Clicker Training for Puppies
by admin ~ February 25th, 2008I’ve trained many dogs over the years, typically using the standard method of giving a command, like “sit,” pushing gently on the puppy’s rear end to help them into a sitting position, then giving a treat. This seemed to work pretty well.
I recently began taking a beginner’s obedience class with a new puppy. The class is based on clicker training. The theory behind clicker training is that you are able to click (a small metal “clicker” can be purchased at pet supply stores) at exactly the moment the dog performs the desired action, then follow the click with a treat. This provides a more precisely timed reward for the desired behavior (the click), helping the puppy to understand what it is you want faster. Clicker training provides positive reinforcement which seems to work really well with dogs and puppies.
I must admit, I was skeptical at first. We were instructed to stand with the clicker in one hand and a treat in the other, look at our puppy’s backside and wait for them to sit without giving commands or assisting with motion. I was suprised when it worked! But sure enough, after just a few seconds of making eye contact with my puppy’s backside, he sat down and and looked at me, trying to figure out what I was doing and what I wanted. Immediately upon contact between the puppy’s rear and the ground, the clicker is clicked, then a treat follows.
A few weeks into the classes, I’ve found I’m getting a more rapid response to commands. My puppy seems to be grasping new concepts after just a few repetitions of commands with the clicker, vs. the few weeks it would typically take to learn commands the old way. He definitely associates that click with a positive response and a treat. Clicker training receives a thumbs up!
Filed under: Behavior/Training, Product Reviews, Puppies/Puppy Care | No Comments »
Arizona Bill May Force Spay and Neuter
by joy ~ February 5th, 2008Arizona House Bill 2516 seeks to prohibit ownership of intact dogs and puppies over the age of six months without a permit. My initial thought was, “Cool. Maybe that will help reduce the number of dogs and cats that end up in shelters.” Upon closer review of the Bill, I found it has some serious issues that need to be addressed, and in it’s current state would make life more difficult for responsible breeders. You can check out the bill here. Thanks to the AKC for compiling a handy list of all the Representatives you can contact regarding the Bill. The main problem points:
1. In order to get and maintain a permit to keep an intact dog, you have to meet certain requirements. One requirement states that the dog must be training to compete or competing in shows. OK, no biggie. But then they slap a time limit on it. Your dog must be titled by age three, or you can’t renew your permit. For breeds like Mastiffs that don’t even reach adulthood until age 2 1/2 to three, this could be a problem if you’re going for a confirmation title. What happens if your dog has half of his points and turns three?
2. The bill provides a loophole for people to breed one male and one female dog per household one time. The intact permit is only good for one year, and if it must be obtained by the time the dog is 6 months old, do the math (don’t foget to allow 2 months for pregnancy) and this is forcing breeding way too early. 16-18 month old dogs are not only too young for breeding, screenings for genetic issues such as hip dysplasia are not reliable if the dog is under 2 years. Not only does this allow irresponsible breeders to continue breeding, now they must be more irresponsible by breeding young dogs without health screenings.
3. Your intact dog permit can be revoked if you refuse to allow an inspection of your home or premesis where the dog is kept. Whoa! Major violation of privacy. Just come on in whenever you feel like it, no cause, no warrant necessary.
Responsible owners who are already complying with local animal control laws will be unfairly punished by HB 2516, while irresponsible breeders both inside and outside of Arizona will continue to make problems for the community and local shelters while profiting off of the sale of dogs. I urge our lawmakers to focus their attention in this matter on mass breeding facilities, kennels, and those who choose to disregard the current laws and will likely continue to do so.
Please read the Bill for yourselves and send your comments to the Representatives.
Filed under: Legal Issues | 1 Comment »
Mastiff Puppy
by alpha ~ February 4th, 2008An english mastiff puppy recently joined our family, and he’s been a great addition to the pack. We started obedience training at Kokopelli last week and it’s going well. We are in a group class with about 12 other dogs, and though my puppy outweights most of the other puppies by about 40lbs, he’s playing nicely and learning quickly. He gets along well with our adult dogs, which include a great dane and a shepherd mix. Each time a new puppy joins the family it seems like a flood of new information and observations follows, so watch for new puppy rearing tips in months to come!
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Q: What’s the best puppy food for great dane puppies?
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008A: We feed our great dane and mastiff puppies Eagle Pack Holistic Select. They’ve conducted feed studies on several litters of giant breed puppies with no reported cases of HOD, OCD or Pano, and our dogs love it. Eagle Pack Large & Giant Breed Puppy is available in our i-tails.com online store.If it’s not available in your area, look for a super-premiun food without by-products, sugar, or high levels or salt and corn. Premium foods typically have extras like probiotics, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and glucosamine in addition to better quality meats (chicken meal vs. chicken by-product) and grains. Look for human grade ingredients and all natural vs. artificial colors and preservatives.
Giant breed puppies should never be fed a regular puppy food. More information is available on our giant breed nutrition page.
Filed under: FAQ, Nutrition/Growth, Puppies/Puppy Care | No Comments »
Q: Is there a “super growth” formula that I can feed my mastiff to make him grow larger?
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008A: No. Actually, by over-feeding a giant breed puppy, you can cause painful bone diseases that can leave your puppy/dog permanently disfigured, and can even cause death. When mastiff puppies are fed a diet too high in calories, fat, protein or calcium, the extra “food” promotes rapid bone growth but the muscles can’t keep up, causing a host of issues.
Genetics are genetics - your dog will grow to be the size he is meant to be regardless of how much you feed or what type of food you feed. The difference is, with proper levels of fat, protein and calcium, your puppy will grow at a slower rate, reducing the chances of developing hip dysplasia, Pano, HOD and OCD. It will take him a little longer to grow to his full adult size, but be patient and it will be worth it in the end! More information is available on our Nutrition and Feeding page.
Filed under: FAQ, Nutrition/Growth | No Comments »
Trimming Nails
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008Our great danes and mastiffs have huge nails, and trimming them is not an easy task. We’ve struggled with this for over a decade, and have finally found a great solution - the new dremel stylus.
Though we tried using a dremel to trim our 200lb. great dane’s nails years ago, at the time it just seemed to heat up the nail and cause more discomfort than trimming with clippers. We decided to give it another try and purchased the stylus, which is easier to hold than the older versions. This new smaller tool with variable speeds works great. There are a couple of tricks we’ve learned that help to speed up the task:
- If your dog won’t be still, make sure you have someone else keep the dog still while you hold the paw and nail. One slip of the dremel can leave large cuts on your pup, so it’s crucial that you have control of your dog.
- It seems to work best if you can rest the end of the dremel on the ground for stability, and hold the nail firmly to avoid vibrating the nail rather than filing it down.
- Be careful not to file the nail too much (into the quick) as this can make the nail bleed. Keep some styptic powder on hand just in case…
- Do this outside. Nail dust flies everywhere.
- Use the fastest speed and the sanding tip.
Nail trimming used to take quite awhile, and we have it down to about 5 minutes per dog using the new dremel. The best part is, the dogs seem much less stressed out about the whole nail trimming process.
