Tips To Be The Alpha Dog

November 6, 2007 at 5:30 pm · Filed under Puppy, Dog Tips, Dog Training

What is Alpha Dog?

What does Alpha the word Alpha means? Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In general, it means the first one, or the strong one. Alpha Dog means to be the leader or the dominance over your dog.

Some history about dog

Wolf are the ancestor of today’s dog. Deep within the psyche of your dog lies instincts they have retained from their wild ancestors. Wolf are pack animal and they live by rules and have a social structure. You will often see that in the movies related to “werewolf” such as “Blood and Chocolate”. The entire pack will be lead under a single leader. The leader will enjoy and eat first, then only followed by the rest of the pack.

Take note: When your dog growls at you when he is eating, he is saying “I am the leader, and you must wait.” Dog owner must learn to train your dog dog not to have this behaviour.

Why is Alpha Dog important?

It is important that the owner be the Alpha Dog because you don’t want your dog to be overpower you and do not follow your command. This will lead to a lot of behavioral problem and training difficulties in the future. Start early to exercise Alpha Dog when you first bring home the puppy. Once you establish this relationship, your dog will seek you out. He will want to be with you and will treat you with respect and affection. After he learns to submit to handling, all other tasks such as grooming, nail clipping, cleaning ears, and medicating will be easier to accomplish. But first he must learn that you have the power to handle him, and that handling will not lead to any harm. He must come to trust you entirely.

How to learn to be the Alpha Dog?

1. Never let your dog start growling at your or your children. Growling represent their intention to be dominant over you.

2. Leader always walk through the door first - if your dog rushes out when you open the door, use leash and tell him “No” and ask him to “Wait”. You walk in, then only permit him to follow from the back.

3. Avoid to let your dog sleep on the same bed with you. This is important to conform your Alpha status. Place the dog’s bed on the floor beside your bed will be the best.

4. Increase socialize activities such as bring him to the park or introduce to the neighborhood who also enjoy dog’s company. Let you dog familiarize, respect and love to be around with people.

5. Try not to over baby your dog. He need to learn and explore himself and be independent. You may not be with him 24 hours. When he acts afraid of something that he should not be afraid of, tell him it’s okay and show him the object or person. Your confidence will make him a confident and dependable dog. If you feed his imaginary fears, he will become a snappy and untrustworthy dog. He may also develop fear aggression.

6. What is fear aggression? An example of fear aggression could be a dog that sits in its owner’s lap and growls at people or other animlas. He will continue to do that if you pet him and say “It’s okay” at this time. The correct method is to tell him no and put him down off your lap. If you do not handle fear aggression properly, your dog will become snappy when children or other people try to pet him. So it is very important to use the right method.

7. Do not play tug of war with your puppy. Play fetch and tell them to release the ball gently. Pass him a treat or another toy to exchange if he doesn’t drop.

8. Spend time to play with your dog. Train him and love him like of your own children. Once you decided to rear a dog, you have the full responsibility as the mother and raise a good child. Bad dog behavior is failure of owner’s proper training.

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Games To Train Your Dog

October 17, 2007 at 1:13 pm · Filed under Dog Games, Dog Tips, Dog Training

There are many reasons to play games with your dog. For one most important reason, it will strengthen your relationship. People who regularly play with their dog develop understanding, respect and communication with their dog. Games are activities you do with your dog that require the two of you to communicate and work together in some way.Dogs are social creatures, playing game is an important element in developing social relationships. Playing games is a fundamental way of “modeling” a real life. You can teach a dog to obey by playing games that make following your instructions fun.

Besides that, it will keep the dog from getting bored, which will keep him from things you don’t want him doing, and make him healthier.

Games To Play:

1. Hide and Seek
Put your dog on a sit or down position to wait. Then you go and hide in another room or behind a door. Call him when you are ready. Act very excited and give him a treat when he successfully found you. Start with easy place and slowly move to more difficult to find places. This is fun and will also teach your dog to wait until called.

2. Fetch
Some dogs are natural fetchers, others are not. But it can be trained and have fun. Start by throwing a toy/ball or stick to shorter distance for a start, and command “fetch”. When he manage to fetch it, praise and reward him a lot, eventually he will know the game. Also, practise “drop it” in this “fetch” game. If your dog refuses to return the ball, which is quite common, or drops it too far away, end the game in disgust.

3. Drop It
One way to train “drop it” is to give the dog large item to hold, then offer a very desirable treat for exchange. Wait patiently until the dog notice the attractive treat, and drop the thing and exchange for the treat. If the dog picks it up again, try another exchange and practise again. When the dog is dropping the toy regularly, start giving the cute “drop it” before each treat.

4. Clean Up Your Toys
Get a box to collect a number of toys. Scatter a few toys on the floor. Through shaping and teasing, get the dog to pick up the items one at a time, and place them in your hand. Once the dog is lifting the items high enough to get your hand underneath to receive, you are well started. Reward each “gift” with a treat. This is “return for refund” game. Try different shapes of item which safe for your dog to pick up. Each item retrieved is dumped into the bucket. You will be surprised your dog will end up helping you to clean the house!

5. Find It!
Put your dog in a down-stay position, show him the treat or his favourite toy, then let him watch you put it behind a door, a chair or under a towel. Then tell him to “Find it!” When he does, give him lots of praise. And of course, he gets to eat the treat. You can repeat this by varying the places and treats. Overtime, hide the treat where the dog can’t see it, like in another room. Release her, and let her get the treat. You can increase the distance, difficulty level. This is especially good for dogs that have learn “stay” but are nervous about having their people go out of sight.

6. Simon Says
If you have the right attitude, you can make obedience training a game. Let your dog prove how clever she or he is by sitting when you say “sit”, lying down when you say “down”, etc. Try it when your eyes are closed, your back is to the dog, or you are in a different position like lying down or even standing on your head! For advance learner, can try mix up “drop it”, “take it/get it”, “hold it”, and “leave it”. You’ll be surprised with the results if trained properly and with patience.

7. Give Him Problem To Solve
Boring dog? Put a treat inside a cardboard box and let your dog work to get it out. Make it easy at first — start with a box without a lid and let the dog see you put the treat in it. Work up to more difficult ones. Depending on your dog’s skill, you may end up with pieces of box all over the floor but you’ll have a very happy and busy dog throughout the process.

8. Playing Soccer
Need exercise? Did you know you can teach your dog to play soccer too? Start the game by gently kicking the ball along the ground toward your dog. Encourage him to get it. The ball is too big to pick up with his teeth, it will take him a few minutes to figure out that he must push it with his nose or bat it with his paws. Give him lots of praise as he begins to catch on. As he gets better at it, you can include more people in the game. For breeds too small to handle a soccer ball, soft rubber balls can be used.

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Games That Are Not Good For Your Dog

October 1, 2007 at 4:52 pm · Filed under Dog Tips, Dog Training

Certain games are dangerous and encourages dominant behaviour of a dog. Here I will share a few common games which are not appropriate if you do not want your dog to misbehave unnecessarily.

1. Wrestling and Tug-Of-War

This games are fine for dogs but not for us. Very often we see that the puppies like to play wrestling among their littermates which is fine. However, we might get hurt if we play with them too roughly. We need to let our dogs know that we we’re people, not littermates, and should be treated with respect. Playing these games can give some dogs the mistaken idea that the toughest player wins and shall be the pack leader. It is not good for your dog to believe they are higher in the pack hierarchy than any family member. This game also may make a possessive or aggressive dog worse. Games that encourage the dog to growl and bite are risky and may confuse him. It’s hard for a dog to understand that sometimes it’s okay for him to be aggressive and sometimes it’s not.

2. Chasing Game
Quite often we like to play with our dog by letting them chasing us or our children. This may be quite dangerous because chasing may bring out the predator instincts in a dog, and even nipping at once’s feet and causing you to fall.

3. Teasing With Toys/Food
Do not use any item to tease the dog and try to make him jump again and again. Quite often I notice we like to use rags or cloth to tease a puppy and make him jump. It’s not appropriate because this can lead to undesired behaviours and making the dog aggressive and rough if he can’t get what he wanted.

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Tips on how to get your dog start swimming?

September 28, 2007 at 12:45 am · Filed under Dog Tips, Dog Training

Swimming for dog can be fun. However, you may want to learns some safety tips and precautions before throwing your best friend into the pool or lake. Human need to take swimming lesson to learn how to swim, but most mammals can swim by instinct. So you just need to guide your dog for the first few times to the water.

1. For a start, your dog need to learn to swim and get used to the water. The pup’s first introduction to the water should be at a spot where there is a gradual entry, rather than a sharp drop off and there should be no current at all.

2. Once you found a suitable place to train your puppy, either a lake or pool, bring a favorite toy with you and encourage them out further by tossing the toy short distances and swimming over to it. It will also be good if you can go down to the water together with you pup so that he feel more confident with the water.

3. Slowly, pull your dog in deep enough (but very gradually and with a leash if necessary) to where he has to swim rather than walk. Some dogs might need support for their hindquarters. Place your hand under your dog’s belly near the back until he learns to use his legs to stay afloat.

4. You may want to reward him a bit as encouragement to start swimming!

Precautions:

A. Always play safe, never allowed dog unattended access to the water.

B. A canine life jacket (vest) is helpful in teaching a dog to swim and can be worn by dogs that never catch on.

C. Short-legged breeds such as Basset Hounds, Dachshunds and Welsh Corgis can only swim short distances. Most Bulldogs can’t swim. If taking these kinds of dogs on a boat, bring a life jacket for them.

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Training for your Golden Retriever

September 18, 2007 at 4:57 pm · Filed under Golden Retriever, Dog Training

Golden Retrievers are quick to learn and eager to please, patient, fun-loving, full of energy and easily trained. As your Golden Retriever’s human companion you will undoubtledly be the center of its universe, and the chances are it will become the center of yours too. ‘Golden Retrievers : Everything You Need to Know’ covers everything you need to know about taking care of, maintaining and training your Golden Retriever in one handy Guide which both current and prospective Golden owners will love! Read more about this.

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How to train puppy not to bite on furniture

August 13, 2007 at 9:53 pm · Filed under Dog Toy, Dog Tips, Dog Training

Now that I’ve moved to my own new house, it make me appreciate more on my house furniture. The first thing that come to my mind is…, how to protect my furniture against dog bite… I kept a few record of the good tips and now is the time to apply it.

1. Biting and chewing is a natural process for puppy or dog, we as owner need to understand that and provide sufficient chewing toy for them.

2. Start early is good as biting is a process of teething, teaching the puppies what is allowed and what is not at an early stage is very important.

3. Never try to stop a puppy’s biting by hitting the puppy. Say “No” when he start to bite on your shoe or furniture. Pass him a chew toy and praise him or reward him when he does the right thing.

4 . Make him understand that biting on furniture will result in bad consequences such as you leaving him or put him in the crate let him associate treats with a chew toy.

5. Some toy manufacturing company has come up with better chew toy idea which called Active Toys. This include the Amazing GoDogGo that allows your dog to play fetch on his own. Also, the infamous Kong and snack activity balls which allow your dog to seek out food in an active way and Hide-a-toy plush toys where smaller toys are hidden inside one larger toy. Keeping your dog busy by using these toys will often prevent chewing on your furniture.

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Is it possible to train an adult dog?

July 18, 2007 at 10:22 am · Filed under Dog Tips, Dog Care, Dog Training

Well…, the answer is yes and no, and it very much depends on individual dog actually. Most people believed that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. It is partly true because, dog are quite like people, and by the time they are grown, they are much more “set” in their ways.

However it is not impossible to train an old dog, but the method might be different from training a puppy. Below are a few Tips, Do’s and Don’ts for training an adult or old dog.

1. You got to be a lot more firm and stricter towards adult dog compare to puppy.

2. You got to understand the background of the dog. Like how he had been trained before, it would be of great advantage if you can find out from previous owner or the place you adopted him.

3. House-train your dog on the first day he arrive. Show him the bathroom and place to eliminate. Praise him if he eliminate at the right spot.

4. Train by tricks - this means make your dog believe that whatever he does, is his idea. For example, if he sit down, quickly you call out “sit”, repeated that a few times and he will eventually familiarize “sit” as a command for him to sit down. You may want to try come, stay, fetch, etc.

5. Keep training session short, like 3-5 minutes is good enough.

6. Remember, reward is very important. Every right deed needs a treat from you.

7. Be consistent with your training method and stay positive always.

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Why dogs need toys?

July 11, 2007 at 12:27 pm · Filed under Dog Tips, Dog Care, Dog Training

Toys Are Dogs Best Companion When You Are Not There

For dogs and other animal companions, toys are not a luxury, but a necessity. Toys help fight boredom in dogs left alone, and toys can even help prevent some problem behaviors from developing. Dogs are often more than willing to “play” with any object they can get their paws on.

Be Cautious And Play Safe

The things that are usually most attractive to dogs are often the very things that are the most dangerous. Dog-proof your home by removing string, ribbon, rubber bands, children’s toys, pantyhose, and anything else that could be ingested.

Choose The Right Toy For Your Dog

Toys should be appropriate for your dog’s size. Balls and other toys that are too small can easily be swallowed or become lodged in your dog’s throat.

Remove or alter any toys that might be dangerous to your dog, such as ribbons, strings, eyes, or other parts that could choke your dog. It’s better not to keep toys that start to break into pieces.

You May Want To Know Some Toys Tips……

• Rotate your dog’s toys weekly by making only a few toys available at a time. Keep a variety of types easily accessible. If your dog has a favorite, like a soft “baby,” you may want to leave it out all the time.
• Provide toys that offer variety—at least one toy to carry, one to “kill,” one to roll, and one to “baby.”
• “Hide and Seek” is a fun game for dogs to play. “Found” toys are often much more attractive than a toy which is obviously introduced. Making an interactive game out of finding toys or treats is a good “rainy-day” activity for your dog, using up energy without the need for a lot of space.
• Interactive toy play is very important for your dog cause such play enhances the bond between you and your pet. By focusing on a specific task—such as repeatedly returning a ball or playing toy “hide-and-seek”. Your dog can expel pent-up mental and physical energy in a limited amount of time and space. This greatly reduces stress due to confinement, isolation, and boredom. For young, high-energy, and untrained dogs, interactive play also offers an opportunity for socialization and helps them learn about appropriate and inappropriate behavior, such as jumping up.

There are a few places online that most popular shop for dog toys. Dog.com is one of the fastest growing dog supply websites. Clicking on the banner below will take you right to their dog toys page. The selection is great.

They have been providing top quality products online for over 10 years. The selection here is unbelievable, and they’ll even help you choose toys based on your dog breed.

Click on it and check this cute toy out!! They are perfect for “squeak-squeak” and throw and fetch game!

This sweet plush bear is equipped with a cotton rope perfect for pulling, playing around and fetch games.

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Get ready to train your puppy

July 7, 2007 at 3:05 pm · Filed under Dog Tips, Dog Training

It’s important to know that dog training is something dog owner need to really considering about. Training opens up a line of communication between the dog and the owner.

Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want or do not want her to do. It’s fun if your dog can understand what you instruct her to do, like ’sit, fetch, come here, stay, etc’ .

The main purpose about dog training is not to ask your dog to perform super-tricks and perform in a show or what, unless that is your real purpose though. We are not talking about show dog here, we are talking about teaching your dog the basic rules to make him or her a safer pet as well as a pleasant companion.

Here are some tips of basic dog training:

1. Puppy is always easier to train than an adult dog.

2. Must start toilet train on the first day he come to his new home.

3. Choose a name for him. Look into his eyes whenever you call him.

4. Always keep small treat on your pocket during training and reward him if he do the right command.

5. Always be firm and do not let your dog feel that he has power over you. Owner must always be the leader.

6. Do not beat or scold your dog if he eliminate at the wrong place, he will misunderstood you for not allowing him to do it at all, or he thought you get so excited about it and he might continue doing it.

7. Must be determined and patient in the training process, don’t give up easily. You will feel rewarding when your dog start to learn a few command.

8. Keep it simple and short: A puppy learns to do things in a step-by-step manner. For example, in teaching him to stay, do not expect him to stay put for several minutes at a time while you are off someplace away from him.

Here’s the fastest, most effective, and most fun way to train your puppy or dog.

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Have you heard of Sit, Stay, Fetch?

June 21, 2007 at 11:23 am · Filed under Dog Training

“My husband and I adopted Jack (a one year old male Pug/Chihuahua mix) three months ago from a shelter (we are his third home in a year) and to put it mildly he was 20 pounds of terror– dominate, nipping, chewing and also had separation anxiety issues. He quickly earned the name ‘Jack The Nipper’.

I read a couple of books about dogs behaving badly, but felt that I needed a step-by-step approach to correct Jack’s unpleasant behavior. I researched the internet and came across SitStayFetch, which I quickly downloaded, printed and read in one evening.I immediately started with the Alpha Dog lessons and got across to Jack that I am the Alpha Mommy.

I had no idea that doing something as simple as making him sit before I put his bowl of food down would make a difference in how Jack viewed me.

Jack has made great progress. He has become confident, less anxious and likes to practice commands every day. We still need to work on a few areas, but it’s only been less than three months! Jack is much happier knowing that we are the pack leaders who protect, feed and love him.

I recommend SitStayFetch to everyone who has a dog as a companion. I have learned so much about dog behaviors and how to respond accordingly without yelling or intimidating. Thanks Dan for writing such a great learning tool!”
– Susan Caruso (USA)

Get this great product now!

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