Puppy Love Dog Training

To Hug or Not To Hug?

christinepaz — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:15:55 +0000

You just can’t resist. You meet an adorable new dog and the first thing you want to do is give him a big hug and kiss! While we all know of plenty of dogs who accept this form of attention wholeheartedly, there are those who would really rather you didn’t. When meeting a dog for the first time, it’s wiser to restrain yourself.
Why? We primates just love a good hug… we crave what’s called ventral-ventral, or heart to heart contact. It’s what we do. Such displays of affection have been observed by behaviorists studying baboons and other primate species.
But to a dog, this type of greeting is the equivalent of putting someone you’ve just met into a headlock. It’s extremely rude behavior, particularly when that dog doesn’t even know you. To put your arms around a dog’s body is to restrict his ability to remove himself from a situation he may find threatening. If he is comfortable with you and trusts you, he may be just fine with it, even learn to love it. But try that with an unfamiliar dog, and may get yourself bitten.
Here’s a far more polite way to introduce yourself that will put a dog at ease:
Avoid staring into the dog’s eyes, bending over at the waist, hovering, or extending your hand or fist. These are all very threatening postures. Instead, squat down and angle your body off toward the side, let the dog sniff you before you reach out or attempt to pet him. When we humans meet someone new, we want to know, “what’s your name?” When dogs meet someone new they want to know, “what’s your smell?” Stroke gently, don’t pat. Many dogs prefer to be petted around the chest area, neck, or under the chin, not on top of their heads. We expect dogs to fit nicely into our human world, to adjust themselves to our ways, our lifestyle. The very least we can do for them is to learn what we can about what the world is like to them. Don’t you think?

Doggie Day School

christinepaz — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:45:05 +0000

Puppy Love, LLC has just begun a new doggie dayschool program we’re very excited about. We incorporate fun, exercise, games, and training all rolled into one. Indoor and outdoor activities provide both physical and mental stimulation, while positively reinforcing good manners and socialization. Rather than simple “daycare,” where dogs are provided socialization, but may also spend significant amounts of time confined… we make sure our canine students are kept occupied and busy, and good behaviors are reinforced through play, games, exercise and healthy treats.
We are featuring “Woof Woof Wednesdays” this month, offering 50% off your dog’s first day of school!

Coming March, 2009, we’ll be introducing agility training and games!

So You Want to be a Dog Trainer?

christinepaz — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:40:17 +0000

Ever thought of learning to train dogs, but don’t know where to start or what’s involved? First of all, understand that you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars in order to become a dog trainer. Make sure to do some research before spending a dime. Some online “colleges” can charge up to five thousand dollars, promising “master trainer certifications,” and similarly dubious sounding designations. What they fail to mention to prospective students is that such titles are not legally recognized, because dog training schools are not regulated in the United States.
So then, what does it mean to be “certified?” When a dog trainer says he or she is certified, it usually means that person has met certain testing or training requirements set by a professional association. That’s why you need to do your homework, and be careful.
In January, 2009, Puppy Love Positve Dog Training will be offering our first dog training course for humans. We will outline specific course content in upcoming posts.