Darf Blog

Pets’ Bill of Rights

We liked this list so much we got permission to post it from Drs. Fosters and Smith. (Darf  comments follow the list.)

1. We have the right to be full members of your family. We thrive on social interaction, praise, and love.
2. We have the right to stimulation. We need new games, new toys, new experiences, and new smells to be happy.
3. We have the right to regular exercise. Without it, we could become hyper, sluggish… or fat.
4. We have the right to have fun. We enjoy acting like clowns now and then; don’t expect us to be predictable all the time.
5. We have the right to quality health care. Please stay good friends with our vet.
6. We have the right to a good diet. Like some people, we don’t know what’s best for us. We depend on you.
7. We have the right not to be rejected because of your expectations that we be great show dogs or show cats, watchdogs, hunters, or baby-sitters.
8. We have the right to receive proper training. Otherwise, our good relationship could be marred by confusion and strife – and we could become dangerous to ourselves and others.
9. We have the right to guidance and correction based on understanding and compassion, rather than abuse.
10. We have the right to live with dignity… and to die with dignity when the time comes.

Like human babies, pets are helpless and dependent on us.  They are members of our families and we should treat them as such. Items #1, #2, #3, #4, and #8 are why we invented Darf Pet games.

Recommended Blog about Dog Training

Don’t get lost in the pile of dog training information on the internet. Go directly to Dog Star Daily. Start with the experts’ biographies (these are the people who write for the blog) http://www.dogstardaily.com/bloggers.

Peruse the postings and discussions. http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs Voice your experience or opinion. Others will comment on your comments. Post your training questions.  This active, alive blog is loaded with value.

I follow many of the  bloggers  on twitter.

3 Commands That Can Save Your Dog’s Life

3 Dog Training Commands That You Should Teach Your Dog First

This post was written by Nancy Richards (see website below). We are posting it because we cannot improve on it.

Whether you are getting a new dog or beginning to work with an old dog, obedience training is a must! There are a number of dog training commands that are important to teach your dog. What dog training commands are the most important to begin with? The three most important dog training commands are: come, wait/stay, and let’s go. These dog training commands are important for both a well mannered dog and also for safety. The three most important dog training commands:

1. Come: This command is vital and could really be a case of life or death in the event of an emergency. For this reason, come is one of the most important dog training commands to teach your dog. Your dog should be trained to understand to come to you on the first command, and although no dog is ever 100% reliable, you should work to be as reliable as possible with your dog. Come should always be trained in a positive and fun manner. Never be a kill-joy! Don’t use come only to end the dog’s fun. Instead, practice it LOTS with toys and treats and reward the dog as much as possible so that coming to you is always fun. Also, never get in the habit of chasing your dog when you need it to come. This only sets up a bad habit and makes your come very unreliable.

2. Wait/Stay: Another one of the most important dog training commands is wait or stay. Wait is about asking your dog not to cross an invisible or real boundary line until you have given it permission. Generally, it is best used when you want the dog to stay back from entry ways, such as the front door, or you want the dog to remain inside a car with an open door. Stay asks the dog to hold a particular position, like sit or down, and stay in a particular location. Teaching a good, strong stay means you know you can place your dog in a position and hopefully count on it to stay there.

3. Let’s Go: Let’s Go represents the last of the most important dog training commands because it is the phrase you give your dog on the walk. It represents for the dog a style of walking and lets him know when you are moving from one place to another. Let’s Go should be a nice, looser leash walk that is controlled. A good Let’s Go means your dog can walk reasonably well on the leash. Your dog understands this command means you are moving on, so it can be used to move the dog away from something it is currently doing. For example, if your dog is visiting another dog or person, and you are ready to move on, Let’s Go tells the dog you are leaving and to follow you. These three dog training commands represent an excellent starting point in your training. These are the most important dog training commands to begin training with and to build from.

About the Author

Nancy Richards has been involved with http://www.trainpetdog.com dog training  for several years. Her website gives step-by-step instructions on housebreaking, http://www.trainpetdog.com dog obedience training http://www.trainpetdog.com/dog-training.html dog training commands, grooming, diet and care for all dog breeds.

Article source: http://keyknowhow.com

Teach your dog to play dead!

After your dog has mastered “Down!”

Have your dog lie “Down! Stay!”  While holding a treat in front of your dog’s face, say “Play, dead!” and move the treat around to the back of her encouraging her to lie down on her side.

As your dog gets better at this trick, lengthen the time she has to stay in the play dead.

Don’t get discouraged, it took the dog in this video 3 months to master this trick.  She now can hold it for 20 seconds.  In fact, it helped her learn that she didn’t have to be afraid to be in this vulnerable position.

Get your dog to “High Five”

Try this trick after you have mastered “shake!”.

The beginning of "High Five!"This girl should raise her hand higher so the dog will raise his paw to hers.

Have your dog sit.

Reach you hand like you would for “shake!”.  When he reaches for your hand swing it around so your fingers are pointed up and say “High Five!”   If he reaches up for your hand, give him a treat.

If he does it, do it once more to imprint the trick.  If he doesn’t, try it 5 more times. Let him rest for at least 30 minutes.

Soon, he will lift her paw to high five when you ask her. When he high fives on command,  reward with treats only one out of four times he does it.  (Always use “good boy!” voice reward.

Get your dog to go potty on command

Fergie, a 15 year old Yorkie who had very lax housebreaking habits, now has become a very reliable and housebroken dog. How? We made her go out more often than she needed to and told her to “go potty”. When she did we gave her a tiny treat. After one  month, she became very reliable.She gets it and will now go out and pee. Come in for her treat. Then go out again to go poo and come back in for a treat. She knows what she’s doing.

We HIGHLY recommend this solution for anyone having housebreaking challenges.

How to get your dog to shake

Have your dog sit.

Ask her to shake. Lift her paw. Give her a treat.

Do this 5 more times. Let her rest for at least 30 minutes.

Try again. Offer her your hand, ask her to shake. If she will does it without you lifting her paw, treat her. If she doesn’t lift her paw, ask her to shake again, lift her paw and treat her.

Soon, she will lift her paw to shake when you ask her. When you feel like she shakes on command, only treat her for shaking once of every 3-5 times she does it.

How often and how much to treat your dog

Dogs don’t care about the size of the treat you give them…they care about getting the treat. So, treat your dog more often with very small morsels.

One big treat each day, teaches them that they get one big treat a day. When you give your dog smaller treats each time they do something good they learn that good behavior elicits a reward.

If you want to give your dog a treat,  make him/her do something for it. Each time you reward her for an accomplishment, she learns something.

What sized treat should I give my dog?
Give toy-sized dogs approximately a 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch treat.

Give big dogs just enough so that he can tell you’ve given him a treat. Try a 1/4 inch x 1 inch circle.  Go as small as you can.

Remember, treat LESS more OFTEN!