Weight pulling for dogs.....

The one thing I find amazing is how strong dogs are.  I went to a dog pulling contest in the north west suburbs of Chicago a few weeks ago and watched a 20lb Boston Terrier that is 4 years old pull 635 lbs!! and also saw a 60lb Pit Bull pull 3500lbs.  The tradition of weight pulling goes back to the 1890's when owners bragged and bet on how much there dog could move during the Klondike Gold rush.  Today all breads can participate in weight pulling.  This is an organized competitive sport with rules that are designed in the best interest of the dog.  This sport prioritizes the dogs health, safety and sportsmanship between the owners.  Every club has different rules like in the United Kennel Club and the International Weight Pull Associations competitions for example, they have the dog do qualifying scores for pulling weight 16' in 60 seconds.  The dog must know basic obedience commands like sit, stay, and come.  Training would involve pulling trees or chains to build up stamina, and you will know if the dog likes it or not with just one look from her saying "pull this stuff your self"  This is lots of fun for the dog and the whole family and is done all year round indoors and out.

This weeks tip.....True or False?

True or False a dog will show warning signs of stress before biting?

False,  A dog will learn to mask the signs of stress such as growling and/or showing there teeth because of all the times the dog was corrected for this behavior.  This has taught the dog to suppress the warning signs and not necessarily the bite.  This type of bite is called "out of the blue", and because of this the owner needs to be aware of the approach ,body posture, and general communication that are likely to be interpreted by the dog.  Some of the signs are direct eye contact with you and the tail standing straight up and its chest thrown out.  The dogs legs are apart with the ears up and a low rumbling growl.  The dog could also have its teeth showing by raising its lips in the front.

You want to learn these warning signs to assess the dog could be having a good day or not.  If you can talk calmly, keep hands low and nonthreatening and avoid eye contact. 

Don't move quickly or tower over the dog or yell or shout.  This will only stress the dog more and could get you bit by the dog.  A can recommend a book called "The art of raising a puppy" and look on page 144-150 for a discussion on dominant dogs written by Monks of New Skete,  I sell this book on my web page www.bgoodk9training.com.  This is a good book for everyone who loves dogs.

next weeks tip....?

Dog of the week is.....Bulldog

The Bulldog is listed in the  non-sporting group.  The Bulldogs origin comes from bull bating that originated in England around the 13th century.  The dog would grab the bull by the nose and had no intention of letting go, the people who did this with the dog thought that the bull would taste better if it was baited before it was butchered wile others found it entertaining!? In 1835 bull baiting was outlawed.  Now that the dog had no cause it should have gone extinct, except the dog had gained so much popularity with the people that it was set out to rescue the dog.  The people where so successful at rescuing the dog that it became the national symbol of England.  This dog has a personality not at all like its sour mug would make you believe.  The temperament of the dog is comical, amiable and the most docile and mellow of the dog family.  Willing to please but have a stubborn streak and is generally good with other dogs.  The Bulldog needs short walks on cool days but on hot days overexertion can be dangerous.  Bulldogs can't swim without a life jacket and even then should be supervised at all times.  The cleaning of the dog is easy and coat needs little brushing.

Something fun for the summer!

If you want to keep your dog cool in the summer and have family fun in the process...try dock diving.  This is a great way to keep dogs cool when the summer heats up.  Dock diving is fun for the dog because the dog can skinny dip and fetch their favorite toy at the same time.  This is a fast paced and gravity defying competition.  The dogs compete for speed and distance jumping into a 40' long pool while getting there toy from the water.  The dogs love the action and the family will love it to.  At Paw Law in Hanover park IL is specialized in agility training and dock diving.  She told me that her dog could jump 21+ feet in competition, I found this amazing because my family room is 24' long!  I believe her about her dog because on one wall that is about 35' long and 18' high at the training center their are competition ribbons all over the wall, congrats to her!  At the events any size mix or purebred dog may compete and have to be at least 6 months old.  If you think that you would like to give this a try you can visit these sights:  www.dockdogs.com or www.pawlaw.com and www.splashdogs.com and go have some fun!!    Please note that dogs need training for this sport because there are procedures and rules to follow.  Remember this is for fun for you and your family.  

This week...Dominant or Aggressive dog?

Some trainers classify all dogs in the leadership roll as being "dominant" or "aggressive" because of a misunderstanding of the dogs actions.  A dominant dog is assertive, interdependent, and sometimes controlling. A aggressive dog is hostel, combative, and/or defensively antagonistic.  Try to remember that the words dominant and aggressive are not the same, because a submissive dog can become aggressive if the situation is provoked.  I see a dog that is out of control with the owner present ether in the yard or on a walk and I see the owner using confrontational methods to get the dog to stop.  When this happens the owner needs to stay in control of his/her anger because the dog is feeding off of this and just repeating what you are doing.  this sounds easy but it is not, and this is what I mean when I say a dog needs a leader or roll model for there dogs.  In the last 25-30 years dog behaviorists have observed that dogs have a definite pecking order and this is where confrontational training training methods came from.  At one time it was thought that the alpha roll over and direct eye contact where thought to be the natural way to exert your dominance over the dog.  I hope that everyone understands that using these methods are only going to get you bit by the dog or someone else. When the dog starts acting crazy, remain calm and change the situation to distract the dog from the unwanted behavior.  Just "think before you do" and you and your dog will get along fine.

Remember there are consequences that come with a dog that is aggressive if the problem is not dealt with in a timely matter....

what does this picture mean to you?

This picture means to me that people really do have a good side and can say a lot without saying a word, and the dog is saying a thousand things to this man with the touch of his head on his shoulder.

Dog of the week is....

Weimaraner

This is originated from Germany in the 19th century with the intention of creating the all around dog that could hunt game of all sizes like deer and bear.  One thing I find interesting is the gray coat, why you say because it is not known where it originated from, but what is known is it was an early feature of the dog.  This dog was over seen by the German Weimaraner Club, but when a American was aloud entry to this club 2 of these dog went to America in 1929 and a long history began in the US.  The Americans found that the dog has great instincts when it came to hunting that it's true nature was formed.  This dog is also has a companionable nature and the dog's popularity grew with people who wanted a companion.  The dog is bold and and has high energy level and loves to run and explore but can be head strong.  this dog needs lots of exercise meaning a walk around the block will not be enough for him/her not to be board.

I have an update from the beer company.....

Dear Carl,

Images continue to circulate in social media channels showing a dog fight, with Heineken banners clearly visible in the background. This is very distressing and totally unacceptable. As a company and a brand owner, we do not and would never knowingly support any event, outlet or individual involved in this type of activity. It is against our company and brand rules and - more important - against our company values.

Since this matter was brought to our attention via Facebook we have conducted an investigation and now know that:

· The venue is a nightclub in Mongolia
· The venue hosted a dog fight of which we had no knowledge and were not involved in any way
· The venue owner has verbally confirmed that Heineken banners are visible in the pictures because the previous evening the club had been decorated for a promotional event and he had failed to remove the banners once it was over. This event was in no way related to the dog fight.

Based on this we have taken the following immediate actions:

· Removed all remaining promotional materials from the venue
· Withdrawn all current product stock from the club
· Ceased our relationship, ensuring our brands will not be available in the club again
· Instructed our distributor to check every location where our brands can be enjoyed to ensure such illegal activities are not taking place. If there is any suggestion that they are, we will take the same action and remove our products
· Continue to ensure our strict advertising and promotion guidelines are enforced both to the letter and the spirit of their intent

We want to thank our consumers on-line for bringing this issue to our attention. We are shocked and disappointed by these images. We fully understand the level of negative feeling amongst consumers based on what they have seen. We appreciate that the vast majority have asked for our point of view before making a judgment. We encourage our consumers to continue to use social media channels to alert us to any situation where they feel our brands are being misrepresented, so that we can take the appropriate actions.

Sincerely,

HEINEKEN USA Consumer Affairs

Look what thay are doing, and a beer sponsor!

Owning a pit bull is a responsibility for the owner of the dog, This type of dog must be respected at all times and never own one just because it gives you a status symbol like power or its cool. This dog didn't ask to be this way, man created this dog for stupid pleasure like fighting. I asked a owner of a pit bull in class what made him want a pit bull for a pet and the owner was offended by the question. He said he bought the dog for his daughter so the dog could protect her while living on her own. I thought that if you need a dog like this to protect you where you live then you need to move to a safer place! If you love the dog then you would not get one for protection because this dog is a lousy guard dog. This dog is in the dog rescue shelters more than any other dog because people don't have a clew as to how strong this dog really is. To any one who cares, please show responsibility if you must own on of these dog's!!!!!

Todays dog bread....The Pointer

Pointers date back to the 17th century when they where used to point hare on a hunting trip.  I also understand that when bird hunting became popular in the 18th century that is when the pointer found it's place.  As time went by the pointer became popular for recreational hunting on large estates, ideally two pointers where used so the hunter could locate the bird precisely by cross referencing the dog's points.  In the late 19th century the pointer was among the most prominent dog in the dog shows.  It is unfortunate the this dog breed is not a popular pet than many other sporting breeds.  This dog needs at least 1 hour a day of exercise to stay a top dog, and you will need a lot of stamina for this dog.  I have trained this type of dog before and one of them was def, but was eager to learn.  

what do dogs think?

Researchers largely shunned domestic dog's because they were assumed to be not as smart or as interesting as their wild counterparts.  I see some people in my class talking to there dog's in full sentences like they would talk to anyone else.  Dog's can only understand 2-3 words of what we say to them, witch is why I believe when my dog turns her head when I am talking to her it is because she has no idea what I am saying or what it is I want from her. 

Tell me what you think by leaving a comment.

what the word dog means?

I believe the word dog means "the male of a canine species" I looked this up in the dictionary the other day.  I don't know why the female is called "bitch".  The English word dog means "powerful dog breed" and that dog's are ancestor's of the gray wolf.  Domestic dogs inherited complex behaviors from their wolf ancestors, which would have been pack hunters.

Pedigree Foundation Grants

Pedigree Foundation Grants Available

If you work for or know of a shelter that is doing something innovative to increase dog adoptions, they may be eligible for a $10,000-$25,000 grant from the Pedigree Foundation.

 http://www.pedigreefoundation.com/

 share this if you know someone who is involved with shelters.

Dog training school

www.bgoodk9training.com

This link will put you in a sight that is just for dog training.  It has tips and class description's and there is even a page of books that I would recommend to everyone who has a dog.
Come and check it out and look around.
Thanks...  

Tip of the week!

This weeks tip is about rules...

All dogs have rules to live by because not all dogs are the same in behavior and temperament when you are out with your dog.  when I teach my dog training class I always start out by saying " don't let your dog greet each other nose to nose or nose to but".  Most people think there dog is friendly with other dog's or that it is cute the way they greet each other.  they say " look my dog likes your dog", and little do they know they could be moments away from a fight.  so don't let your dog do this because it could be disastrous and expensive.  
If this problem has happened to you or someone you know tell me about it on my blog.
Thank You   bgoodk9training.com

welcome

this post will setup for dog lovers, trainers, dog rescue, and others who work with dogs.  I will be posting tips of the week along with some do and don't with dog's.