Author Archives: RogerGafke

From the first class session, we help you get your dog’s attention.  Getting your dog to pay attention to you often starts with your paying close attention to your dog. Attend to your dog intensely early in training, and your dog will begin to pay attention to you, too.  The picture is an example of that two-way attention.  Your goal will be to build  your dog’s habit of paying attention to you even in the midst of lots of distractions – noises, other dogs, rabbits and squirrels, other people, etc.  The first step is your paying close attention to the dog. 

Here is a substantial story about the two-year training program that the Leader Dog organization uses to get dog’s ready for service to seeing-impaired people.

Dogs are body-language communicators. They are really good at it.  They will expect us to tell them what we want them to do with body signals. That’s where consistent footwork in heeling is essential for effective training.  That’s where consistent hand signals also help speed the dog’s learning and responsiveness.  In dog training — actions do speak louder than words, to quote an old saying.  In this picture,  perhaps showing  her puppy what the we expect in the ‘relax’ (lie on your side) command can help.

If you’re handy with tools here are two ideas for creating exercise opportunities for your dog in your own backyard.

This site includes the list for shopping and tools you will need and and step-by-step instructions with photos on how to build your dog’s own agility course. And here are instructions for building the doghouse with roof-top veranda and stairs to give the dog exercise going up and down.

Ease traveler anxiety. Therapy dogs now serve at 20 airports nationwide to ease the anxiety travelers feel.

There appears to be lots of anxiety to ease among air travelers according to this article that reported that 90 percent of passengers surveyed reported travel more difficult this year than last. The story was published by WCTV in Tallahassee.

No need for sheep in this herding game. It’s also something like canine soccer. The formal name for the game is Treibbell – or ball herding. Dogs need to push balls toward a goal in a timed exercise. The balls vary in size depending on the size of the dog from teacups to vary large dogs.

The sport is a low impact alternative to agility. In this case the dogs gets exercise without the climbing and jumping. The handlers remain in place.

The sport began in Germany and is taking hold in the United States. One of the governing associations for the sport is the American Treibball Association. Here is a ‘how to’ video.

Here’s a new illustration of that assignment.  The exercise does meet the training objectives with the dog — pay attention, comply, stay on task and have fun in the process.  It is another illustration how teaching the dogs tricks can actually advance one’s training goals.  Ruben (left) and Bones showing off in our 2013 holiday program and also showing attention and focus on the assignment they’ve been given — walk with me on my shoes.

When  your dog gets ‘in trouble’ at home, it is often because the dog doesn’t have enough real work to do and is trying to keep herself/himself occupied.  One can curb lots of this ‘nuisance’ behavior by giving your dog a job to do.  In this example, Ace is assigned the task of finding his toy among the presents — putting his super sense of smell to work.  Use the ‘Contact Us’ tab to ask us for other tips about keeping your dog engaged.

There are four strategic training questions. Is your dog – 1) Paying attention; 2) Doing as you say; 3)  Staying on task; and 4) Having fun — and are you?

If the answer is “no” to one or more of those questions, you, as the dog’s teacher, need to change your approach to training.  Here are some tips: