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Rolling Meadows Academy
of Dog Training
148 Bingham Industrial Dr.
Denton, NC 27239
USA
We offer the following
services
for the special needs of
our celebrity clients:
• We can personally deliver your
pre-trained dog.
• We can arrange limo service from Greensboro, Charlotte or Raleigh, NC
airport to the Academy if you pick up.
• All transactions are top secret, no name dropping or intrusions of
privacy will occur.
• We can work directly with you, your manager, your power of attorney, or
your family.
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What to Expect:
Bringing Your Pre-Trained Adult Pet Dog Home
Getting Home . . . Your New Dog's First Days
If possible take time off --
48 hours at least, 1 week is even better
This is important bonding time when your new dog is feeling most stressed
and vulnerable in its new environment. Keep household activities to a
minimum while your new dog adjusts.
 For the first few days you
have a dog, keep him or her in the same room with you - so that if the dog
needs to potty, you can rush him outdoors...and so that if he engages in
unapproved behavior, you can instantly correct the dog and substitute a
more positive behavior. For example, removing the shoe from his mouth,
then substituting a toy and praising.
During the transition period
A dog needs time to adjust to the rules and
schedule of your household. And he needs your leadership! A dog is a pack
animal looking for guidance, and it is up to you to maintain and reinforce
his good, acceptable manners. If the human does not take charge, the dog
will try to. Start day one by reinforcing your trained dogs appropriate
behavior through consistent, positive reinforcement.
A dog cannot do damage unless you let it happen. Watch your trained dog
during the transition period. When you can't supervise, keep him in the
kitchen, crate or other secure area with chew toys.
Keep your dog on-leash when outdoors in unfenced areas. Otherwise, you'll
have no control if your dog obeys instinct and chases a squirrel into the
street...tussles with another dog...or runs after a child. Supervise
him even when he is in a fenced yard. If there's a way to escape, most
dogs will find it. Although he is a trained dog he still needs to
form a bond with his new family.
By the way, your dog will explore everything,
so dog-proof your house (place shoes inside closets, put electrical cords
out of reach, move prized objects to higher ground).
The earlier you make lifestyle rules, the easier your dog will be to
handle and the fewer problems you will have. And when you do encounter
problems, you will be much better able to resolve them.
Obedience Commands &
Owner Education
Don't issue a command unless you are in a position to enforce it. Telling
a dog to do something, then not guiding him to obey if he chooses not to,
teaches him to ignore you.
Beware of sending mixed signals that bad behavior is cute or entertaining.
Reinforce your dogs good house manners from the start.
Review your dogs commands
Timing is everything. When a correction is
timed perfectly with the offending behavior, it will redirect your dog's
focus for a fleeting moment. If during this incredibly brief window of
opportunity you can insert or re-insert your command, you can often change
your dog's focus. If the correction or the re-command is not done with
close-to-perfect timing and technique, it has little effect, other than to
desensitize the dog to further corrections.
When we talk about training, we don't mean just having us teach
sit-stay-heel. We mean: YOU as the owner learning about dog behavior and
training through our 2 day owner education course, and then YOU teaching and guiding your dog with patience and
consistency so that he learns how to behave in a world of humans.
Dogs are pack animals who need leadership and rules to survive. Training
will make your dog a trustworthy, socialized family member and forge a
bond with your dog. The more behaved and socialized your dog, the more
places you can go together. All family members should participate in our
owner education course and agree on the rules, so they can teach the dog with
consistency.
Reward and repeat: If a dog does something that results in reward, the likely-hood
of the same behavior happening again in the future is more than 80%. If you work with your dog each day and reward
desired behavior, he will learn what is expected of him within the 30 day
bonding period. If a dog doesn't
learn, it means the owner didn't take enough time to teach and guide him.
That is why so many dogs given up as "impossible" turn out to be model
canine good citizens when they are properly obedience trained.
Be patient, firm and consistent: Reward good behavior. Small soft treats
work the best; always accompany them with verbal praise and positive body
language. Your pre-trained dog was trained using positive reward-based training.
Put down that newspaper! Punishment teaches a dog to avoid the lesson and
distrust the teacher. For example, if you hit a dog who just urinated
indoors, he'll learn not to potty when you're looking. Instead, reward
good behavior, set up opportunities for the dog to learn and display good
behavior - and disrupt and correct bad behavior.
Remember timing is essential: Correct immediately when an unacceptable
behavior occurs, not afterwards, then praise enthusiastically when your
dog stops the undesired behavior. A correction should occur within 3
second after the undesired behavior or it is to late.
By correct, we mean a quick yank of the leash, immediately letting it go
slack. A correction should last the tick of a clock. We use the Shake Jug (milk jug filled with BB's to disrupt
undesired behavior when the dog is off leash and cannot be inforced with a
leash correction. However, these aversive techniques should be used to
interrupt the dog's action, not as punishment - and they work best when
you successfully conceal the fact you are causing the noise. It's better
if the dog thinks his own action caused the surprise noise. Never toss the
jug at your dog, just in the vicinity of his misbehavior. And it's
meaningless to throw it after the misbehavior occurs. Again, timing is
key. Remember the 3 second rule.
Anticipate and avoid opportunities for misbehavior. For example, don't let
the dog dash out the door until you release him. Your dog was trained to "Wait" at doorway
thresholds
until he is released by command.
See obedience commands.
Give a verbal command only once - if the dog doesn't respond immediately,
correct the dog with a leash correction followed firmly with the "Na"
command. Repeating commands ("sit, sit, sit, SIT...") means
the dog has not learned "sit" means sit.
And don't issue a command unless you are in a position to enforce it. For
example, don't say "come" unless you have a long-line attached to guide
him to you if your dog is not yet reliably complying. If you don't enforce
a command, you are teaching the dog that listening is optional.
Once your dog is reliably responding to a command, start practicing
the command in situations with distractions. When you and your dog have
accomplished that level of difficulty, it's time to generalize the
response to other locations and people. For example, your dog may be great
at sit-stays in your home. Now take him outside with several neighbors
present.
Always praise a dog for coming to you. Never, never correct, scold or
punish a dog when he comes to you, even if the response is delayed or it
was preceded by bad behavior.
Learn everything you can - it's worth every
penny and every minute because your whole family will benefit. Each dog is
different, so it may take more than one approach to solve a problem.
All family members who are old enough to interact with the dog should
participate in training. Obedience commands need to be practiced and
incorporated into your daily life. Certain commands, like "down-stay," can
be invaluable in the house and a life-saver when out in public.
Practicing obedience also gives dogs a terrific outlet for their physical
and mental energy. A well- trained dog can go more places with you. And a
dog who's secure in his place in the family pack is happy to let his human
be the leader.
Keep your training periods short and fun, using lots of praise and treats.
Work on one command at a time and end the session when he has successfully
completed a command. Never end a training session on a bad note.
The first six months are critical in shaping
the relationship between your dog and family. While it's easy to blame the
trainer, the dog or the breed, the truth is that almost any dog can adjust
to almost any family if the owners make the daily effort during the first
six months.
Who's Leading Who?
Becoming the Leader
Your dog nips when you try to take a toy from him...ignores your request
to exit the couch...or yanks ahead on walks. If you feel like your dog is
challenging authority, then he probably thinks he is the "alpha" of the
home. He needs to be taught a new, well-defined pecking order - and a new,
lower place in the family hierarchy - for everyone's welfare. He needs YOU
to become his leader. Otherwise, he'll rebel.
Dogs aren't looking for a democracy - they're looking for leaders. Dogs
want to know their place in the family pack and what their people expected
of them, otherwise they're stressed. Most often, an "aggression" problem
is really a "stress and confusion" problem. If your dog tries to dominate
you or someone else in your household, it's probably because he sees role
confusion and responds by taking charge.
"Alpha" is an attitude. It is not achieved by force or punishment. Rather,
it is earned through confident, authoritative, consistent behavior on the
part of the owner, who we prefer to call the leader. Dogs can sense who's
in charge immediately; they are continuously reading your body language
and are aware each time their people don't enforce commands. Notice how
most dogs watch a good obedience instructor - and how they seem to wait to
be given direction. They express respect and interest, not fear.
Then notice how a good obedience instructor behaves. He or she will walk
with confidence...stand up straight...use a firm tone of voice. And that
voice expresses commands as a directive, not a question. ("Come...? Come
on, come...?") The dog realizes this person makes the decisions.
Are you rewarding bad behavior? Anticipate and remove opportunities for
undesirable behavior. Don't let your dog dash out the door, for the
accompanying feelings of joy and freedom are self-rewarding. Don't leave
food on the counter, because if the dog grabs a tasty sandwich,
counter-surfing has just been reinforced.
For dogs, it's natural to try to control their world with their jaws.
Natural, but unacceptable. Never allow your dog to mouth you even in play.
If he tries to mouth you give a firm "Na" and praise lavishly when he
stops. You need to gain control of your dog right away.
How to become leader of the pack:
Step one: no freebies. Your dog must behave in order to
earn the good things in life - petting, treats, meals, walks around the
block. These are rewards you can use as you reinforce your rules of
behavior.
Use petting, feeding and playing as rewards. Before setting down the food
bowl, instruct your dog to "sit." Say it only once. He receives his food -
and enthusiastic praise ("Good boy!) only when he sits calmly. Pogo-in
from a seated position does not count. No "sit," no reward. Put the bowl
out of his reach and walk away. Try again later. In addition, if your
mealtimes coincide with your dog's, prepare his food first, but place it
out of reach. Then eat your meal first before setting down his bowl. The
leader in a dog pack eats first. Never, never, never feed your dog from
the table.
Subordinate dogs lick and bow to dominant dogs as a gesture of respect. So
when you're working to modify the behavior of a dominant dog,
reserve petting to use as positive reinforcement. To receive attention, he
must obey a command such as "sit." Praise and pet as soon as he complies.
If he prods you for more attention, ignore him. The idea is to convey to
him that you decide when to begin and stop petting. The same should apply
to playing, feeding and going for walks.
Lead the way, literally and figuratively. Starting from day one, don't let the
dog bolt ahead of you out the door or drag you on walks. Keep your dog on
leash, instruct him to sit, cross the threshold first and don't let him
out until he complies. If he tries to push through the door as you open
it, give him a leash correction followed by the "Na" command. After 5 or 6
repetitions, he'll start getting the idea that you are going to reinforce
his training, but you cannot lapse and let him barrel out in front of you
or he will resume the bolting behavior.
Reinforce the no jumping rule. Remember that your dog is trained to sit
politely for petting as an alternative to jumping on people, it is important
to reinforce jumping on people at all times. Dogs cannot discern
between dress clothes and old clothes. Ignore the dog,
or command "Na." When greeting, give attention and petting to the dog
only when he sits.
No playing favorites. If the dog ignores commands given by another
member of the household, let that person be the one to feed and dispense
treats to the dog for now. It's essential that everyone in your family
attend our 2 day owner education course and practice the same techniques while training the dog. Like a child, if a
dog finds someone he can dominate, he'll do it. It is your
responsibility to teach family members that are unable to attend the
owners education training.
Control the games. Tell family and friends not to taunt, wrestle or play
tug-of-war - these games encourage dogs to dominate physically and to use
their teeth. The outcome of games determines who's dominant in a pack.
Instead, play hide and seek with a prized toy or fetch. As leader, you
must be the one who decides when to start and end the game. Stop playing
before the dog loses interest.
Diligently work at training so you can reach a point when your dog looks
to you as the leader who decides what to do and when. And when you reach
that point, don't slack off. You and the other human members of your
household should always display leadership and confidence. In most cases, if
a dog knows he can depend on you, he will respect you and his new position
on the family totem pole.
Common Behavior &
Behavioral Problems
"Undesirable behavior" is in the eye of the beholder. Many "bad habits"
(chewing, mouthing, digging, jumping, chasing, barking) are natural,
normal behaviors for a dog.
What is dog etiquette and
manners?
All dogs need Manners. Manners are different
from Basic Obedience, and are rarely covered in detail in any obedience
school. We have included dog etiquette training in all of our
pre-trained adult pet dogs! You will need to reinforce your dogs good
manners by taking the time to work with your dog. Always give your dog
opportunities to do something you can reward.
It may take a few weeks before you can fully trust your dog with free
run of the house. Until then, when you cannot supervise him, confine him
in a safe place such as a crate or baby-gated kitchen. Leave him toys to
play with. Remove trash cans or secure trash can lids from the area.
Activity needs. Most often, there is nothing wrong with reportedly
hyperactive dogs. Dogs need attention and exercise - and when people don't
give them enough, the dog has to do something with that excess energy. By
the way, dogs don't do things out of spite, which is a human concept. They
do things that, right or wrong, seem like ways to cope.
It helps to determine the source of unwanted behavior. It often stems from
the frustration of being alone, since dogs are social animals. If you
leave your dog for long hours on workdays, consider doggie daycare or a
mid-day dog walker. In some cases, misbehavior results from stress between
the human members of the home, or another environmental change such as the
arrival of a new household member.
A dog has no memory of recent activities. So unless you catch him in the
act of chewing or doing something unacceptable, scolding won't help.
Chewing. Chewing is how young dogs explore their environments and mature
dogs relieve stress. Move chewable objects out of reach. Take up throw
rugs. Shield or hide power cords. Spray Bitter Apple on furniture legs and
wood trim. Make sure your dog always has access to his own chew toys. But
limit the number of toys you give your dog, or he'll think nearly
everything is fair game. Make a conscious effort to reward your dog for
playing with the right toys. In addition, exercise your dog, and practice
his
obedience commands to redirect his energy.
When you catch him chewing something off-limits, direct him to "leave it,"
or "out" if he already has the toy in his mouth. When the dog drops the
item, praise lavishly and give him an acceptable substitute to chew.
Barking. First, realize that some breeds were bred to bark. Next, figure
out the key triggers of your dog's barking. Perhaps it's the mail carrier,
children getting off the school bus, the neighbor coming out to mow his
lawn, or daily joggers. As with many dog training issues, aim to reduce
the opportunities as well as the incentives to misbehave.
If trigger events occur outside, bring him indoors before the triggers
appear. He'll be less likely to bark when shielded from the opportunity.
When he barks and the targets bypass or leave your property, this
reinforces the barking behavior - and your dog figures he did his job
well. This is one of the many steps used in training Police K-9's
and Personal Protection Dogs.
If you can't avoid the trigger events, be prepared to re-focus his
attention on you. You can do this by using small soft treats and praise. Or
before he focuses on the target for his barking, give an immediate
leash correction. Re-direct his attention to you. Try to catch and stop
him before he emits his first bark. Give the correction and command "Na!"
When he attends to you, immediately praise him verbally and use soft
treats to
reinforce the praise. Keep this up and he will learn it is more pleasant
not to bark.
Jumping. Jumping and mounting are often behaviors dogs choose to seek a
higher rank in the pack; sometimes they just jump out of excitement. Keep
people from exciting your dog to the point of jumping up, barking or
nipping. Often, jumping can be discouraged by simply ignoring the dog
until he settles down. Just turn and walk away. You can use your dogs
trained hand signal, and provide a treat and attention only when the dog sits calmly
on command.
You can correct your dog's bad behaviors by providing leadership,
clarifying his subordinate role in the pack - and by training using humane
methods.
Most dogs are time vs. space-sensitive. They'd rather have an owner to
play with than a yard to play in. Running around a yard provides physical
stimulation, but dogs also need the mental stimulation of active
companionship with their people.
Furniture-hogging. Decide on the furniture and other house rules, then all
family members must abide by the decisions. Consistency is key to
training. To teach your dog to stay off the furniture, snap a long leash
to his collar when you are home (and leave it on only when you are in the
same room). Use a quick leash correction as soon as he tries to hop up.
He'll get the message quickly. Many trainers advise that dogs not be
allowed on furniture because the elevated position can give a dog the
sense that he is the alpha and can lead to aggressive displays. Instead,
give dogs their own beds and crates.
New dogs can't get into trouble if they are on leash in the house. It is
more humane and easier to stop bad habits before they start, then to
change them after they learn something naughty. Your dog was on leash
indoors when he was with us during his obedience training. Just make sure that when you
leave your dog alone, even for a minute, you remove the leash for safety
reasons.
Bonding and insecurities. At first, your dog may be shy or needy. If he
continues to cling to just one family member after the transition period,
help him work through this problem. Using treats and vocal praise,
gradually acclimate him to being near other family members. Have the other
people do the feeding, walking and petting, so he associates them with
positive, safe experiences.
Nipping and biting. When young dogs gnaw and nip, people often excuse this
as "puppy behavior." But it's unacceptable behavior that will continue,
and grow worse, if not corrected. Like a child, a dog will test the limits
and to see who's boss. The root of a dog's biting may be in lack of early
socialization, fear, dominance, or confusion over his role in the pack.
As the leader, you must set limits. Don't tell a dog not to do something,
then send mixed signals that his bad behavior is cute. Consistently reward
him when he obeys; correct him when he doesn't.
If your dog tries to nip during play, command "Na" and immediately stop
playing. If the leash is on, you can give a correction if he doesn't
comply. Turn his eyes to meet yours to emphasize the point. You must feel
and convey a leadership role. Use the "Settle" command to calm your dog.
Use your dog's name when giving praise; don't use it when in the act of
correcting. Giving your dog something to chew on instead of your hand will
also work.
Always walk your dog on a leash for his own safety and everyone else's.
Voice control is useless when your dog decides to chase a squirrel, knock
down a child, or fight with another dog.
Lack of appetite
It is not uncommon for your new dog to lack an appetite for a period of
1-2 days. After day 2, if your dog still has not eaten, see your vet.
Mealtime
Food:
A bargain brand dog food may not be the healthiest choice, so it can cost
you more down the line. Look for a food that uses higher quality
ingredients and contains fewer byproducts and preservatives that can
trigger food allergies. Your pre-trained dog was maintained on Purina One
dog food. If you change dog foods, change over gradually, as dogs
thrive on a consistent diet.
Feeding dry food helps keep teeth cleaner. For extra nutrients, supplement
the daily diet with some fresh vegetables such as green beans and baby
carrots and low-fat plain yogurt - dogs love them! But don't feed a dog
table scraps, which typically leads to begging, weight problems and
indigestion. If a vet prescribes a special diet, follow that advice.
Feeding plain rice can help a dog get through a digestive problem. If your
dog is on antibiotics, add plain yogurt to his food to help replace the
good bacteria in his system.
There's no free lunch. Don't let a dog grab food. Before feeding, giving
treats or petting, give a command (such as "sit"). This will keep
your dog stay sharp on his commands.
Feeding schedule & tips:
Make sure your dog has free access to clean, fresh water.
Free feeding can lead to housetraining accidents and spoiled food, so it
may be best to feed at scheduled times. Your pre-trained Adult dog is use
to eating twice a day. If the dog's a picky eater, remove the food bowl
after 15 minutes and don't try again until the next feeding time. Feed
other animals away from the new dog to prevent fights.
Your new dog may not be interested in eating the first day, but just try
again at the next feeding time.
Introducing Your New Dog
to Other Dogs
Before bringing a new dog home, be sure all animals are healthy, have
current vaccinations and test negative for parasites. Realize that even if
the dogs met successfully on neutral turf, things are different when you
bring a new dog home. Make sure there's another person at the homecoming
so the dogs can meet on-leash outside.
We personally make all of
the introductions with our personal door-to-door delivery.
We use a Flat Collar. They make a dog feel more calm and safe. We use a
prong collar for corrections, particularly for strong dogs.
Prior to the introduction, leash-walk the new dog outside. Then bring out
the other dog (s) on leash, preferably with a correction collar to provide
full control. Make sure you are relaxed, so you don't telegraph anxiety
through the leash. Avoid keeping the collar pulled tight, since "restraint
frustration" elevates tension and the risk of aggression. The dogs will be
more relaxed knowing they have some room to maneuver. Watch carefully so
you can make a leash correction if necessary.
Make the meeting fun with a walk and some treats (timed to reward good,
relaxed behavior). Introduce gradually, making sure the animals are calm.
Pet the resident dog, assuring that everything's OK. If it's not OK,
suspend introductions and resume the walk. Be careful to reward only good
behavior.
Keep the dogs within sight of each other. (For more than two dogs,
introduce each to the newcomer one at a time.) If the animals are
receptive to each other, praise each one and reward them with treats and
petting to show that good things happen when they are together. If there
is a negative reaction, move back to the distance at which neither
reacted. Watch for warning signs such as fur raised on the back, staring
or stiffening up. If one dog reacts aggressively, don't punish the
aggressor; instead, take him in a neutral or less valued area to settle
down and ignore him. If both dogs act aggressively, remove each to
different, neutral areas. Try re-introducing later in the day.
It is essential to use a positive vocal tone at any meeting with another
animal or person. People have a tendency to be silent and not express
happiness or enthusiasm - yet that is exactly what the dogs need to hear.
They need to know that their leaders are confident.
When correcting unacceptable behavior, timing is critical. Do not wait for
the lunge; at the first hint of aggression, such as a stare, correct with
a firm "Na" and a quick (but not punishing) leash correction, and
redirect the dog's attention to you. You must keep control at all times
and show the dogs YOU are the alpha. Don't be alarmed if they don't warm
up to each other immediately. Either dog may engage in aggressive
posturing, barking, marking, housetraining accidents, and possessiveness
over toys and people.
When the dogs come inside, a fight could break out, so leave the leashes
on for quick control if needed. Keep all toys and treats out of sight
until everyone is comfortable. An added advantage to having two people
present when introducing dogs is that one can focus on praising each one.
However, if you're alone, you can tie one dog's leash to a doorknob or
sofa leg at a length that allows the animals to sniff each other at a safe
range.
The resident dog might be insecure about his place in the pack. Reassure
him, but do not let him misbehave or mistreat the newcomer. Resist the
temptation to spoil either dog or to allow bad habits you'll have to break
later. We advise to greet, pet, feed and play with the senior
dog first.
The more socialized both dogs are, the less time it will take for them to
become friendly. Try not to be nervous, or your dogs may sense the tension
and even defend you from the other dog. To avoid injuries, keep new pets
separate from others when you aren't able to supervise. (Some owners find
it's best to continue to keep dogs separated at mealtime, and to keep toys
off the floor, to prevent fights.) You might crate the newcomer in a
family area. Avoid keeping him in a highly coveted area, such as near the
other pets' food bowls.
Acclimation can take days or weeks. Be sure to give each pet 10 or 15
minutes of quality time alone with you each day - play, brush, massage,
practice rewarding skills. Once the animals react well to each other,
remove the leashes. Keep watch, and keep the Shake Jug on han |
