Training Tips Thursday with Terry Cuyler

Your dogs have been busy acquiring all sorts of new behaviors. Some you meant to teach them, and some you didn’t. Your dogs are always learning. They are opportunistic and will do what works for them. So make sure you are teaching behaviors you like.

Dogs do what works for them and will repeat behaviors they have found rewarding in the past. If you want your dog to continue to do a behavior – reinforce it. The old saying "you get what you pay for" works here. The trick is in finding things that are rewarding for the DOG not what you think ought to be rewarding.

Petting and praise may not be rewarding enough for the dog to learn to sit politely at the door when guests arrive. Jumping and being excited to see guests is rewarding all by itself so you’ll have to pay a bonus to overcome the dog’s excitement and get him to be calm at the door. Read your dog to see what they really love. Is it food, a toy, a chance to run after a ball? Use the favorite thing to reward the behavior you want. As the wanted behavior becomes a habit, you can reward it less often or lower the value and quantity of the reward.

You can’t explain in English to you furry foreign language student – you have to show him/her what the behavior is you want. Lure them into acting out what you want and then reward. Use tasty treats to get him to sit at the door instead of jump on people and then reward with non –stop rewards while the guest comes in. In a few days of practice, he’ll be sitting at the door because it works better for him than jumping. Gradually ease off the treats as it becomes a habit. Reward sporadically just the quickest or longest sits and they'll try those more often.

In another blog post I suggested that the first step was acquiring the understanding of a cue for a behavior and the next step is automatically performing that behavior when the cue/command is issued. A dog uses this behavior automatically when he hears the doorbell and sits and looks for his treat. To get to this stage, the behavior must be practiced over and over again. Ring doorbell, sit, get treat. Ring doorbell, sit, get treat. You need to set this up when you’re not actually expecting guests and repeat it over and over until it becomes a habit. Then the dog has made the connection that the doorbell itself is a cue to sit for a reward. Then prepare for the next time the doorbell rings by having some treats handy.

When the doorbell rings, be ready with some treats for your dog. If you’re not ready, how can they know what you want? To make a behavior a habit, you have to have repetition or you just have an isolated incident. So repeat the whole sequence several times to help your best friend succeed and then watch him excel.

Today's Guest Post was written by Terry Cuyler. For more information on Terry and all the cool things she is doing, check out her website here.

Get to Know a Dog Day: Beauty (Needs a Home!)

Beauty's story:

My boss, Ehab Endrawes, needs to return to Dubai for work related issues. He will be there for at least 3 months and then he may be going to another location. That being said, he will not be able to take his 8 month old, spayed female beagle with him.

Her name is Beauty. (I call her Barney Beagle or Beagle Butt) I have doggie sit her on several occasions and she is a great dog. She gets along with all of my dogs (every different size and age), my cat, and my bird. She is a quick learner. I have her sitting for her food and before she can be pet. She is kennel trained but if you don't keep an eye on her when she is out of her kennel she may have a accident in the house. She is up to date on all her shots. She was purchased at a pet store so I believe she has papers. If you know of anyone that is interested in adopting her please let me know. He will be leaving in a couple of weeks. He would like to meet the people that are going to be her new "parents".



If you, or anyone you know, is interested in adopting Beauty, please send us an email and we will get back to you with more information.

Caught on Doggy Cam Day!

This week, U of D's Caught on Doggy Cam dogs are:

Dexter

Nala

All four dogs were caught running around and making new friends at the Lakemont Dog Park.

So next time you're out with your doggie, keep an eye out for the University of Doglando van! If we catch you out with your dog, you might just be on the next edition of Caught on Doggy Cam.

Training Tip Thursday: Teaching your dog to sit and wait in their crate

Teaching your dog to sit and wait patiently before letting them out of the crate is one of the most important lessons we can teach our dogs from the very beginning.  Here are three benefits of teaching your dog this trick:

1.  It's obviously very exciting to be let out..... get a control over this dog while they are in a small place because you will not be able to calm them down once out and running around the house.

2. Teach your dog you are in control, by making them wait patiently for a signal.

3.  Clearly you have caught them at a time that they are most likely to pay attention to you.... after all, you are the one that has access to the lock.... make them earn it.

This trick is very simple to teach.  As you go through the videos, watch all the other dogs trying to get in on the game as well.  Who says getting crated has to be a negative experience?

Teaching the trick:

1. Upon arrival, approach your dog's crate in a very calm manner.

2.  Unlock the locking mechanisms but put pressure on the door holding it closed.

3.  Either wait for your dog to finish dancing, howling, barking and causing a scene, and just wait patiently until they offer you a sit or a down.

4.  Praise them (with a simple "good") and open the door.  BE SURE, to close the door shut if you see any movement or initiation of getting up.

5.  Wait for the sit or down again, and repeat until you are able to get the door open and the dog waiting for at least a three to four seconds.

6.  Release your dog by saying "OK" and bending down, then praise lavishly.

There you have it, a dog waiting politely to be let out!

That Darndest Things Dogs Do

Students at the University of Doglando enjoying the beautiful day outside. These dogs are hilarious!




Do you have a funny video or picture of your dog doing something wacky? Send us the link and/or the video and you might just see your dog on the next episode of "The Darndest Things Dogs Do."

A Special Get To Know a Dog Day: 3 Dogs that need homes!!!

Ginger is a great, smart, and loving female dog. She loves to be loved and gives back a lot also. She enjoys being with family but loves to play (especially with stuffed animals.)

She enjoys a nice bath and follows instructions very well. When told to go to her crate (we call it "home") she goes in voluntary. She enjoys to lay on your stomach and between your legs if you let her.

She knows the following tricks: down, up, no, sit, come, stay, home, cookie, kiss and she understands them in Spanish too. She doesn't destroy shoes "Thank God". She is a pit bull and chichuachua mix ( the mother is the pit bull). Due to my health being poor, I can not keep her and it breaks my heart because she is a wonderful companion and I love her, but I have to let go of her.


Please help!

Wilda 407-860-2828


Cookie and Coco's Story

Their family has lost their home and the apartment does not allow dogs. They are moving in 2 weeks and unfortunately, they have still not been able to find a good home for Cookie and Coco .

"We're not able to take our beloved doggies with us and I've been desperately trying to find a home for both of them 'together'. They were raised together and pine without each other. The Lab rescue have already said that they would probably separate them, so this is my last resort.

Recently I tried to take Coco out in my car alone and she TOTALLY refused to even get into the car without Cookie.....!!!! She absolutely pulled back on her haunches until Cookie was by her side. Both doggies are in great health, have been spayed and have ID chips implanted under the skin.

Cookie turned 3 December 10th and Coco will be 3 April 1st. Cookie is my mellow-yellow, and just loves her tummy rubbed. Coco is adorably funny and lives for her "ball". She also loves the water..... Cookie loves lots of attention. Both doggies are loyal and love to walk. They have been raised with my 3 kids running around all over the place, and have survived Sammy's constant hugging and love of 'dress-up', so they are fantastic family dogs.

This is by far one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make, but under the circumstances I have no choice.Please, Please forward these pics to everyone you know and help me find a great home for these fabulous doggies. They are just adorable and it's heartbreaking to let them go. In a perfect world, I hope that we could find someone local so that we can still keep in touch and visit them. I pray that someone, somewhere can help us keep Cookie and Coco together, and love them just as much as we do. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested in adopting any of these amazing doggies, please send us an email and we will get back to you with more information.

Caught on Doggy Cam Monday!

This week, U of D's Caught on Doggy Cam dogs are:

Joey

Barney



Spencer



Toby

All four dogs were caught running around and making new friends at the Avalon Park Dog Park.

So next time you're out with your doggie, keep an eye out for the University of Doglando van! If we catch you out with your dog, you might just be on the next edition of Caught on Doggy Cam.

Training Tips Thursdays with Terry Cuyler - Aquisition

Welcome to another edition of Training Tips Thursday! Last time I talked about the 4 levels of learning for dogs – and everyone really. The four levels are acquisition, automatic, applied and always. Most of us only train the acquisition level, but expect the always level and then get disappointed. So we need to understand the differences and how to achieve each level.

Acquisition is the first level where we humans try to help the canine understand what the heck it is we want. We forget that they are foreign language students and don't speak English as their first language. So we can't say "sit" and expect that to mean that they put their bottoms on the ground – we might as well say "rutabaga"…….it has as much meaning to the dogs. We can save our pups and ourselves a lot of frustration if we just figure out a way to convey what we want by demonstration instead of verbalization.

So often we lure a dog into the position we want with a treat because that's how we explain what we want without using words. Message to dog: Follow the treat till you put your bottom on the ground and voila! You get a treat. So during the acquisition phase, the dog gets treated constantly for the correct behavior. This how we teach the dog WHAT it is we expect in order to earn the reward (which doesn't always have to be food, but we'll discuss that another time).

So we teach the dog what sit means by holding a food reward over the head and gradually pulling it back over the shoulders till the dog puts his bottom down. Then we click! Or say Yes! And treat. Dog learns that putting his bottom down works for him. This step shouldn't last very long at all. It is a preliminary step. Ian Dunbar says this luring phase should only be needed 10 to 12 times for the dog in a session. (hint – you may need more sessions when you move to a new location)

I remind folks that we tend to linger in this phase way too long. We should move to rewarding the dog for the behavior without luring/bribing them with an apparent treat right under their noses. Move the treat to another hand or in a treat pouch or on a table out of sight. If the dog performs the desired behavior, reward handsomely with multiple treats. Message to the dog is perform for an empty hand and you get triple rewards – how cool!!!!.

Next Thursday I will get into how to move to the second step, the automatic phase.

Today's Guest Post was written by Terry Cuyler. For more information on Terry and all the cool things she is doing, check out her website here.

That Darndest Things Dogs Do - Coco and Bo

Coco and her brother Bo have always been inseparable, but lately they've been taking it to a whole new level! These dogs are hilarious!

Do you have a funny video or picture of your dog doing something wacky? Send us the link and/or the video and you might just see your dog on the next episode of "The Darndest Things Dogs Do."

Get to Know a Dog Day: Tanner

Hi everyone!

My name is Tanner and I'll be 13 years old on July 3rd. I lived with my mom for many, many years with my other siblings. Unfortunately, mom passed away in May '08, but her daughter, who is also a pet lover & a groomer helped us all out. It seems that a friend of her mom took two of us & Jacque brought us down here to join her two Dachschunds. Jacque still has Shadow, but he's really old, even though he's not that much older than me.
The other guys would taunt me a little & I just took it because I'm not a fighter. One of Jacque's friends made a room in his home for me on July 29, 2008, a little over a year from when he lost his little Nicci, a cute Chihuahua from what I'm told. And that's how I found my way to Marc's house.

I know I'm too big to be a lap dog, but I love cuddling with my friend Marc. He'll throw me the ball or frisbee & I'll bring it back, but won't give it to him. I just want to take it and bring it right back into the house. We go for walks twice a day around the neighborhood & Marc only carries the leash in case he feels that there may be a concern about another animal around. I get to meet the other guys and gals along the way, especially on my evening walk after dinner.

I'm very healthy & Jacque keeps me well groomed. I like car rides when the windows are open & enjoy going to the dog park, but don't really play with the other guys. I'm kind of shy that way. I love eating and sleeping and especially when Marc gives me snacks. Sometimes I try to get him to give me more. I know where they're at & when Marc goes to the kitchen I'll sometimes go and look at the pantry door, hoping that he'll open it & give me another one. Marc won't give me any people food, except an occasional piece of plain chicken or cheese. I know he does this for my well being. I wish he would take as good of care of himself as he does me.

I sleep on the floor under Marc's desk or sometimes on my bed right next to it. In the evenings I join Marc on the couch and I really get excited when it's time to go to bed because after I get to snuggle with Marc, I then go to sleep on the other pillow on the bed. You know, we're pals!

Well that's a little something about me!

Woof!

Tanner

Special thanks to Marc Grossman (@mgrossfl) for sharing Tanner's story with us!

If you would like your dog to be featured on a future Doglando's Get To Know a Dog Day, send your emails here!

Caught on Doggy Cam Day!

This week, U of D's Caught on Doggy Cam dogs are:

Leila

Zeak

Both dogs were caught on a nice evening stroll with their owners in Avalon Park. Leila was as friendly as she is cute, and Zeak was adorable and full of kisses.

So next time you're out with your doggie, keep an eye out for the University of Doglando van! If we catch you out with your dog, you might just be on the next edition of Caught on Doggy Cam.

Florida Bill Aimed at Banning Certain Dog Breeds by Ordinance

FL bill for changes to s 767.14, F.S

Thanks to Kerri McCoy, one of our fabulous clients, here is a break down on the Florida Bill for changes proposed to the s767.14, F. S (Banning of Certain Dog Breeds by Ordinance).

In the link below, there is a really informative document published by the Florida Senate. It is entitled Review of the viability of city or county pre-emption of banning certain dog breeds by ordinance.

Currently, the state of FL has a danger dog law that was enacted in 1990. The law outlines three main subjects: 1) The definition of a dangerous dog, 2) the process of filing a formal complaint to initiate an investigation of a possible dangerous dog, 3) The enforcement process of the dangerous dog law and penalities for an owner of a dog deemed dangerous by local authorities.

Under the current legislation, local governments have authorization to place further restrictions and additional requirements on owners who have a dog that is considered dangerous. No local governments may make any breed-specific regulations or lessen the penalties of the state law. There are a handful of local communities that already had breed-specific legislation and were grandfathered in, to keep that legislation intact when this law was enacted in 1990.

In 2001, Senator Sebesta attempted to eliminate the breed-specific laws grandfathered in for those localities, but the bill did not make it to session. In 2008, Representative Thurston filed a bill (HB 101) with the intent of giving cities and counties the right to ban breeds. The bill was never scheduled for a hearing and it never made it past the House Committee on Agribusiness.


This committee sent out surveys to all of Florida's 67 counties and 410 municipalities to try to obtain data on dog bites by breed, as well as a breed census. Out of these 477 surveys, ONLY 10 responses were returned, which is a 2% response rate. The committee even publishes in this document that "With a lack of information in both the total number of dogs by breed and the total number of dog bites by breed, little evidence either supporting or opposing breed specific legislation can be inferred". Yet, there is a recommendation by the professional staff of the Senate Community Affairs Committee to narrow the pre-emption language in the dangerous dog law, which would give local governments the right to enact breed specific regulations such as registering, muzzling and neutering. The proposed pre-emption would also give local governments the authority to impose breed specific regulations.


The committee also enlisted input from the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, The American Kennel Club, the Florida Animal Control Association, and Leon County Animal Control. Florida League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties are favorable to further local government authority, but neither took an official stance on the issue. The American Kennel Club, Florida Animal Control Association and Leon County Animal Control are favorable to stricter enforcement and harsher penalties under the the current dangerous dog law.

I hope this helps!

People need to write their legislators against removing the pre-emption language - until that gets removed counties cannot enact any type of breed bans.

For more information on this bill, click here.

So what are your thoughts on this bill? Do you think certain breeds should be banned? Will a bill like this even help the situation? What else can be done? Let us know in the comments section!

The Importance of Choosing the Right Puppy for You and your Family

Most pet owners, when choosing a puppy, rely on the "cuteness" factor of the puppy or dog. Even though this is the wrong way to go about it, a lot of us just can't help it.

So here are a few pointers that will help you out the next time you, your family or a friend is looking to give a forever home to a canine companion.

Although there is a lot more to evaluating a puppy then what you will see in the two videos below; this is a great way to begin your search for the right guy/gal for your family.

1) Evaluate your self, your household, family, and life style with great care. Be precise and honest in your judgments; especially when evaluating your life style. Very frequently I hear people wanting to get a dog, because it will help them be more active… if you are not active now, you will not be when you get a dog. The newness does ware off, and in the end it is the dog who suffers from lack of exercise and mental stimulation resulting in all sorts of behaviors we like to call "inappropriate."

2) If you are looking to rescue a dog, consider fostering the puppy or dog for a few days first. This gives you the opportunity to really assess the dog away from an environment that is otherwise so stressful on the dog. Also, it will help you determine: a) if you really are ready for a dog, and can fully commit to taking care of one, and b) what you really are looking for in a puppy or dog.

3) If you are looking for a pure breed, still consider rescue. Every pure breed has a rescue group tied to them, and in many cases you will find on local to you. Rescue groups frequently get puppies in as well, so you are not limited to an age which is a common misconception. I would strongly suggest, even if you are not interested in rescuing, that you talk to someone who is very familiar with and experienced in handling and dealing with that particular breed. Relying on pet shops and back yard breeders to give you that information is false hope. Their business is to sell.

4)Do all your research in finding out medical conditions that particular breed is prone to. An experienced breeder, one that is in it for the betterment of the breed, will only breed those dogs and to those dogs that will improve the line. They are very knowledgeable in all aspects of the dog, including how structure impacts performance in a dog.

5) When choosing a puppy, it is very important that a puppy is willing to cooperate without struggling, mouthing, or any other sort of tension when being handled. Watch the following two videos for the difference in temperament of two puppies born in the same litter.







6) This is not to say that the puppy that puts up a good fight or one that clings onto your hand as you pull away, will not make a great companion for you. It is to say, those signs should be evaluated and considered seriously. Not everyone is experienced or has the patience and time to deal with a puppy who will grow up to challenge everything you say. However, in some instances, (especially for working dogs) pet owners who stick to following rules and consistency, do very well with these types of dogs.

7) Choosing the right dog first and foremost requires an evaluation of the pet owner to be. I can not stress the importance of that, and also allowing the dog to choose you.

8) Puppies learn to respect rules and boundaries at a very early age and that is around 4-5 weeks of age. This is because around 5 weeks of age a puppy is ready to eat solid food, and can be weaned off mom. Puppies normally begin to increase their distance from mom, occasionally rubbing up on her attempting to feed. It is normal for mum to nip, or snarl or push the puppy in an attempt to say "no" or "no not right now." Since most dogs are removed from mom at this age (to be sold in pet shops at 8 weeks of age), these puppies have not had the opportunity to learn that. This results in dogs who are pushy, persistent and need to be corrected and reminded consistently and repeatedly. The longer it takes a pet parent to get on board to following rules from a dog's point of view, the more of a challenge this relationship will be.

9) Every dog's first lesson in life should always be to learn RESPECT. It is our responsibilities as pet parents to seek assistance on how to teach this lesson effectively.

10) Just like we all have different personalities and temperaments, so do other animals. It is important to recognize that and find a suitable match and to coexist.

University of Florida Launches ASPCA Forensics Program

Do you know someone in college that is totally lost and confused as to what they want to study, their career path unknown, BUT they love dogs, and they love animals?

On January 15, 2009, the University of Florida (UF) introduced their newest program: the Veterinary Science Forensic Program. UF has officially partnered up with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and in conjunction will dedicate the Veterinary Science Forensic program to teach, research, and learn about the application of forensic science in the investigation and prosecution of crimes against Animals.

How cool is this? I wish I could go back to school, although I don't know if my stomach could handle most of these cases. However, I am really excited about this program and its future and contribution to helping protect animals. :-)

If you know anyone studying this program at UF, please ask them to contact us. We would love to be kept abreast of this to share with all of you.

For more information on the program click here

What are your thoughts on this program? Should more schools do something like this? Let us know in the comments section!

Get to Know a Dog Day: Heidi and Maggie (Just Adopted!)

Meet Heidi and Maggie, two mini dachshunds that were dropped off at Doglando, by a neighbor to their previous home. These two girls were often found wondering the neighborhood, with little care or regard from their previous owner. The girls had made great friends with the kids in the neighborhood, that would call them each time they were found running loose, and then carry them back home. The kids, concerned about the safety of these two precious pups, learned to crack open one of the windows of the house, and each time they found them, they would call them and put them through the window, back into the house.

We later found out that the previous owner, is in the middle of a divorce (and now is in a relationship), and has no time to care for Maggie and Heidi. We also learned that they were fed hot dogs for the most part of their life. Learning to eat dog food, was the first lesson they learned during their first week at our house. They also were not updated on their vaccines, or on any preventatives... thanks to Jaine and Pet Rescue by Judy, they are now cleared on health and updated on vaccines.... plus micro chipped.

These two girls are unbelievable and such great dogs. They will make great companions to any home, with children, other dogs, elderly, or singles. They crave human attention, and let me just describe how much. I got them last Sunday afternoon, and by that night, they were following me around, off leash even outside. If I left them in the house, and went out to the car, I could hear them whining at the door.

I have spent the whole week working with them to develop trust in them that I will come back. They have be-friended all of our staff at Doglando, as well as my whole family. They sleep with us at night, one in between my feet, and the other on the outside of my feet.

Tag (our mini dachshund) has learned to be a dachshund all over again. He had forgotten how to act like one we would always joke since hes grown up in a household of two German Shepherds.

Heidie and Maggie are great fun dogs, and will make any home complete.... they care just fabulous.

To find out more info and see more pictures of Heidi and Maggie visit this site.

Also, If you, or anyone you know, is interested in adopting these two girls, please send us an email and we will get back to you with more information.

Caught on Doggy Cam Monday!

This week, U of D's Caught on Doggy Cam dogs are:

Milo

Wilson

All three dogs were caught exercising with their owners in Avalon Park.

How do you exercise with your pup? Take them on runs? To the Dog Park? Let them run around your backyard? Let us know in the comments sections!