Edie MacKenzie On Dogs

Posts Tagged ‘Little Bit’

Leash training is hugely underestimated by new dog owners. The process of getting your puppy or adult dog used to being on leash is fairly simple and just takes a little bit of your time. Trust me, this small investment of properly training your dog to walk politely on his leash will pay high dividends in the near future, especially if your puppy will grow up weighing 50 or more pounds.

Leash Training Questions

I get at least a dozen or more questions each week from new dog owners that ask me about leash training. They want to know what type of leash is best, what type to avoid, how long they should walk their dog,  how to get the dog to stop pulling, etc.

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Below I have listed a few of these common leash training questions for your benefit.  Remember, there is no one best way to do anything so when it comes to dog training, whether it involves leash training or other lesson, it is okay to mix in your own training ideas so long as you keep it 100% positive.  Negative dog training is not recommended and highly discouraged.

Having said that, here are a few basic leash training questions:

1. How much room should I allow the leash to extend when walking my dog? According to most dog trainers, your puppy or adult dog does not need anymore than 5 to 6 feet of distance to roam when you are walking him. This is plenty of room for you to keep control of the situation, while at the same time giving your dog a chance to sniff out small areas along the way.

2. What type of material should my leash be made of? If you walk into any pet-specific store you’ll find that the majority of leashes for sale are made of nylon.  Nylon is easy to wash and comes in all kinds of pretty colors.  However, they will burn your hand if the dog suddenly pulls and the leash moves through your fingers.

My recommendation is to use a leather leash. In fact, a 6 foot leash made of leather is the perfect size and material. It will last a long time and you will not experience any type of burning sensation if it is pulled. The grip is firm and your control is increased.

3. What about using chain leashes? Chain leashes are practically indestructible and will last a very long time, but just like nylon material, a chain leash can hurt your hands if the dog yanks hard and your grip slips.  In fact, the injury could be much more severe than a nylon burn.

4. How wide should the leash be? This answer is very simple. A leash that is approximately ½ inches to ¾ inches  is ideal. Try to avoid heavy, bulky leashes, when leash training.

It’s hard to know how an unfamiliar dog will react to your attempts to become his leader; if you catch a very self-protective dog off guard, he may bite. It doesn’t happen frequently, but don’t take the chance, and make your assessments in other ways instead. He’s going to be a little bit out of sorts when you first take him out of his cage. Give him some time to get used to you and to work out his excess energy. Don’t make loud noises or sudden moves; just let him sniff and greet you, and then take him somewhere where you can really get acquainted.

Never grab an unfamiliar dog; he may interpret this as a threatening gesture and respond by snapping. If you’ve brought your kids with you to the shelter, ask them not to touch the dog until he’s gotten accustomed to you and until you know that he is trustworthy.

Crouch down and pet him and play with him. Does he accept and enjoy your affection, or does he act suspicious of you or ignore you altogether? Does he trample and nip you, or does he avoid you? Look for a dog who plays and cuddles with you enthusiastically but not obnoxiously or fearfully. Take a walk around the room. Does he trot after you, or does he seem relieved to see you go? He should follow you happily without attacking your legs. If you have a toy, toss it for him. Does he show interest, or does he turn up him snout at your attempt at a game?

Keep petting, talking, and playing with him. If he growls or snaps at you or curls his lip, move on to another dog. Unless you’re an experienced dog trainer, you don’t want to mess with an aggressive dog. If he doesn’t appear dangerous but is nevertheless very rough or mouthy, he still may be too dominant for you.

If he slinks around and avoids looking at you, he’s probably a submissive dog who will need a lot of positive reinforcement. Some dogs may cower or shake when you try to pet them; many interpret this as a sign that the dog has been hit or beaten. However, adult dogs often shrink away from human hands simply because they were not properly socialized and have never gotten used to being touched and petted.

If a dog seems wary of your touch at first but begins to accept your affection after a few minutes, chances are that he’ll be able to come out of his nervousness pretty quickly with good training and lots of love. Bur if he remains nervous and terrified, it’s probably going to be a real challenge to turn him into a happy and comfortable pet, and he’s better left to someone who’s had lots of experience working with undersocialized or abused dogs. If he’s lethargic and draggy, there’s a good chance that poor health is to blame. Look elsewhere. You don’t want to adopt a dog who may be sick. Be on the lookout for a dog who’s cheerful, responsive, and confident.

Do you have fun playing with him and paying attention to him? Often, when owners who are having troubles with their adopted dogs, their biggest problem seems to be that they just don’t like their dogs very much. Do not adopt a dog if you’re not crazy about him! Spend as much time as you need to get to know as many dogs as you can; make more than one visit if necessary. But don’t forget that a dog who catches your eye one day may be adopted by someone else or even euthanized the next, so you’ll have to judge for yourself how long it’s safe to wait.

Pet stores are a very popular place to shop for young puppies and other animals of your choice. There is practically a pet store in almost every city. And it is hard to resist that cute and desperate looking puppy caged up waiting to be taken home. But before you make this decision you really should know a little bit of “insider” information about these pet stores and the origins of the puppies they sell.

Have you ever heard of puppy mills?

Do you know where most of these puppies come from that you see being sold in pet stores? There are certain breeding centers that cater to high-volume puppy production which sells them to pet stores, which then is sold to you. They are called “puppy mills” and are probably the most disgusting form of dog breeding practices that I have seen.

Disclaimer: Let me be clear on one thing: Not every pet store gets their puppies from puppy mills, but enough research has been done to find that a large majority of stores in the United States do in fact use puppy mills as their resource for pets to sell to the public.

What exactly are puppy mills?

To put it in simple terms, a puppy mill is a farm that is found most often in the Midwestern part of the United States. These farms breed animals for profits, mostly dogs. That may not sound that harsh but imagine these puppies being bred in high volumes and mistreated in the same way that cattle or chickens are.

If that doesn’t give you a disturbing vision, then imagine cages stacked upon cages with these small adorable puppies, all suffering and ignored. Now picture rows and rows of these dog filled cages, all with minimal human contact and the only care they are getting is enough food and water to survive. You can easily find pictures by doing research online which would absolutely break your heart.

What is so bad about buying a puppy that originated from a puppy mill?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking home one of these puppies, and it is definitely a positive choice to make. On the other hand, many of these dogs have what is called “early stress syndrome” and may grow up to be nervous and frightened dogs which are very hard to instill confidence with training. Of course there are exceptions to the rule with these puppies, however, before you spend your hard-earned cash be sure to know all there is to know about where your puppy came from when considering purchasing from a pet store.