Thanks Milton!!!!! Dog Trainer Milton Ontario

Thanks to everyone who nominated Smart Dogs Canine Training as their favorite Dog Trainer in the Milton Champion Reader's Choice Awards!

We would love to have your vote, so please visit the link below, and remember to vote on all of your favorite businesses in Milton!!

http://www.insidehalton.com/community/milton

Click on the link above, and then click the link on the top right hand side of the page. A multiple choice screen will appear. Smart Dogs is #27 on the list.

Thanks everyone!!!!!

Funny at the Food Bowl - Dog Training in Milton

They are out there, there's millions of households that have one this very moment, lurking in your living rooms, under your covers ... they are the picky eaters of the canine world.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that a dog, of all creatures, would decide to be a picky eater. If you're like me, you've only had dogs that will wolf down anything in there path that even slightly resembles eatables. Dogs are opportunistic creatures, so when the opportunity to eat presents itself, many will take full advantage of it.

But then, we have those that turn their nose up at dinner unless it is accompanied by a nice steak sauce, or those who refuse to eat unless their bowl is in a certain area of the house, or snub the food until their owner waits on them hand and foot, feeding them each little morsel by hand.

Are these dogs truly picky eaters, or is there something else going on here?

From my experience through working with clients, and through observation, these dogs are not actually picky eaters, rather they are manipulating their owners, using the food bowl as a hostage.

Now when I say manipulating, I don't mean in the same sense as the way humans manipulate. There is no premeditation here, rather a habit that has built up due to the owner giving in to the dogs wishes.

The dog has become used to being waited upon, or having their food lavishly adorned with special sauces and when they fail to receive this treatment at meal times, they refuse the bowl.

The best way to deal with dogs like this is to use the good old, time tested method of filling the bowl, leaving it down for 20 minutes, and picking it up at the 20 minute mark, regardless if the dog has finished or not. Then trying again at the next meal, with the same process.

Unless your dog has an underlying medical issue, this process usually works over a few days, making the dog realize that he'll be going hungry if he doesn't do the doggy thing and eat his dinner. This is usually enough to break the bad habit of requiring fan fare or special treatment at meal times.

If you have a really stubborn case, it would be beneficial to seek the expertise of a trainer, to make sure that you are approaching the situation the correct way. It is also best to check with your vet to rule out any medical issues that may be interrupting the dogs eating habits.

Please feel free to contact Smart Dogs Canine Training if you are experiencing food related issues with your doggy companion and we would be happy to help.

dogtraining101@hotmail.com
www.smartdogsk9.com
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The Little White Dog Turns 9! Dog Trainer Milton

Brandy - The B-Hive
ADC, SGDC, AADC, CL2-H, CL2-R, CL2-F, CL2-S, CL3-R, CL3-F, CL3-S, CL3-H, CL4-R, RN MCL, RPT, HIT Agility 2009 JRTRO Trial, JRTCC SGD

My favorite little dog in the world turns 9 today.

She has been my greatest teacher, my best friend, my training partner, my team mate, my constant companion and my son's guardian.

I could not have asked for a better dog.

So happy birthday Brandy, and here's to many, many more.

Puppy Class in Milton - Dog Training in Milton

Smart Dogs Canine Training will be running a puppy class in Milton starting mid-August.

This puppy class is our Smart Puppy Basics, and as the name implies, will teach you all the basics of obedience for your new puppy.

This class will be for puppies up to 7 months of age. It will run on Wednesday evenings at Beaty Neighbourhood Park in Milton, ON from 7:00pm - 8:00pm.

Please contact us for more details dogtraining101@hotmail.com or visit the website to sign up www.smartdogsk9.com.

And don't forget to like us on facebook in order to follow all of our updates, articles and activities.
www.facebook.com/smartdogsk9

Remember, a trained dog is a joy to live with, so get started early and give your pup a good foundation.

A well-trained dog is less likely to attack - Dog Trainer in Milton

The importrance of training your dog is emphasized in this article by Mark Rubensohn, a veterinarian at the Bridlewood Veterinary Clinic in Calgary.

A well-trained dog is less likely to attack

A trained dog is a happy dog. A trained dog is a dog you can take anywhere. A trained dog is a joy to live with. So make sure that you keep your dog happy by not just love, but also training, rules, reward and discipline.

If you are having problems with your dog, please don't hesitate to contact Smart Dogs Canine Training dogtraining101@hotmail.com.

Socialize Your Dog - Dog Trainer in Milton

The period of time between 8 and 16 weeks in puppies is an extremely important time to positively introduce new people, places, objects and situations to your dog.

Utilizing reward for good social behaviour is key to creating positive experiences for your pup. Its good to remember to choose your socialization situations carefully. Young puppies should only be socialized with low key, respectful (fully vaccinated) adult dogs, or other young puppies. Caution should be taken at this young age when introducing other animals because puppies are vulnerable to disease. If you are unsure, speak with your vet about the best times to introduce others of the canine species.

When choosing people for initial social interaction, try to pick those who are not going to overwhelm your pup. For fearful, unsure, insecure and apprehensive pups, treats can be thrown from the person who the pup is being socialized to, as long as they remain calm and follow your instructions not to overwhelm your dog with rough petting, standing over them, over exuberance, loud voices etc. If your pup will approach strangers, even though cautiously, the owner can reward the approach, so as to avoid any overwhelming behaviour from the stranger. The best way to avoid those over exuberant puppy petters who need to be in your dogs face, is to simply tell them that your pup is in training and at this time can not receive any interaction (or even better for those very insistent people, tell them the dog has explosive diarrhea and may let loose at any time - that usually works).

For the outgoing, bold, confident pup, the owner rewarding the social behaviour, rather than the other person rewarding the pup, will help to teach the dog that you are the giver of the treats (pets, praise etc.) and that you need to be payed attention to. The outgoing, social pup will automatically gravitate to others if they are not taught that the owner is the one who is more exciting. This will help the social butterflies training later on, encouraging focus and attention on the handler, not on others.

As far as places and situations, the best thing to do is try and bring your pup everywhere you can that you think they may encounter later in life. Always create a positive experience while watching for and acting upon signs of stress; lots of yawning, lip licking, flattened ears, tucked tail, shaking etc. If you begin to see signs of stress end the session on a positive note (ie. with a reward for a sit or other obedience command), and bring the pup home.

The above techniques can also be used with older or rescue dogs, though if they missed their critical social period as puppies, the process can take much longer to achieve.

Over all, it is important to create positive experiences when socializing your dog. You will help develop a dog that is more confident and can be taken with you almost anywhere.

If your dog is having problems with socialization, fear or aggression towards others please don't hesitate to contact us at Smart Dogs Canine Training, we are always glad to help. dogtraining101@hotmail.com or visit the site for details www.smartdogsk9.com