Train your Dog in No Time

by Michael Burkey, Professional Dog Trainer

All Rights Reserved, July 2010.

When acquiring a dog from a dog shelter or rescue organization, a lot of thought has gone into the adoption process such as:  “Is the family at home enough for a dog?”; “What breed of dog would be best?”; “What age of dog?”;  “Are the children mature enough to interact with a dog?”; “Will the new dog get along well with other household pets and vice versa?”; and “What kind of wholesome dog food should be provided?, etc.” 

However, new owners often times forget that their dog will need to learn good household manners.  They assumed their dog would naturally behave until it becomes apparent at about five to six months of age that that is not necessarily the case.  Hence, the scramble to find a dog class or dog trainer to help them break their dog of bad habits and learn new manners.  If this is you, no problem that is what professional dog trainers are there to help you do.  If you’re lucky though, you preplanned the need for professional instruction and contacted a trainer before or soon after you obtained your new family member.  Much like a child, it is far easier to train a puppy the “right way, the first time” rather than allowing the puppy to practice misbehaving.

A frequently asked question of dog trainers is, “how often should I train my dog?”  The answer is:  training is occurring all the time.  Your dog learns during formal periods of training as well as during down times throughout the day.  Learning, either “good or bad” is non ending.  Dogs have short attention spans, even shorter than children.  So they learn best by short and frequent training sessions.  Short sessions keep the learning process fun for both you and your dog.

In the beginning (first four weeks), it is recommended that owners set up training appointments with their dogs for approximately 15 minutes, 2-3 times per day, 4-5 days per week.  Scheduled appointments between you and your dog are necessary because “life happens.”  Much like the plan to go to your local gym to work out, you are much more likely to make it there if you have it scheduled into your day.

After your dog has learned basic obedience skills, then one can replace the scheduled appointments with committing to practicing those skills throughout the day.  It’s easy to make training a part of your daily activities:

1. While brushing your teeth, place your dog on a down stay.
2. While having dinner, practice having your dog go to his mat for a place command.
3. Invite friends over for a pizza party and practice your dog’s front door greetings.
4. While gardening or washing the car, practice your dog’s down stay.
5. While taking the kids to the park, practice your dog’s come command.
6. While washing clothes at the laundry mat, take your dog with you and practice obedience skills during the was/dry periods.

These are just some ideas to inspire you to train your dog in new places and times that make training simple to do.  For example, just the other day, Bella, a German Shepherd Dog doing a board and train program, accompanied me to the laundry mat called the Laundry Stop in Westland, Michigan.  During the wash and dry times, Bella had fun practicing her obedience skills outside in the nearby grass lawn.  It also removed the boredom I experience waiting for clothes to wash and dry.  An additional plus was that she met some very friendly strangers which greatly added to her training and socialization process.  She practiced greeting strangers in the real world by being calm and sitting for attention.

For owners who had the fore thought of training their dog from the beginning but then found it difficult to find the time to follow through; a board and train program can be the perfect solution.  At Michael Burkey’s Canine Behavioral Training, your dog learns good manners and obedience skills in a home environment away from home.  Upon conclusion of the program, you learn how to continue your dog’s new learned skills.  And, because time is a valued commodity, you are able to skip the formal scheduled training sessions.

By following the above dog training tips, you can train your dog in no time.  For professional dog training, contact Michael Burkey of Michael Burkey’s Canine Behavioral Training at 734-634-4152.

***Side note, if you are in need of a clean, helpful, and friendly laundry mat; visit Ralph and his workers at the Laundry Stop.  You’ll be amazed by their customer service!  Additionally, they have free wi-fi, a nice television and a play area for children.  So if you’re not training a dog during your wait, there are other activities to keep you entertained.  

Laundry Stop maps.google.com 725 South Wayne Road Westland, MI 48186 (734) 728-2646

How to Prevent Heat Exhaustion in Dogs

Dog Training Tips by Michael Burkey, Professional Dog Trainer

734-634-4152

All Rights Reserved, July 7, 2010.

Heat exhaustion in dogs is a very serious medical condition.  It can happen suddenly making medical treatment necessary to save your dog’s life.  What does it look like?  A dog experiencing heat exhaustion will appear lethargic, listless, and almost drunk like.  It’s tongue may be hanging out and he/she may not be able to stand.  According to Dr. Richards, DVM of VetInfo.com, "Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy panting, hyperventilation (deep breathing), increased salivation early then dry gums as the heat prostration progresses, weakness, confusion or inattention, vomiting or diarrhea and sometimes bleeding. "

Read more: Heat Stroke in Dogs 

A dog experiencing heat exhaustion needs to be cooled down immediately.  It is commonly thought to do this one can simply place cool water on a dog’s back or belly.  However, a dog cools itself down by releasing heat via their tongue during panting and via the pads of their feet.  The dog’s coat is likely to insulate or prevent the absorption of the cool water.   Dr. Richards suggests placing cold packs on your dog in areas where circulation is very good such as under the "armpits",  in the inquinal region, and on the neck.  If your dog’s condition doesn’t immediately improve, transport your dog to your veterinarian or a 24 hour veterinary clinic for emergency medical care. 

To prevent heat exhaustion:

1. Always provide your dog with fresh cool water to drink.
2. Supervise your dog’s outdoor activities (note it is possible for a dog to experience heat exhaustion even during moderate temperatures such as 70 degrees).
3. Provide your dog with a kiddie pool filled with fresh cool water in which he/she can step in to cool down their feet.
4. On heat advisory days, keep your dog in an air conditioned home as much as possible.
5. Never leave your dog in a car, even for a few minutes during a hot day.  Having the windows rolled down a few inches will not provide your dog the needed ventilation.  Your dog can die within minutes of being confined to a hot enclosed car.
6. Do not leave your dog in a vehicle with the air conditioner running.  The car may stall or catch on fire due to the excessive heat.

By following the above tips, you can prevent your dog from experiencing heat exhaustion and thus save your dog’s life.

For professional dog training in Michigan, contact Michael Burkey at http://www.MichiganDogTrainer.com, info@MichiganDogTrainer.com, 734-634-4152.

Dog Kisses: the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

--Dog Training Tips to Prevent Dog Bites by Michael Burkey, Professional Dog Trainer All Rights Reserved, July 2010. The unconditional affection from a dog is an amazing thing and many times this includes wet dog kisses.  Many people who pet your dog will allow and even encourage your dog to kiss them up and down the side of their face.  For those who don’t mind this kind of interaction, it can make the child within an adult giggle with glee. Some folks will advocate that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth and compare it to antiseptic.  My father is such a person.  However, after observing dogs lick their private parts and ingesting their own stools; I don’t need to consult research studies to determine who has the most germs in their mouth.  For this reason, a dog kissing your face is a “bad” idea. The “ugly” part of dog kisses is what this article is really about.  Loving affection can turn bad very quickly if the dog becomes stressed.  And, how does a dog relieve stress and/or protect themselves?  They use their teeth to make the stress trigger go away. Each year many children are bit in the face simply because they tried to hug and kiss their family dog.  The act of pulling a dog toward your face is many times unwanted social pressure for dogs similar to if a person stood a foot from your face while engaging you in unwanted discussion.  If the dog can’t pull away, he/she may protect themselves by nipping or biting the invading person or child. So it’s vital to teach your child how to pet a dog appropriately and forgo the dog kisses.  Here are some helpful lessons to teach your child: 1.  The child should ask permission from their parents before petting a strange dog. 2.  After obtaining their parents’ permission, the child and parents should request permission from the dog’s owner before approaching to pet a strange dog. 3.  The child should allow the dog to sniff their hand that is folded into a fist and held slightly out from their side.  This gives the dog the opportunity to approach the child for the interaction rather than the child imposing himself/herself onto the dog. 4.  If all things look positive, the child can then place their fist under the dog’s chin and start to pet the underside of their neck and then later move their hand around to the backside of the dog’s neck.  Everyone tries to pet a strange dog by going over the top of a dog’s head thinking it is safer to do since the hand is further away from the dog’s teeth.  However, it is not safer.  In fact, it can cause the dog more anxiety as he/she can’t see where the hand is going. The dog’s owner can also take steps to ensure their dog’s interactions with others are done safely: A.  If you know your dog doesn’t do well with greeting others, don’t place your dog in the stressful situation of being petted by strangers.  If the person approaching your dog is insistent on greeting your dog, be just as persistent in telling the person to stay away from your dog.  You are your dog’s guardian in the human world. B.  Contact a dog behavior expert if your dog is fearful or aggressive toward others.  A professional dog trainer can train you how to use prevention, management and teaching to help your dog become more confident in social situations and therefore, less aggressive.  Plus, it's an excellent idea to teach your dog not to give kisses. C.  Assuming your dog is comfortable in greeting others, instruct approaching strangers the proper way to greet a dog as listed in above lessons #3 and #4. D.  Some people who ask to pet your dog are actually afraid of dogs.  To help them feel more comfortable, turn your dog’s head away from him/her.  This enables the person to pet your dog’s backside so they aren’t anxious about being close to your dog’s mouth. Plus, many dogs love having their backsides scratched.  It also allows you to control your dog’s head and therefore, prevent an unexpected and unfortunate snap from occurring. By following the above dog training tips, you can ensure your dog’s kisses don’t turn ugly.  For professional dog training, contact Michael Burkey of Michael Burkey’s Canine Behavioral Training at 734-634-4152.