Of Children and Dogs ... Dog Training Milton

If you've never watched the movie My Dog Skip, I recommend that you do. If you've ever owned a Jack Russell Terrier (or lost a good dog for that matter) I suggest having two boxes of Kleenexes close by. Though not the fastest paced movie, it is a good rendition of what the life of a child with a doggy best friend could be like. Of course, it is a movie, with the setting of the movie being in the 1940's and life was vastly different back then, but often times I believe we are missing out on so much in 2018 as compared to even 15 - 20 years ago.

I think we are missing out on the relationship that kids used to have with their pets, their friends, with the outdoors, with getting dirty, with playing and with just being a kid. Of course this is not true for all children, however, with the amount of device use now-a-days, the missing out goes up significantly. But I digress.

Here is where your dog can help to make a huge difference in your child's life. I will preface this by saying that no child should interact with a dog that is out of control or that has behavioural issues, but we are going to assume, in this case, all is well with Fido, and that he's not out to kill anyone.

Your relationship with your dog, as the parent or guardian, will dictate how your child's relationship with their dog will be. If you are a push over and give in to the dogs every desire, treat Poochie like the boss queen delicate flower, and put them on a equal playing field, then I would suggest to do some soul searching on the balance in your relationship before you attempt to let your child handle the dog. If you are a domineering, heavy handed person who likes to use intimidation to teach, better take a look at your life, because you're child can be likely to follow suit, and you need to fix that first.


If your child is responsible, and of an age to be able to take direction (and actually follow it) then you can start incorporating your child into the training/exercising of your dog. If your child is out of control, I would not recommend them handling the dog until they show restraint and self control that would benefit the dog/child relationship.

No child, no matter the age, should be placed below the dog on the pecking order ... ever. Sadly, I have seen this happen and it is a huge recipe for disaster.  If this is the case in your house-hold, you need to immediately change this (and give yourself a smack in the head) in order for the child and dog to have a proper, respectful relationship.

Enough about the rules - here is the fun, educational and beneficial part. A dog can help build a child's self esteem, confidence, physical activity level, outdoor time and responsibility levels. A dog can be a child's best friend, confidant, motivation and entertainment. And the cool thing is, a dog can do all of this by just being a dog.

Children gain confidence in their abilities when they can direct and teach their dog new things. It can bring a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, and with that, alongside the higher confidence level comes higher self esteem. The ability to direct, teach and accomplish things with their canine buddies opens a whole new world for them to explore, have fun with and get involved in. Being involved with their dogs also brings with it learning about responsibilities - the responsibility of picking up after the dog, exercising and feeding them, training them and in general, caring for them. When a child is given some responsibilities to handle, this can also work wonders for confidences levels and the joy of accomplishing tasks.

Dogs like being outside and need physical activity - guess what? It's good for the kiddos too. If you have a dog, then it's 100% likely that they need to be walked, and what better way to get your child on board with outdoor time then letting them take Fido's lead and exercising their buddy. Exploring, hiking, fishing and walking with dogs is fun - the dogs are usually up for lots of things, can keep up with the child, and are always interested in exploring new things. Exploring and learning about nature by just being in it is fantastic for both dogs and kids. This gets kids moving, which is something lacking in 2018, and gets them outside, in the dirt, in the rain, in the fresh air, which is 100 times more beneficial for them then being in front of a screen. This gets the dog exercised, excess energy burnt and builds a fantastic bond with their child friend.

A good game of fetch with a dog who has been taught the rules of the game is awesome entertainment for kids. The dogs learn that the children can be in charge of the game and the dog gets a good amount of exercise and energy burnt. The child learns how to control the game, give direction and have fun while doing it. If you have a backyard it's a fun and easy way to exercise and entertain both ... and who doesn't want things made easy when you've got kids or dogs?

A dog can also be a friend, or even best friend, and can very much benefit children who have a harder time being social with their peers, or who are shy or more withdrawn. Having a dog to hang out with, talk about and show off, can help with communication and to a greater extent, having someone to hang out with. Please don't get me wrong, a dog can not replace a human friend for social interaction, peer learning etc. but a dog can help be there when things get a little harder.

For children who need someone to talk to or read to, sometimes a dog is better then a person. A dog won't judge, they won't say you're not good enough, they won't correct your grammar/speech and they are good listeners. Sometimes it takes opening up to a dog first before kids are comfortable opening up to their peers, parents, teachers etc. as it gives them an audience/outlet that is completely non-judgemental. Dogs are great motivators this way (and I suppose cats are as well).

So if you have a dog, who is well behaved, trained and polite with whom your child is interested in building a relationship with, I say make it happen. Give them some responsibility, teach them how to teach, let them build their confidence and self esteem, give them the opportunity to get outside - let them enjoy each others company. There is nothing better then seeing the bond that can grown between a child and a dog.

And if you have a dog who doesn't have training, and you also have kids, there is no better reason to get on top of that training so that your child can build a respectful, engaging and meaningful relationship with their pup that can benefit them throughout their lives in so many ways.

Happy Training!

www.smartdogsk9.com

Consistency - Dog Training Milton

If you follow us at all on Facebook, you will see that every Tuesday we have a pUpLift motivational post on our page. Well, this weeks had to do with consistency, and I thought that this is something that should be expanded on the blog in more detail.

Consistency, or lack there-of, is what will either bring you success or failure in working with your dog. I don't care what method or tools that you use, if you are consistent, you will see results, and if you are inconsistent, you will be disappointed.

Consistency is where most owners "fall off the wagon" so-to-speak. It isn't easy to remain consistent, especially when you have a family, a job, and other life events that get in the way, however, in order to be fair to our dogs, and really gain an understanding, consistency in rules, consistency in habits and consistency in practice is where you will make or break the relationship. And you want to make sure that the consistency provides positive results and not negative. It seems that negative habits are much easier to stay consistent with then positive ones, but it's the positive ones that will gain you success, not the negative ones.

As I said, it's not easy. We all "fall of the wagon" at times. I do, you do, the best of us does, but the quicker you get back on track, the better. The more consistent you are, the more clear you are being to your dog, and the more clear that you are, the better they are able to understand your rules, limits and training.

A large factor in consistency for dogs is also getting everyone who handles and lives with the dog, on the same page. This is another area where I see a lot of struggles, as each person in the household will have slightly different rules, limits and practices then the other.

Want to try and make it easier? Here's where to start:

1. Sit down with your family, or whomever handles and deals with your dog on a daily basis, and create a list of very clear rules that you want to impliment with your dog. They don't have to be my rules, but they do have to be rules that everyone is comfortable living with. Post this list up, and require that everyone follow it to the best of their ability.
   
2. Sit down with your family and have everyone note what negative behaviours they might be inadvertently rewarding with attention. Make everyone aware of this, and help each other consistenty stop these negative habits.
   
3. Start small. If it's exercise that your dog needs more of, or training/practice time, reside to getting up a half hour earlier in the morning, and with that extra, quiet half hour, take some time to practice with or walk your dog.
   
4. Start easy. Threshold work with doorways and crates. Self control work with crate, food and place. Building self-value with ignoring and requiring work from your dog.
   
5. Be clear! Dogs don't do well with grey - they absolutely need black and white, just as young children do. Get on board with being consistent in over all handling, not just the rules. There should be no grey areas. Grey areas cause the dog to make the wrong choice and you are setting them up for failure, not success.
   
6. Be consistent in your feed-back, both positive and negative. Reward the good, correct or ignore the bad, consistently, every time.
   
7. Make a schedule. Set out some specific walking and training times, and stick to it. This isn't just to benefit the dog, this is also to benefit your relationship with the dog and your health. Get everyone on board.
   
8. Change your mind. If you are a negative thinker, a consistently glass-empty-all-the-time type, you absolutely need to change this in order to see the success with your dog. There are lots of ideas on YouTube to help change negative thoughts, patterns etc. that if you impliment and remain consistent with, will translate down to not only your dog, but to the rest of your life, family, job etc. If you are consistent with negativity, you will breed negativity. If you can change that to being more consistently positive in your training outlooks, you will gain more positive results.

These are just a few ideas to start to move you forward in a more positive and consistent direction. It's not rocket science, nor is it overly difficult work, but it can be a challenge if you are not used to consistency in new, more positive habits. But I absolutely know you can do it with a bit of effort.


It should also be noted that consistency shouldn't just be implimented for a week and then dropped. If you try this, your dog will fall right back to square one. It's building a new foundation and sticking to it. It's building a new system of communication and being clear about it. It's clarity in your new rules so there is no confusion, and making sure to remain black and white. It's adding a more positive balance to the relationship and enjoying the benefits of it.

Happy training!

www.smartdogsk9.com

It's Not Always About Sit. Dog Training Milton Ontario

Let me ask you this. Can your dog sit? Can your dog down? Can your dog place?

Now let me ask you this. Can your dog do the above calmly, patiently and willingly? Can your dog hold the position until you release them? Can your dog wait patiently by your side while you talk to a neighbour? Can your dog willingly, and on their own, lay calmly on the floor while you watch a movie?

I speak to many people who have been through training classes who insist that there dog knows how to sit, down and do all of the basics, but I come to find out that the dog does it on his terms, and typically only for a second or two, until they decide they are done. I see these dogs who have little patience and little self control and are either only interested in food, or only interested in what they perceive as external rewards.

The problem here isn't necessarily the sit, down or what ever else exercise the dog is performing. The problem lies with the dog never having been taught self control, patience and to yeild in the first place.This is something that lacks in a lot of training programs. Too much emphasis is put on the actual position, the "trick" and getting the reward in there, but not enough emphasis is put on how to live with the dog, how to communicate better, how to teach the dog self control and patience.

Self control is one of the most important factors in having a well behaved dog. And when I say well behaved, that doesn't necessarily mean that their obedience is perfect (no such thing anyway), rather, it means that the dog is polite, patient, controlled and will yeild when needed. Obedience training itself doesn't always achieve this, in fact, if you only work on the basics, but put zero focus on behaviour, you may create a dog who can perform, but is a real pain in the butt to live with, or one who is wound up so tight to get to a reward, that calm doesn't even enter their vocabulary.

When training your dog obedience wise, you need to look at things you may not be aware of, that are extremely important to the state of mind that you are rewarding. It doesn't matter if you use food, toys, play, voice or physical praise, you need to be aware of your dogs state of mind/behaviour when you reward. Did you release your dog from a down when he was shaking and whinning, dying to get up? Well guess what, you just rewarded your dog for being impatient. Did you release your dog just as she started to move from a sit, so you wouldn't have to follow through because it's just easier that way? Guess what, you just rewarded your dog for breaking position. Did you give your dog heavy eye contact or soft verbal encouragement while they were whinning in the sit stay or on place? Yup, you guessed it. You just rewarded your dog for lack of self control. I could go on endlessly with examples like the ones above, but I think that you get the point.

But the issues don't stop there. Owners are continually and inadvertently rewarding their dogs inappropriate, impatient, impolite, hyper behaviours without even realizing. it. Do you talk to your dog or look at them when they demand you do it? I'm sorry to say, the dog is training you, and your are rewarding them for doing it. Does barking and whining get your dog out of the crate? Sigh, yes you have rewarded the noise, and undermined your work on patience. Do you give your dog a little pet when they jump up, just before you push them off? That little pet is reward enough for them to impolitely jump again.

So how do you fix all this? Teach your dog his demands will not be met. Teach your dog that inappropriate behaviours don't work to garner attention. Teach your dog that you will not release them from a stationary position until they are calm (excluding when they are first learning an exercise). Teach your dog that there are house rules that are to be followed. Teach your dog that you are not at their beck and call. Teach your dog to handle being bored. Teach your dog to just be.

I believe, now-a-days, that a good number of people don't know how to handle being bored or just "being", and that many are lacking patience and self control in this immediate satisfaction type world we now live in. This can easily be translated down to the dog (and guess what, your kids too). If you give them immediate satisfaction for everything they demand, or are constantly giving them attention/reward for no reason at all or for the inappropriate, impolite, impatient behaviours, well, they have no reason to learn otherwise. Our dogs don't have iphones, tablets or any number of other devices, but they have owners for their immediate desires; they can push owner buttons and get a reaction, they can get rewarded by the owner for lack of patience and need for satisfaction. But if you as the owner, can handle boredom and patience, deal with it, and teach it, the benefits are enormous, calm ensues and life gets easier.

So do your dog a favour. Teach them they are not the centre of the world, that sometimes they'll be bored, that they may have to show some self control and patience, that you will reward calm, polite behaviours and that there are rules to follow and consequences for not following. Your dog will be in a better state of mind, feel better, behave better and trust me, your stress level will be reduced. It's not always about sit, but rather, more importantly, its about patience, calm and the state of mind that gets rewarded.

If you think you need help or have similar issues to those mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to contact us: dogtraining101@hotmail.com

Happy training.

www.smartdogsk9.com

Milton Choice Awards - Number One Dog Trainer in Milton

 THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED!! Smart Dogs Canine Training received the DIAMOND AWARD for favorite DOG TRAINER in the Milton Choice Awards. We truly appreciate all of your support and your referrals. THANKS AGAIN for helping us make it to #1!!!

www.smartdogsk9.com

Dog Training DEMO Class Biography - BRANDY

Last but not least, my little dog.

Brandy works for Smart Dogs Canine Training, is part of our DEMO Class, and was suppose to  participate in the 2014 Milton Fall Fair Doggy Deomonstration, but a ruptured cyst the day of, and an emergency vet trip, prevented her from attending. Here is a little more about this intelligent little girl:

Brandy is a 12 year old, multi-titled, Jack Russell Terrier, and though not perfect, she is the perfect dog for me. She's done everything that I've asked of her, and I've asked quite a lot. She is a retired agility dog, though still plays for fun with the JRTCC, still competes every-now-and-then in Rally Obedience, and takes her job helping reactive dogs, very seriously.

Brandy loves learning, and thrives on using her mind. Though she is a senior (and sometimes cranky) she enjoys coming out and training with the rest of the DEMO class. She is awesome, my best bud, and my son's best bud. Couldn't have asked for a better dog!

www.smartdogsk9.com

Dog Training DEMO Class Biography - INDIE

Indie is part of our DEMO Class at Smart Dogs Canine Training, participated in the 2014 Milton Fall Fair Doggy Deomonstration, and here is a little about this smart girl:

Indie is a two year old Aussie. I have only had her since May 2014 and she has worked hard at obedience.  She is always happy and playful.

www.smartdogsk9.com

Dog Training DEMO Class Biography - FINN

Finn is part of our DEMO Class at Smart Dogs Canine Training, participated in the 2014 Milton Fall Fair Doggy Deomonstration, and here is a little about this feisty guy:

Finnegan is a feisty 2-year old Welsh Springer Spaniel - with the world's waggiest tail! He is extremely curious and often getting himself into mischief. Finn loves people, sticks and playing tug. He lives for chasing squirrels and has made it his mission in life catch one...maybe one day. When he's not going to training classes or hiking in the forest, Finnegan can be found curled up on the couch with his favourite people.

www.smartdogsk9.com

Dog Training DEMO Class Biography - TRIXIE

Trixie is part of our DEMO Class at Smart Dogs Canine Training, participated in the 2014 Milton Fall Fair Doggy Deomonstration, and here is a little about this smart little girl:

Trixie is a 6 year old Jack Russell Terrier. At 2 years of age, Trixie was very reactive to other dogs, unable to work in close proximity of other dogs. With a lot of hard work and training, she has come a long way.  She can now work around other dogs, and is enjoying the sport of agility.

www.smartdogsk9.com

Dog Training DEMO Class Biography - PIPER

Piper is part of our DEMO Class at Smart Dogs Canine Training, participated in the 2014 Milton Fall Fair Doggy Deomonstration, and here is a little about this big girl:

Piper is a 2 year old Newfoundland. She was born in June and came home in August. Not much experience with water that year but introducing her every summer since. Would love her to be involved with water rescue and carting through the NewfClub but mostly I would love for her to become a therapy dog visiting hospitals and seniors homes. But for now she enjoys taking classes with Julie and socializing and getting her comfortable with strange noises. Love her to bits.

www.smartdogsk9.com