Presented by Puppy Dogs Info: www.puppy-dogs.info

Dear Adam:

[Note to readers: These questions are follow ups from issues discussed in my book, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at: Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer ]

1. What age should I start using the prong collar?

[Adam replies: ] Generally speaking, at about four months of age… when you see the adult teeth begin to come in.

2. What should I be teaching, obedience wise, with 8
month puppy?

[Adam replies: ] At eight months of age, there really isn’t ANYTHING you can’t teach the dog, obedience-wise.

3. When you say pop, when teaching the down command,
do you mean I should pop the prong collar? So for
example if the dog gets up from down/stay position and
walk away, you said to say NO, pop the leash, then say
NO all the way back to manhole, then pop the leash
again? Do you mean to pop the prong or to guide him
into down/stay position?

[Adam replies: ] When I say “pop” I mean to tug on the leash. Make sure you’re starting and ending with slack. So, you say, “No!” then go to the dog and give a pop on the leash, then walk him back to the spot and reissue the “down” command… and then “pop” downward (or to the side) on the leash and put him back into the down position.

5. What's the difference between obedience training and sport training (i.e. Schutzhund)? Why do they say you shouldn't train your dog in obedience if you want him to be in Schutzhund? (I just want to know for my own knowledge)

[Adam replies: ] Schutzhund is a dog sport the incorporates an obedience routine, as well as a protection and tracking routine. The obedience exercises are mostly route exercises, and are not trained in a street-smart context. As for why you supposedly shouldn't train your dog in obedience if you want him to be in Schutzhund… this is a myth. Some macho types will consistently over-correct their dog in the obedience phase… and this will kill drive. But anyone with even a shred of common sense will avoid this predicament.

6. What do you think of raw diets for dogs? Worth it??

[Adam replies: ] Not worth it. Feed the dog a high quality dog food and your dog will be fine.

7. What order should I teach the dog the commands?
(first sit, then down then come?? How should I do it?)

[Adam replies: ] I like to teach the “Walk on a loose leash” exercise first, followed by the curb/street/boundary training, as this teaches the dog what a correction is (if he doesn’t know already). Then you can teach exercises in any order you wish. To be honest, the order of basic exercises is largely irrelevant. It DOES become relevant in later training, when you begin chaining behaviors together, such as “Go to the fridge, open door, retrieve beer, then close door.”

8. To teach the dog to not run out of the house, when
I slam the door I'm afraid it is going slam on him too
hard and hurt him. How do I go about doing it? Do I
shut it softly or will he be fast enough to stop?

[Adam replies: ] You’re thinking too much. Just slam the door shut. Assuming it’s not a toy breed, it’s not going to kill him. If it is a toy breed, keep your hand on the door and guide it shut. The idea is that the door slams on the dog… not to injure the dog, but to be uncomfortable so that he waits and watches you for the “release“ command before walking through. You are the alpha dog. You walk through first. It is your job to make sure it‘s safe for him to leave the property, and he needs to look to you for the “It‘s Okay“ cue. If you don’t give the “A-okay” cue… then bad things could happen. Like the door suddenly slamming shut. Ever sit on a dirty chair and ruin a clean pair of slacks? Once it happens to you, you’ll always check first. It’s the same concept with the dog.


To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book: SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER

PUPPY DOGS INFO IS A Family-Friendly Site.

Lots of Information -- NO Pop-ups, Pop-unders, Tracking Cookies, etc. See our Popular DOGS IN LITERATURE -- a study of the realistic animal story in books and Hollywood -- from Buck of “The Call of the Wild” -- to Kazan the Wolf Dog -- Lassie -- Rin-Tin-Tin -- Beethoven -- Diefenbaker… See the 10 MOST INTELLIGENT DOG BREEDS -- is your dog one of them? Much More! Click Here to Go to PUPPY DOGS INFO!

I never yell at my dog. Never.

Well, okay. There's one exception.

And that exception is if: I'm already working with the dog at such a far distance that he can't audibly hear me. And usually this is the case only if I'm teaching the dog to respond to hand signals.

Why don't I ever raise my voice if I'm working with my dog, otherwise?

Because the only thing that raising your voice achieves is to communicate to your dog that you really DO NOT have control.

And since I train with a modified working dog approach, I want my dog to know that I'm ALWAYS in control. Because I'm the "Alpha dog."

Now, if I issue a command, and the dog I'm training does not respond to that command... then I will stop to figure out why he didn't respond. If it's because he didn't understand the command, then I need to go back to basics and do more repetitions. If the dog is simply not responding because he's being stubborn or head-strong, then I'll make my correction more motivational.

But one thing that many observers will realize about the way I work with animals is that my commands are practically whispered. Never yelled or screamed.

In fact, your commands should only be loud enough for your dog to hear. No louder.

So... do you want to know how to spot an amateur dog trainer? He's the one yelling at his dog.

If I'm teaching a dog to come on command, it's my job to convince the dog that he MUST come EVERY time I call him. But if he thinks that I'm only going to make him come every other time... or only under certain conditions... then I'll never get the dog to be 100% reliable.

So, where am I going with this line of reasoning? Well, just remember that you should NEVER give a command that you cannot enforce, until your dog is 100%. And you'll know when he is 100% when his responses to commands are immediate! Even when you're asking him to respond around the most tempting of distractions!

Do you want to be able to take your dog anywhere, and KNOW that he'll listen to you... even if tempted by another dog, a cat, or even a piece of food??? Then check out: "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History!" By Adam G. Katz, Owner of South Bay K-9 Academy and Dog Problems.com. For more information, go to: SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER

Presented by Puppy Dogs Info: www.puppy-dogs.info