The Dog Squad Monthly Bark Report
Volume 2 Issue 11November 2011

 Thanksgiving is Just Around the Corner!

 

Wow it's fall already! The year has been sailing by and the Holidays are approaching rapidly. It's time to get Fido out and refreshed on his obedience skills before the guests and family arrive for the festivities.

 

Hope you enjoy this month's article on Dog Training and  take the Dog Training Quiz to evaluate your dog's Behavioral Wellness.

 

Cheers,

Steve Bettcher, IACP Certified Dog Trainer            

Some Basic Truths About Dog Training
by Vivian Bregman - Reprinted by Permission of IACP

 

Dog Squad Logo1. Your dog is always learning, by observation, trial and error, 24 hours a day whether you are with him or not. 

 

2. In order for a behavior to be maintained, it has to be rewarded. This includes desired and undesired behaviors. Your task is to figure out what the rewards are - and either eliminate them or increase them (depending on whether you want the behavior to stop or continue).
 
3. If you want your dog to follow (obey commands), then you have to lead. The best type of leadership is by controlling access to resources (not by physical domination and confrontation, although they may be needed.)
 
4. The cause of most "unruliness" in dogs is the inability to accept physical restraint: by lead, line, crate, fence or human hands. You must teach this skill first!

 

5. It is easier and ultimately more rewarding to focus on and teach "good" behavior, rather than punish "bad" behavior. If you must punish, always teach your dog an alternative "good" action that can be rewarded.

 

6. You should be the best motivator your dog has - make your time and attention valuable by using a "work to earn" program and playing with your dog daily. 

 

7. When you call your dog to "come," whatever happens in the next two minutes will dictate whether he comes the next time. The key to a dependable recall is to get your dog to come reliably, quickly and automatically (without thinking) first, in your home and yard. Asking your dog to "make choices" too soon will result in inconsistent performance.


8. If your dog is not 100% controllable on-lead, don't take him off-lead.


9. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of training - if a behavior concerns you,do something about it now!

 

Everything you need to know about 

dog training in a few sentences:

If you want the dog to do it again, reward it.

If you don't want the dog to do it again,

unreward it. Reward is something the dog wants.

Unreward is something the dog doesn't want.

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Saturday Class - Walnut Creek and Pleasanton

In October the "Dogs Downtown Excursions" started. The class is held on Saturdays at 10 AM at a variety of downtown locations in the Valley. Currently the class is held in Walnut Creek and Pleasanton and will expand later.

The first Pleasanton Class was held on Saturday Oct. 1st at Delucchi Park on 4501 1st Street in Pleasanton at 10 AM. The location will rotate every week. Please check the Calendar to see where we will be meeting.

 Civic Park Saturday Oct. 29th

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To see pictures of last week's costume party at the Walnut Creek class

click here

Canine Behavioral Wellness QuizDog Squad Logo

How balanced is your dog? 

Take this fun test to see where your dog is on the "Behavioral Wellness Scale".

Click here: QUIZ
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I hope you all enjoyed the Newsletter and would like your feed back. Email me at info@dogsquad.biz for article requests and questions for future Bark Reports.
Sincerely,

Steve Bettcher, IACP Certified Dog Trainer
The Dog Squad
In This Issue
Truths About Dog Training
Downtown Classes
Dog Quiz
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