Training a border collie "Train your dogs mind, not just it's body.

"

Math and Mr. Aled Owen.

The day when you pick up your puppy, you should do this (if possible)before 12 o clock in the the morning.This is necessary because of when you get home with your pup,it needs the whole day to feels itselves a bit comfortable to its new home. You have to understand that all and everything is strange to him,and he surely will miss his littermates and his mother.Take care that you don't get too many visitors on the first day wich want tot watch your new puppy.Give him a few days to get him feel comfortable,and if he feels well in the house,you can ask the people to come and visite him/her. The first time in the car: when you take your puppy home by car,place him on the backseat or on your lap.If the pup starts to cry(because of he does not like it to be in the car)don't start to comfort him or pet him.If you do,you will confirm his fear,and you will have a whining dog in future,or even a dog that gets carsick. The first you have to do when you get home with your puppy is go outside to the place were he has to go for his natures call.Wait untill he did something,and give him a reward and tell him he did great. After he was out you can go inside,and give something to drink in his new waterbowl.When your puppy had all this new experiences he will get sleepy.Bring him to the place were he has to sleep,and stay with him untill he sleeps.

If your puppy sleeps,don't touch him,and let him sleep.He needs his rest.If you do have children,keep them away from him.Ofcourse it is a very moving scene,but let him sleep. When the puppy wakes up,his housetraining will start.Lift him up,bring him outside to go potty.After he was out he probably will be hungry.See if he can find his new food and waterbowl.Give him some time to eat.10 to 15 minutes. Young pups are not clean so long.You have to housetrain them.After his sleep,when he ate,and when he played he mostly needs to go out.Bring him to the place were he is allowed to do his natures call,and wait untill he does something.Pet him,and tell him it is a good puppy when he did it on the place you wanted.If you watch your puppy's behaviour you exactly can see when he needs to do something.He will whine or turn around before he sits and does it.Bring him outside immediately and wait untill he is finisched.Be patient with him,and dont punisch him if a little accident happends.He has to learn a lot and he still is a baby.Don't allowe him to scratch on the door or that he starts to sream when he wants to go outside.This way he learns that if he screams YOU will run for him,even if he does not has to go out. It is also important that you teach your puppy to do its nature calls on another place as only in your garden.This is important because of if you only let him go in your garden,he never will do something on another place(Vacation,showarea etc)As you know a dog works with smells,and in his own garden he only has his own smell,and that feels safe for him.If he never was outside of the garden,he never will trust other smells,and never will do something outside of the garden.

The first night in his new home: Feed your puppy for the last time around 20.00 hours,ans give the last water around 22.00 hours.Before you go to bed,he has to go outside for the last time that day.Be sure that he did something,otherwise he needs to go outside in the middle of the night. If you go to bed you take your puppy with you to the bedroom.Give him a kennel were you put a blanket in,or a vetbed wich is comfortable.Put a hand next to him to let him know you are in his neighbourhood.He will stay calm,and will not start to howl,and fall asleep very fast.If he gets restless in the night mostly he needs to go outside to go potty.If he did something,hug him,and teel him he is a good dog,and bring him back to his sleepingplace.After a few nights he wil lsleep the whole night on,and when your puppy feels himselves at home,you can place him for the night on the place you planned for him in the future.If you use a kennel also during the day if he is tired,he learns that he has a trustfull place were he can go to sleep or rest. Feeding your puppy: Give your pup a place were nobody can disturb him when he eats.In the beginning you need to feed your puppy 4 times a day.This is because of a puppy's stomach is very small,and this way your puppy has the time to get all the nutritions out of the

food wich he needs.When he is 6 or 7 months old,you can feed him twice a day.This scedule is for his entire life. Give him 10 to 15 minutes time to eat.If he did not eat at all,don't worry.If he was hungry he would have eat.Sometimes puppy's wich just arrive in their new homes feel themselves alone,and need some time to get setteled.If he feels himselves well in his new home he soon starts te eat well. Dont give your pup other food if he does not eat!!!If you do,you will create a dog that has a low appetite,and knows that you will give him something else.This way he'teaches'you what he wants,and that is i think not what you want. Give the food allways on the same time,so the housetraining will get easyer. NEVER give your puppy the oppertunity to have his food during the whole day.You will create a picky puppy wich only eats when he wants.And this way he will take much longer time to get clean in the house,because of most of the timea pup has to go out after it ate. Watch his stool allways.If he does not eat so well for a few days,and the stool is thin,go immediately to the vet for a check.If the stool is watery or with blood you msut go the first day you see he has it!!!!!!!!Better onr time too much as too late. The pup needs his wormcure every 3 months(In his first twelve weeks more often,but the most of them are given by the breeder)in his first year of life.Than it will be enough to give the wormcure twice a year. In the beginning your puppy has to go outside after you fed him,but when he is older you have to teach him that he first has to go outside,and than feed him.This is because of if your dog will run a lot after it ate(Especially big sized dogs)they can get peoblems with their stomach.So dont let your dog run a lot after he ate.!!! Learning to stay alone at home: Our dog is from nature a social feeling creature(he lives in a group and needs that company)But,he needs to learn to stay alone.It is the best that you train him from the beginning.Dont

give him the oppertunity to walk after you the whole day.If he can follow you everywere ,he does not learn to stay alone,and you take him a lot of independence.Start to bring him to "his"place(crate or basket)you gave him in the house,and go for a short time out of the room he normally sleeps.Go upstairs,or in another room.Go back after a few minutes.If he still is quiet you can tell him he did fine.This way of training you can develope for a longer time.Don's stay away for hours in the beginning,because of you have to give hime the confidence that you allways come back,and that is what he has to learn.If he really understands that he is a good dog when he is qiuet during your absence,you can build out the time you leave for a longer time. If your puppy has to stay alone,and it starts to scream or bark,DON"T go back,because of when you go back,you do confirm his complaints,and he will win in asking attention from you,and that is exactly what he wants,your attention!!It also does not work when you get mad at him,because of he than also gets your attention,and negative attention IS also attention.Try to get him quiet by give a small bounce on the door.If he is quiet for a moment(few minutes) you can go to him,and tell that he did fine.But be sure he is quiet at the moment you go to him. If you come home,and your puppy destroyed something or did his nature calls in the house,don't get mad at him.He does not understand that you are mad because of he did something wrong,but he will relate it to your arrival at home,and you can create a dog wich is shy when you come home.If something happened,just ignore it(Also when he ate some very expensife fournitures,or your shoes)and clean it up.You only can say something if you catch him in the act,else he really does not understand what is going on.Dogs don't think the same way as we people do. Put the teeth in all they can find: Why does a pupy bites in a lot of things???There are several reasons,but one thing is for sure!!He does not do this to tease you.Sometimes they do it because of their teething(Between 12 weeks to 26 weeks),It can be because of they are boring themselves,or just to be anxious to find out etc.If you give him something to chew on will not automatically say that he does not chew on your fournitures,shoes,etc.Give him from the

beginning no chance to bite in things he isn't allowe to bite in.If you cvatch him in the act,tell him not to do that with a voice that he understands you are serious.Don't run after him to punish him,he will feel himselves be hunted,or he means he can run away for play with you.following some tips when your puppy chews on things: 1.Throw a can were you did put some marbles in,or a bunch of keys next to the puppy when he chews in an object he is not allowed to chew on.You must not hit him.Its only to get his attention away from the object he chews in.If he looks at you,call him and give him a hug or treat because of he came to you.Be very friendly at that moment.If he return to the same object you can tell him not to do that.,if he stops,reward him again. 2.Another methode is when the object itselves is the punishment.When your puppy is pulling the tablecloth from your table:put a closed can with marbles on the table.If the pup pulls the tablecloth off,the can will fall down,makes noise,so your puppy will have a reaction of fear,and learns that he is not allowed to do that.The motivation to go back and try again will get lesser if you are being strictly with this way of training.Ofcourse you have to find out wich way of training is the best for your puppy,because of every pup has its own character.You should NEVER lay a hand on him for punishment!!!!!!!!!! You have to imagine that it is easyer to teach a puppy something as tell him not to do it.That way a puppy feels as pretty he will repeat,and that what he does not feel as pretty he wil lstop doing it. Some important tips: The best age to pick up a puppy is around eight weeks.This means he starts with his socialisations phase.In this age untill 12-13 weeks the puppy needs to go to do all the things he will do in future to get an open and self for sure character. A few minutes a day is more than enough.It does not take that much time to get your puppy well socialized.If you never take your puppy to another place as home,you wil get a shy dog in future when he comes in new or for him unknown situations

If he will get afraid for new things,NEVER lift him up to tell him not to be afraid.He only will learn from you that if he is afraid you lift him up,and the conclusion is that he gets more and more shy,as youtell him he has to be shy. If you want to pet your dog,don't pet him with your hand over his head(read eyes).He does not like that and sees it as a treatment.You take him away his sight.If you allways pet him over his head,he can start to bite in your hands.If children will do the same,your puppy will start to bite in their hands:the children lift up their hands,and the puppy means it is a play when they do this.Be serious and tell children also not to pet him over his head.The best is to pet him under his chin.This way there is no reason to bite in hands.You also have to imagine that a dog sees our hands as mouths,what can give corrections.(A dog sees our two hands as two mouthes) Don't give your puppy his toys during the whole day.This way he does not need you for playing.If you play with him,every time with another toy,you will create a better bond with him. You have to make the walks not too long in the beginning.15 minutes is more than enough.You better can go a few times 15 minutes,as once a day one hour.This is not good for his young bones.Learning new things take a lot of energy from your puppy. Do not allowe your puppy to bite in the lead:arms:jacket during the walks.And do not allowe him tobark to other dogs during his walks.This is not good for future socialisation. As last tip i want to say that what the pup is NOT allowed to do when he is an adult dog,you must NOT learn him when he is a puppy.If you don't want him to jump up to you,lying on the couch,bite you,dig out the tulipbulbs,growl when he is eating or having a bone,tell him from the beginning.They do not think like people do.Be consistant from the beginning,so you will ge a dog in future what understands you.He will be thankful for that,because of he did understand you from the beginning.

"Train your dogs mind, not just it's body."

Dear people After 12 years given lessons to people in obedience and comp. obedience and hear all the quistions they all have abouth dogs & border collies.I thought it wood be nice to put some information on the www.

Training/Behavior hints for border collies Border Collies are often "soft" dogs; that is, they are sensitive to rough treatment and corrections. You must be firm and consistent because these dogs will try to get away with as much as they can, but you must also be fair in your corrections and training. Typical reactions from a Border Collie that has been stressed by rough or unfair treatment are that it may shut down, possibly rolling onto its back in submission, or acting very engrossed in something else and paying no attention to you; or it may become more anxious and wound up, trying to do everything in triple time, which causes it to make even more mistakes. Motivational-type training, with plenty of treats and/or play, works best with soft dogs for obedience training. It brings out the best in them, helping to turn them into excellent, happy workers that love their training sessions. Attention-training is important for Border Collies that will be shown in obedience competition. These dogs are very sight-oriented, and are easily distracted by anything moving around them. A dog that is closely watching his handler cannot pay attention to other things that are happening around him.

Border Collies make wonderful trick dogs. They love to learn new things and can be taught many behaviors, such as sitting up, playing dead, and rolling over, and they usually love to show off. They can be very undignified and clownish if they think it will get them attention or make people laugh. This is why these dogs are so popular in movies and television. Border Collies can be very sound-sensitive. This sensitivity manifests itself in a couple of ways: some dogs become very frightened at loud or unusual noises (i.e., fireworks, the sound of a smoke alarm, even something as simple as hand-clapping); other dogs might just be extremely distracted by different noises.But in training you can use thise sensitive hearing. Think abouth it....tray it with your voice......

Body talk HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR DOG'S BODY FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, & VOCALIZATIONS LANGUAGE,

Over the centuries wolves evolved an elaborate system of body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations to communicate with each other. Domestic dogs also use this means of communication, and all of these signals are easily understood by other dogs. If you can learn to interpret how your dog is feeling by observing its posture and expression and listening to it, you'll be well on the way to successful communication with your pet and better equipped to solve any behavior problems that arise. Following are some major canine attitudes and their typical outward manifestations. AGGRESSIVE

Ears Back, close to head. Eyes Narrow or staring challengingly. Mouth/teeth Lips open, drawn back to expose teeth bared in a snarl. Possible jaw snapping. Body Tense. Upright. Hackles on neck up. Completely Dominant position. Tail Straight out from body. Fluffed up. Vocalization Snarl. Growl. Loud bark. ANXIOUS Ears Partially back. Eyes Slightly narrowed. Mouth/teeth Mouth closed, or slightly open in a "grin." Body Tense. Slightly lowered in a Submissive position. Tail Partially lowered. Vocalization Low whine or moaning-type bark. CURIOUS/EAGER/EXCITED Perked-up, forward-pointing. Eyes Wide open. Mouth/teeth Mouth open, teeth covered. Possible panting. Body Normal stance. Possible wiggling, standing on tiptoe, or pacing. Tail Up. Wagging. Vocalization Excited short barking, whining. Ears

FRIENDLY Ears Perked-up. Eyes Wide open. Alert look. Mouth/teeth Relaxed, possibly slightly open, "smiling" mouth. Body Normal posture. Still, or possible wiggling of whole rear end. Tail Up or out from body. Wagging. Vocalization Whimpering, yapping, or short, high bark.

PLAYFUL & HAPPY

Ears Perked-up and forward, or relaxed. Eyes Wide open. Sparkly/merry-looking. Mouth/teeth Mouth relaxed and slightly open, teeth covered. Excited panting. Body Relaxed, or front end lowered, rear end up in the air, wiggling in a play-bow. Excited bouncing and jumping up and down. Circling around and running forward and back in an invitation to play. Tail Wagging vigorously Vocalization Excited barking. Soft play-growling.

SUBORDINATE (SUBMISSIVE) Ears Down, flattened against head. Eyes Narrowed to slits or wide open, whites showing. Mouth/teeth Lips pulled way back from teeth in a "grin". Nuzzling or licking other animal or person on face. Body Lowered to ground, front paw raised. Lying on back, belly up. Possible urine leaking/dribbling. Possible emptying of anal scent glands. Tail Down, between legs. Vocalization None, or low, worried whining. Possible yelping/whimpering in fear.

ALERT Perked-up. Turning to catch sounds. Eyes Open normally or wide. Mouth/teeth Mouth closed or slightly open with teeth covered. Body Normal. Possibly standing on tiptoe. Slightly Dominant position. Tail Up. Possibly wagging. Vocalization None. Low whine or alarm bark. Ears

CHASE, BEGINNING STAGE Ears Perked-up, forward-pointing.

Eyes Wide open. Very alert. Mouth/teeth Mouth slightly open. Excited panting. Body Tense. Crouched low in a predatory position. Legs bent, poised to run. Tail Extended straight out from body. Vocalization None.

DOMINANT Ears Up straight or forward. Eyes Wide open, staring. Mouth/teeth Mouth closed or slightly open. Body Very tall posture. Hackles may be up. Stiffened and fluffed. Up or straight out from body. Vocalization Low, assertive growl or grunt.

Tail

FLIGHT, BEGINNING STAGE Ears Back. Eyes Wide open. Possibly rolled back with whites showing. Mouth/teeth Slightly opened mouth. Possible drooling. Body Tense. Shivering. Low, poised to run. Tail Low or between legs. Vocalization None. Possible yelp or whine.

GUARDING Ears Perked-up. Forward. Eyes Wide open, alert. Mouth/teeth Mouth slightly open, teeth bared. Snapping or gnashing of teeth. Body Tense. Rigid. Hackles up. Standing very tall in an aggressive or dominant stance. Tail Rigid. Held straight out from body. Sometimes fluffed. Vocalization Loud alert bark. Growl. Snarl.

PREDATORY Alert. Held forward or backward to catch sounds. Eyes Wide open, staring, focusing. Mouth/teeth Mouth closed. Body Rigid. Low to ground, ready to spring forward. Quietly sniffing the air. Tail Straight and low. Vocalization None (so the prey won't be alerted). Ears

To command your dog.....but there are rules.

Say them once and they have a particular meaning, say them twice and they mean something completely different. While we humans are quite comfortable translating this type of "double talk", it might surprise you to know that dogs also recognize double words, such as "sit-sit", "down-down" and "come-come". Some dogs are even capable of understanding "three-peats" such as "sit-sit-sit" or "stay-stay-STAY!!!" One of the most common training errors is repeating commands. If Spike does not "sit" at the first command, we automatically say the word again ("sit-sit"). Over a series of repetitions, we inadvertently teach the dog to wait patiently until the second or third command before he is required to respond. While the owner fumes about stubbornness and laziness, the dogs comment would probably be, "Look , boss, the command isnt sit, its sit-sit! Im just waiting for you to finish the sentence!" The ironic part of this exchange is that both participants are convinced the other is mistaken. The primary reason for this confusion is that most people take language for granted. We are so conditioned to respond to humans that we forget that animals do not think of words as we do. They know words as sounds that are connected to particular situations.

Our mistake is that we assume that dogs speak "language" and that commands "cause" behaviors to happen. If we are talking to another human and receive no response to a simple request, we automatically repeat the word on the assumption that the person did not hear us. Often this second command is spoken louder than the first, still convinced that the first word was not heard. To test this reasoning, watch the way tourists attempt to communicate with people who do not speak their language. When the first word brings no response, they automatically say it again louder. If increased loudness fails,they will probably try to pronounce the word in an exaggerated manner and in sometimes add a foreign sounding ending to it, such as turning "car" into "car-o". If a person, or a dog, does not know an association between the word and its meaning, saying it twice or twenty times will make no difference. While repeating commands tends to erode good behavior, there are two other types of repeated words that can seriously effect a dogs learning potential - praise and corrections. Dogs listen for praise to tell them which behaviors bring treats and affection, while scolding identifies those behaviors that should be avoided. Both praise and scolding are dependent upon good timing to be effective. Repeating the words that identify good or bad behavior does not necessarily give them added emphasis but does slow them down. This makes it difficult for the dog to know which behavior "caused" the praise or scolding.

For instance, if floyd likes to jump on Aunt Alice, the time to say "No!" is at the instant he starts to jump. If you are in the habit of saying "no-no-NO!" Floyd has already done the deed and escaped before you got to the end of your double talk. In this case, Floyd heard the first "no" as he started to jump on Alice. He knows he can ignore this sound because a single "no" has little or no consequence tied to it. It is the all important, and much louder, third "NO!" that he must pay attention to. By the time he hears the third "NO!" he is racing down the hallway and thinking of darting out the doggie door. All thoughts of jumping and Alice are long forgotten. Just as scolding must be quick to be precise, long winded praise can be equally inefficient. If Floyd decides to sit momentarily for Aunt Alice and then jumps on her, a series of "Good-boy-good-boy-gooddog" will capture both behaviors. Instead of praising just the sit,

Floyds owner has mistakenly reinforced the jump as well. Without a fast signal to identify good behavior, the dog will soon be convinced that the entire sequence is appropriate.

Avoiding the problem of "double talk" takes some concentration and observation. The tendency to repeat oneself is so deeply ingrained that most people are unaware that they do it. The quickest way to tell if you suffer from a case of "double talk" is to have a friend listen as you train your dog. Try to work as you always do. You friend may surprise you by distinctly hearing you repeat a command even though you could swear that you only said it once. If you are fairly caught giving commands twice, don't panic. Merely recognizing the problem is half the battle. First, get a package of doggie treats at the store. Offer a small treat to your dog, so that Floyd knows what you are offering. Now give the command "sit," and bite your lip after you say the word. Wait for 30 seconds to allow your dog to realize that you aren't going to say it twice. If the dog sits within the time limit, praise him and give him the treat. If Floyd simply stands like a zombie, turn your back and walk away from him. A very shocked Floyd is most likely to quickly follow you to get another chance for the treat. Ask him to sit again. Give him another 30 seconds. If he does it, praise him and give a treat, if not, walk away and try it again. After several attempts at getting the dog to respond to only one command, Floyd will not wait for the second one. Once he realizes that you aren't going to repeat yourself, you can give him less and less time to perform the behavior before his failure "causes" you to go away. Soon he will perform the behavior instantly, on the first command. Reducing praise and scolding to a minimum is an even easier task. Start by developing the habit of saying the word "good" at the instant your dog performs a behavior correctly. After you say "good", wait a second before you start including the normal excited and affectionate praise. By waiting a second you are prepared to withhold the more powerful reinforcers if Floyd switches to an incorrect response.

In nature, a dog rarely has a second chance to respond to the sound of a bear or the smell of a rabbit. Your dog is descended from animals that must respond instantly to the slightest hint of danger or safety. To utilize you pet's best attributes, avoid using double-talk for commands or reinforcers. It's really not necessary to say it twice twice.

Recalls in particular (coming when called). They certainly don't start out that way. Picture a litter of well reared pups. What happens when the breeder walks in to the room and starts calling them? They all rush out to greet her (it's usually a her), falling over themselves to be the first to get attention. Good breeders, if they know what you are going to call your pup may even have him dashing over at the sound of his name by the time you call to collect him. So why does this promising start frequently peter out? I think the answer is the owner's attitude. In the litter, a pup learns that the entrance of a human means food or play, usually both. So the pup comes when called because he knows something pleasant is going to happen. But what about the pup who is left alone for hours and out of sheer boredom chews the furniture and probably relieves himself all over the carpet? The owner comes in, reacts angrily to the mess and decides to discipline the pup for his misbehaviour in the misguided belief that he is housetraining the wretched animal. He will point to what he sees as the guilty expression on the pup's face. What he is actually seeing is fear or apprehension. Pretty soon this pup learns that you don't dash up to humans any more because if you do they drag you over to something on the carpet you can't remember doing then unceremoniously dump you outside. A few weeks later the same pup is out in the park. He is allowed to run free and finds exciting new friends to play with. The owner is busy comparing notes on the previous day's T.V. programmes with his fellow dogwalkers. They reach the park gates and he calls the pup.

At first the pup returns, is put back on his lead and they go home. Soon the pup learns that the owner calling him in the park means end of playtime. He runs off the next time with the owner in hot pursuit. Pup thinks this is a wonderful game. He is growing now and his long legs give him plenty of speed so he easily outruns the owner. At first he may be caught by a passer-by but soon he learns that humans are not to be trusted. O.K. this is the worst case scenario and there aren't too many people around these days who are stupid enough to teach their pup to fear them as in the example I have just quoted. But how many people actually take time to teach their pups how to come when called. After all, a dog will come automatically if he loves you won't he? He might. But he might also decide not to bother if he gets a better offer. It is up to you, the owner to teach him that coming when called is something that is fun but not optional. With a young pup this is very easy. You simply carry on where the breeder left off. Small pups are usually fed several times a day at first. That is several training opportunities which should not be wasted. As soon as Fido has learned his name he is going to come running when there is food in the offing. In between he can be called for a game with his favourite toy, possibly even a tiny morsel of food if he has ignored a particular distraction on the way. I usually call my pups with my other dogs around right from the start. Built in distraction training is just too good an opportunity to waste. But he should be told off if he chews or soils the carpet shouldn't he? My view is that he should not. A pup should never be placed in a situation where he learns to do anything you will later not want him to do. I keep my pups in a large pen with plenty of toys until their teething days are over. In there the pup can do what he likes and is safe when I cannot give him my complete attention. I spend as much time as I can with my pup, talking to him, playing with him and frequently

rewarding him for coming when called or any other action I might want him to perform later on. He is praised for the positive things and the negatives are avoided. I would never leave a young pup in a situation where he might be able to do something undesirable. So he learns right from the start that coming to me when called is something that is always going to be worthwhile. The next step is to take the pup out on his own away from the house. I wait for him to start sniffing then silently duck behind a tree. Pretty soon the young pup is going to wonder where I am and may start to panic. I can then appear, call him in a pleasant tone and reward him for coming. One or two repetitions of this is usually all it takes to train the young pup that it is in his best interests to pay attention to what the pack leader is doing. This method is very successful in establishing a reliable recall for later on when the pup is more independent. I call my dogs, even the adults, frequently when we are out. Sometimes the lead goes on for the end of the walk, sometimes for training, sometimes I call just for the sake of it. The key is to call the dog in a random fashion, not just when he is going to be put back on the lead to be taken home. Socialising with other dogs in a controlled environment is something else which helps to establish good recall habits. A good training club is worth its weight in gold. I have not mentioned teaching the recall on lead. For all practical purposes it is not necessary if a pup is well socialised except for competition training. But that is in an ideal world. Not all pups are well reared and socialised by the breeder. You might have to work hard to overcome a less than auspicious start. Or you might acquire an older dog who has not been trained properly. In these cases you will have to make use of the lead to teach a reliable recall. It is no good letting your dog run free in public if he does not have a reliable recall. For a start it is not fair on other people to inflict your unruly dog on them. In such

cases I believe that a dog should be exercised on a long line or flexi-lead until he learns to return ten times out of ten and for some time after that. He cannot run away if he is restrained so you can tell him he is a bad dog and quietly reel him in. But the minute he starts to move in your direction he must be rewarded for the effort. Eventually if you are patient the penny will drop. You are not being unfair to your dog if you do not allow him his freedom unless he has earned the right to it. It would be extremely unkind of you to allow him the freedom to run off and be killed under a car, or worse, cause the death of someone else because of something you could have prevented. If you are the pack leader in your household and you have a good bond with your dog, you should not have too many problems with the recall. Just remember to cultivate a welcoming tone and make it worth your dog's while to come back to you. Always be fair and never tell him off for something when he does come back, however tempting it might be. He will learn that coming to you is the must fun, rewarding thing he can do. You will end up with a dog with a reliable recall who is a pleasure to own.

Training tips
This method of housetraining is focused on preventing accidents instead of waiting for accidents to happen. The goal is to make it easy for the puppy to do the right thing in the first place. Training in this way is faster and more effective than punishing the dog for mistakes. YOU play the most important part in the success or failure of this method you must be patient,

determined and reliable for it to work. If you already own an adult dog with housetraining problems, you can use this method to start fresh just as you would with a puppy. This method also requires the use of a dog crate or at least, a small, confined area for the pup to stay in when he can't be supervised. A crate isn't cruel! It's your dog's own private room where he can rest and stay safe, secure and out of trouble. Just like a small child, your puppy needs to be protected from hurting himself and destroying your furniture. A crate will make the job so much easier! The first few weeks of owning a puppy are some of the hardest and most important. Spending extra time and effort now will pay off in a big way. Don't blame the puppy if you're lazy! Before you start, here are some essential housetraining facts: Adult dogs can be housebroken in the same way as puppies. Puppies have limited bladder control. Dogs & puppies like to be clean and to sleep in a clean area. All dogs do best when kept to a routine schedule. Dogs have to go poddy when... they wake up in the morning or after a nap, within 1/2 hour after eating ,before they go to sleep . If a dog and especially a puppy is not allowed to relieve itself at those times,

it will most likely have an accident. Don't wait for the dog to tell you that it has to go out. Just assume that he does and put him outside.

Housetraining baby puppies Baby puppies, under three months of age, have limited bladder control and reflexes. They usually don't know they're going to go until the moment they do! It's not realistic to expect them to tell you ahead of time. If you're observant, you'll see that a puppy who's looking for a place to go poddy will suddenly circle about while sniffing the floor. The sniffing is instinct he's looking for a place that's already been used. If he can't find one, he'll start one! By preventing accidents in the house, you'll teach him that the only appropriate bathroom is the one outside! Ideally, you're reading this before you've brought your new puppy home. If you already have your puppy, just pick up the schedule at an appropriate place. Set up a dog crate or small, confined area (the smaller the better.) Using a dog crate will be more effective. The size of the crate is important if it's too large, the puppy will have room to use one end as a bathroom.

If you've bought a crate for him to grow into, you can also get dividers to reduce the inner space while he's small. If he must be left alone while you're at work, then a larger crate is okay. Put a stack of newspapers at one end for him to use when you can't be home to let him out. Also in the crate should be a water dish (you can get one that attaches to the side of the crate and is harder to spill), sleeping pad and toys. Put the crate where he isn't shut away from the family. If you're using a confined area instead, a baby gate across the doorway is preferable to closing the door and isolating your puppy. Your puppy might not like the crate at first. Don't give in to his complaining or tantrums! If you're sure he isn't hungry or has to go poddy, ignore his yowling. If he gets really obnoxious, reach inside the crate, give him a little shake by the scruff of his neck and say NO in a deep, stern voice. Eventually he'll settle down and sleep which is what crates are for! If you give a tempting treat every time you put the dog in his crate, he'll soon look forward to going in. The crate is intended to be his sleeping and feeding place and is where he should be when you can't keep a close eye on him. If you give him the run of the house at this age, you can expect accidents!

Dogs instinctively keep their sleeping areas clean. If you've allowed him to go poddy when he needs to, he won't dirty his crate if he can help it. Once he's developed better control, he won't need the newspapers unless you're going to be gone all day. Change the papers several times a day if they've been soiled.

Puppy's first night home Get off on the right foot at the beginning! Carry the puppy from your car to the yard. Set him on the grass and let him stay there until he poddies. When he does, tell him how wonderful he is! After bringing the pup inside, you can play with him for an hour. Plan on taking the puppy outside every two hours (at least) while he's awake. Don't wait for him to tell you that he has to go! Feed the puppy his supper in his crate. Don't let him out for half an hour and when you do, carry him outside to poddy before you do anything else. Wait for him to have a bowel movement before bringing him back in. Some pups get their jobs done quickly, others may take half an hour. If he's being slow, walk around the yard encouraging him to follow you. Walking tends to get things moving, so to speak!

Always take the puppy outside first thing when you let him out of the crate and always CARRY the puppy to the door!! This is important. Puppies seem to have a reflex peeing action that takes affect the moment they step out of the crate onto your carpeting. If you let him walk to the door, he'll probably have an accident before he gets there. Part of this training method is psychological you want the puppy to feel grass under his feet when he goes to the bathroom, not your carpeting! After another short play period, take the pup outside before bedtime, then tuck him into his crate for the night. If he cries during the night, he probably has to go out. Carry him outside to poddy, then put him back in the crate with a minimum of cuddling. If you play with him, he might decide he doesn't want to go back to sleep! Puppies usually sleep through the night within a few days. Daytime schedule Establish a regular schedule of poddy trips and feedings. This helps you to control the times he has to go out and prevent accidents in the house. First thing in the morning before you have your coffee carry the puppy outside. He can then come in and play for an hour.

Feed breakfast in the crate and don't let him out again for a half hour. Then carry him back outside for poddy. Puppies usually have a bowel movement after each meal so give him time to accomplish it. Now he can have another inside playtime for an hour or so. Don't give him free run of the house, use baby gates or close doors to keep him out of rooms he shouldn't go in. (Puppies are notorious for finding out of the way corners to have accidents in keep him in an area where you can watch him). If you give him too much freedom too soon, he'll probably make a mistake. After playtime, take him outside again then tuck him into his crate for a nap. For the first month or so, you'll be feeding three or four meals per day. Repeat the same procedure throughout the day: poddy outside first thing in the morning, one hour playtime, poddy, meal in crate, poddy, playtime, poddy, nap, poddy, playtime, meal, etc. The playtimes can be lengthened as the puppy gets older and is more reliable. Eventually the puppy will be letting you know when he needs to go out but remember if you ignore his request or don't move quickly he'll have an accident! I know this sounds like a lot of work and it is! The results of all this runnin' in and out will pay off in a wellhousebroken puppy and clean carpets.

Keep in mind that some breeds are easier to housetrain than others and how the puppy was raised before it came to you has an affect, too. Pet store puppies who were allowed to use wire-bottom crates have less inclination to keep their crates clean. Puppies that were raised in garages or other large areas where they could go wherever will also be a little more difficult. Don't give up though - you can train them, it will just take a little longer. A word about paper-training: It seems harmless to leave papers about just in case and for us who work all day, it's a necessity. However, paper-training your pup will make the overall job of housetraining that much harder and take longer. By only allowing the pup to relieve itself outside, you're teaching it that it's not acceptable to use the house. Using newspapers will override this training. Also, be aware that many puppies get the notion that going poddy NEAR the papers is as good as going ON them! If you must use newspapers when you're gone, keep to the regular housetraining schedule when you're at home. Get the puppy outside often enough and don't leave papers out just in case. Keep your dog's yard picked up and free of old stools.

Many dogs choose an area to use as a bathroom. If left to become filthy, they'll refuse to use it and do their business in the house instead! If your dog has to be tied up when he's outside, keeping the area clean is even more critical. If you could only move about in a small area, you wouldn't want to lie next to the toilet, would you? Picking up stools helps you keep tabs on your dog's health as well. Stools should be firm and fairly dry. Loose, sloppy stools can be an indication of worms, health problems, stress or digestive upset. Housetraining older dogs You can use a modified puppy schedule to train an unhousetrained dog or one that's having housetraining problems. Start from the beginning just like a puppy, use a crate and put them on a schedule. An older dog can be expected to control itself for longer periods provided you take it outside at critical times first thing in the morning, after meals and last thing at night. Until they're reliable, get them outside every three-to-four hours in between those times. Adopted older dogs that have always had freedom may be unwilling to have a bowel movement when on a leash. You can either walk them longer or keep them confined until they really gotta go. Just like a puppy, don't give them the run of the

house and keep them in a crate or small area if you can't supervise them. You can give them more freedom as they become more reliable.

Safe Water Fun Safety precautions will let your dog enjoy the water with you. One of the best things about summer is cooling off in the water, whether it be in a pool, a lake or at the seashore. Most dogs like playing in water, too, so teaching them how to behave in it is a must. Introduce a dog of any age to water play carefully. Many dogs are sensibly wary about entering water because they have no idea how to swim. The ones that need even more vigilant care are the daredevil dogs that show no fear at all. These reckless characters can drown just as easily as the overly cautious ones. Teach a dog to swim by supporting it beneath its chest until it gets to where its feet reach the bottom. Then guide it to where it can always exit the water safely. This is particularly important in a swimming pool or in a lake with an uneven bottom. A dog must be taught where it can get out. When your dog is in the water, remove its collar to prevent underwater entanglement. On the water, use the same precaution you would for a child,

and put a life jacket on any dog you plan to take aboard a boat. Let the dog become accustomed to wearing the jacket before you set sail. A squirming, frantic canine passenger is no fun in a boat. Whether you're traveling by land or by sea, take food anda supply of drinking water for the dog.

Dog Meeting Kids

Kids should follow certain rules around strange dogs. The way children greet strange dogs is not just a matter of manners, it's a matter of safety. Toddlers and small children who have not been raised around dogs need to be taught proper, safe ways to say hello. For this they must have adult supervision. Steer clear of dogs off leash. In approaching a dog being walked on leash by an adult, ask first if your child may say hello. Read the dog's body language. Relaxed ears and tail and a smile (easier to see on smooth-coated dogs than on hairy ones) are good indications of a friendly pooch. Some dogs react to young children with submissiveness, indicated by a lowering of all body posture. Standing up over a dog is poor canine manners, so crouch down next to the dog and child.

Put your own hand out, palm up, for the dog to sniff. Then put the child's hand in yours and again let the dog sniff. Some dogs that are perfectly friendly don't like to be touched by strangers (a behavioral disorder that could possibly be corrected, but that's the owner's prerogative). Ask the dog's name and whether your child may pet the dog. Even if the answer is "Yes, sure, Boffo loves kids," put your hand over the child's for the first gentle pat or two. Speak quietly and calmly so the child doesn't react with screams or squeals (which any dog would consider very poor manners). The Family Pet Incorporating the dog into the family is necessary for good behavior. Dogs need to learn how to behave around people. Isolating a dog in the back yard is a great way to drive it crazy. It becomes bored, destructive and makes a general nuisance out of itself to attract attention. If isolated long enough, it becomes ill-behaved and antisocial. Either integrate your dog into the family or give it to a family that will. Children, Dogs and Biting Parents must supervise interactions between children and dogs. Puppies are like babies: both need love and attention, and both use their mouths to explore their environments.

Puppies grip with their teeth because they don't have hands. Canine biting serves other purposes as well. For instance, it is a form of body language. A nursing puppy that bites its mother elicits a quick response. The mother takes the pup's head in her mouth and holds firmly until the pup relaxes in submission. That animal action/reaction is a prime example of why young children are sometimes bitten by the family dog. A puppy, faced with the dominant body language of an older dog, submits. It relaxes, drops to the ground, urinates or rolls over on its back--all submissive gestures that the older dog acknowledges. But the reaction of human babies is just the opposite. If a dog puts its mouth on an infant's arm or leg, the infant struggles and screams, so the dog instinctively hardens its grip, seeking submission. The biting problem, therefore, boils down to a basic difference in behavior. The dog reacts instinctively, responding to pack-driven dominance and submission to establish and maintain a pecking order within the group. Dogs kept as companion animals transfer their instinctual view of the pack to the family. Depending on the training and temperament of the dog, small children in the family may be treated as littermates (equals) or seen at the bottom of the totem pole.

Dogs that have had little contact with children invariably put them at the bottom of the pack. Parents must be aware of this to retain their positions as dominant pack members and to ensure that child and dog behave appropriately with each other. "Hyperactive" Puppy Puppies are naturally active and they need attention. Many dogs are put up for adoption because the original owner feels the dog is "hyperactive.'' In reality, these dogs are the ones originally purchased to be companion animals to people who work long hours and lead otherwise solitary lives. The reason for giving up on the dog (and blaming the failure on "hyperactivity") is because no one fully explained that a puppy can't be left alone for 10 hours and then be expected to snooze all evening on the sofa. There's nothing hyper about the pup's exuberant greeting behavior. It's just a normal puppy's need for physical and mental activity. This misunderstanding of a dog's life has led to an increase in cats as pets because they better fit this lifestyle.

The Basic Sit and more......!

In the old days, the sit was taught with a pop up on the lead and a push down on the dog's rump. More and more, today's trainers use inducive methods, mostly involving food. I've found that food vastly improves the attitude of most dogs. They are anticipating a reward for doing something correctly, rather than watching out for a correction for doing something wrong. The food you use should be tastier than the stuff the dog gets for free. To teach a sit, I use a piece of food (raisin size) to lure the dog into a sit. The position of your hand in relation to the dog's nose is very important. Hold the food an inch or less above the dog's nose. Slowly make an arc with your food hand from the dog's nose toward the tail. Remember, do this slowly. The dog should follow the food with his nose. If he isn't following the food, you are holding it too high. Lower the food and try again. If the dog scoots backward away from your arc, place him near a wall so he will back into the wall. As he starts to sit, give the command,

"sit." When his rear hits the ground, feed. You can work on the "stay" part later.

You also can use a conditioned reinforcer -- a special word you don't normally use in conversation, ("Yes!") a tongue cluck, or a plastic or metal clicker.

I found this helpful in pinpointing for the dog the exact moment he is doing something right. First teach the dog about the c.r. Click, feed; click, feed. Then, when the dog is starting to do the exercise correctly, click and feed. Raise the criteria as the dog improves. As your dog is learning, feed every time you get a correct response. Later on, you'll switch to a variable schedule of reinforcement to maint ain correct behavior. For more information on this, read "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor.

The Sit To get your dog to sit up on its hind legs, place your dog with his rear against a corner in your home. (The corner walls will help support him as he learns to use his back muscles to sit up.) Your dog should know the sit command before you teach this variation. Start with the food arc you used to teach the sit, only bring your hand up higher.

You may want to support the dog's chest with one hand. Reward efforts to bring front feet off the floor. You can raise the criteria for this exercise as your dog ga ins experience. Some dogs find this very difficult and some are unable to do it at all. Most catch on quickly though. Continue to use the corner until your dog gains expertise. I do not teach this exercise to puppies, and I don't let any dog do very many repetitions at one time.

Fast Down. You can put your dog in to the down position in several way's. You can help the dog with a little tibbet food from the sit in to the down position.Put the tibbet against his chest .Than go with your hand down between his legs in a straight line to the ground.And then a little bit forward with your hand. You say down at the moment he is down.And gif him his food. You also can play with your dog back words .When you play with him you put the toy to the ground ,stop play,hold stil,when he is down,you can play further. Problems with the Obedience Sit You obedience types may en joy the following lists four components of a good sit during heeling: the dog is paying attention the dog is in heel position the dog knows the cue to halt and sit If your dog is forging the halts, probably one (or more) of these four things is missing.

To prevent forging at the halts, you must cue the dog that you are halting. This can be an upper body cue or a break step. It's just important to have one. But watch about the rules of competision!

Fixing Problems As we all know, it is amazing how long it takes to teach dogs correct heel position. And even experienced dogs need to have heel position pointed out to them again and again. It's a difficult concept for the dog to grasp. So the more time you devote to te aching heel position, the less remedial work you'll have to do later. Some exercises that will improve the dog's obedience sits are left and right pivots, left and right turns, side steps in both directions, steps up and back. Teach the dog he can come to heel position from anywhere. It will come in handy in the ring. The first thing you need to do before you can start any form of dog training is get your dogs attention. This might sound simple but it is the most difficult thing to achieve. You may think you are the world's most interesting person but the chances are that your pride and joy may be more interested in what he can sniff with his nose rather than your words of wisdom. So how do you start? With a puppy it is easy. In the litter the breeder will have made some noise to attract the pups attention to the food dish. After all she (they usually are) can't call out several names at once. Have you noticed how all the pups in a healthy well reared litter dash to the breeder when she

appears, food or no food. When you carry your pup home he will be a bit overawed at first but use a familiar key word followed by his new name and he will soon start to respond. Now you have the start of his attention training. His name must be used only when you want his attention -for the rest of his life, never when you want to tell him off. Spend as much time as you can playing with the pup. He can have his own playpen for the times when you can't be with him so you don't have to keep telling him off for chewing the carpet etc. Use his name when you call him for his dinner. You will soon have his complete attention. Don't make the mistake of calling him when he is busy sniffing some interesting smell he has found in the garden. Wait until he is looking for something to do then call him. Later on when you are training him to walk properly on the lead you can use his name to get his attention but keeping it is a different matter. Small puppies cannot pay attention to anything for very long so be prepared to accept just a few seconds at first. As he grows older he will be able to concentrate for longer and longer periods. But learn how he reacts and don't try to make him pay attention for a second longer than his limit. Err on the side of caution. But how do you keep his attention? The human voice is a very underrrated underused tool. Learn to cultivate this. Try not to sound angry when you are delighted with him. The actual words you use will mean nothing - but the tone is all important. Food, carefully used, is a great motivator for many greedy pups. But make him earn his titbits. Some people think that it is good enough just to throw food at a dog. It isn't. It must have a meaning for the dog or it is wasted. Toys are good. Have a special toy that the pup likes and keep it only for training sessions. Produce the toy and ask him to watch. If he gives you his full attention for a second

or two, break off and play. Try for another second the next time and gradually build up. Don't ever be so predictable that your pup knows exactly what you are going to do next. That will just teach him to keep only half of his mind on you. Watch his eyeballs. If his eyes are on you he is concentrating. If not you are wasting your time. Play with him as much as you can, let him learn that his time with you is the best thing that could happen to him and he will start to give you his complete attention. Only when you have that can any serious training begin.

Advanced Obedience / The Signal Exercise a Confident dog. Like most of the exercises in utility, the signal exercise requires a confident dog. If you move too quickly, you are likely to undermine your dog's confidence. This will take its toll in bad heeling before the signals begin. Dogs who are worried about the signals often show that by lagging and dragging around the ring. They know what's coming and they don't like it. Prevent this by helping your dog achieve a solid understanding of signals. After all, it is your responsibility to help the dog learn the exercise well so that he is solid and confident. The biggest mistake most people make (been there, done that myself) is to increase distance too quickly. The handler goes too far away and the dog becomes confused. Anytime it appears that your dog is slow to respond to your signal, examine the following: * is my signal consistent - am I using the same signal I have used every other time? * have I increased the distance (even moving a few inches makes a difference)?

* is the background confusing my dog? * can my dog see the signals - is there a vision problem? Consider jackpotting (several pieces of yummy treats at one time) for good attention. Let the dog look away and when he looks back (wait him out) make a big deal out of it and jackpot. Reward the dog so that he looks on distractions as an opportunity to earn a big reward instead of fearing them as an occasion to be corrected. Consider backchaining. Start with the dog in a sitting position and then do a come signal. When that is secure teach a sit from a down, then a come. Then a down from a stand; sit from a down; then a come. If the dog looks away and doesn't look back quickly, move closer. You may use any signal you devise, as long as it is one continuous motion. Some trainers alternate hands for signals. Some carry two shirts to shows and wear the one that contrasts most with the background wall.

Standard Signals Heel - left hand, palm forward, arced forward beyond the dog's nose Stay - left or right hand, palm facing the dog, moved across in front of the dog's muzzle toward the trainer, or hand with palm toward the dog, dropped straight down in front of his nose Come - right arm held straight from the shoulder at right angles to the body (in front), the palm then pulled straight to the chest. The arm should not extend to the side, because it can cause confusion with directed jumping. Down - may be given either with the arm raised overhead and dropped, or by bringing the arm straight up over the head and then returning it to hang by the side. The latter is called a windmill down signal. Whatever you choose, please remember that one continuous motion is required. Sit - the arm is brought palm up from a natural position at the side to a position outstretched in front, as if lifting the dog from a down into a sit. I angle my hand out slightly so the dog can see it separate from my body. Finish - a circling motion of the left or right hand which indicates heel position and duplicates on a small scale the path followed by the dog on a return to heel.

The dumbbell drops. A 12 month old border collie bitch who is having problems getting her to pick up the dumbbell properly. He loves retreiving and is really enthusiastic to fetch just anything. She do 'holds' with him several times a day but as soon as she throw the dumbbell he picks it up on the side which is leading to drops, tried several different shapes of dumbbells but he always picks it up on its side. It could be your dumbell has insufficient clearance from the ground for your border collie to pick it up in the middle easily and he does not like banging his chin on the ground.Try with a thicker cross bar and thinner ends with good ground clearance or try weighting one end so that he has to keep a good hold to avoid dropping it. I tried with a b.c. puppy ,5 month old who had the same problem to.Most of the things that you've probably tried without success, so I decided to play with her and the dumbell and play tuggy games with it. She soon discovered that if she was holding it in the middle, she could hold onto it quite well, but if she was holding it by the end, I'd manage to get it away from her very easily. She made up her own mind very quickly that it was in her interest to hold it in the middle.Afterwards, it wasn't a problem to teach the present and get her to give to me nicely.

Jumping up They have a five month old border collie who has a bad habit of jumping up at people. She is only being friendly, but being such a large dog, this cannot happen, especially with small children.

Try leaving some small titbits by the door so that when some one calls and they go inside yoy throw the titbits on the floor. Hopefully the dog being a labrador will be too keen to clean up the floor than jump

up.Also you can try doing a sodid sit stay. When he is good at it you make him sit before you give him any attention. This can be done with yourself when you come through the door. Do not give in to his attention seeking until you are ready to do so and only when he is sitting. This is also applicable for visitors, tell them to completely ignore him when he jumps up. Get them to fold their arms and look up into the air. This apparently is a real snub to them. You can also try raising you knee as he jumps and when he lands he hits his chest on your knee. You obviously dont do this violently just so that he knocks himself. Good luck Does your dog bring anything back to you?

She have a dog with 3 years old. Shes trying to do the pre-beginners in obedience this year. She is doing very all in all exercises except for the search and bring of the dumbell. When she frow the dumbbell she go for it but she dont pick it up and bring to me.

Tip The best way is to get your dog used to bringing toys back to you first. You can do this by enticing him to hold the toy, then swap it for something ie a tit bit. Then throw the toy just a little way, entice him to bring it (don't expect a present at the beginning) take it with great joy and give something in return, a tit but or throw another toy, so dog is always being rewarded for returning and giving up the toy. Sometimes you can run away backwards enticing him to bring toy to you all in a great GAME. He must believe its all good fun, that he is not giving something up but gets rewarded for it. When you have a solid retrieve with a toy, you can introduce a dubbell, again little by little. Don't make it all formal, it should be enjoyable. You teach the present seperately. When you have a solid retrieve and when you have a seperate solid present without any article, then you can put the two together. If you try to correct the present when the dog

isn't solid on the retrieve he will think you are correcting him for bringing the item back to you. Get that bit right first and always as a fun thing to do.