Your tutoring must install you and your family as the "alpha" status in the pack. That commits your canine at the bottom of the pack hierarchy. Once the family determines superiority over the canine, problems affiliated to authority may often be fixed. This is why the socialization and dog behavior modification are therefore important.

7 Tips for Dog Behavior Modification

1. Administer goodies. Stress to yourself that your pet can have whatever he chooses if he is groomed to work for it. Decidedly, it is essential to reward all exceptional, impromptu dog behavior modification. Stay on your toes! Canines will astound you!

2. Curb the food store. Since food is such a prized commodity, it is imperative to make your dog realize you oversee this valuable resource.

3. Restrict cuddling. Patting, and the compliance that goes with it, is a convincing reward for most dogs and as such should be rationed in the very way as food.

4. Distribute appreciation. Praise may be another greatly appreciated asset for which alpha dogs should be forced to work. Approving a canine repeatedly weakens the desirability of this otherwise much valued acknowledgment.

5. Use toys as rewards. The condition of toys is a freedom for which alpha canines have to work.

6. Conserve activities. Activities are amusing, and as such, must be conserved. You need to institute all games and you establish when they are done.

7. Let your pet gain liberty. Liberty is one of life's privileges and with freedom comes the desire for social obligation and respect.

Dog behavior modification is imperative when dogs use aggression to insist on bad behavior. Remember that YOU ARE THE ALPHA DOG...YOU DETERMINE what happens.

Posted under Dogs

If you would really love to own a Golden Retriever but are hesitant about taking on a puppy, then adopting an older Golden may be the answer. These lovely dogs when they are mature settle in very easily to a new home and they do not need nearly as much attention as a puppy as they like to have some time to themselves. Regardless of their age you will find that your new friend very quickly becomes a welcome member of the family.

People sometimes say to me "yes, I agree, it makes good sense to adopt an older Golden, but where do I find one?" Good question, and the answer may surprise you - try your local breeder. I know, its seems on the face of it to be an unlikely source for a mature dog, but in fact there may well be quite a few reasons why a breeder might have an older dog for sale, and this can all be to your advantage.

Most older Golden Retrievers are already housebroken, and know a lot of behavior patterns and how to adapt to a new and loving family. Although it will be a little hard on your new dog at first, if you give him plenty of love, attention, and patience, he'll be just fine. You need to keep reassuring your new Golden on a regular basis, and let him know that you are his new owner and that you love him and you are glad he's a member of your family.

If you have been thinking of adopting an older Golden Retriever, you should make sure that you learn everything you can about him. You should also determine his temperament, and whether or not it's compatible with your family. You should also learn important things as well, such as his diet, likes, dislikes, daily routine, and his habits. Before you decide to take him, you should always make sure that the members of your family meet him as well, so you can talk it over and decide whether or not everyone wants the dog to be a member of your family.

If you had a guest staying with you in your home you would of course take some time to show them where everything is, where the bedroom is and the bathroom and so on, and it is just them same when you introduce an older dog into your family. Allow some time in your busy schedule to ease them in to your home and routine, and this will pay dividends in the long run.

Its not a bad idea, once your dog has had a month or so to settle in, to take them to an obedience training class somewhere. In your initial meeting with the person who is handing over the dog to you they may well tell you that they have been to training classes in the past. But the thing is that you have not been to the classes with your dog, and this makes a big difference. Do enrol in a class somewhere near to your home, and together you will learn a lot about each other and how to harmoniously get on together.

To finish with let me just say that, as with everything in life, their are for's and against's about owning a mature dog. On one hand they may have some medical conditions, and your initial enquiries should include questions about this. But on the other hand it can be so much easier introducing a mature dog into a busy family life, over introducing a rather demanding puppy.

Posted under Dogs

It's so embarrassing... Your friend stops by for a visit and, before you know it, your dog has jumped up on him to say hello. This type of behavior isn't just annoying - sometimes it can be scary too. Especially if your dog is large, or your guest is afraid of dogs.

As a responsible dog owner, it's your job to teach your dog not to jump on people. Luckily it's not hard to do, because getting muddy paw prints on your nice clothes - or scratches from their sharp nails - isn't fun. And while some dogs are just jumping up because they're happy to see you... others are actually using it to show you who's the boss.

Most dogs jump because they are excited. They's just plain happy to see you - or you've gotten them worked up about something so their adrenaline is pumping. Maybe you just got home from a day at work - or someone has come over to visit.

There is also a less common, but more serious reason dogs will jump on you.

As you know, dogs are pack animals. They live in groups, or packs, and each dog has a ranking. The highest ranked dog is the leader, or the alpha dog. You will know who this is because he will always eat first - go through doors first - and he will also put on or both of his paws over the shoulders of the other dogs... just to remind them that he's the boss. Some dogs think they are ranked higher than their owners. If your dog think's he's the alpha dog over you, he will often demonstrate this by jumping up on you.

You see, your dog sees you as part of his pack too. So if you notice he's not just jumping up on you in excitement, but at other times too, it's more likely he's expressing dominance over you.

If you find that this is happening, you need to realize that you're dealing with more than a simple jumping issue. Your dog thinks he's your pack leader. It's time to brush up on your alpha-dog techniques. Better yet, get some outside help. Since this is a more complex issue, you are going to need to make some serious adjustments to your overall relationship with your dog.

Fortunately, most "jumpers" are just doing it because they are excited. It's not hard to stop this type of jumping. The most important thing is to be consistent. You can't let your dog jump on you when you're playing, and then get mad when he jumps on you as you walk in the door. To stop jumping, you need to teach him that it's never okay to jump up on you.

Here is a 2-step technique that most trainers use to stop dogs from jumping.

The first step is very simple. You just ignore him whenever he jumps up on you. This means you withdraw all attention - even negative attention - so no yelling, shoving, or corrections whatsoever. The idea is to give him the cold shoulder.

How do you do this? Whenever he jumps on you, immediately turn your back to him. Your posture should tell him that this behavior just is not acceptable. Fold your arms, turn your back to him and turn your face away. Avert your eyes. Since dogs use body language to communicate with each other, he will know exactly what you are saying.

This isn't a matter of ignoring the jumping. You need to completely ignore your dog. Don't look at him, yell at him, or acknowledge him in any way. Trust me, without the encouragement of your attention, he will calm down very quickly.

The next step is very important. Even though you are "ignoring" your dog, you will need to pay close attention to what he is doing. This step is a matter of timing.

The minute all four paws are on the ground and he is calm, then - and only then - you are going to praise the heck out of him! You need to act with enthusiasm the moment he is acting appropriately. Even though he was jumping up on you just a second ago, he will associate your praise with when he was NOT jumping.

This technique is simple, but it works. Give it a try today. You'll be surprised at how quickly your dog learns. All he wants is your love and attention. By making sure he doesn't get it when he's jumping, he'll soon become the well-behaved pooch you've always wanted.

Posted under Dogs