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glossary

Commands

Easy -  Loose Leash Walking - The type of walking mostly done on leash with your dog. Loose leash means having no tension on the leash due to your dog pulling ahead or you having to drag your dog.

Heel -  To be used when needed to keep your dog under close scrutiny. For instance, walking down the street while passing an outdoor restaurant to prevent your dog from putting his/her nose on plates. The heel command means simply: "Stay by my side. If I am walking, then walk next to me. If I stop, you stop too, and sit next to me".

Wait -  More casual than STAY, this command prevents your dog from bolting when the car door opens, when your dog tries to bowl you over when you open the front door and the like. Your dog must not cross a boundary like a door threshold. In simple terms it means: "Don't move another paw forward".

Off or Leave It -  "Don't even THINK about putting that steak in your mouth"! Off is a command that prevents your dog from mouthing something he/she should not.

Terms to Know

Benevolent Leadership is Key! -- Without proper pack structure dogs become unruly, destructive, anxious, and sometimes aggressive. With strong benevolent leadership (not to be confused with dominance) and a solid obedience foundation, your dog(s) will be kissing your feet with appreciation!

Behavior Modification - The difference in training and behavior modification is teaching your dog to sit versus teaching your dog not to destroy your furniture when you're away from the house.

Clicker training - "Click" marks the spot. Like taking a picture, a click tells an animal the instant they did what you wanted. If killer whales can be trained with a clicker, so can your 4-pawed pet.

Crate Training - To human beings crates or pens are considered a jail cell. To dogs they are a safe place where he/she can be alone and no one will bother him/her while chewing a treat or sleeping. Dogs are den animals and like the comfort and security a crate offers them. Once a dog is properly introduced to a crate there is no end to its uses. From time-outs to potty training crates are useful and humane tools with which to train your dog.

Food/Object Guarding - A dog that growls, snaps, bears teeth or bites when food or a toy is taken away has a guarding problem. This behavior can escalate to aggression quickly, but is easily treated with proper leadership and obedience training.

Pack - This is the dog's family. In the wild dogs run with their dog pack. A domesticated dogs' pack is the dog, their human family as well as any other pets within the household.

Pack Rank - Each dog has its own rank within the pack. They don't always care what order they are, but it is important to dogs that they know their place in the hierarchy.

Positive Motivational Training - I use STRICTLY positive re-enforcement as my technique. A dog learns quicker, gains confidence and respects the owner if he/she is encouraged to work for a reward rather than work to avoid a punishment. ALWAYS praise your dog for performing a command you give. THAT's the key to positive re-enforcement!

Pro-Active Methods - Preventing problems before they present is easier than behavior modification. Pro-actively teaching your dog not to be aggressive near its food bowl, for instance.