Does Your Dog Need More Training?

Dogs are extremely obedient animals, even when they have a mind and personality of their own. Humans first domesticated them partly because of this fact, and it worked a treat coupled with how much we enjoy their company. And yet, there are a lot of dogs out there that misbehave from time to time, or a few times every single day, and usually it’s not their fault.

But a lot of people don’t realise this, and expect our beloved canine companions to learn how to sit patiently on their own. And whilst a very well trained and loving dog can help you find a lost member of your family, it doesn’t apply to every canine out there.

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Maybe Fido Barks a Lot

If your dog barks a lot it could be for a variety of reasons, so the first step is to make you know what causes you to bark. Maybe it’s the postman, maybe it’s people walking past the house outside, maybe it’s even you! Either way, it’s time to convince Fido out of his habit, and make sure he’s a lot calmer when it comes to meeting new people and having his home ‘invaded’, even if you live there!

When Fido gets going, try to distract him, or teach him a counter behavior to make sure he gets into another habit. Of course you don’t want your dog to stop barking completely, it’s both a warning sign and a way they communicate, but it doesn’t have to be excessive either. So next time he’s outside and goes off, choose to ignore him to show you don’t appreciate his way of getting your attention.

Spot Seems to Have Selective Hearing

If your dog ignores you, it’s probably because you’ve accidentally reinforced this behavior before now. So you need to learn to undo this, and start to communicate with Spot on her level. And by that, you’re going to have to become a lot more visual with your movements and commands, and don’t talk as much as you used to.

Reward Spot when she does listen to you, and try to keep your verbal commands to a minimum if she doesn’t.

You Think Fluffy Has More Potential...

Fluffy is a good dog, and you know for a fact their talents could be put to better use elsewhere. So it’s time to enter a training program; this could be for a dog show or something more heavy duty, like that of being seeing eye dog or a hearing animal. If you go through a program like certapet to get an official certificate out the other side, your dog is going to be a first class service animal, and you’re never going to be more proud. There’s always a strict criteria, and don’t get put out if Fluffy fails it, it’s for their own good!

When you train a dog, you need to be consistent in what you show, and firm but fair with your commands. A dog always learns from us!

Is Your Dog Playing Up?

Dogs are arguably the best pet there is. They’re loyal beyond belief, and want nothing more than to please their owners. But do they know what is needed to please their owners? Not really. Sometimes a dog's excitement and lack of training can get the better of them, and it can be taken as the dog misbehaving. This can escalate so much so that the owner feels like giving up all hope, when in fact a few simple changes can make the world of difference. So, if you feel like you have a dog that is a bit disobedient, here’s what you can do to make sure they become the perfect pooch.

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Misbehaving On The Lead


There are two main ways that a dog can misbehave whilst on the lead, and when they do it can be an absolute nightmare to have to walk them. But a lot of dogs just actually hate being on a lead, which sort of creates more of a problem as you know they need to be on a lead for their safety! So, the first way they can do so aggression to other dogs whilst on the lead. 

Often it’s the fact that they’re on the lead that is causing what might look like aggression, when really all they want to do is play. Rather than keeping them on the lead around other dogs, let them off and let them interact, it’s the only way they’re going to learn that vital socialization. If you know you’ve had troubles with other dogs before, and the aggression is genuine, then you can read articles on how to stop on lead dog aggression to see if you can find any advice that might work for you. As a last resort, you could try taking them to doggy training. 

This will allow them to have that interaction with other dogs in a controlled environment, and it is often easier for them to learn through methods like that. The second way they can be a pain on the lead is through pulling. When you’ve got a big dog that is pulling you things can go wrong very quickly. What you can do is use treats and gently tugging the dog to a halt to stop the pulling. Every time they pull, bring them to a stop by pulling on the lead, but not too sharply. Then reward. Repeat the process and hopefully the pulling should stop!


Misbehaving In The Home

Misbehaving in the home can sometimes be more of a pain than when they’re on a walk. The main way they can misbehave is by tearing up your belongings whilst you’re gone. Now, there are some sprays that won’t smell bad to you, but will put a dog off things like furniture. There’s always the option of trying that. But most of the time dogs do it due to seperation issues. 

So, you could always make it a routine of yours to go home half way through the day to either feed them, spend some time with them, or just talk them for a walk to get them out the house. Sometimes this is the best option so that they aren’t alone all day.

Follow That Dog! Find a Lost Child with Your Own Dog!

Have you ever wondered if your dog could find your child ?

Does your dog follow your child or other family member around the house and yard?
Sure they do, dogs like to keep an eye on those they love!

Sometimes a dog may favor one person in the family for one reason or another. This favoritism does not mean the dog is not fond of you or not keeping track of the other people in the family..this only means they like to be near that favorite person for reasons only the dog may know.

Many dogs follow us from room to room or wait outside a closed door for our return. Most dogs do. Other dogs lay in a favorite spot with one eye open watching us as they relax, others snore and we have no idea if they are paying attention or not. Smiles.

JR one of my bloodhound pups that went on to Find Missing Persons in OK

All the dog will do one thing in common and that is they miss us when we leave them home alone.

They may wait in silence being brave and not show concern for some time. They may whimper and pace wishing us home sooner. Either way they wonder where you or I went when we leave the room, house or yard.

This talent that dogs have for watching over us is natural for our dogs to do. It's part of our dog's instinct to know where members of the dog pack are, and it's part of herding and hunting.

This dedication to us that dogs show can be used to the advantage if your child is ever lost. If a loved one has wandered away from the house or yard...Please take a close look at the family dog and see if the dog is sitting, laying or pacing at a certain spot for the person to return.

We always forget to take a look at the dog who lives with the person who is missing.

The dog might have a valuable clue.

If they are looking in one direction or attempting to go in one direction and the person has left the sight of the dog than most likely the dog is showing you what direction the person went.

If a child or elderly adult wanders from the yard without the family dog..please take the dog out on a leash to the last spot the person was at in the yard and ask the dog "where is the person,by name" and encourage the dog to go to the person, open the yard gate and follow that dog!

Give the dog a smell of the person's scent, let the dog smell a sock the person has wore or other clothing then give the dog space to find and follow the scent they just smelled.

Give the dog room and a very loose leash and follow the dog!

A dog can smell a known human scent miles away on the wind, try to stay down wind so the dog can get a scent of the person they know and follow that dog!





Train any family dog to find a family member with my kids book "My Puppy Can Find Me" by Amber Higgins (USA) and dog cartoonist Helen "Scotty" King (UK) (This book was first self-published but was accepted by a  publisher for release in 2019 print, audio and eBook editions. Sign up for email updates and follow us to be included in the celebration!

Learn how your dog can find anybody at Family Disaster Dogs  online or get my other dog books below.

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Complete These Tasks For a Happy, Healthy and Well Balanced Puppy

All kinds of problems can come about when puppies aren’t raised correctly, and it can cause big issues all the way throughout their lives. For this reason, it’s important to wait until you’re in a position where you can commit some solid time to your puppy- and that they grow up knowing exactly how they need to behave. Here are some of the tasks you will need to do when you bring your pup home, once they’re vaccinated and ready to go outside.

from this website

Take Them Out in the Car and on Public Transport
Taking your dog to all kinds of places, and even taking them travelling with you around the country is one of the great joys of being a dog owner. However if your dog gets stressed when they’re out in the car, on buses or on trains it can cause a huge problem. From a young age, you need to show your pup that it’s fine being in these situations, starting very young is key as they’re far more adaptable. 

By the time they’re a little older, fear can be more problematic and can even turn into aggression. Instead of walking your dog around your local park, put them in the car (complete with a blanket to sit on and a doggy seat belt) and drive somewhere a little further out. Not only will this give them chance to see new places, new things, new smells and everything else but it gets them used to being in the car. It becomes a positive experience for them rather than something scary. 

At the weekends, commit time to taking your puppy on trains and buses, around stations and other busy areas. Even if you don’t use buses or trains that often, getting them used to them now means if you do want to use public transport at a later date it won’t be an issue.

Socialize Them With Other Dogs

Dogs having other doggy friends can be an incredible experience for them. It’s a chance for them to play and tire each other out, and they can also learn the rules and behavior etiquette from older dogs. Dogs that aren’t well socialize can be fearful or aggressive of other pets, and so this is something to get right at an early age. Take them to the dog park and let them sniff and socialize with other dogs. 

There are often large dog walks arranged online on places like Facebook that you could attend. Behavior and agility classes will also allow your dog to meet others. If you have a neighbor with a dog, you could set up play dates or even offer to walk their dog along with yours. That way there’s never any issues and you can take your dog anywhere you want, without the worry of them being scared or aggressive to other dogs. 

If you want your pup to live in a home with cats, then now is also a good time to introduce them. It’s far better to introduce a puppy to a resident cat than it is to bring in a cat to a household that already has a dog. So if you know you want cats at some point, hold off on getting a puppy and get them first. Once they’re settled and happy you can get your pup from a site like https://www.puppyjoy.net/. 

Do plenty of research into the needs and likely traits and characteristics of the breed so you know what to expect.

Get Them Used to People

Just like getting your pup used to other dogs, you should get them used to people too. If you don’t have a whole lot of visitors coming in and out of your home, it’s easy for your puppy to start developing stranger danger which again can lead to fear or aggression. Make the effort to get out in public with your dog, let people fuss them.

Meet up with friends, invite people over and again classes and dog meets will allow them to get used to being around other people so that it’s not an issue to them. Let children play with them, and get them used to people of all ages. This all needs to be done at a young age, after a couple of weeks and months if your puppy has already started acting cautious it could be too late- and a professional dog trainer will be needed to undo the damage.


Expose Them to Lots of Situations

With a new tiny puppy it can be tempting to want to wrap them up in cotton wool. But this is the worst thing you can do, and actually getting out there with them and exposing them to all kinds of noises and situations is very beneficial. Take them into dog friendly shops such as pet shops and dog friendly cafes. 

Stay with them at a dog friendly hotel, walk them in lots of different places so they can see that everything is fine. Dogs can develop phobias of everything from bicycles and prams to stairs, the vacuum cleaner and much more. Exposing them to all of these things as a young puppy will allow them to adapt and get used to it, they will see there’s no danger and grow up a happy and well balanced pooch.

Find Good Kennels
Going on vacation when you have a dog can be problematic, and there are dog owners out there who will refuse to go instead of leaving their pet behind. But it doesn’t have to be this way, and there are lots of fantastic kennels out there these days that will ensure your dog is well looked after. That way you can own a dog and still have your annual vacation or the odd mini break with no stress.

Find a good local boarding kennels, read plenty of reviews and go and see the place for yourself. You want somewhere you will be happy leaving your pup throughout their life. You could even book them in for the occasional overnight stay in puppy hood even if you’re not going away, that way they get used to the place and when you do go away for a week or two they’ve been there before. 

Some kennels offer grooming and training too, and will allow friendly dogs to socialize. So it’s something that can be stimulating and fun for your dog while you’re away! You will need to ensure your dog’s vaccinations and boosters are all up to scratch for them to go into kennels so it’s a good reminder for you to get them done each year.