When you decided to go out and look for a new dog from the local shelters and rescues most people don’t go looking specifically for an abused dog. However there is that very small group of compassionate people out there that simply have big hearts and are willing to bring an abused dog into their homes and their life. Lets talk about training that abused dog.

Yes, there it is that fearful little dog that is simply too fearful to approach you even though you can tell that it really wants to. The next thing you know you are on your way home with your new fearful dog at your side.

Has this dog been abused? Most people would say yes, however that simply is not always the truth. There can be several reasons that this new member of the family is so timid and shy. It can be a lack of socialization. Don’t forget the period of socialization is from birth to 20 weeks of age. Maybe this little guy just did not get socialized. You really don’t know because the rescue said it was found roaming the street so it has no history.

It can also be fearful because of genetics. Yes, we don’t know anything about the parents they may have been fearful as well. In fact you probably know a human that is shy and withdrawn that was never abused so the same can be true for a dog.

Last but not least is yes, maybe there is some abuse in this dogs history. But time to move on and teach the dog that you can be trusted to treat it with respect and get it trained so it knows that it has a strong and understanding leader.

Start slowly building trust with you first and then with other members of your family. This will take time. I can assure you that it will not happen over night. It could take months and sometimes years.

Start off teaching your dog the very basics including sit, down and walking on leash. As time passes and the dog is catching on you can move to more advanced exercise like sit-stay and down-stay. Remember take it slow your not only training this dog you are also building trust.

As time progresses try to start socializing it with other people, dogs and even new locations. There is no exact time line for any of this because each dog will be completely different.

If you need help don’t hesitate to enlist the help of a trainer that is experienced in working with abused dogs. Their experience will be able to help you move along at a good pace.

Do you need help training an abused dog?  We have a lot of experience doing just that, so feel free to visit us at Canine Behavior Specialists and give us a call, or for our out of town readers  .

Until next time,

P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist?  If so CLICK HERE now!

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.

Here are 3 great reasons to teach your dog the down exercise. To start with the down exercise is probably the most important thing you can teach your pet. I always tell my clients that when your dog is 20 feet away and you give the dog command it should drop to the ground without you having to do anything else. No treat, no nothing. When your dog does that your dog is acknowledging that you are the master.

Let me start off by saying that the down command is probably the hardest exercise for any dog to do. Big dog, little dog, old dog, and young dog it simply is the hardest exercise. Now when I say hard I don’t mean physically difficult I mean mentally difficult. That is because the dog does not want to submit to you and do the down exercise. In fact a dog in the down position in the wild would be subject to attack by other wild animals. However it’s one of the most important exercises there is.

Safety

The down command can save your dog’s life. Let me be a picture here in the front yard with your dog and it’s not on leash. It spots squirrel on the other side of the street and there goes your dog. However before it reaches the street you give the down command and your dog drops to the ground saving its life from that speeding car. Yes every dog should a great down.

One simple word can stop your pet in his or her tracks before something dangerous or disastrous happens. Many owners fail to recognize this potential of teaching their pets behavior but it’s as simple as the command, ‘down’.

Aggression

A lot of things have been written about aggression and in several of those things they talk about the down command. They mentioned that if the dog had been taught the dog command as young dog you would have probably never seen that aggression. It makes sense because the dog has learned to respect the master from the very beginning.

When we are rehabilitating aggressive dogs the down exercise is quite often one of the main exercises we work on to establish the trainer as the alpha.

Behavior Issues

Some dogs are more challenging to train than others. However by starting with simple commands such as the sit, stand and down an owner can help to train their dog and stop future bad behaviors.

Taking the time to train your pet the down command has many great benefits. Remember that having a well-trained dog is part of the owner’s responsibility.

Do you need help with training your dog?  If so visit us at Canine Behavior Specialists and give us a call, or for our out of town readers  .

Until next time,

P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist?  If so CLICK HERE now!

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.

We can’t really sugar coat this, everyone feeds their dog table scraps at some point or another. Quite frankly, it can be difficult to resist the temptation when you see those two cute little eyes staring at you from under the table during thanksgiving dinner. In fact, after guests leave, your dog may have eaten far better than you. Still, you have to wonder whether or not this is a good idea, or something that should be avoided altogether.

The Professional Opinion

All veterinarians will have their own opinion on feeding a dog table scraps, and most say that you should avoid doing it simply because it is not ideal for their diet.

When you purchase dog food, you are buying a food that is properly adjusted for their digestive system, and will keep them in good health. Human food is not adjusted for them and it will not give them the proper vitamins or nutrients.

The Other Side of the Argument

Okay, as we said, it is impossible to resist giving your animal a treat once in a while, and if you think about it, many of the treats you buy at the store aren’t really ‘good’ for your dog either. If you think about how you feed yourself, you will come to realize that we all break the dietary rules once in a while. Was that piece of chocolate cake good for your diet? Probably not. What about that bag of chips you tore into earlier? We aren’t telling you how to eat, but you can plainly see that everyone breaks the rules, even your dog.

The Key is Moderation

Just as you moderate yourself (hopefully) you should moderate your dog. The general consensus is that ‘people food’ should make up less than ten percent of your dog’s diet, and that you should always vary it when you do give in.

Fruits and vegetables, along with grains and pasta are considered to be healthy dog treats. In addition to that, it is recommended that you use human meats as a training tool to teach your dog the most basic of commands. Any dog will be motivated to sit when a piece of steak is on the line!

What to Avoid

There are certain foods you will want to avoid giving your dog at all costs. These include:

-Chocolate -Onions -Macadamia Nuts -Grapes

-Raisins