Training Abused and Neglected Animals [30-4-17]

Training Abused and Neglected Animals

It never gets easier, listening to the heart-wrenching tales of animal abuse and neglect. Sadly, it seems that the abuse and neglect of animals is on the rise- or perhaps it's just being brought to our attention, because it is being reported more often; at least one can only hope that is the reason.

Our Judicial System is showing these cold-hearted criminals that Americans are not going to turn a blind-eye to this kind of horrid and cruel behavior, anymore. Animals are promptly taken away from the abuser. If they are not beyond the point of being helped: the animals are adopted out by caring, loving families who are able to meet the special needs that these animals so demand.

Then the impending job of retraining, or perhaps, training for the first time, begins. These special need animals need to learn to re-trust humans and not be intimidated and terrified around them, or other animals. Though the road may be long and hard: it will also be one of the most rewarding journeys you and your pet, will ever travel.

As with all forms of animal training - always use positive reinforcement. This can be in the form of treats, petting, play and/or positive attention. Never use punishment in training any animals - especially animals who have already learned to fear humans and will have a difficult time learning to re-trust.

Always make sure your pet can see and hear you clearly. In the beginning stages of training, it's best to have as least amount of distractions around, as possible. As training progresses, you can slowly add to the amount of distractions.

Never yell at your pet. Yelling at an abused animal, can throw him into a panic and set back days of training. He will most likely associate yelling with being hit or whatever form of abuse and/or neglect, he experienced.

For behaviors such as excessive barking, jumping on people, etc... Give a firm, "no", with an associated hand signal: lightly clapping, snapping fingers, etc...

When they learn to mind and follow commands, be sure to show them praise. Rewarding them with love and attention will make them associate minding with positive feedback.

You must be ready to have plenty of patience with your special needs pet. They will need extra TLC in everyday living, as well. They're going to need you to show them that they are valued, and it may take a while for them to understand that when they do, do something wrong - that it will not result in severe punishment. If you do not believe you have the patience required, then maybe an abused or neglected animal is not for you at this period in your life. That doesn't make you a bad person - actually it's the opposite - it means you thought more about the animal, then you did about yourself. There are many calm animals in shelters all across the country, which would love to have a new, loving master and a comfortable home to rest their body and quiet their mind.

Training Abused and Neglected Animals

Training Abused and Neglected Animals

Tracey Wilson

It never gets easier, listening to the heart-wrenching tales of animal abuse and neglect. Sadly, it seems that the abuse and neglect of animals is on the rise- or perhaps it’s just being brought to our attention, because it is being reported more often; at least one can only hope that is the reason.

Our Judicial System is showing these cold-hearted criminals that Americans are not going to turn a blind-eye to this kind of horrid and cruel behavior, anymore. Animals are promptly taken away from the abuser. If they are not beyond the point of being helped: the animals are adopted out by caring, loving families who are able to meet the special needs that these animals so demand.

Then the impending job of retraining, or perhaps, training for the first time, begins. These special need animals need to learn to re-trust humans and not be intimidated and terrified around them, or other animals. Though the road may be long and hard: it will also be one of the most rewarding journeys you and your pet, will ever travel.

As with all forms of animal training – always use positive reinforcement. This can be in the form of treats, petting, play and/or positive attention. Never use punishment in training any animals – especially animals who have already learned to fear humans and will have a difficult time learning to re-trust.

Always make sure your pet can see and hear you clearly. In the beginning stages of training, it’s best to have as least amount of distractions around, as possible. As training progresses, you can slowly add to the amount of distractions.

Never yell at your pet. Yelling at an abused animal, can throw him into a panic and set back days of training. He will most likely associate yelling with being hit or whatever form of abuse and/or neglect, he experienced.

For behaviors such as excessive barking, jumping on people, etc… Give a firm, “no”, with an associated hand signal: lightly clapping, snapping fingers, etc…

When they learn to mind and follow commands, be sure to show them praise. Rewarding them with love and attention will make them associate minding with positive feedback.

You must be ready to have plenty of patience with your special needs pet. They will need extra TLC in everyday living, as well. They’re going to need you to show them that they are valued, and it may take a while for them to understand that when they do, do something wrong – that it will not result in severe punishment. If you do not believe you have the patience required, then maybe an abused or neglected animal is not for you at this period in your life.

That doesn’t make you a bad person – actually it’s the opposite – it means you thought more about the animal, then you did about yourself. There are many calm animals in shelters all across the country, which would love to have a new, loving master and a comfortable home to rest their body and quiet their mind.
 

How To Clicker Train Your Dog At Home

 

How To Clicker Train Your Dog At Home

Training a dog to be well behaved does not necessarily mean you have to hire a professional trainer or sign up for expensive lessons. There really are effective ways to do dog training at home.

Professional dog trainers can be very helpful during the dog training process, especially if you feel you do not have very much spare time to put into it, but dog training does not have to be time consuming if you use the correct tools. The clicker is the tool that can solve pet owner's problems. In as little as five to ten minutes per day, dog owners will find the clicker can help them achieve an obedient pet.

What clicker training does - Clicker training is a method that teaches the dog to associate the sound of clicks with the desired behavior. By using a pattern of clicks and rewards, the dog quickly learns. They will begin to understand what action a click requires, and they will know a treat will follow this action.

Clicker training is simply a way of conditioning the pet to perform a certain way in order to receive a treat as a reward. Different sequences of clicks are used to signal the animal which behaviors will bring on a reward and which won't.

Classic dog training methods use verbal commands and hand motions to signal to the dog what they are expected to do. With a clicker, the owner can target exact behaviors during training sessions, and reinforce the good ones with a reward. With practice, the dog will immediately know what the series of clicks mean.

Using the clicker to train your dog. - The first step to this method of training is referred to as the initializing, or loading, procedure. This step allows the dog to begin associating the clicking sound with the treat that will follow as a reward. This step can be done any place. To achieve success, all that is required is the clicker and the dog's treats.

All you need to do is click and then give the dog their treat. It's that easy. The goal is to get the animal's attention with the click. If it doesn't work the first try, keep repeating the click until the dog notices. Once the dog does notice, immediately reward them with a treat. The average dog will have a solid association between the click and the treat in 20 to 50 successful tries.

Each try is called a cycle. The goal is consistency throughout the training period. This can be accomplished by timing your clicks. Pick a set amount of time to wait between each click. You can use five seconds, or maybe ten seconds, between them. The most important part is to stick to whatever amount of time you choose. Each cycle requires only one click. The clicker should not be over used. Several clicks will not help the animal and may cause confusion.

When several clicks are used in a row, the dog will not respond. This is because they are waiting for the clicks to end before they will react. This is the same principal behind verbal training. If the owner repeats the word "sit" three times while training their pet to sit, he will learn not to sit until after the third word. One click should be sufficient to get the desired response.

How to Stop a Dog from Digging 19-07-15

How to Stop a Dog from Digging

Dogs like to dig. Really, it's just that simple. They like to dig and bring the cool dirt to the top so they can lay on it. They like to dig and burry their bones. They like to dig under fences so they can go exploring. Some breeds are also natural diggers and burrowers. The Alaskan Husky will dig out a hole in the ground so that he can stay warm in the winter. Dachshunds will dig because they like to hunt small animals. There are various reasons that dogs will dig and training them to stop can present a challenge.

The first fact that must be realized is that dogs will generally dig because they are bored. They let their natural instincts come in and before you know it your yard has a lot of potholes. There are several natural ways to stop your dog from digging. The first is to give him a lot of attention. Give him bones to chew on and toys to play with. Often this will keep your dog occupied and he will not want to dig. Some people provide a sandbox for dogs to dig in, but this will only reinforce the bad behavior and you want to avoid that. Yelling at your dog will also not do you any good, as you will only be teaching him to dig when you are not around. Dogs are usually less destructive when they get ample exercise. Often, a simple walk on a regular basis will keep your dog from destroying things. They also dig to make themselves a cool bed in the summer. Provide your dog with plenty of shade, water and perhaps a wading pool. These items will encourage your dog to use them and not dig.

Another interesting way to stop your dog from digging is to place feces in the holes. Many dog breeders, trainers and owners have found this to be very useful. Many dogs will only use the bathroom in one part of the yard. When you go to scoop the dog feces out of your yard, place some in the holes where the dog has been digging. Dogs do not like the smell of their own feces and will stop digging. Eventually, the dog will run out of places to dig and they will not go back to the old places.

There are certain spices that will also deter dogs from digging. These include cayenne and paprika. The spices are not pleasant for dogs and they will make their nose itch. The dog will not go back to digging. Spices can help stop the dog's bad behavior because they experience a negative reaction to something they have found enjoyable in the past.

Turf-Block is another option to keep dogs from trying to dig under fences. Turf-Block is a concrete block that is lattice shaped. The blocks keep the dogs from digging under the fence while still allowing water permeation in the soil. Turf-Block can be effective in keeping your dogs in the yard, but not as effective as stopping the behavior.

Many people do not mind if their dog digs, they just don't want them to dig in certain areas. If your goal is a manicured lawn, then provide your dog an area of his own. Many owners will fence off the side of a house and give it to the dog. The dog has freedom to play, dig, and destroy that part of the yard all he wants. You should never punish a dog for digging in his own area, but you should punish him for digging in your area.

Training your dog not to dig depends on your goals. There are numerous ways to make the experience of digging unpleasant for your dog and those should be explored. Dogs generally only do things they enjoy; they are sort of like people in this respect. They will quickly learn that it is not fun to get sprayed by the water hose when they are digging and this will encourage them not to dig for fear of the hose.