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DOG TRAINING PUBLICATIONS

www.rnswcc.org.au
Promoting responsible Dog ownership

PRACTICAL AND PRODUCTIVE ADVICE FOR DOG TRAINING

I have been training dogs since 1987,

when I joined the Royal Australian Air Force to train Military Police Dogs. For 20 years I have been training dogs for a variety of specialized tasks and work environments, while the last four years I have concentrated on training family pets in obedience and specialising in behavioural problems at my farm stay facility at Tumbulgum, NSW

An area of major concern

As a dog trainer I'm seeing an epidemic of dog problems with the main reason that dog owners are lacking the knowledge of how to be a good manager.
OWNING A DOG IS A BALANCING ACT, IF YOUR MANAGEMENT IS INCORRECT YOU WILL HAVE PROBLEMS. DOGS NEED LEADERSHIP AND STRUCTURE TO KEEP THEM CALM AND COMPLIANT.

Everyone loves a promotion especially a dog, but when dogs lacks a manager they become their own boss and dysfunctional in their environment. Just by implementing a few simple changes people can install structure over their dogs. A simple task such as crating demotes a dog by environment and the dog learns that he or she can not just go everywhere they want.

This is setting a boundary and the dog learns to be independent. Denning is natural to dogs but yet rarely people crate or kennel their dogs promoting separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety is an owner creation which can be overcome with simple management. Crating the dog for couple of hours a day shapes the dog and encourages calm and independent behaviour and set the boundaries.

Humanising dogs also makes the dogs to be stressed and confused.
When a dog is allowed to be boss, he or she will place themselves as the centre of the environment and opens the gate to a whole set of problems. When dogs are handled properly they know their place within the family.

Owners seeking advice in the wrong locations are fed incorrect information like ignoring negative behaviour in the hope that it will go away. Our experience is that it won't and the outcome is an every increasing rate of problems and dog bites. A dog has to know it's place in their environment .

Our target here is to shape dogs into interactive compliant companions and give owners the knowledge to be good managers. This way every body is happy.

Of course there is no such thing

as the perfect dog but we would be way ahead in producing compliant dogs if breeders use practical commonsense in their breeding selections.

The majority of my clientele's dog's extreme behavioural problems are easily solvable, without taking months, years or the dogs life span to correct.

One satisfied client, whose dog's behavioural problems were quickly solved stated:"I could have bought a new car with all the money spend on just training that dog."

Correct professional dog training

and handling should provide immediate changes in the behaviour of your dog and establish a healthy relationship between the dog and the owner.

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© Cheryl Spring
Published in the Royal NSW Canine Council
Dog News Magazine 13 sept 2005