East Valley Dog Training

25/11/2019

05/07/2019

Great dog - great owners! A very shy puppy, but the owners did everything recommended and now she's a happy, outgoing dog! And all decked out for the 4th!

20/06/2019

Dog Training: Genetics & Dog Behavior

We’re all familiar with the age-old debate about what has more influence over us: nature or nurture. Well, the truth is, they are so interconnected that it’s not even something we can debate (although dog trainers sit around and do it for hours!). But, what we can count on is the behaviors your dog displays is genetically based.

We don’t do anything that we are not genetically programmed to do. So, when your dog licks his behind in front of company . . . click here for the rest of the blog! https://eastvalleydogtraining.com/2019/06/

We’re all familiar with the age-old debate about what has more influence over us: nature or nurture. Well, the truth is, they are so interconnected that it’s not even something we can debate (although dog trainers sit around and do it for hours!). But, what we can count on is the behaviors your ...

10/06/2019

I know I did a post on puppy socialization just a couple of weeks ago, but I recently heard from a client who was told that her puppy had all the skills she needed and should wait for the advanced class. Aaaaargh! Puppy class is about socialization - not obedience skills. Advanced puppy is almost certainly too late for good socialization. But what really worries me is that this class may not be doing any socialization, or what it does is minimal.

Puppy socialization is about exposing puppies (6-18 weeks) to a variety of safe and novel experiences. They should be exposed to a variety of situations in a safe, fun way. Here are some ideas of things they should be exposed to:

People - people who are different that the norm. People who have handicaps and/or use special equipment such as canes, wheelchairs, etc. People of different ethnicities. Children of varying ages. Elderly people. Men who wear hats and beards.

Safe dogs - this generally does not include adolescent dogs, but puppies of the same age and play temperament or well-socialized older dogs. An older dog should be tolerant, but willing to correct the puppy for inappropriate behavior. Adolescent dogs do not have the experience to teach puppies - it would be the equivalent of leaving a 5-year old human child with a 12-year old. They do not have enough experience to exercise good judgement when it comes to a puppy.

Different environments - if you live in a rural or suburban area, take your puppy to town and let him get used to traffic noises. If you live in a city, take our puppy to the country. Expose them safely to bicycles, skateboards, scooters, trucks (get the UPS man to hand out cookies!), etc. Construction noises, emergency vehicle sirens, etc. Horses and cows for those city dogs.

Different substrates - you'd be amazed at the number of dogs who will only eliminate on a specific surface. They learned to go on grass, and will not go on gravel or the sidewalk - or vice versa. They need to generalize this behavior to different surfaces. We most commonly see it as a problem when people are traveling and their dogs won't eliminate at various stops.

Different surfaces - wobbly boards, walking through ladders, on astro-turf, etc.

Different sounds - scary sounds like thunder, sirens, big trucks etc., as well as different sounds like mooing, TVs, music, etc.

In other words - expose your puppy to everything you can in as short a period of time as possible. BUT DO IT SAFELY! If your puppy becomes frightened, the socialization has been for naught. It needs to be a good experience for him. And it doesn't have to happen in puppy class - it can be done in many ways.

If you're interested in more information on puppy training, check out our website: astvalleydogtraining.com

06/06/2019

My cat used to nap on the little boy next door's bed during the day.

Andrew Falloon, Member of Parliament for Rangitata in New Zealand, tweeted out an adorable photo of his dad, who had recently come home from the hospital, snuggled up with a cat - only Mr. Falloon Sr. doesn't own a cat.

06/06/2019

Duh!

A study conducted at Harvard University by Gary D. Sherman and Jonathan Haidt says that people who like pets more than people and those who have a conversation with their pets on a regular basis are more intelligent and not a crack- head! Most dog owners will tell you that their pets are awesome, an...

06/06/2019

A little more manageable than a therapy ostrich!

Meet Vincent, your new favourite reading buddy.

06/06/2019

31/05/2019

This adorable puppy is trying to get my very patient older dog to play before puppy class begins - without a lot of luck. Jimmy Joe is busy looking in crates for overlooked chews.

30/05/2019

Importance of Puppy Socialization
There’s nothing cuter than a puppy; and there’s nothing more heartbreaking than an adult dog that is afraid to be outside of his house or yard. Dog trainers understand that this fearful adult dog probably had a deficit of proper socialization when he was a puppy.

Most people have heard that puppies need socialization, but too often, they don’t really understand what that means. What it doesn’t mean is exposing them to inappropriate dogs. Inappropriate dogs are dogs that are not patient with puppies. For instance, dogs in a dog park are almost certainly not the dogs you want your puppy exposed to. They are often high-energy, out of control adolescents, and they don’t have the maturity or experience to be good role models and teachers. It would be the equivalent of leaving your five-year-old child in the care of a group of twelve- and thirteen-year-old boys. They aren’t ready for that kind of responsibility.

Also, although puppy classes are great if run by a knowledgeable dog trainer, they aren’t the only way – or even the best way – to socialize a puppy. Socializing is about exposing your puppy to lots of different people, noises, sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, and so on. It isn’t just about playing with dogs. And, all of their exposures should be positive – they shouldn’t be put in a position to be frightened.

Another important thing to understand about puppies is exactly what that means. A puppy describes a dog from birth to 20 weeks (or when their adult teeth come in). Six- and seven-month-old dogs are not puppies – they’re adolescents. And it’s too late to socialize adolescents.

That’s not to say they can’t learn, but there is an optimal time to expose puppies to different experiences. During this time, their brains are still creating synapses and associations. Once they are adolescents, that optimal developmental period is over and they are less likely to make these crucial associations. It’s important for puppy owners to understand this, because they don’t have a lot of time. Most puppies don’t leave their litter until they’re six-eight weeks old – that means the new owner only has about 10 weeks to get all that important socialization in. And, on top of that, puppies are receptive to certain types of learning at certain ages.

So, the moral of the story is – get that puppy into socialization mode the day you get him. It can be done safely, without exposure to disease, but it’s crucial. And, certain breeds are more prone to fearful behavior than others, so socialization is crucial.

30/05/2019

Thanks to everyone who liked my page. I know it's pretty sparse, but I'll be posting stuff soon. I'm just getting started with this page.

30/05/2019

Holy mackerel! That's a lot of babies.

(And that number has since grown to 76!)