Dog Potentials

I'm really back this time

2009-10-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

I've been more or less "offline" from this blog for three years! Gack! I never thought it was that long ago that I was posting here, but since that time, I've moved back to my parents' home, lost my dad, and helped my mother show her Border Terriers.

On top of that, I've added a new web page to my current collection. This one is at Squidoo. The lens (that's what they call the pages there) is called "Frito Feet" and has some training tips for getting your dog to allow you to handle his/her feet. I happened to remember that dog feet tend to smell like Fritos when they're clean and warm. LOL

Well, glad to be back on the job of blogging and giving out training tips. Thinking I might just write a book. LOL Next lens on Squidoo is going to be about teaching your dog hand signals. Later, Chris

Dog Training--Interesting News

2006-04-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

A Canadian Reseach facility has apparently located a gene that causes epilepsy in dogs. It should be noted that this is only ONE gene that causes epilepsy, where there are many that probably can. In humans and mice (which have been found to be VERY close to humans in physiology), there are over 30 mutations that cause epilepsy. Still, it's a step forward. DNA research is progressing in leaps and bounds. If you'd like to submit blood for DNA testing for your dog (currently only purebreds are permitted), or, would like to find out more about the program, visit the website for the Canine Epilepsy Consortium at the Universities of Missouri and Minnesota.

Seizures in dogs are caused by many things. Genetics, congenital hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), infections causing brain damage (such as canine distemper, cryptococcosis), ingestion of toxins (such as lead paint chips, insecticides), brain tumors, portosystemic shunts (improperly routed intestinal blood vessels bypass the liver - one of the body's important waste-product detoxifiers), and vaccinations. Apparently, in some cases, glutens in the dog's food can trigger a form of epilepsy known as Spike's Disease or CECS. At least, lowering the glutens in the diet seems to be helping sufferers of this malady.

So, how do you know if your dog is having, or about to have, a seizure? Preliminary symptoms may include (and may not and are not limited to): excessive panting, extra affection, anxiety, restlessness, whining, and hiding. If there are no apprarent triggers for the behavior, such as a very hot day or loud noises your dog might respond to, it is best to keep an eye on the dog.

Seizures may be petit mal (small) or grand mal (strong with varying intensity of muscle tremors/seizing). In petit mal, the dog may appear distracted, spacy, or the eyes may roll upward. In grand mal, the dog falls to the ground, can lose consciousness, becomes rigid or paddles the feet. May arch the back.

Most seizures last from seconds to a few minutes. Anything over three minutes can be considered life threatening. Clusters of seizures in a 24-hour period are also considered life threatening. Contact your vet immediately.

The only way to get a definitive diagnosis of seizure disorder and possible causes is to have your vet do a complete work-up of the dog, including testing the thyroid, blood sugars, check for toxins in the system, and a brain scan. Most seizure disorders are treatable, although a "cure" may not be achieved.
*****

Well, I really hadn't planned to write an article about seizures. lol But, I did think the finding of a genetic mutation something you'd find interesting.
*****

There are two new show postings on the forums. Check 'em out. Lots of shows at the end of April.
*****

Training Tip:

Continuing on the CGC training, this is the next test in the title.

Step 4 of 10 to earning a Canine Good Citizen title for your dog is the following:

Out for a Walk. Goal: Handler takes dog for a short walk including right
turn, left turn, about turn and stop.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? While they're not looking for perfect heeling here, they do expect you to be able to walk with your dog and make the moves the Evaluator tells you without getting tangled up. Making the right turn is relatively easy, as you make the turn before the dog does. But the left turn can be a little trickier.

One way to handle it is to draw back on the lead to stop the dog's forward motion and then make the turn in front of him and let him come alongside you after you've turned. By stopping the dog this way, you can make the turn without him walking into your legs and tripping you.

The about turn is usually done to the right and is a 180 degree turn about. The dog is expected to keep up with you in a reasonable manner, so when teaching this, you'll want to encourage him to hustle a bit to stay with you. I've seen folks that had not taught their dogs this and the dog then tried to cross in front of the person and tripped them. Could mean a nasty fall.

When the evaluator asks you to stop, ideally, the dog will sit next to you, but it's not totally required. It will depend on the evaluator.

Things that will fail the dog is if he lags (walks way behind you), forges (goes way in front of you), or strays too far from your side. If you were out walking in a crowd and the dog did that last, you might cause someone else to trip over your lead and get hurt. So, you want to teach your dog to walk nearby and, preferably, on a loose lead. Too much stopping to sniff is not acceptable, either.

You're really getting there.
*****

Well, that's it for this time. Oh, yeah, I've added DP to a webring about dogs and training. The link is at the bottom of the pages.

I'd appreciate if you'd patronize our sponsors on the site. They help make all this possible.

See ya at the shows,
Chris
*****
Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

Dog Training--More Show Information

2006-03-27T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I've posted more show information in the forums on DP. Have more to add today, so will get that done when I finish this post.

Not sure I put a link in the last post to the Shopping page, so I will this time. It's a neat page of shopping for travel necessities for you and your dog, for breed-specific items for show trophies or judge's gifts, check out Animal Den, for unique and custom gift items, check the goodies at the DP and Keeping to the Borders shops linked from that page. One thing I think is particularly helpful is the journals in the shops. They're handy for keeping track of shows, expenses, notes on judges, funny things the dog does, and health records for your dog.

Training Tip:

"Appearance and Grooming. Goal: Evaluator inspects dog, combs or brushes lightly, examines ears and each front foot."

Well, guess that means a bath before the test. lol But, it is important for the dog's health that he is groomed regularly. It is also an important way for you to keep track of fleas, ticks, lice, or other vermin or skin problems your dog might develop. You will be expected to bring a comb or brush to the test for the evaluator to use, so as to not pass on any possible infections.

Checking the ears is important, too, especially for the dogs with floppy ears. Mites can breed in there and it is easier for these dogs to develop ear infections. By checking them regularly and cleaning them with a cotton ball occasionally, this should be a breeze.

Now, the feet need to be inspected and you'll have to teach the dog first to accept having his feet handled. This really ought to be done from the time he is small, even before his eyes open, if possible. Dogs don't really care for their paws being handled, but since you're going to have to trim his nails, anyway, you might as well teach it early on.

Simply start by grasping the leg at the elbow (or, the hock) and run your hand down and off the paw. Your dog will likely pull away, but handle each paw (yes, even the back ones) every day until he gets the idea you don't mean to hurt him. Praise him when he allows you to touch his paws in a variety of ways, including inspecting the nails and the pads. When you start clipping the nails, be positive about it and praise a lot and try not to clip the quick. That way, the dog learns that having his paws handled is not a bad thing.

Well, that's it for this one. See ya at the shows,
Christi
*****
Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

Dog Training--New Format

2006-03-23T01:39:00.000-08:00

Well, the newsletter and the blog are undergoing a change in format as of this moment. I have decided to post the show news in the forums rather than here. They are in the "What's Happening" topic there. Too much duplication of effort to post there and here and then to the newsletter. If it's going to be a problem, please leave a comment either in the forum or here.

I've added two new pages to DP. One is a "shopping" page with links for all kinds of shopping you might be interested in. The other is a breed-specific link page. If you have a breed-specific website you'd like to exchange links with me for, let me know via email or here. There is one link already there--a neat site about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Please visit her site and learn a bit about these adorable little guys.

I'll still be posting training tips here and in the newsletter, so that won't change, but as the show season progresses, it will get too hectic to post all the show info here. Once I get a decent vehicle, I'll be taking to the road to show RX again, so it will be easier this way. Plus, you can post any show news I've missed and your show results on the forums. I'd love to see that become an active community. There are some fun posts there already.

I'm proud to announce that Dog Potentials has received an award. You can see it posted on the site on the left-hand side of the pages. I'd like to thank Terrific Pets for that accolade. It makes all the work on the site seem worthwhile.

Training Tip:

"Sitting Politely for Petting. Goal: Evaluator pets dog. Dog must show no shyness or resentment."

To briefly recap, you want to first work with someone you know that can help by ignoring the dog if he jumps up or barks, growls, or hides behind you. By not looking at the dog and ignoring what he is doing, the other person is showing that unwanted behavior is not acceptable.

Once the dog obeys your "sit" command, then, the other person can speak to the dog, even pet him if the dog stays seated. If the sit is broken, though, the helper needs to return to the ignoring stance.

Well, work with that a bit and see how you do. I'll have another entry, newsletter and training tip next week.

See ya at the shows,
Chris
Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

Dog Training~~Going to a Show

2006-02-25T03:25:00.000-08:00

Not a lot of show info to tell you this week, so thought I'd write up an article on going to dog shows. For the "veteran" observer or exhibitor, this is old hat, but to the person interested in attending shows for the first time, I hope this helps you understand what you'll see there:

If you've never been to a dog show, you're in for an exciting, and perhaps, confusing time. At an All-Breed Show (where every breed accepted in a registry is allowed to show), you'll find a huge variety of breeds, and even varieties within a breed.

For instance, in the Cocker Spaniels, they have Any Solid Color Other Than Black (ASCOB) which includes the well known "blond" variety, the Black Cocker, and the Parti-colored. The Black Cockers can have some tan on them, but must be less than 10% of the total coloring. The Parti-Colored are the ones with white and another color in splotches or spots. Each variety is shown, then, the Best of Variety goes into the Group Ring, just as a Best of Breed would.

The Collies, too, come in varieties. There is the Rough, which reminds you of Lassie, and the Smooth. The Smooth is build like the Rough, but with substantially less coat. It can be rather amazing to see what lies beneath all that beautiful coat.

Chihuahuas are long- and short-coated, the Welsh Corgi comes with (Cardigan) and without (Pembroke) a tail, the German Shorthair Pointers come in smooth and wire-coats, and there doesn't appear to be a lot of difference between the Curly-coated and the Flat-Coated Retrievers (except the coat, of course), although they are shown as different breeds.

Chinese Crested dogs come in the standard variety with almost no coat and in the "powder-puff" variety with a total coat. Beagles come in two sizes--13" and 15" and Daschunds come in three coat varieties, as well as Standard and Miniature sizes.

Underneath all these variations, though, there are basic characteristics that each breed must adhere to. These are called the "Breed Standard." Most Breed Standards will describe the "ideal" dog and any disqualifications that would keep a particular dog from being shown, such as too much white on the Cockers (except the parti-coloreds).

Once you find the breed(s) you want to observe in the ring, you'll find that all breeds show the dogs (males) first. From 6-9 Month puppies up to the Open dogs. The winner of each of those classes will come back into the ring for Winner's Dog. Then, the bitches (females) are shown the same way and go for Winner's Bitch. Next, you'll see the Best of Breed competition which the Winner's Dog and Bitch will be entered in. Other than those two, all the entries in Best of Breed are Champions. From these, the judge selects the dog or bitch that best exempflies the Breed and a Best of Opposite Sex. If neither of those is the Winner's Dog or Bitch, one of those will be selected as Best of Winners.

The way a dog or bitch becomes a champion in the AKC is to garner "points" from wins. Fifteen points are required for a championship with two "majors" needed. A major is when a set number of animals are entered in a competition. The numbers vary from area to area so it is difficult to tell you the exact numbers required. You can find that information on the AKC website (www.akc.org). Points are awarded according to the number of entries "defeated" in the classes.

Once all the Best of Breeds have been determined, it's time to go to the Group Ring. Here, the Best of Breed for each type of dog in a specific Group (i.e., Sporting, Non-Sporting, Hounds, Herding, Terriers, Toys, and Working) will be judged. They will be placed 1-4 and the number one winner will go on to the Best In Show competition.

In the Best In Show ring, there will be only seven entries. These are considered the cream of the crop for that show and only one will be selected out of them. Winning Best In Show is a huge honor and competition can be fierce throughout the climb to that exalted pinnacle.

If it all sounds a bit confusing, well, yes, it can be for the neophyte. If you attend several shows, though, it slowly becomes more clear and the fun part is, you can pick your own choices and see how you did compared to how the judges place the entries.

As you get to know the ins and outs of showing and familiarize yourself with Breed Standards for any breed you're interested in, attending dog shows will become even more fun and you'll get caught up in the air of excitement and competition there.

If you wish to learn more about a breed, it is best to talk to the competitors after they show and, please, always ask to pet a dog before you do. For some of the breeds, there is a lot of work that goes into grooming for the show, and they will not thank you for messing that up.

Go, watch and enjoy a few dog shows. It's a great way to spend a day.
***
This week's training tip stems from the requirements for the Canine Good Citizen test. Any dog can get a CGC title, even mixed-breeds. This is about the first of ten tests the dog must pass to get the title.

"Accepting a Friendly Stranger

The evaluator approaches and shakes hands with the handler. Does not touch dog."

What they are looking for here is a dog that allows strangers to approach in a friendly manner and interact with the handler. Generally, the dog is expected to sit quietly although some sniffing of the newcomer is allowed. Dogs that show aggression or fear (barking, growling, hiding behind the owner) will not pass.

This is where good socialization is important. If you take your dog out and introduce him/her to different people and situations, you could pass this one easily.

Next week, we'll look at test two--Sitting Politely for Petting.

That's it for this week. Don't forget to keep an eye out on Animal Planet (if you have cable) next month for the Crufts Dog Show.

Please remember to patronize our sponsors on the website as they help bring you this information and the site.

See ya at the shows,
Christi
Dog Potentials
***
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For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items. New items added today.

Dog Training~~Tips and Shows

2006-02-21T07:56:00.000-08:00

I've been busily creating some "guides" on eBay as a prelude to offering the Tricks books for sale. One is about stopping your puppy from biting and the other is about socializing your puppy. Pop over and check them out. I hope you find them helpful.

Crufts is coming up next month. I touched on that last week. March 9-12 this year. The schedule of events is listed in the newsletter.

Other shows that are coming up are:

The Combined Specialty Clubs of Louisville, Wednesday through Friday, March 15-17, in Louisville, KY.
They'll offer Rally-O classes, Herding classes, Field Class and Versatility classes for the various specialties.
Specialities include: Kuvasz, Bedlington Terrier, Great Dane, Staffordshire Terrier, Chinese Shar-Pei, Shetland Sheepdog, Weimaraner, Basset Hound, Boxer, Pekingese, Yorkshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Border Collie, Collie, and German Shepherd.

The Kentuckiana Cluster, Thursday through Sunday, March 16-19, in Louisville, KY.
All-Breed showing, Obedience Trials and Rally-O will be offered. Also, specialties for Miniature Bull Terriers (Saturday) and Otterhounds (Sunday).

Closing dates for both of those are March 1st. They're through Onofrio.

The Maury Country Kennel Club, Franklin, TN, is having an all-breed conformation and obedience show Saturday and Sunday, March 25 & 26th. Entries close March 8. Also an Onofrio offering.

I believe I mentioned before that the forums are now fixed on Dog Potentials. Sure would love to see some posts in there. I've posted some of this show information there. If you have been showing lately, please post your brags for everyone to see.

I have been thinking about offering the tricks books in both regular print size and large print size. I have a friend that is losing her eyesight due to diabetes, and it brought to mind that there might be others that would appreciate the larger print. It will change the format of the books somewhat, but I'm going to put links in them that will go to the "sidebar notes" at the end of the book. Then, there will be a link back to the spot they left. I've also been thinking of doing the books in audio format. Would appreciate some input from you all on that.

Would also like some input from you about whether you'd be interested in ebooks of old classic dog stories. Things like Jack London's stories (if the copyrights are clear), Albert Payson Terhune, who wrote collie stories, such as "Bob, Son of Battle," Eleanor Atkinson's "Greyfriar's Bobby," and other stories along those lines. The majority of these are in the public domain, so should be available for some editing and re-publication. All of them would be written before 1923, which will make the language somewhat archaic, but that's part of what I'll work on to make it less "old-time" sounding. There were also evidences of less than "politically correct" terms in the ones I've already gotten hold of, so that will need some work, too. It is my intent to make these available for a price, probably around $6-8 each, but that has not been decided. Your input there would also be greatly appreciated.

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Training Tip:

Start your dog early on with massages. It allows you to teach the dog to be handled everywhere, which your vet will love you for, it allows you to keep track of any swellings or lumps that might crop up on the dog, and it will help in calming the dog. Wouldn't you be calmer after a massage?
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Please patronize our sponsors on the website. They help keep things running and offer a broad range of training information, equipment and treats and toys for your dog (and for you--like at Dog Potentials--The Store!).

See ya at the shows,
Christi
++++
Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

Dog Training~~Upcoming Events

2006-02-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Remember, Westminster is next Monday and Tuesday, so be sure to stop over at their website to catch the streaming videos if you can't catch the actual show on cable. It can be a really thrilling thing to watch the top dogs in the country compete. They are really beautiful.

I tried the videos from last year on my dial-up and it worked okay, if you let it load. Best bet is to make sure you have the latest Flash download, as I think it helps it all do.

Coming up next month is Crufts. The dates are March 9-12, 2006. It's the oldest and largest Dog Show in the world. Their website is here: Crufts. IF you ever have the opportunity to attend this show, I urge you to go. The NEC is a fabulous venue for the show and Birmingham, England is lovely. In March, the flowers are beginning to bloom, although it's still chilly in England this time of year. You'll see breeds there that AKC and UKC here don't recognize--like the wire-haired Vizsla and too many others to name here. Their schedule is:

Crufts 2006 Times and Dates:

Thursday 9th March
Working and Pastoral
Friday 10th March
Terrier and Hound
Saturday 11th March
Toy and Utility
Sunday 12th March
Gundog

Open 8.15am to 7.30pm every day

You'll notice that they don't call their groups exactly the same as we do here in America. Gundog would equate to our Sporting, Utility would equate to our Non-Sporting, and Pastoral would be our Herding.

If you've had a chance to look at the pictures on the Agility page at DP, you'll see pictures I took at Crufts a few years back. It will give you a tiny clue as to the size of the NEC building where they hold the show. It is quite an event to attend. The vendors are on the lower floor of the NEC and the show rings are on the next floor up. There is a huge arena set up for Group Judging, Agility, Freestyle, and Best In Show. They don't bound their rings the way we do with baby-gating, it's just the chairs of the observers. Well, lol, if you EVER get the chance....

I'll be offering my first ebook on dog training soon on eBay and a couple of other auction sites. Figure that is the quickest way to get them noticed. The first one is titled, "Teach Your Dog a Trick: Dead Dog," and outlines the steps to teach your dog a fun trick. Keep an eye out for an announcement on when you can get your own copy of this fun book. This is stuff I've taught my own dogs, laid out in easy to follow format.

Training Tip:

Talking to your dog as though he/she can understand you in normal tones is a great way to expand your dog's "vocabulary." As you teach the dog various words for things, such as "out," "supper/breakfast," "ready?" (I use that one to crate them) and other things, your dog will learn to understand much more than if you rarely talk to them. It expands their intelligence, I think, much like letting them work with puzzles like the cube or ball you put treats into and the dog rolls it around to get the treats out. Just like us, if they have to exercise their brains, they are smarter.

My dogs know things like: Excuse me, please (means get out of the way), find your.... (sends them to search for a specific toy), who did...? (means one of you did something you ought not have and I know who), and other phrases you wouldn't expect them to comprehend. Because I talk to them much like I would a child of two years of age, they have learned a lot and respond much better to learning new commands than a dog that is left outside with little human interaction. Give it a try!

***
That's it for now. Be sure to visit Dog Potentials, where you'll find lots of good information and articles, and please visit our sponsors there. They help make all this possible.

See ya at the shows,
Chris
www.dogpotentials.com
***
Legal stuff:

I am not a professional dog trainer, but have spent time training dogs in conjunction with 4-H and as an instructor at PetsMart. Information in the blog and at Dog Potentials is from my own experiences and research. I cannot be responsible for what you do with the information provided, nor how you interpret that information. If you use tips provided in my blog, on the site, or in my articles, you do so at your own risk.

Dog Training~~Articles

2006-02-09T02:50:00.000-08:00

Just popped over to Ezine Articles and saw that all my dog training articles have been pulled to other publications. What a thrill to see that happening! Look for them under C. Rogers Upson. They are also available at Dog Potentials on the Articles page. Now, I need to get some more done! lol

Stopped over at an old favorite website the other day. Dog Of The Day has been around for over five years and has lots of friendly folks that love their dogs and their fellow Pet-Talkers. I hadn't been there since last March, when I put my old dog, Shiloh, down. It was very painful at that time to continue posting. Fortunately, when I went back, most of the folks that had been there way back when were very nice in greeting me and welcoming me back. It's a great community to be involved in.

I'll be offering my first ebook on dog training soon on eBay and a couple of other auction sites. Figure that is the quickest way to get them noticed. The first one is titled, "Teach Your Dog a Trick: Dead Dog," and outlines the steps to teach your dog a fun trick. Other titles to follow will include, "Teach Your Dog a Trick: Fetch," and "Teach Your Dog a Trick: Rollover." The latter will be offered as a bonus for the folks that buy "Dead Dog," since it will be very short and build on the information contained in "Dead Dog."

There are some subscribers to the newsletter for DP, and I welcome them and thank them for signing up. Guess this means I need to get busy, eh?

If you'd like to sign up for the newsletter, just fill in your information at the archives or on Dog Potentials.

Oh, hey, Westminster is next Monday and Tuesday, so be sure to stop over at their website to catch the streaming videos if you can't catch the actual show on cable. It can be a really thrilling thing to watch the top dogs in the country compete. They are really beautiful.

So, let's see, how about a training tip? Well, there was a question on another forum about a dog not eating like she used to. Many of the folks there suggested getting bloodwork done, but I think it might just boil down to a bit of separation anxiety for this dog. Still, if your dog doesn't dive into the food like she used to, here's some things to check out.

Are you leaving the food down a long time? She might be picking at it during the day.
If she's not eating as quickly, or even not eating at all, so long as the coat is healthy looking, the eyes are bright and activity levels are normal, missing meals for a day or two is not a big deal, especially if you're feeding a premium food. Should any of those things change, lethargy, dull eyes, dull coat, hie ye and the dog to the vet--STAT! (That means like yesterday!)

I generally recommend feeding twice a day and only leaving the bowl down for about 15 minutes. Why? As most of you know, one of the first indicators of a dog being "off" is lack of appetite. If you leave the bowl down all the time, how do you know if the dog is eating or not? Plus, you don't know in more than a very general way how much the dog is eating. Much harder to regulate the dog's weight with free feeding, too. An overweight dog is just as liable to health problems as people, if not more so.

Plus, the vet will ask you about feeding habits of the dog if you do take her in for a visit. How much has she been eating? When was the last meal she ate? Things like that and about stools and vomiting, drinking and urination. If you don't know the answers to some of these things, it makes it much harder for the vet to help.

Well, that's pretty well it for this time. Please visit our sponsors and let them know you appreciate them bringing you this blog, the website and the newsletter.

See ya at the shows,

Chris

Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

Dog Training~~More Show News

2006-02-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

Got the Premium List for the "Country Music Cluster" today. It's in Franklin, TN on March 9-12, 2006. It will have Conformation, Obedience and Rally. Rally entries are limited to 132 dogs each day.

Saturday evening, the 11th, there will be three Independent Specialties for Siberian Huskies, Boxers, and Dachshunds.

Special activities going on will be:

Thursday: Lite Buffet for Exhibitors
Friday: Sperm Bank - semen collection and freezing (reservation required), Micro-chipping by request.
Friday Evening: Dinner & Dance -- Live Band
Saturday: Sperm Bank collecting, Micro-chipping and Eye Clinic
Saturday Afternoon: Junior Handling Class
Saturday Evening: Specialities noted above
Sunday: Sperm Bank collecting, Micro-chipping and Eye Clinic

This is another Onofrio offering. Online entries can be accessed through Dog Potentials or at Onofrio's site.

Sounds like it's going to be a really good show.
***
Here's a tip for you:

If your puppy insists on biting your hand, try holding your hand totally still. Once it is "dead," the puppy will generally stop biting it. At the same time, you want to give a "no bite" command. Eventually, the puppy will learn that "no bite" means to stop biting you. Always praise the puppy when he complies and give him something better to chew on.

Isn't always easy to do, since those needle-sharp teeth hurt, but refrain from striking the puppy. Yes, there are many trainers that will tell you otherwise, but this is from my own experience and it will work. The hand (or, whatever) must "die" for the puppy to stop biting. Oh, and don't scream or screech, either. That becomes a reward for the puppy.

Had a client that did that with her Yorkie puppy. The rest of the family did as I suggested and let the hands "die," but the actual owner would yell, "Ow" very loudly and pull away. The dog continued to bite her until I convinced her to stop with the noise and hold her hand still. Less than two weeks later, she reported that he had stopped biting her, too.

Well, that's it for this one. If you have information for shows that you'd like to post, add a comment and I'll get it on here.

Sponsors:
Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

See ya at the shows,
Chris

2006-02-01T03:30:00.000-08:00

Again this year Westminster will offer streaming video highlights of the breed judging during the days of our show (Feb 13-14) on our website. Last year, more than 1.5 million streaming video feeds went out from our web site to 140 countries.

Those highlights (about 10-12 minutes per breed) will be available within two hours of the completion of the judging for each breed. They are being shot by a number of dog show people, the project overseen by Karolynne McAteer of Irish Setter fame, and Chris Terrell, who himself was the last breeder-owner-handler to win Best In Show at the Garden (in 1983 with the great Afghan Hound, Ch Kabik's The Challenger).

Our website is www.westminsterkennelclub.org and the breed judging schedule is available there.

You will need a high speed connection (dial up will not work) to view the streaming video. No, they are not downloadable and they are not for sale. The 2005 highlights will also remain available for viewing on the website as well.

Cross post and forwarding OK.

David Frei
The Westminster Kennel Club
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Thought y'all'd be interested in this post. Westminster is THE premier Dog Show in the U.S. If I recall correctly, you can only be invited to show there. You can't just enter it like a regular show. Always exciting to watch the judging and the classes are HUGE. Very prestigious to be invited, and more so to win there.

All the pages are finally up on Dog Potentials, although, some of the first ones need tweaked to be exactly right. Writing about the 4-H stuff sure brought back some memories of when the kids were involved in that. We all had lots of fun participating and I even got noticed as a leader of the group, although, I didn't do a lot, I had to be there for the kids. lol

Tons of products have been put up in Dog Potentials--the Store on Cafe Press. Did up some designs for the Chinese Year of the Dog, which actually starts today (Feb. 1) according to some of the information I dug up about it. You might want to check it out.
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For you who are interested in Dog Show information, I just got the Premium List for the Bi-State Winter Classic in Belleville, Illinois. Show dates are March 3-5, with Specialties for Vizsla, Dachshund, Great Dane, St. Bernard, Bichon Frise and Dalmation dogs on the 3rd. The Vizslas and Bichon Frise Clubs will have Obedience Trials available for their Specialties, too, that day.

The All-Breed Shows will be 4-5th. If you need majors on any of the above breeds, good time to give it a shot. Specialties on Saturday, the 4th will include Boxers, St. Bernards, and Fox Terriers.

Entries will close Noon, February 15, 2006. Onofrio is the Superintendent. Their website, where you can enter on-line, is here. Good Luck to all that show there.
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Some of my articles on Ezine Articles have been adopted by some folks. Don't know where exactly, but if you're interested in some of the Dog Training articles I have there, feel free to "borrow" them. Look for them under C. Rogers Upson, my "pen" name. lol If you use them, will you drop me a line at christi@dogpotentials.com and let me know, please? Would appreciate it.

Well, it's 6 a.m. here, time for me to go to bed. 'nite, y'all.

See ya at the shows,
Chris

2006-01-28T00:46:00.000-08:00

There are those people who would have you believe that your dog cannot comprehend the human languages. I don't agree.

Their understanding may not function quite the same as ours, but they are certainly capable of learning their own names, names for their toys, words for out, meals, ride, etc. The key is to use the same words consistently.

If I were dropped into a foreign country, it would not take me long to learn the words for certain things. Most people are capable of that. If you were shown by example what the words meant, you could learn to cope with that society.

I contend that the same holds true of dogs (and cats, although they are less likely to really care). If you say "out" to the dog and take him to the door consistently, why would he not learn what that word means? In fact, we had a dog once that quickly learned how to spell the word, too. We finally had to mis-spell the word to get it past her clever hearing and mind.

Many trainers will tell you that the dog learns commands because of the tone of voice used. There is something to that, but I would suggest that the dog is smarter than that. For instance, I can tell my dogs to "move" when they are in the way of my path, and they will get out of my way. I can even tell them in a variety of words--"move it," "get out of the way," "excuse me," and other terms. My dogs have learned that they all mean the same thing.

Where is the consistency, you ask? By using the same term frequently, and associating it with the other terms, they have learned a variety of commands that mean the same. Plus, I don't even have to use my command voice in those cases. Normal conversational tones will do. Why is this?

It may well be because I actually talk to my dogs. I talk to them as I would to most people and they have learned a great many things. They know the names of specific toys; they know to go looking for toys if I ask them where something is; they know that if I ask them if they're ready for "supper," (or, breakfast--I feed twice a day) that a meal is coming.

I can say things like, "go lie down," and they will. Mind you, they have been taught the term "down" as meaning lie down, but without putting it into a command tone, I still get pretty consistent results from the request.

They can even learn the differences between colors. Recent studies have shown the dog can actually see colors such as blue, green, and, I think it is, yellow. So, if you have a blue ball and a green one, the dog can differentiate between them simply by color even if they are the same size, texture and shape.

Now, I don't use "baby talk" with my dogs. "Does sweetums want (such and such)?" I suppose that if you did that all the time, it would work, but they are more likely to learn and respond to your normal conversational tones than such "sweet" talk.

Talking to your dog also expands the thought processes. A dog that is tied to the doghouse in the yard, does not have the "educational" level of the dog kept in the house. The outside dog will function more on developed instinct than trained impulses. They also tend to make-up their own rules out there and develop their territory that they will defend. Sometimes, even from their people.

So, the upshot is, keep the dog in the house and talk to him or her. You'll come to find that the dog's functional vocabulary expands over time. No, they cannot speak our language, so you'll have to learn some of theirs (looks, body-language, etc.) as well, but it's totally worth it to do so.
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You may freely use this article on your website or in your newsletter so long as the following is kept intact and the links are live:

C. Rogers Upson has been training and studying dogs for over 40 years. Her website is at Dog Potentials and she has two webstores of dog-related items. One is Keeping to the Borders and the other is Dog Potentials-The Store.
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Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

See ya at the Shows,
Chris

2006-01-24T03:36:00.000-08:00

...there is a BIG announcement coming this Sunday, 29 January. Don't miss it! I'll be sending out emails to my lists and posting the info here. The site is coming along pretty well and I have been researching some public domain books to convert after editing. So, watch this space!

Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier Lovers A place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

See ya at the shows,
Chris

2006-01-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

Announcing...the website is taking form. Dog Potentials is finally getting online. I have the Index page up, the Conformation page up, the Articles page, the articles to go with, and will be getting the Obedience, Rally, Agility and more articles up in the next few days. Some more article topics I have in mind are:

Why neutering is "painful" to men, and shouldn't be.
Quick-view of due diligence.
They are NOT throw-aways.
Breeding your bitch for educational purposes is stupid.
Crate training--an excellent idea.
Socializing your puppy and why.
Bad dog laws.

If you think of any other topics you'd like me to address, let me know, either with comments here, or at info@edragonmarketing.com.

There are lots of great links on the pages for more information on stuff, and, of course, the background photo on some of the pages is my own RX--Carma-McOtter RX Furth'win, CGC.

I do need to add in more links. I almost forgot the show links, like Onofrio, Roy Jones/Sleeper Shows, and MB-F/Infodog. For the Canadians, there is The Entry Line to enter shows there.

If you've never been to a dog show, it is quite an experience. Not only will you see loads and loads of dogs, you ought to wander through the grooming area. The fluffing and primping that goes on back there can be quite amazing to view.

One caution, though. ASK before you pet any dog at a show. Some of the folks won't mind, but the ones that have spent hours preparing their dog for the ring will not be happy if you muss up their work. Competition is fierce at shows, so be mindful of that.

Well, still have to do some research for the Agility page, the Rally page, the Obedience page and more articles. Gotta dash.

See ya at the Shows,
Chris
Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier LoversA place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

2006-01-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

In the world of dog training, consistency and persistence are the keys to a well-behaved dog. It is important to be consistent in taking the dog out on a regular schedule when he is small, so he learns that going potty in the house is not acceptable. It is also important that you are persistent in making sure he goes outside.

It is important when training the dog in obedience, even if it's just "house rules" obedience, that the rules are consistent, meaning they do not change from one day to the next. Jumping up on people as a puppy may be cute, but you cannot allow it as a pup and then expect to change it easily when the dog is grown, for instance. There is a saying, "start as you mean to finish." It holds pretty well in the dog training world.

However, consistency does not mean quite the same as habitual. For instance, if you always work with the dog in teaching commands in the same order, he will not be willing to do them out of order. You should be consistent in that each command will mean the same thing all the time, but do not teach them in the same order all the time.

Additionally, you want to teach the obedience commands in a variety of places. It is okay to do them in the same place to start with, but once the dog has the basic idea (i.e., sits consistently on the first command), take him somewhere else to teach the same commands. The more you change the venue of training, the better trained the dog will become. The more you vary the tasks expected, the better trained the dog will become.

Plus, if you teach the same commands in the same order all the time, the dog will become bored and lose interest in learning. If you vary the order and add a new behavior occasionally, the dog will be much more eager to learn, because it means spending more time with you and getting more praise. On top of that, as he learns something new and you get excited about it, he's really eager to learn. Too, you will want to vary the time of day you train and the length of the sessions.

Another way to vary the training is to combine actions. For example, you can teach the dog to come, then partway to you, have him do a down. Leave him there for a bit, then, have him continue to come to you. Why would you want to do this?

Imagine that your dog has gotten out of the house and run across the road to play in someone else's yard. You call the dog home. He complies, but you realize there is a car barrelling down the road and your dog will cross the street at the same time it's in a position to hit the dog. Dropping the dog to a down before he gets into the road could save his life. Make sense?

Once your dog has become well trained in a controlled enviornment, you'll also want to work with him in a less controlled area--say the parking lot of a nearby grocery store. You will be consistent in how you work with the dog, but the change in environment will not be consistent, so you want the dog to learn to focus on you, no matter what. To listen to you, no matter what.

When I worked at PetsMart, there was a man that would bring his German Shepherd into the store for training. He would wander up and down the aisles and give a variety of commands randomly. In this way, he taught the dog that where ever they were, the dog was to listen and obey. I'm sure he took the dog other places for the same training.

Another way of combining training tasks would be to teach the dog something you've seen in a movie. For example, in the movie "Good Boy," Owen takes Hubble to the park to train. Hubble does the sit-stay, he does a down, he does the roll-over, but when Owen asks him for "dead dog," Hubble does an extremely dramatic rendition. He stands on his hind legs, walks backward several steps, drops to the ground and rolls over onto his side. The final beat is when his tail drops to the ground, limp.

How would you teach your dog that? Break it into smaller actions. Teach him the dead trick (laying over on his side without moving) first. Then, teach him to stand on his hind legs. Once he has that down, teach him to walk backward. You could even add in a bit of a twirl. Then, he drops to the dead dog and, viola, you have a trick to amaze friends and family with. Plus, you have a well trained dog.

The upshot is, to really train your dog well, teach him consistently, but not in a habitual manner. Vary the behaviors you're teaching, but not how you teach them. Maybe we'll see your dog in the movies.
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You may use this article in your newsletter or on your website without charge, so long as this information is included:

C. Rogers Upson has been published on the internet and in several anthologies. She has a website at www.edragonmarketing.com and a dog training tips blog at http://dogpotentials.blogspot.com. She lives in Tennessee with two dogs and two cats and has been training dogs for more than 35 years.
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Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier LoversA place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

2005-12-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

This is the blog where I will be putting training tips, show schedules, sporting events schedules and everything I can think of or find out that pertains to the competitive dog.

Some of the training tips will be tricks you can teach your dog, but there is a method to my madness. Teaching tricks to your dog also teaches obedience and helps the dog learn his place in the pack. Afterall, if you're teaching a trick, that means YOU are setting the rules for it, therefore, you are the leader. Make sense?

Many of the tricks will require some basic obedience, such as sit, stay, down, and come. If I haven't taught it to one of my own dogs, I'll just be doing reviews of the training. Much of the training I'll add to this blog will be from training I have used on my own dogs.

There are two basic commands you will want to teach your dog from the beginning. The Come command should always be used only to get the dog to come for rewards. DO NOT use it to then correct the dog for anything. He will associate the correction with the come and will avoid you. So, it must always be for "good" things. If you must correct the dog for some reason, go to him.

The other command you want to teach is important for the dog to learn to focus on you during training. Teach the dog to "focus" or "watch me" or "actung" or whatever command you want to use for this, but it should be a word you do not use in common training work. It's especially easy to teach when you're preparing to feed the dog. Get his attention while you're holding the food and then reward him for looking at you.

Remember, this might take a while, as "staring" is considered a challenge in the dog's world, so he might have a little bit of shyness about looking you in the face. If he even glances at you at first, reward him.

Oh, yes, there is one other command you'll want to teach the dog--free dog. That is a release command to let the dog know that bit of training is complete. You can use free dog, whatta dog, anything that is not usual in your training work. I don't suggest you use words like "finish" or "release" as these can be used in the show ring and you will be penalized if the dog responds to the judge's words rather than yours.

I welcome discussion, comments, and any tips you'd care to share here. If you have show/rally/event information, share it here. Please feel free to visit our sponsors, too. Even though Blogger is a free blog site, eventually there will be a website for much of this information and more, like links to show registration sites and such. It would help pay for the hosting.

Animal Den - This Dog Lovers Gift Shop is highly recommended. Great products, top service, five stars.
For Border Terrier LoversA place to find original Border Terrier gifts and items.

See ya at the shows,
Christi