Posts Tagged ‘Left Hand’
Grooming The Nails On Your Poodle
At least once a month for an adult Poodle and once a week for pups, you must tackle the grooming chore of nail trimming. Failing to trim your dog’s nails can result in sore, splayed feet. How can you tell if your Poodle’s nails are too long? Well, simply listen. Do you hear a click-click when she walks across the tile or linoleum floor? If you do, that means the nails are touching the floor – and they shouldn’t be. Or, take a look at your Poodle s feet while she’s standing. Do you see the nails touching the floor? The idea is to keep your Poodles nails trimmed back short enough so they don’t touch.
There are two basic types of nail clippers: the scissors and the guillotine. You also can use a nail grinder, but it may take some time to get your dog used to the noise. If you use scissors or guillotine clippers, keep them sharp and clean. Dull clippers won’t make a clean cut, and rusty, dirty ones can infect your dog if you cut too quick and your pet bleeds. The objective when clipping nails is to trim as close to the quick as possible without accidentally nicking it. Dark nails are more difficult to cut than light-colored ones, since it is impossible to see the pink vein.
Remove the dry looking hook at the tip of the nail, cutting off small bits of nail at a time. As you cut the nail shorter, you’ll notice it becomes softer and you’ll see a small grayish-white dot under the nail, which is the end of the quick. When you reach this point, the nail is short enough; you can now move on to the next one. Keep in mind that the more often you trim, the shorter you can get the nail, since the quick actually recedes with frequent trimming. Cut each nail as quickly and cleanly as possible; cutting slowly tends to pinch the nail and cause your dog discomfort.
To trim your Poodle’s nails, hold one paw firmly in your left hand (if you’re right-handed) and place your thumb on top of the foot. Place your fingers underneath the pads so you can spread the toes. With the clippers in your right hand, clip each nail right below the quick with short, decisive strokes. Don’t forget the dewclaws if they were not removed when your Poodle was a pup.
Finish trimming the first paw, then file each nail with a metal file to remove sharp, rough edges that could scratch your legs if your Poodle is naughty and jumps up on you. DO NOT file any nails that have bled. Work your way to the next paw, trim each nail, then file.
If you accidentally cut too close, don’t panic. Apply a styptic powder to staunch the bleeding and continue clipping the other nails. Don’t stop and make a big fuss over your mistake, as it may make your dog even more apprehensive the next time you attempt to clip his nails.
A word of advice: start early. Poodles, like all dogs, must learn to accept new experiences. Begin nail trimming while your dog is a pup and do it every week. Between trimmings, handle the dogs feet to accustom her to being touched. The Poodle doesn’t usually make a fuss about trimming, but it’s still wise to-teach your dog to accept it from a young age. Before attempting to clip your Poodle s nails yourself, you may want to observe your groomer or veterinarian the first time.
Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (5)
Dog Training 101
When you feel that you have sufficient control of your dog while walking during your dog training session, usually within four days of his initial orientation to the leash, you are now ready to go to a higher level of control.
Give your dog the dog training command to heel and begin walking, remembering to start out on your left foot, in a straight line. Make a few right-about turns as necessary to make sure that you have his full attention. Then, as you prepare to come to a stop, shorten your hold on the leash just a bit. As you stop, not after and not before, pull up the leash with your right hand and press gently on the dog’s rear as you say the command “Sit”!
————————————————————–
Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.
————————————————————–
As soon as he sits, praise him and give him a pat on the head. Remember, dogs learn by associating their actions with a pleasing or displeasing result.
Next, give the command “Heel” and begin to walk briskly in a straight line. As you prepare to stop, shorten your hold on the leash. When you stop, pull up on the leash, pressing gently on the rear with your free left hand, at the same time giving the command “Sit”.
Always follow a correct behavioral response by your dog with praise, even if you caused the behavioral response. Even though you are placing your dog in the sitting position, this should still be followed by warm praise.
This will be the pattern throughout the course. You will show your dog what he needs to do and follow it with praise. After the learning process has taken place within the mind of the dog, then will you correct for disobedience.
Your dog training program at this stage should still be limited to fifteen minutes per day and consist only of the commands “Heel” and “Sit”. Give the command to heel, walk about ten feet, do a right turn, then come to a stop, placing the dog in the sitting position while giving the command to sit. Follow each sit-placing with warm praise.
Dogs with above average intelligence will absorb what you are trying to convey in less than four days and will begin to sit by themselves before you have a chance to place them.
However, you must be firm with your decision that, regardless of how fast your dog appears to be catching on, you will continue to place him in the sitting position each time you stop for a period of one week during your dog training.
Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (4)
Dog Training 101
When it comes to obedience dog training, there should be no “half-way action” accepted. In other words, it’s all or nothing from your dog.
And a crooked sit must be considered as something less than your dog giving his full potential.
————————————————————–
————————————————————–
Not only does it look shabby, but it also prevents the dog from accomplishing his full measure of discipline and character. You can prevent your dog from developing the bad habit of crooked sits simply by using your free left hand while heeling.
As you prepare to stop during a walk, make sure that your left hand is in a position to place on the dog’s rear in such a way as to prevent him from moving around in front of you after you have come to a complete stop. If your dog succeeds in sitting in a crooked way, hold back the praise until you have straightened his sit. As your left hand drops to his rear, keep your left thumb pointing toward your left leg. This will ensure that you do not accidentally place your dog in a crooked sit.
You do not have to push down heavily on your dog’s rear. You need to simply press lightly to help guide him into the proper sit position. It is more the right hand pulling the leash upward than the amount of pressure on the dog’s rear that will place him easily and quickly in the proper sitting position. Putting heavy pressure on your dog’s rear may stimulate him to resist, which is an unwanted action.
In these learning steps, the less resistance you have, the better off it will be, both for you and your dog. Also keep in mind the importance of a positive attitude.
Recap Of The First 10 Days Of Correct Heel Dog Training
Your first ten days of obedience training should consist of proper leash introduction, getting your dog to walk confidently and happy. This is achieved without lagging or straining as he walks at your left side in the response to the command “Heel”. The first ten days of obedience dog training also consists of the introduction of the command “Sit” in which you place the dog in the sitting position each time you stop.
Once you are confident about placing your dog in the sitting position, which took one full week, you are now ready to bring your dog to a higher level of discipline, intelligence, and response.
You must decide to never place your pet in the sitting position again. You have spent one full week showing him exactly what sit means, and it only takes four days for the average house dog to learn the average thing.
Now, it’s time during your next dog training session to show your dog that he must do it for himself and that you will not be leading him by the hand all of the time.
Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (3)
Dog Training 101
As you become more familiar with dog training you’ll discover there are two extremes of personalities in dogs – the introvert and the extrovert.
However, there are many degrees in between those two extremes as there are dogs in this planet.
Regardless of where your dog’s personality lies on that scale, once you have given the dog training command to heel you must start walking and continue walking. Encourage your dog to accompany you if necessary. Correct his heedless rush with absolute right-about turns if necessary.
But, you should never, ever give in during your dog training if your dog decides to not follow your command and just “sit this one out”.
————————————————————–
Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.
————————————————————–
Dogs learn by associating their actions with a pleasing or displeasing result. Therefore, the dog who tries to take advantage of the new shortened leash by surging and keeping a strain on it comes to a sudden discovery that you still have the situation very much under control. As soon as he can cause the leash to tighten, he will take his eyes off you, only to feel the sudden jolt of your right-about turn.
By using the reserve slack in your hand properly, your dog will realize that the leash is no different than the long line, except that he must pay even closer attention since the six-foot leash gives him less time to react than the fifteen-foot long-line. He’ll realize how much more pleasing it is to walk at your side so that he can see which way and when you’re going to change direction. Your left hand giving him a pat on the head when he’s in the correct heel position is also more pleasing than the sudden jolt that he gets when not in the proper position.
On the other hand, your introvert dog, one that stands as if he had feet glued to the cement, suddenly feels the slightly displeasing effect of the short, sharp jerks of the leash. Hearing your enthusiastic tone of voice and seeing your left hand pat your leg invitingly will do wonders to make your pet choose the more promising alternative. The moment he does, he will discover the warm, affectionate praise and pat on the head to be far more enjoyable than the series of sharp jolts he experienced as a result of his initial reluctance to walk with you.
You may have to spend each of your fifteen-minute training sessions for the next four days in this simple leash introduction so the introvert-type will walk without any reluctance or fear and to stop the extrovert’s heedless rushes by your unannounced change of direction.
Don’t Be Afraid To Use Too Much Pull
Let me describe a scene of what an extrovert dog may do when prompted with a distraction. Picture a dog tied to a tree on a twenty-five foot rope lying in loose coils on the ground. He is sleeping comfortably under the tree when a cat walks by past the dog at a distance of about twenty-seven feet.
The dog wakes up, spots the cat and rushes recklessly to pounce on the poor cat. The dog will be stopped two foot short and very abruptly too. After regaining his composure, he will still strain and tug to try and get the cat. But, unless he’s a total fool, he will not make that reckless rush a second time – not while still tied to a tree. But does he blame the tree? Of course not.
You are not as firm as a tree, so don’t be worried about hurting your pet. Your objective during the dog training should be clear. Your dog should walk at your left side, neither lagging behind nor surging ahead.
Always remember that the leash should be slack. Eventually, you’ll be heeling your dog without the leash and you will realize the importance of that slack.
If your dog is used to feeling a tight leash restraining him in the heeling position when dog training, he’ll be long gone when you walk him without the leash later on.
Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (2)
Dog Training 101
As you begin, position your dog during the dog training at your left side while keeping the leash short. Leave a belly of reserved slack, with your right hand, look at your dog, say his name, then command “Heel”!
Begin walking, starting with your left foot. Walk briskly in a straight line, with confidence in your movement. Your dog will lose confidence in you if you wander aimlessly.
————————————————————–
————————————————————–
Remembering his experience on the long-line, your dog may walk alongside you fairly comfortably, but the odds are that since there are now only five to six feet connecting the two of you, during your dog training he will react in one of the two following ways:
1. He will either rush forward past you in an attempt to keep a tight strain on that leash, or
2. He will hold back and be hesitant to walk with you at all. After all, this six-foot training leash is new to him.
If your dog is one that takes off like a marathon runner in a race, either surging ahead or out to the side in an attempt to keep the leash tight, simply open your right hand, release the slack you’ve been holding in reserve, and immediately do a right-about turn and walk in the opposite direction. When your dog is back in the proper heeling position, give him praise and a pat on the head with your free left hand. If you have a small dog, bend over to his level and give him his pat while continuing to walk.
Each time he surges ahead, release the slack as you do and definite right-about turn. Without slowing your pace, pick up some reserve slack and place it once again in your right hand in preparation for his next heedless charge. Your left hand is free to reach down and give him a pat on a head when, and only when, he is in the proper heeling position. That is, at your left side with his head and neck area about even with your left leg. Each time you place the reserve slack in your right hand, be sure to leave a belly of slack in the leash between you and your dog.
An Alternative Method Of Dog Training For The Introverted Dog
If your dog has an introvert personality, one that is reluctant to walk with you, you will need a slightly different method. The introvert dog just doesn’t quite understand what’s going on with this new piece of equipment and he’s as reluctant to get involved as a person being taught how to play a new instrument. This type of dog needs a little encouragement and a show of enthusiasm on your part, and don’t let anyone tell you any differently.
Use your free left hand to pat your leg as you give your dog a little talk of encouragement. Use short, forward snaps on the leash to help inspire your dog to walk with you. Watch closely as he begins to discard his reluctance during your dog training and praise him enthusiastically and warmly.
This shows him three things. First, that you are pleased. Second, that everything is alright. And third, your dog training has been effective because he has made the right decision.