Working Dogs: Doberman Pinscher

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The Doberman Pinscher takes his name from Louis Doberman, a German tax collector who produced the breed about 1890 by crossing shorthaired Shepherd, old English Black-and-Tan Terrier, Rottweiler, and German Pinscher stock. Popular as an outstanding watchdog, guard dog,  police and war dog, its very elegant-looking and clean of line all over. His head is long and wedge-shaped, and his ears are typically cropped and carried upright. His eyes are almond-shaped instead of round, and his lips are tight. The back is short, and the tail docked, while the smooth, hard coat fits close to the skin.

WEIGHT: 55-75 pounds

HEIGHT: males 26-28 inches; females 24-26 inches

COLOR: black, red, blue, and fawn (Isabella) with rust markings.

By Tip Writer

Teaching Your Dog to Shake Hands

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Even a young pup can learn to "shake hands" since it takes no special strength or skill. It's natural for any dog to lift a paw in greeting or to attract attention. The aim is to make him put out one paw once you tell him to do so.

Now we will stress the importance of the Sit and the Sit-Stay exercises. When your puppy hasn't learned these, teach them first. You'll have to use them constantly. In the Sit, of course, the dog sits alongside you facing straight ahead, while in the Sit-Stay he sits and stays seated as you walk away from him.

Order the leashed pup to Sit-Stay, as you stand facing him. Now stand quite close and a little to one side. Lean toward him. This would make him draw back and raise one foot. If he doesn't raise his foot, tap it softly. Whichever paw he raises as you lean over him, take that paw in your hand and shake it gently as you say "Shake hands!"

 

There appears to be right-handed and left-handed dogs, so at the beginning you never know which "hand" you are going to shake. Take the one extended, then later you can teach the pup to shake first with one and then the other. After you shake the first, say "Now the other one!" If he still offers the same paw, just nudge the other one and he would give it to you. Remember the phrase "Good Rover" as you grant him a tidbit. As this trick is mastered—it won't take long—stand far from the dog instead of near him, and lastly, do it without the leash.

 

By TipWriter 

Housebreaking or Housetraining a Grown Dog

It is really hard to housebreak the dog that grows up having no regular lessons in cleanliness or whose training was sloppy. Cases of this type are often the mistake of owners who are too lazy to house-train or who have left the dog solo for long periods of time.

 

Confinement in a shut crate night and day is useful. If you know the dog won't urinate or defecate while you're at home, you could let him out of his crate but keep him under close observation at all times. Or the dog could be leashed to a kitchen table leg or any solid support and taken out when relief is called for. Since the dog does not likes to soil his own quarters, he would be more likely to hold himself when crated or tied up short than when left to roam the house freely. Take him out faithfully at steady intervals: the very first thing in the morning, and the last thing at night, and many times during the day. When he does what is asked of him outside, praise him richly. You may extend a reward of some enjoyed tidbit. As for mistakes, clean them good using soap and water and a commercial odor neutralizes. Scold but don't spank.

 

Allow one person to do the training, when possible, should be the one who feeds him. Let that person available all day and every day as needed. And let the teacher give the dog a great deal of affection. A lot of these hard-to-housebreak dogs had no one to love and no one to please. Every dog would like to please his master; and if given a master, he would want to please him as soon as he realizes how.

 

If housebreaking is delayed beyond a year of age, the dog could be very stubborn; on the other hand, he might catch on really quick. Either way, housebreaking could be done, and is well worth doing. Many a supposed "dirty dog" has been sold for a bargain price simply because it was claimed he couldn't be trusted in the house. Training an older dog takes time, since bad habits should be broken as new ones are acquired.

 

The dog sold as "guaranteed housebroken" might be a problem for a while. Unknown voices, a new bed, and an unfamiliar house and yard can result in a quite homesick animal. Give this dog time to get familiarized. A dog seldom forgets his house manners but he is clearly confused while moved to a new home. Don't hasten the training; your first job is to earn the dog's confidence.

© 2011 Tip Writer

Swimming Activity for Dogs

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Swimming is a most gratifying exercise. But not all dogs, are fond of swimming by nature, but some can be instructed.

Get the pet into shallow water by floating a ball. When you, too, are in the water, he would wade in to get it, and might swim when he reaches out beyond his depth. The dog’s swimming stroke is just like his walking movement—that’s why it’s also known as a dog paddle. He doesn’t have to learn either stroke or timing, but he should have to hold his body fairly upright and his chin above the waterline. If your dog does not begin swimming, do not pressure him; let him fool around the shallow water to get the feel of it. You will be able to guide him beyond his depth later, though with your hand under his chest.

Next, take him out into deeper water, readily turning him toward shore before he starts out to swim. He will go on swimming using paddling strokes till he reaches the bank and clambers up.

When you get your dog ready to swim, make sure there is a graded exit, meaning, a slight rise or bank up which he can scramble. A dog can’t pull himself up out of a straight-sided pool. Unwatched and unaided, he can readily drown in this manner. Even when he tries and fails by his own efforts, he may be so scared or exhausted that he will reject entering the water again. When a dog learns to enjoy the water, he will join in by himself, especially when chasing a stick or ball.

When your dog has finished swimming, dry him well using towels or an electric hair dryer. Be particular about his ears; dry them fully. If he was swimming in salt water, rinse off his coat with fresh water. Salt water (together with sand) dries out the hair, often chafes the skin, and causes itching and scratching.  

© 2011 TW

Training Your Dog to Respect Your Gardens and Lawns

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Coming when called is a really valuable command to teach your dog to maintain your own property line, and to keep him from getting at your own or your neighbor’s garden and shrubbery.

If your place is large walk along the edge once or twice a day; first having your dog on a long leash, then later without the leash. When he begins to go toward the street or into the next yard, say “No!” Curtly, then call him to you and praise him when he comes. Do this many times. If the dog doesn’t obey your command when he’s off leash, get back to using the leash once more.

If this does not work, get someone to assist you. Have him stand outside your hedge, or someplace in the disallowed territory, armed with a shake-can (put five to ten pennies in a clean empty soda can and tape the top) or a couple of empty tin cans. When your dog disregards your command and goes beyond the “boundary line,” have the assistant cry “Go back!,” clatter the cans, and even throw some towards the dog. You’ll, of course, welcome your dog heartily when he comes back to you for “protection.” Such steps, however, are generally unneeded if you take regular boundary walks. Call him to you, on the walks, for a pat or a tidbit every once in a while. Naturally, you should keep in mind that a passing dog or cat, or a female in season on the next block, could cause even the best-intentioned dog to wander from his own yard. Therefore, if you can’t furnish an enclosed area, your dog must never go outdoors unsupervised.

Dogs acquire spring fever and nothing is better to roll in or dig up than the soft earth of a newly sown lawn or a flower garden. If dogs are regularly warned “No!” and called back when they go for your flower garden or special shrubbery, they’ll soon give it a wide berth. A few dousings using a water pistol, a plant mister, or a garden hose will deter not only your own dog, but any strays as well.

The commercial dog repellents or cayenne pepper spread out around plants and shrubbery also will help deter a dog’s attention. The repellents have an odor that a dog disapproves; the pepper will bother his nose and make him sneeze. All such material has to be renewed often, especially after rain. And, naturally, the least trouble is to put up a low wire fence around a garden to keep it from dogs.

© 2011 TW

Training Your Dog to Stop Chasing Cars

Car chasing by dogs is a common problem in most communities. This bad habit must be broken before the dog is harmed or causes an accident.

Cars on the road aren’t the only danger; many pets have been gravely injured in their own driveways when the family car was being backed up. A dog must be instructed, therefore, to allow wide berth to any moving vehicle.

Training can be started out in the home driveway when it is long enough, or on the street during little or no traffic. Have one member of the family get the dog into the yard, or on the sidewalk, on a moderately long leash. As the car is driven carefully down the road, have somebody sitting opposite the driver prepared to shoot a spray from a water pistol or plant mister onto the dog’s face as he comes near the car and you order aggressively and immediately “No!” This has a frightening impact upon most dogs and will deter them. The use of your own car is best since being familiar with it, the dog runs up to it awaiting a ride. Restricted by the leash, he gets near enough to be squirted, but not near enough to risk injury. Occasionally this is all that’s needed to teach him to keep his distance from moving wheels.

If, nevertheless, the dog turns into a confirmed auto chaser, stronger measures might be called for. Have a friend drive a car up and down a quiet street. He would know what you are doing and will thence be on guard to prevent wounding the dog. Snap on a long leash and walk the dog along the side of the road, allowing the leash out to full length as he lunges. As he approaches the wheels, jerk him off his feet so sharply that he tumbles over, and command “No!” This may have to be repeated numerous times, and though it seems kind of severe punishment, some dogs require it for their own safety.

© 2011 TW

How to Tame Excessive Barking Behavior of Your Dog

When you acquire a puppy, for several months to come, life will be one lesson after another for your dog, but he would thrive on it. Learning new things restrains him from mischief by giving him something to do, something to expect. Training matures him mentally; and he near wiggles out of his skin having pride when you praise him for work well done.

Your puppy will learn to love you very much; you're his whole world, and when he has anything to say about it, you're not going to leave him alone. To make a long story short, he barks if you go out—the neighbors have complained. This is not acceptable.

The first step is to teach him never to bark unnecessarily. To do this properly, you must first select when the barking is permissible and when it is not. To deter all barking is to limit his value as a watchdog. So you correct only if the dog barks continually and for no obvious reason.

Go to the barker. Do not call him to go to you for correction. Using one hand hold his muzzle tightly shut even when it hurts. Use the other hand to finger-point as you state "Quiet!" Correct your dog each time he barks overly. Sometimes a few such sessions will be sufficient, but if the bad habit is of long standing, or the dog is unusually stubborn, then something more dramatic than the muzzle grip has to be utilized. You could surprise the yappy one into silence by way of a harsh sound—drop a tin or frying pan. A shake-can may also be rattled at the dog as you command "Quiet!" To create one, put five to ten pennies in a clean soda can and tape the top. The noise made by shaking the can would distract your dog and make him stop barking. This lesson can also be instructed with success by squirting him using water from a water pistol or plant mister.

When you teach the "Quiet!" lesson, the dog will continue to be quiet when you are with him, but the minute you're out of sight, he'll perhaps start barking again. Pet owners who reside apartments or settled communities must make certain their dogs behave when left behind. So put on your hat and coat and allow the dog to think you are going out. Order him to "Bed!" or "Place!" Using an old sweater of yours to lie on, then say simply and slowly, "Quiet!" and make believe you are leaving the house or apartment. When the door is shut, stay close by.

Do not let the dog fool you, however, by stealing to the door and smelling out the fact that you are waiting on the other side. That's why you ordered him to "Place!" -- to keep him off the door. As soon as your dog begins to bark or cry or howl, open the door straightaway, rush back inside, and lecture him using a firm jerk of his collar and the command "Quiet!" You may have to reiterate this performance several times, and you could find yourself spending what appears like hours just outside your door waiting for the barks to start out. But keep at it until you're sure your dog has learned the lesson. Leaving him for brief periods at first will likewise let him understand that you're going to come back. Whenever he feels guaranteed of your return, he will learn to be content alone. Young puppies that have learned this in the cradle, so to speak, seldom have to be trained to stay alone restfully.

Some Weird Habits in Male Dogs

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The male dog’s testicles must be descended and visible by 7-10 months old. If they have not come down, or if only one can be viewed, consult your veterinarian.

The urge of nearing maturity sometimes makes a male dog to start the objectionable habit of riding your arm or ankle when overexcited in play. And it's rather normal for male puppies to mount other pets, kids, and even furniture and become sexually aroused. The great way to deal with this is to hold the dog by the collar, give him a quick shake, and state "No!" sharply. When he attempts the trick on someone or something else, push him aside and then give the command.

 

Since kids and dogs like to roughhouse together, dogs regrettably misbehave in this manner more often with kids than with adults. Parents must instruct their children accordingly. When they actually witness it happening, they must simply state, "Don't let Bover do that!" There's no need for parents to be humiliated at such a time, however. Animals are animals, and they frequently show their sexual feelings, particularly prior to reaching puberty. On the brighter side, when the dog is completely grown, he'll generally outgrow the habit. If he does not, ask your vet about having him spayed. If you don't intend to use a male for breeding, it is inconsiderate to keep him sexually frustrated.

By Tip Writer

Teaching Your Dog To Sit on Command

When your dog is already heeling on leash, you must teach him to sit. The two lessons are intimately associated because they're used together when you are walking the puppy on leash.

The pup is trotting on your left side. The leash must be held in your right hand, your left hand just now being set aside for a different action. Coil up the leash into a moderately short length. Halt and command him to "Sit!" Your dog does not understand this command, so you'll have to show what you have in mind. As you give the command, draw the leash upward using your right hand while you press down on his hindquarters using your left to place him in a sitting position. Press lightly, slowly, and don't remove your hand too rapidly. You prefer the dog to sit but not to lie, so you might have to continue the upward draw on the leash. As you give the order, hold your feet still. When you move your feet the puppy would move as well.

 

The first few times, your puppy might be surprised at the pressure and possibly even try to break off. If he refuses, order "Heel!" At once, and begin walking to calm him down. Then try the "Sit!" once more. Keep at it, and he would soon be acting perfectly.

If he lies down rather than sit as he should, odds are that your grasp on the leash was wrong. A slow, solid up-pull on the leash when you issue the order "Sit!" ought to produce the correct pressure. When your grip on the leash isn't that strong, and the dog lies down, never try to compensate by jerking. The error was yours, not the dog's. Reach down, and using your right hand between the forelegs, raise him up to a sitting position, then pet him to express approval.

 

When he arises the moment you take your hand away, that also is your fault. Hold your hand pressed to his hindquarters long enough for him to realize what you want, even if it takes a few seconds. Bit by bit, less pulling and pushing would be necessary and, ultimately, none at all. When your dog sit diagonally rather than squarely, nudge his hindquarters to the right or left so that he faces directly forward.

© 2011 Athena Goodlight 

Heeling: How to Properly Walk Your Dog on Leash

Since leash control is demanded by law in most communities, set out correct leash-walking at a reasonably early age. By this time your puppy must be used to being led using a leash secured to his collar.

 

Heeling is a different name for walking properly under leash control; it implies walking with the dog's right shoulder in line with your left knee. If this lesson has been learned, you'll grip the leash in your left hand; your right hand will be free for different duties. Nevertheless, during the training period, the leash is contracted by coiling and is held using your right hand. At the same time, your left hand, palm downwards, holds a part of the leash near the dog's collar to perform firm correction or control. Just how close the collar you place your left hand depends upon the size of the dog.

 

Have the dog on your left side. Go at a fairly brisk pace. Get a quiet path or sidewalk so the pupil's focus won't be disturbed by other animals or humans passing. Your goal is to have your dog walk willingly and readily. He could charge ahead like a little bull, or balk and back away. If he does, tug the leash using your left hand, call his name, and command "Heel!" to get him in line. You'll have to restate the command often the first few times you attempt heeling. Each time the dog moves ahead, lags, or crosses in front of you, tug the leash, call his name, and restate the command "Heel!" After a couple of minor corrections, your dog will line up his steps to your movement.

 

There's a difference between giving commands and causing corrections. Every command of motion must be issued under a calm and pleasant tone, in conjunction with the dog's name. The sharp word and the jerk of the leash are corrections to be utilized when the dog lags behind, for example, or charges ahead, or when he halts to sniff the ground. And if your dog understands and obeys, be giving with your praise. Many lessons daily, around ten minutes each, will be just about right. Puppies tire quickly, so "little and often" is the rule.

© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Housebreaking Your New Puppy

The more time you spend with your new pup or dog, the faster she will learn not to urinate or defecate in the house. A puppy is just a baby and must learn what you expect of her. An older dog may have to learn new habits, depending upon how she was housed and trained before.


What Doesn’t Work
You have probably heard someone say, "If the puppy makes a mistake, rub his nose in it," or "Drag him to the site of disaster, point at the puddle or pile, and scold him." Don’t use either of those methods. They don’t work. All you’ll do is frighten the pup and make a mess for yourself to clean up. A dog is so upset when he is being scolded that he can’t even begin to understand exactly what you are angry about.

What Does Work: 6 Easy Steps
1. Watch out for the signs. Be with your puppy as much as possible so that you can learn his different noise and behaviors. You will soon detect that the puppy behaves in a certain way immediately before he begins to relieve himself like when you see your pup start to circle and sniff the floor, he’s almost certainly looking for a place to potty. Watch for this cue and use it to your advantage. You will only have a few seconds to get the puppy out to the place you want him to use. Don’t scold him if you are not fast enough.
2. Pick out your potty area. Pick a spot that you want your puppy to use as his potty area. Place a piece or two of his stool in that spot. This will be a cue to the pup. Take him to that spot immediately after eating. Praise him gently the instant he starts to relieve himself. The praise must be quiet and calm so that you won’t excite him to a point that he forgets what he started to do. When finished, shower him with praises and let him play in another area.
3. Be patient. Don’t play with your pup until he relieves himself. If he does not relieve himself within 10 minutes, put him in his crate and try the whole thing again in about 20 minutes.
4. Keep the potty area clean. Clean up the area everyday, leaving a small piece behind as a reminder for a few days. Once you are sure that the pup understands what the potty area is for, clean up the area completely each day
5. Maintain control. If your puppy is very small, you may have to carry him to the potty spot. Or take him out wearing a collar and leash. Never let the puppy follow you without any type of restraint. Keep a leash and collar by the door.
6. Introduce the puppy to the house in small steps. Confine the pup to a single room at first, preferably one with a tiled floor. Put a baby gate across the entrance when possible. You must be able to observe the puppy when he is out of the crate, so don’t lock him in the bathroom. The best time to allow the puppy freedom in his room is after he has relieved himself outdoors. When you are confident with his behavior, gradually allow him freedom to the rest of the house. Too much too soon may allow him to spot a nook or cranny as a perfect spot to relieve himself. Just take it slow and you will have a reliable puppy.



© 10/19/2010 Athena Goodlight