happy you did.