Jeana helps Kalamazoo Animal Rescue by answering questions about dog behaviors and dog problems. She is a wife of ten years and a mother of three wonderful children. Tana, her “other” child, received her Canine Good Citizen award several years ago and as a member of Delta Society, visited hospitalized patients for over a year while they lived in Texas. Jeana loved training Tana so much that she began helping her friends with their dogs and the "business" just began to build from there.  From ‘01—’03, Jeana trained for Rolling Oaks Kennels, a well respected and veterinarian recommended facility in San Antonio, TX where she gained great experience in working with a variety of clientele and breeds. When her husband’s work brought the family to Kalamazoo, Jeana and Tana set up shop teaching group classes at Superpetz on Westnedge Ave. But they still offer private training as a part-time home business where Jeana particularly enjoys helping people with their “problem” dogs and figuring out how to resolve those annoying bad habits. Call Jeana at (269) 488-7916 or email to drcaduceus@bigfoot.com

From the Basic Commands Sheet

 

Come—Come directly to you and sit in front of you. Teaching the automatic sit with Come will eliminate the habit some dogs form of running up to you then immediately bounding away.

 

Sit—Front up and rump on the ground. Bear in mind that this position does not need to be held for any length of time unless a Stay is given along with it.

 

Down—This means to lie down. You can be picky if you like about how formal a position you wish your dog to take. As for me, as long as the tummy is touching the ground it’s satisfactory.

 

Stay—Stay in position until a release is given. If put in Sit, he must remain sitting. If put in Down, he must remain laying down. Stay is always finished with a release word else he will not understand when he is able to move and will end up releasing himself whenever he feels like it.

 

That’ll Do—The release word used after Stay. He may stay in the position if he still wants to but this is to let him know that you are now allowing him to break position if he desires. I also usually use this word to let him know he can cross a threshold after waiting (i.e. going in or out of doors).

 

Wait—Don’t cross the invisible boundary line (usually a doorway) until given permission (usually a That’ll Do after you have already crossed). He may walk around, sit, lie down or anything else he pleases as long as he doesn’t cross the line. This is most used for coming in from outside when I need to check feet for mud but it’s also a dominance tactic. The leader goes first and all others must wait their turn.

 

Heel—Walk with you in position on your left side with his front legs approximately lined up with yours. This is a very formal command. When you stop, he should stop and sit. When you turn, he should follow right with you. The same goes for matching your speed.

 

Let’s Go—The informal version of Heel. This lets the dog know he can follow you along at the end of the leash casually as long as the leash is slack. Pulling on the leash or a taut leash is never acceptable.

 

Off—All four feet on the ground. This is useful for not only getting off of people but furniture as well.

 

Watch Me—This is just for making eye contact with him so you know you have his attention.

 

Leave It—Whatever it is he’s sniffing or bothering must immediately be left completely alone. This is mostly used for objects or food that may be lying within reach but can also be applied to the sniffing and licking of children or other people who don’t appreciate the attention.

 

Stay Out—Don’t even step foot into this room or space. While Wait allows the dog to eventually cross the boundary line with permission, a Stay Out is more permanent for rooms you just don’t ever want the dog to be in. In my home, I use Stay Out for the guest room (for the benefit of any guests we may have) and the children’s room (not only for the safety of their toys but for other children who may be visiting and aren’t used to dogs). You may also use it at someone else’s house when you are visiting as a quick way to let him know his boundaries.

 

Take It—This is for taking things from your hand or taking something from another surface (like the ground) to hold in his mouth. Useful for teaching to bring and carry various objects.

 

Give It—The object in his mouth is to be placed into your outstretched hand. Teach him to bring it all the way to your hand so he’s not dropping it only part way for you to go and get yourself.

 

Drop It—The object in his mouth is inappropriate to play with or touch and should be dropped immediately. You can then give him something that is appropriate and then praise him for taking it.

 

Hush—Stop barking immediately. It’s OK for the dog to bark at things but you let him know when enough is enough. When I say Hush it usually goes something like this, “Thank you Tana, I hear you—now Hush.”

 

Short Essay: Love vs. Discipline

 

Don’t be afraid to believe that you can have love and discipline at the same time. The only mentally healthy dog is one who has been taught how to live by the rules. We must remember that the wolf pack has strict codes of behavior that are followed and expected from the highest ranking alpha male to the lowliest puppy. Teaching a dog how to live with us isn’t a matter of taking a wild animal and giving him lots of rules to follow. It’s really all about customizing his canine societal rules to our liking (i.e. potty training—members of the pack will instinctively not soil in the den area). In short, he has no problem with rules; he just needs to understand what they are and that they will be enforced.

 

As far as your relationship goes, proper training only increases the bond between a dog and his human. Your dog wants leadership, but if you aren’t providing it he has no choice but to assume it himself. Many people fail to understand that dogs have no place for equals. If you’re not the leader, you are subordinate and though he may think you’re great fun to play with, he’s not going to care about your rules when he’s busy making his own. The security of knowing who is in charge (that’s supposed to be you) and that you are a competent, benevolent leader means much more to him than having a playmate that also feeds him.

 

Learning how to appropriately teach him about your world will bind you together in mutual loyalty and respect. It will enable you to reach greater levels of communication with your companion for a lifetime of trust, love, and fun!