1. Never get angry with your dog.  If you feel frustrated, stop training.  Instead take a walk, play with your dog or just take a time out.
2.  Don’t yell or scream at your dog.  Dogs do not respect yelling and screaming.  In their world it is a sign of unbalance.  Don’t beg your dog to do something, again you are showing signs of weakness.  Your dog will not respect weakness and will not give you the desired results.
3. Always reward your dog Immediately when he or she does what you want.
4. ALWAYS reward your dog when he or she comes to you.  Never punish your dog if he or she takes off, but then comes back to you.  If you punish this you are punishing the dog for coming to you.
5. Never make a frightened dog do something he or she does not want to do.
6. Always get your dog’s attention before teaching a command.
7. Say a command once.  If you repeat the command you are teaching your dog to wait for multiple commands to respond.  Never yell commands.  Your dog’s hearing is much better than yours.
8. Be consistent with your command vocabulary.  Choose one command and use it always.
9. Choose one work commands.
10. Don’t use down for OFF.  They are two separate commands.
11. Never ask for a behavior you are unable to enforce.
12. Always enforce a command.  If your dog won’t sit you must make him sit.
13. Always reward the behavior your want.  Never Never reward unwanted behavior.
14. Always set your dog up for success.  Don’t ask him to do something he will not be able to do.
15. Always end on a positive note.
16. Make training FUN.
17. Take the time to play with your dog after training sessions.

Enjoy your dog training classes and remember to use these rules to make training fun for everyone.  If you have questions about training or dog training programs visit www.highlandcanine.com or call toll free 866.200.2207

Unlike basic obedience where dogs are taught to understand our language, in agility we must learn to speak in their language.  We do this by using body language (the language of dogs) to communicate when to jump, weave, etc.

The sport of agility is fun and can be addictive for handler and dog.  It is a sport for the young, middle aged and the elderly.

Benefits of Agility

Because it is a team sport, agility creates a bond between the handler and the dog.  Because the game is such fun some negative behaviors associated with boredom or inactivity minimize or even cease.  Agility is wonderful for unsure dogs and timid dogs because it builds confidence.  Once a dog knows he can jump, or go through a tunnel and receive praise, he or she is more willing to try other obstacles or jumps.

Agility is also a great way for your dog to get in shape.  His activity level will increase and he will look forward to his weekly agility classes.

How to choose a dog for agility

You don’t need a specific breed  for an agility dog.  Any breed can do agility.  Your dog does not have to be a purebred dog, mixed breed dogs do just as well at agility.

Dogs don’t have to be a certain age, however puppies less than a year should not jump regulation heights  because it puts stress on their developing bones and joints.  Large breed dogs, Malamutes, Great Danes, St. Bernards, and a few others should wait until a year and a half to two years before frequent jumping.

After choosing a dog for agility a few factors should be considered, starting with the health of the dog.  The dog should be in good health and have all of his vaccinations.  Also your dog should be free of hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia or any other hereditary or congenital bone or joint disease.  Older dogs should be free from crippling arthritis.

Make sure your dog is not overweight because they can be slow and injury prone.  The best way to determine if your dog is overweight is of course by looking at him, but you may also put your thumbs on the dogs spine and feel the ribs with your fingers.  You should be able to feel the spine and ribcage easily.  If you can not feel the spine, ribs, or pelvis then your dog is probably too heavy for agility.  A good pre-exercise plan along with proper nutrition should get your dog in good shape in no time.

The dog’s temperament is also of great importance.  The dog that is eager to please and loves being with you is a much better candidate that the dog that wants to independently wonder off or do his or her own thing.  The dog that wants to please will readily learn the obedience required for agility which is sit, down, stay and come.  Eventually, off leash work will need to be included in his obedience.  If your dog does not have obedience you should enroll your dog in an obedience class before beginning an agility class.

Agility is a great way for you and your dog to get in shape, it is fun and forms a strong bond between you and your dog.  Enroll in an agility class and learn how to have more  fun with your dog. If you are interested in agility training or agility classes call us at 866.200.2207 or email training@highlandcanine.com

In reality, barking is a form of communication.  Just like communication is necessary for us to live in harmony, barking is necessary for dogs to be able to live together with minimal conflicts.

Humans need to be heard and so do dogs.  The reason yelling doesn’t quiet a dog is because the dog is trying to tell us something.  If we yell we are not listening to the dog.  The dog in turn becomes frustrated and barks  more and often barks louder.

What can you do the stop barking?

First, you must understand barking is a natural way for dogs to express themselves.  It is part of their language and if you can understand what the dog is telling you you can fix the problem.  You don’t necessarily want to stop barking completely you do want to get it under control though.

There are 6 types of barking.

1. Excitement barking
2. Warning barking
3. Fear barking
4. Guard barking
5. Frustration barking
6. Learned barking

Excitement Barking

This type of barking has a high frequency sound.   The bark can be constant or it can be a series of barks with small breaks.  You may even hear whining.  The dog’s activity level will be high and may include jumping, spinning around, running all over the place.

Warning Barking

Dogs give this type of bark when they feel  their pack members (dogs or humans) need to be warned.  This bark is short.  One short “woof” saying move away, we are in danger.

Fear Barking

This bark will be high pitched and will be a long series of barks.  You can definitely hear the fear in the dogs voice.  Sometimes a howl will follow, meaning the dog is calling for help.  If you notice the dog will be restless, usually running back and forth, and if enclosed the dog will try to get out.

Guard barking

Guard barking can be misunderstood because the dog  usually barks and growls which most people mistake for aggression or dominance.  Guard barking happens when a dog feels he is in a position where he has to defend  either himself or something that belongs to him.  This type of bark sounds like:  grrrrr-bark, bark—grrr.   The dog will move forward, he will lunge toward whatever he feels threatened by.

Frustration barking

This type of barking is the type that drives our neighbors crazy.  It is an endless series of static barking.  It is the same tone over and over again.  Sometimes this type of barking will end in a howl.  The sad thing about this type of barking is that the dog is usually tied out, is left alone outside, or is not allowed to play with other dogs or people.  It is a stressful situation for the dog, and a very unnecessary situation for the dog.

Learned barking

Learned barking is easy to recognize.  The dog barks, then pauses, and looks around.  He is waiting for the attention or reinforcement he has received in the past.  If he doesn’t get it he will start barking again.  Owners are the underlying cause of this type of barking.

Remember, barking is a form of communication.  We must listen to our dogs and change conditions that make them bark out of fear, frustration,  and boredom.  We must review the environments our dogs are in and alter them to keep our dogs happy and unafraid.

Obese dogs are more at risk during surgery, they are more prone to injury and they usually have more stress on their joints, liver, kidneys, heart and lungs.  They often have respiratory problems when the weather is hot and when they exercise.  Excessive weight can also lead to diabetes.

So how does an owner determine whether his/her dog is obese?  If your dog is overweight he or she will have fat over the ribs, and will not have a defined waistline.  If your dog is obese he/she will have heavy fat along the ribs and the spine.  You can tell if your dog is Morbidly obese if he or she has a protruding stomach and fat deposits  throughout the body.

If you determine your dog is overweight there are many things you can do to help him slim down.  First, take him/her to the vet for a physical.  If he or she checks out ok, other than the weight issue, then it’s  time to begin an exercise program and time to administer a new feeding program as well.

Do your research, like human food, some dog foods are low-calorie,  low fat and even special weight loss formulas are available.   Make sure your dog can handle the low fat products and make sure you don’t keep your pet on a low fat/reduced fat diet for long periods because serious side effects   are possible.

The best way to handle the situation is to cut back on the amount of food you are feeding your dog.  Remember, dogs are not meant to be fat, they are natural scavengers and the fact that he or she is begging for your food does not mean he or she is really hungry.  If you must give your dog a little something give him or her carrots or other low calorie vegetables. Even though vegetables are healthy try not to give too many or your dog may suffer from an upset stomach.  You can also treat your pet to snacks from a natural food bakery for pets .

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of EXERCISE.  A healthy diet plus exercise is important to help your dog lose weight, keep it off and help his heart , lungs and bones stay is tip top shape.

Leaving your dog in the backyard for a couple of hours is ok, but it is not really exercising your dog.  Exercising your dog means doing activities that stimulate him mentally and physically.  That means taking your dog for a run or a long walk,  playing Frisbee, taking an agility class, you can even train your dog to run beside your bike as you peddle, this is great fun for both of you.  Nose work or tracking  classes are available and most dogs love this game.  Be creative, get out there and exercise yourself and your dog.