5 Tips For Doing In-Home Behavior Sessions

Private in-home behavior sessions are what I do most and what I most enjoy as a dog trainer. They enable me to better assess the situation, see the dog in it's natural world and get a sense on how everything going on at home. These sessions are very different the obedience and require you to do think outside the box and consider a variety of things.

http://makedogsyourlife.com/5-tips-for-behavior-sessions/

One of the best ways to get more clients for your dog training business

Want to see how $60 continually gets me clients year after year? This simple and inexpensive advertising pays off regularly for me [VIDEO POST].

http://businessofdogtraining.com/the-best-60/

Training Kids and Dogs

To get the perfect family dog you need train both your dog and your kids. This post shows you how.

http://ferndogtraining.com/family-dog/

Proper Puppy Socialization

In this episode Fern talks about the importance of puppy socialization with Ariana Kincaid of Operation Socialization. Lack of socialization is an epidemic and one of biggest causes of behavioral issues in adult dogs, and most people have no idea how to properly socialize their new puppies. Combine that with the multitude of misinformation online and from some trusted professionals it’s no surprise that there is so much confusion as to what is the best and safest way to socialize. Socialization should start early and is very time sensitive. In this episode you’ll find out exactly where those pups should be socialized and how every dog’s plan for socialization differs.

http://makedogsyourlife.com/pocast10/

How to Become a Dog Training Celebrity

If you're a dog trainer and want more notoriety, exposure and clients, you need to build your authority by becoming valuable in the public eye. With some effort and patience you can turn yourself into a dog trainer celebrity.

http://businessofdogtraining.com/dog-training-celebrity/

What Being a Leader to Our Dogs Really Means

Leadership is a very misunderstood term in the dog world. I’ve seen people do some bizarre and really bad things to their dog in the name of leadership. In this episode I clear the air and discusses what it really means to be a leader to the dogs in your life. I tell you how I see leadership and describe what I call “the leadership umbrella.” This is foundational stuff and understanding it will effect everything you do with your dog and enable you to communicate more effectively. We’ll also talk about resource control and how it relates to leadership.

http://makedogsyourlife.com/podcast9/

Dealing with Dog Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety in dog is a sad behavior problem to see but a very important one to address. Dog's who don't like being left alone are unhappy and unhealthy and the sooner you work on the issue the better for all involved. The problem is that much of the anxiety is being reinforced by dog owners inadvertently.

http://makedogsyourlife.com/dog-separation-anxiety/

Are you ready to become a professional dog trainer? Before you take the leap, watch this video and consider the pros and cons to make sure it's the right choice for you.

For me, there is nothing better than getting up every day doing a job that I love and am passionate about and I can't think of doing anything else.

Self Defense in New Jersey

My good friend and fellow dog trainer Joe Dwyer just opened his own martial arts studio teaching Goju Ryu Karate. Noble Strength Dojo is all about the true core of martial arts: honor, discipline and training real, practical self defense techniques.

If you're interested in learning self defense in New Jersey check out Noble Strength Dojo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r93BbZwI44I

Dog Digging

Is your dog digging holes in your yard? Instead of getting angry and frustrated lets look into why your dog is digging and go over some easy ways to stop it.


Here's my newest video - Dog Digging: How to Stop a Dog From Digging.

Dogs dig for 3 big reasons:
1. Boredom - Your dog is out in the yard with nothing to do and he's finding something that he enjoys to pass the time.

2. Lack of exercise - He's got energy and it's always coming out one of two ways: constructively or destructively. If you don't provide enough constructive outlets for his energy he will find something destructive, like digging to China.

3. Lack of supervision - You can only correct behaviors you can see and witness first hand. Your dog is out in the yard creating repetitions and forming habits and you want to make sure they are the ones you want.

Ok, we know your dog is digging holes in your yard and we now know why he's doing it so how about some treatment plans.

1. Supervise 1:38 - An obvious one but needs to be said. Don't leave your dog unattended in the yard for too long. You need to be out there teaching him right from wrong.

2. Exercise More 1:58 - If your dog is digging holes in your yard he's telling you he's got excess energy, so give him some good ways to release it. Up your exercise with him.

3. Give Him Something to Do Out There 2:10 - Don't expect your dog is running laps. If you don't give him something cool to do, he'll find something and it may include trying to digging. Put out some new toys and bones before you let him out or throw a handful of his dry food into the grass and let him spend some time looking for it.

4. Let Him Dig 2:40 - Pick a corner of your yard and build him a digging pit filled with loose dirt or sand. Then encourage him to dig there by burying some fun things for him to find, like bones, toys or stuffed Kongs.

Digging is a common problem but is pretty easy to treat. Just follow the above tips and everyone will be able to enjoy your nice, hole free back yard.

Pit Bull Training

Pit bulls get a bad rap from the media and the misinformed public so it's our jobs at pit bull owners to train them right.

Check out this video on pit bull training I just shot with my best doggie buddy, Hayely

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAXyRjzqUqM

Scared Dogs

If you've got a scared, shy or fearful dog you need to be careful how you work with them. Check out this short video I did about how to work with a scared or fearful dog.

Book Review: Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff

Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff is one the best books for anyone interested in learning about dog communication and behavior. Check out this quick video review I just shot:

If you're interested in learning how you can become a dog trainer yourself check out the FernDog Trainer academy at www.makedogsyourlife.com

Becoming a Dog Trainer

There's nothing better than getting up every day and looking forward to a long day of work. Sound impossible? Well, it's not if you find a career you love.

For me this was not an easy thing to do. I've had five very different careers in my life as I kept experimenting to see what I was good at and enjoyed doing. My journey finally ended five years ago when I decided to give dog training a try. From the moment I began it became clear to me that this would be my last career stop.

Now I truly enjoy every day of work and realized how many years I had wasted doing jobs I didn't like. I'll never get those years back and life is way too short to spend any of it doing something you don't really like doing.

What I've learned is that if you're passionate about what you're doing not only will you enjoy it, but you will be much more successful than if you were in a job you merely tolerated. If you love what you do, you'll give 100% to make it work and will be able to persevere through the difficult times.

So I'm yelling at you to FIND WHAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND PURSUE IT IN SOME WAY AS A CAREER! Once you do, you'll be surprised how much more fun life can be.

If you're like me and dogs are your thing, then a career as a dog trainer might be a perfect fit. If that's so, the big question on your mind will be, "how do I become a dog trainer?"

I recently shot a video that answers that very question. Click to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PacbcR6OU-U&feature=plcp

When you begin working as a dog trainer the first thing you'll realize is that there is no one way to train a dog - it's not a one size fits all kind of thing. Different things work for different people with different dogs in very different situations. The same is true of learning to become a dog trainer. There's a wide variety of ways to learn the tricks of the trade and there is no one best way. Do some research and figure out what's the best path for you.

I do have one big recommendation though: don't only learn about dogs - there's much more that goes in to creating a long term, successful dog training business. All the dog knowledge in the world won't help you pay the bills if you don't know how to run a business and market yourself. These are important things to learn and way too many dog trainers take them for granted or don't want to be bothered with it and that is a fatal mistake. Figuring out how to do this stuff will be the difference between success and failure.

Learning and implementing these skills has been the big reason that I've been able to create a profitable dog training business in a relatively short amount of time.

So get out there, find your passion and take the necessary steps to get into a career that you love. Once you do, you'll see that life is always good. I always say, "Every day with a dog is a good day."

For more information how my online certification to becoming a successful dog trainer go to http://makedogsyourlife.com

The FernBlog Has Moved!

I've finnally decided to integrate my blog into my website so I will no longer be posting on this Blogger account. To keep following my blog goto www.ferndogtraining.com and subscribe.

Should You Get Your Dog Microchipped?

This past weekend Hurricane Irene caused chaos up and down the East Coast of the United States. Houses were destroyed and many families were displaced in the storm. I was lucky enough to escape the wrath of Irene with minimal damage, but others were not so fortunate. People were forced to flee their own homes as they crumbled around them or flood waters washed them away. Many dogs and cats were lost in the midst of the pandemonium of survival.

As I read these stories, I look down at my own dog, Hayley, and wonder if we were separated in the storm would we find each other? That’s a hard question to ponder and no one likes to think about the worst case scenario but if you’re prepared and the worst happens, you will be glad you made the appropriate preparations.

Forget something as catastrophic as a hurricane, what if your dog just ran from the house or slipped his collar and took off. How would you be able to get him back? What precautions do you have in place in case the worst happens? Without any way to identify your dog, how would anyone know he was yours?

That’s where microchipping comes in. Although microchipping in pets is nothing new, many owners are still unsure of what it really is and if they should really bother.

How it works
Microchips are injected into the animal just under the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. It doesn’t hurt the dog (it feels like a typical injection) and has no real side effects. Each microchip is identified by a separate and unique number that can be read by a scanner when it’s hovered over the dog. Almost all vets and shelters have these scanners are able to quickly read the microchip that has been placed in a dog.

If your dog is ever separated from you and picked up by the local shelter the first thing they will do is scan him to see if he’s been chipped. Then they can look up your information in the microchip database to get your contact info and reunite you with your furry best friend.

It’s kind of like an insurance policy in that you will most likely never need it, but if you do it will prove to invaluable. However, unlike insurance polices microchipping will only cost you about $50. Well worth it, in my opinion.

Don't Judge a Pooch by its Cover

Just about every week I get called in to do a behavior consultation for a dog whose only real problem is that he’s stuck with the wrong humans. Or more accurately, his owner chose him for the wrong reasons. It always amazes me how so many people put so little thought into their choice of dogs. Instead of making an educated decision based on close observation, deliberation and research, they just go for the cute furry face and/or the long sob story that comes along with it.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because we make the same mistakes picking our romantic partners with the same disastrous results. We’ve all been guilty of dating someone just because physically they’re a total knockout without really looking into what kind of personality they have. And all those kinds of relationships end one of two ways: quickly or badly (for me it was always both).

Getting a dog is not like buying a shirt. If the cool looking shirt we buy itches us like crazy, we just donate to Goodwill or use it to clean our toilet. That dog we brought home a week ago on a whim because he was so cute and had a hard luck story, however, cannot be so easily discarded. I know you mean well, but you’re really doing the worst thing for both you and the dog.

I strongly believe that there is the right person out there for every dog. But the other side of that is that for every right person for the dog there are a multitude of mismatches. You have to be realistic when looking to add a dog to your life and ask yourself some tough questions. Instead of beginning and basing your search for your new dog on the appearance of the dog, look first for personality and temperament. If you neglect to really research what kind of energy level and breed you’re bringing home you may be in for a harsh reality once your new pooch settles in at home.

A great example of this is when the TV show Frasier was popular many people fell in love with Kelsey Grammer’s furry co-star, Eddie and ran out and got Jack Russell Terriers. Wow, were they in for a big surprise when they discovered that their dog didn’t want to just lounge on the couch while laugh tracks played in the background, but instead required three hours of hard core, high impact exercise each and every day to keep them sane.

Then there are the good hearted people who rescue a dog with just because they feel sorry for its situations or back story. Another huge mistake. Yes, it’s amazingly admirable that you want to help this dog but if you don’t make sure you are the right match for him, you will not be helping him at all.

The decision to bring a dog into your life is a big one, both for you and the dog. Make sure you really think hard about the decision and base your search first on personality and temperament, then on looks. If you do that, you won’t have to pay me to come over and laugh at you as you tell me that you don’t know why your two-year-old Dalmatian destroyed your house, when you always give him his daily exercise of two, five minute walks around the block (on behalf of all the Dalmatians out there, thanks for nothing Disney).

To Treat or Not to Treat

Food rewards are one of the most effective ways to train your dog. Not really a big news flash there - just about everyone knows that Fido will do just about anything for some freeze-dried liver. The question isn’t if food rewards are effective, it’s when and how often should they be used? Should we use treats for every behavior we want to teach, and should we use them for problem behaviors we want changed?

Some trainers rely on the use of treats solely and rarely do any kind of training without their trusty treat bag, while others downright refuse to use treats at all. So it’s not surprising that there is some confusion on when is the appropriate time to use treats when working with our dogs. Personally, I believe that treats are a very powerful tool to train dogs, but that many situations are better addressed without the use of food.

To shape a new behavior (like teaching a dog to sit, or down), there’s nothing better than a tasty tid-bit to lure your dog. Treats should always be the first thing you go to when teaching any obedience command or trick. It’s simple, it’s easy and it works like a charm in almost every case. For those rare dogs that are not all that food motivated, the treats lose their power and we then to try another reward (like toys or affection). However, ninety five percent of dogs will perform quite well when motivated by their favorite snack.

I do not use treats for many behavioral issues though. For example, something like dog reactivity is best addressed without treats. I’ve seen people literally throwing treats at their dogs in an attempt to distract them from an approaching dog. Even if the distraction works and the dog ignores the other dog, at best you are putting a very temporary band aid on the problem. Instead, you need to work with the dog at a distance, change his state of mind and him move him forward. I’ve found simply walking dogs together to be the best way to work on this – with your treats holstered.

The big exception here is for cases of anxiety or fear. Then in addition to be very respectful of each dogs threshold of tolerance to a given stimulus, treats (especially high impact treats) can be used to encourage the dog to work slowly past his fears and reshape his perception to something positive.

Every situation and dog is different, so it’s not as easy as black and white. As a general rule I always use treats to shape new behaviors and rarely to alleviate a problem behavior. Since I think that raising dogs is very similar to raising kids I’ll give you an analogy with my kids. If my one daughter hits her sister and then stops hitting her, I’m not going to give her a reward for stopping. The rule is you don’t hit your sister and it’s time for me to do some parenting. But if my daughter refrains from hitting her sister in a situation that she usually does, I would reward her like crazy.

Now let’s take a similar situation with your dog. Let’s say my dog is chewing the rug and then stops as I come into the room. I’m not going to reward the cessation of her chewing, but instead I’m going to do some leadership (aka parenting). However, if my dog is a rug chewer and is headed toward the rug and she ignores it on her own or with a mild verbal correction from me, I’ll shower her with treats.

That’s my take on the treat paradox. Remember treats should always be used as rewards and not bribes. Treats are great but be cautious about spitting them out like a popcorn machine.

CSI: Canine

I don’t really watch too much TV, but just looking at the daily television listings of shows I see that there are quite a few versions of the CSI series. Every so often my wife lures me into to watching one and I’ve quickly learned that the CSI team can uncover any mystery by doing three things. The formula is always the same and I think it’s applicable for just about any unsolved problem, including issues with our beloved pooches. Those three key ingredients that the CSI team relies on in every episode are investigation, observation and questioning.

As a dog behavior consultant I use these skills in every single session I do and they are skills that you should employ when trying to understand why your dog does some of those unexplained things. I have cracked many of my cases wide open by interviewing my clients and going over details of their home environment and their dog’s daily activities. The more questions I ask, the more information I gather and the more I’m able to watch the dog, the clearer the puzzle becomes.

This is especially important when your dog does something that is out of his usual character or behavior patterns. Once you see a behavior problem begin where before there was none, something must have changed to cause the shift in behavior. You need to do some investigating to begin to uncover the reason for the new behavior problem.

Nothing happens “out of the blue” or for no reason. There is always an underlying cause that has triggered the dogs new behaviors, we may just not be aware of them yet. That’s why you really need to sit down and think about the issue from all angles and take a number of external factors into consideration. You need to think about what is going on in your environment and look for possible triggers that may have put the behavior in motion, and/or are continually reinforcing the troubling behavior.

As you make your observations and do you’re investigating you have to remember that dogs think differently and have very different motivations than we do. So you need to try to put aside your human way of thinking and get inside the mind of your dog. Try to understand his perspective and remember that even though he’s your furry little guy, he still behaves according to canine patterns.

You should also question all family members even if you think that they are in no way involved with the behavior issue. They are possible witnesses and even suspects (that may be unknowingly contributing to the behavior) that need to be questioned. The more digging you do, the closer you will get to understanding what’s really going on.

This three step process of investigating, questioning and observing is the systematic approach I use each and every time I work with a behavior problem. And although I may not have the high tech equipment of the TV CSI team or the witty one-liners of the stars, I’ve been pretty successful in solving quite a few unsolved mysteries using their same formula.

Make your own CSI team and start to investigate the perplexing cases with your own dog and see if you can uncover the real reason for any new issues and then you can accurately work toward making them right.

As for me, I’ll continue my relentless cold calling of the television networks pitching my CSI: Canine.

Take That Mailman!

Watch any cartoon with a dog and you’ll learn that dogs come preloaded with two things: chasing cats and barking at the mailman. The cat thing we can chalk up to a run of the mill species rivalry, but why the mailman? After all, the mailman (and femailman) seems pretty nice - the only crime there’re guilty of is delivering us too many bills. So why do so many dogs go postal when the mailman makes his daily approach toward our house?

The answer is the front window. Dogs that have access to look out the front window of the house are much more reactive at people walking by and coming to the house. And every single day they get rewarded for their behavior.

Let’s look at what happens from the dog’s perspective.
1)Mailman approaches
Your dog thinks: “Here comes this strange looking guy in a uniform walking right up to my house. I’m going to bark my head off to scare him away.”
2)Mailman drops mail in box and walks away.
Your dog thinks: “That’s right, you better get out of here. Ha – I scared that punk away. Yay for me!”

Your dog is rewarded every single time the mailman leaves. Your dog thinks his reaction is what sent him on his way. The same holds true for anyone walking by (or walking a dog by) – they walk in front of your house, your dog reacts, and they leave. Fido thinks he’s doing a fine job protecting the perimeter.

This is why treating barking at people and dogs as they walk by the house is impossible. For us to successfully work on this issue we would need to control the person coming toward the house. The person walking by would have to stop when the dog reacts and wait while we work with the dog to get them back to a calm state of mind, and then have them continue on their way. Just try getting the mailman to do that.

There’s just no way to control the environment, so it is impossible to work on. The best thing to do, if possible, is to not allow your dog access to the front window. I know it sounds like a cop out of training but there really is no way to properly address this behavior. And dogs that react at people and dogs at the window are more likely to carry this habit outside and react on leash.

Sometimes you have to accept that the situation is uncontrollable and instead of solving the issue, we concentrate on trying to manage it. So if you can, close up the shades or keep your dog away from the lookout points. His barking is not going to get better and your mailman is thinking of throwing that Ikea catalog at the window.