Making dreams during a storm.
Dog Agility weave poles - Part 1
Watch various breeds of dogs doing agility weave poles in Monmouth, Oregon
Dog Training - When You Need To Be Strict
Once you have completed training your dog you quite often relax into a softer mood and behavior towards your pooch. You just begin to take things easy, relying on the fact that your dog now knows the rules of the house and is willing to keep them.
After all, your training efforts were meant to teach him how to be a "Good Dog" in your household and environment. Now that he comes when you call, sits when you tell him to and walks on the lead without pulling your arm off all is well and both of you are happy.
Your dog now starts to do certain things he was not allowed to do during the educational period of his life, like sit on the sofa or sniff around for a while before coming when you call him.
All this is natural because you can not be expected to keep up "dog training mode" for an infinite number of years.
But there are some rules you need to enforce all the time because if you don't your dog may run into serious trouble.
Those are the No Matter What Rules any dog owner must obey in order to safeguard the life of his dog.
Rule # 1 Do not let your dog run out of the front gate. Always make sure he is on the lead. Do not tolerate any exceptions. Make it very clear to him that he must wait at the gate no matter what. Too many dogs get killed by cars because they run out into the roads.
Rule # 2 Do not let your dog push his way past you at the front door for the same reason. Make it very clear to him that pushing past you in doorways is a cardinal sin which you will not have at all.
Rule # 3 For your own safety your dog must either walk down stairs before you or after you have reached the bottom. If you allow him to rush down a staircase behind you he may soon cause you to break your neck.
Rule # 4 Your dog needs to come when you call him. This is a must for any dog. You can not afford him to come when and if he pleases to do so. A dog who comes at all times is a safe dog.
Rule # 5 Your dog needs to know a command which stops him right in his tracks, no matter what he is up to. Whether he means to pick something up or whether he intends to go somewhere. You need to be able to stop him anytime anyplace.
Following those rules both you and your dog will be safe together. Violating them means risking injury and unhappiness for both of you and possibly any third party involved.
Dog Treats for Dog Training
Recently, a lot of our friends and customers have asked us about dog training and how to properly use treats when training dogs. We found the following article to be very helpful:
There are many different approaches to dog training and many different ways of implementing each of those approaches. Most techniques utilized today however, are premised upon the idea that positive reinforcement is likely to create the best results. Virtually every truly functional dog training system is outgrowth of positive reinforcement thinking.
Regardless of which specific program a dog owner may choose to adopt, there are common pitfalls that can be avoided. Dog owners are particularly susceptible to making three critical errors, which if avoided will make the training process far more enjoyable and effective. Three of the most common mistakes are inconsistency, impatience and treating the dog as a subject instead of a training partner.
Inconsistency
Consistency may be hobgoblin of little minds in terms of the need for human creativity. With respect to dog training, however, inconsistency is the quickest way to reduce the experience's effectiveness.
Dogs thrive on predictability. In fact, their ability to grasp cause and effect is at the very root of training. Operant conditioning is predicated on the fact that dogs will begin to associate events with consistent outcomes. This notion of consistency's importance must be extended to the overall process of dog training.
A dog is likely to best respond to a system in which regular actions produce regular results. Too often, dog owners fail to be entirely consistent. In the dog's mind, these lapses in regularity convey a sense of randomness to the process and make it difficult for the pet to associate his specific behaviors with specific results-the key to training. Dogs will excel when they are taught that things happen for specific reasons. When surprises occur it undermines the whole of the training process.
A successful trainer will retain consistency and will not deviate from an established course.
Impatience
There can be a great deal of frustration in dog training. Concepts we believe dogs should be able to grasp easily often escape them completely for quite some time.
We live in a world that is so often focused on immediate results. We learn to expect that our actions will be met by prompt, anticipated responses. Dog training runs counter to this societal trend toward speedy, immediate gratification. Training is an extended process that can require a great deal of patience from the trainer.
Impatience results in unpredictability on the part of the owner as they hastily cease a training session or abandon positive reinforcement techniques in hopes of finding a shortcut to desired results. Patience is, indeed, a virtue when one considers the role of the owner in a dog training situation.
A successful trainer will master developing a patient outlook throughout the extended process of dog training.
Treating the Dog as a Subject Instead of a Partner
Dog training requires two participants: the dog and the owner. Frequently, however, owners tend to perceive the process as being uniquely about them. They fret over their techniques, equipment and strategies without giving real consideration to their training partner, the dog.
When an owner approaches the dog as a simple subject for experimentation, they lose track of what makes the dog unique and denigrate the always-important dog/owner relationship. Training becomes a chore, rather than a joint activity. What might have been a pleasurable chance for interaction becomes an un-enjoyable task.
Dogs are sufficiently intuitive to be attuned to a trainer's attitude and are less receptive to learning when they are treated merely as a subject instead of as a complete being. Owners who fail to see their pet's identity during training are unable to pick up on subtle clues and possible means to improve their techniques.
The successful trainer will treat his dog as a full partner in training, not merely as a subject.
By avoiding these three common pitfalls, a dog owner is more likely to be able to implement a training strategy that produces results. Additionally, the training experience is likely to be enjoyable for both the dog and owner, giving them a tremendous opportunity to build their relationship. Regardless of the exact methodology adopted by the owner, the training process will benefit extraordinarily from avoiding the mistakes of inconsistency, impatience and treating your pet as a subject instead of as a partner.
Source: i-love-dogs.com
Get your dog some great dog treats
Our new puppy, Wicket
For my videos please visit www.youtube.com Tons of hugs ♥ Mel Below is the description of our new addition, we were happy today September 23, 2006. He was born on 27 June 2006. This is the first time I played actively since we brought it home .. So far, potty has been a breeze!
Positive Dog Training Methods - How Do They Work?
One way to differentiate positive dog training methods from other methods is that it focuses on looking for good behavior and rewarding it, rather than looking for bad behavior and punishing it. In fact, ignoring bad behavior is part of the process. The goal is for the dog to learn good behavior without the trainer using punishment, pain or fear as motivators.
Positive dog training techniques have their origins in behavioral psychology. They are based on scientific methods that have been tested and verified over the past 50 to 100 years by such world renowned behavioral scientists as Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner.
Pavlov uncovered the concept of associative learning by observing that his dogs salivated at the sound of a metronome, even when there was no food in front of them. Over the course of several days, they heard the sound of a metronome every time they were fed, so they learned to anticipate being fed (which caused them to salivate) whenever they heard the metronome.
B.F. Skinner made famous the concept of operant conditioning. To simplify two of the basic concepts, Skinner observed that behavior that is rewarded increases, and behavior that is ignored decreases. So how do these concepts apply to dog training?
Traditional dog training has relied on punishment methods like hitting, slapping, swatting with a newspaper, jerking the leash and using choke or shock collars. The theory behind those methods was that dogs would learn to behave in order to avoid pain. Unfortunately, dogs (and humans) do learn to perform behaviors in order to avoid pain, but there are some negative side effects to that approach.
They can cause physical injuries like broken bones, crushed internal organs or even strangulation. And instead of developing a bonding relationship between dog and trainer, they promote a relationship based on domination and fear. And at its worst, a fear based relationship can actually train an otherwise normal animal to become stressed and aggressive.
On the other hand, positive dog training methods use a system of rewards instead of punishment. It's the trainer's job to watch for the behaviors that he wants the dog to learn. For example, when he wants to train the dog to sit, he watches for the dog to site during the natural course of their activities, and then labels the action as "sit" at the same time that he verbally praises the dog for sitting.
The sequence of pairing the behavior with the verbal cue is straight out of Pavlov's associative learning principles. And rewarding the dog with lavish verbal praise when the dog performs the desired behavior comes directly from Skinner's operant conditioning.
It's easy to see how positive training methods are not only kinder and more fun, but also develop an enjoyable, healthy and stress-free relationship between trainer and dog.
Aggressive Dog Behavior Training - How to Stop Fido From Fighting
If you are reading material about aggressive dog behavior training, chances are good that you are concerned that your dog is exhibiting some undesirable behaviors. It can be really hard when you love a pup, but they are becoming more aggressive.
You may have some mixed feelings because you know the doggie could be dangerous, but you have feelings for it and want to keep it. You may be especially concerned if you have kids or other animals in the household. You need to learn to change this aggressive behavior.
The primary thing to know is that when you are trying to cure dog aggression, you simply need to get expert advice. You should not attempt to retrain an aggressive dog without experienced assistance.
There are many reasons why a dog may become aggressive. It may be ingrained in the breed of the dog, the dog may have been abused at some point, the dog could be acting out of protection or the dog may be afraid.
Often, the canine shows aggression as a way to dominate other dogs. Remember that a dog is a pack animal which means they must show who is the pack leader.
There are numerous ways to begin aggressive dog behavior training. The primary thing you must do is take your pup to the veterinarian and make sure that there are no physical reasons for the aggression.
You might want to consider spaying or neutering your canine as well. This is a safe and possibly effective way to reduce the aggression.
The best way to overcome aggressive dog behavior is to use a professional dog training program that is geared to help with this issue. We are not talking about training your dog to fetch or grab a beer from the fridge. We are talking about correcting and overcoming aggression.
Shih Tzu dog very obedient furfur
Furfur, the Shih Tzu, wants to demonstrate that it has more capacity than its counterparts in the cat. First, is "Wave Hello" and then "stand" up to "bow" to the public and shows how he cultivated. Then, "yes", "stay" for a while ', and "creeps" to its final destination, where he "turned" x2, playing dead with a "bang" and ends with hawking speak. "" Join furfur in SweetFurr.blogspot.com for more information.
Dog Obedience Training - How To Train Your Dog To Obey You At Your Command
Obedience dog training has been one of the most vital part of dog training as it improves the communication between you and your dog. It also assist in preventing of unacceptable behavior like chewing, digging, excessive barking, jumping up, whining e.t.c.
In dog training, obedience is a very important and that is why you will see so many articles and theories online and at the end of the day, it will not work. But I will show you in this article, secrets to get your dog to obey you at your command. Here below are the simple tips to achieve this task.
1. Reward: Firstly, let me sound this note of warning, never reward/praise your dog when it has done nothing that deserve that, got that. Only reward your dog when it does what you ask of it and make sure you reward it immediately and if it is correction make sure you do that at that instant, doing the correction at other times may confuse your dog.
2. Slow and steady: some one said "slow and steady wins the race." In dog training, you have to take the commands slowly and one by one. make sure it masters one command before going to another. Then continue to mentally challenge your dog during the process of training.
3. Timing: Time and accuracy is another essential thing in dog training obedience for example, do not try to correct your dog if it is not in the act of unacceptable behaviors. Late correction will only succeed in confusing your dog, so make sure you always watch out for this whenever you want to reward or correct your dog for anything.
Aggression Dog Training
A dog is somehow a beast if it not trained properly. It can easily kill people in aggression and may also harm its owner too. Therefore, being a devoted dog owner it is your utmost responsibility to take proper care of your beloved pet by dog training tips aggression.
It is not so difficult to train your pup but all you need is proper guideline. If you fail to teach your pet in an appropriate way, there are many chances that your puppy starts biting and behaving aggressively with you and family members.
Dog Training Tips On Aggression
Allow Proper Training to your Dog:
No doubt, dog is a good source of guarding but this animal also needs some security and love from his master. Therefore, you can show your concern towards your pup by creating different small training sessions. This technique will help your pet to understand you very well.
Dogs are also afraid of different things and creatures like when a lot of people are around them, they start getting unsecure and this result in aggression and anger.
So, always try to train your puppy when a lot of people are around him because this will provide him confidence and self-esteem. Try to praise him in front of others so that he can understand his importance.
Allow him to Mingle with other Dogs:
The second main reason of pup aggression is its introvert personality. Try to mingle your puppy with other pets so that he become aware to other pets too and become social. This small step can easily change the aggression and bad behavior of your dog to a nice and well trained pet with few weeks.
Do not allow him to go near Aggressive Dogs:
It is quite necessary in dog training tips aggression that you don't allow your pet to go near aggressive dogs because they can easily be influenced b their bad behavior and can react in the same way the bad dogs are behaving to them.
If you are SICK and TIRED trying to get your dog to listen to you and follow all your house rules without pees and poos everywhere, then....
Charlie sleep The Shitzu go
www.dog-food secrets.cjb.net. Charlie is well educated and trained. It comes with all the other dogs at the dog park and enjoy walking on the beach.
Dog Training School - What You Should Know About It
Bored of seeing your dog just walking around and barking? Having that mentality as if your dog is dumbest of all the dogs you've seen before is not a better judgment. Dogs are like humans. They can act human if given the proper training that it deserve. When enrolled on dog training schools, it becomes learned.
Many dog training schools are open to those dog lovers who wished to boost their dog's esteem. These training schools offers a wide array of skills training for your pet dog. Others practices on doing basic things like dog sitting or even doing special tricks.
Some specializes on agility training. Still, others would teach pet dogs on behavior modification and clicker training. Some schools train all breeds. Others prefer training specific ones. Know the best school for your dog. Prefer those schools with which you are comfortable having your pet trained for.
Is it not a nice idea seeing your dog act human? This is not far from imagination. Let that fierce look transformed into a gentle appearance. This can surely happen. Dogs are considered as one of the brightest pets. They are easily taught. They learn easily.
Trainers will not have a hard time giving instructions to them. They listen well. They act what trainers want them to do. If you are a busy dog owner, training your pet will not be a problem anymore. Yes, this is what training schools for dogs aim to. The concept of enrolling your canine pet in a specific training school is much like a home exercise for them. Your dog and the professional trainer got to bond with each other.
Know how to acknowledge your dog's potential. Provide its needs. Build a better relationship with your dog. Most importantly, give your pet a right to learn.
Clicker Dog Training Tips - The Paw Command
Clicker dog training is a wonderful way to teach your dog different commands using positive reinforcement. The clicker is a simple device that makes a distinct click, and it can be used to "mark" desired behaviors by following the sound of the clicker with treats, praise or other rewards when your dog is doing something you want her to do. Even if you've never used a clicker before, it's easy to teach your dog to give you her "Paw" with this dog training tool.
Plan your first sessions to last only about 10-15 minutes each, especially if your dog is new to the clicker training tool. Clicker dog training sessions work best when your dog is well rested and only slightly hungry. Have a stash of soft, bite sized treats handy - and the clicker, of course!
When you're ready to begin the training session, sit on the floor or in a chair and have your dog sit right in front of you. With the clicker in one hand, reach down with your other hand and gently tickle your dog's leg right above her foot. Continue tickling her leg until she begins to lift her foot, then click to mark the behavior and follow with a treat and lots of praise. Continue this pattern until your dog begins to lift her foot as soon as you touch it, which could take a couple of sessions depending on your dog.
Once your dog has learned to lift her paw at your touch, it's time to introduce the command. "Paw" is one of the most popular commands for this trick, but you can use shake, high-five or any other word you choose. The important part is to use the same word each time. Say the command as you reach for your dog's paw, and when she lifts it then click, reward and praise. Ignore the urge to reprimand your dog if she doesn't get it right at first. Clicker dog training is all about positive reinforcement.
As you continue to use the chosen command word in your training sessions you can begin to fade out your hand motion until you don't have to touch your dog's leg anymore. Remember to treat and praise your pet profusely, and you will soon have a dog that will happily offer her paw to shake on command. The success of learning a simple command and the praise your dog receives from you are fantastic confidence builders for your pet. Once your dog has mastered the paw lift, you can use clicker dog training to build on that simple motion and teach more advanced tricks like spin or bow with ease.
Dog Training Aids
It used to be the only dog training aids you had available would be to either take your dog to a training site and with gas prices these days who needs the extra added cost. You could also pay to have a dog trainer come to your home but the cost for these types of lessons can be very expensive.
As with anything else the Internet has made available tons of dog training aids. Every year more and more top trainers around the world are putting together dog training aids in the form of down-loadable ebooks, audio and video training lessons. These dog training aids allow you access to some of the best trainers at only a fraction of the cost and in many opinions a better format because you are training your dog.
It serves to build a better relationship with your pet when you are the one providing the training rather than a stranger who is going to spend time training once a week or so and then be gone.
With these new dog training aids you can take the time to go over the training and then work with your dog as much as needed to ensure it is being effective. Using a trainer at your home you always have the worry of cost and if something is taking longer than normal then it is costing you more money.
Many of the new online dog training aids also come with access to member forum areas, question/answer session with top trainers and access to support if you are experiencing problems with the lessons. In most cases you have the same or more support than you would using a local dog trainer.
Trainers like Dove Cresswell who has spend years training dogs and other animals for the movies and television are creating outstanding dog training aids. You can choose a complete course or there are specific types of training for obedience, house breaking, chewing / biting, etc.
Shih Tzu: A Letter from a Shih Tzu whose owner
Shih Tzu are expecting things from the owners and holders soon .. very touching letter to his best friend ..
Implementing Hand Signals Into Your Dog Training Routine
Teaching your dog to respond to hand signals does not require advanced training methods. Dogs communicate with each other by the use of body language. They will cringe or lower their head, use their tail and ear position to show interest or fear and they instinctively recognize body signals of other dogs.
Hand signals are not only easy to teach but can often be taught at the same time you are teaching voice commands. Teach a puppy to sit using treats. After he understands what to do, each time you tell him to "sit" extend your hand, point your index finger and twist your wrist so the finger moves down. Before long you'll be able to simply make the hand movement and your dog will sit.
For most commands it is not important what hand signal you use as long as it is used consistently for that command. For a few commands, the ability to display a hand signal your dog will respond to can save your dog from danger even if he can't hear your voice.
The commands requiring exaggerated hand movements are stay, come and down. For teaching these commands as hand signals, it is best to use your entire arm. That allows your dog to recognize the command even if he is a distance away from you.
The hand signal for "stay" is to extend your arm fully in front of you with your palm facing outward. If you boldly swing your arm into position your dog will be able to recognize "stay" even from a distance.
Command your dog to "come" by extending both arms outward. Do you recognize that hand signal? Of course you do - it's a universal signal and means "welcome".
Tell your dog to assume the "down" position by extending one arm in front of you, palm down and slowly lower your arm. This signal is a good reinforcing command if you have used the "stay" hand signal to stop your dog where he stands.
You can also use the dog's natural behavior to reinforce hand signals when training. If you catch your dog just as he begins to sit (on his own) use the command and hand signal. If your dog rides with you when you do errands in the car, always use the "stay" hand signal as you leave the car.
When teaching basic obedience commands incorporating hand signals the priority for the trainer is being consistent with the hand signals. Teaching the verbal command at the same time as giving a hand signal will allow the dog to learn both verbal and hand commands.
Unless you are training a dog for the show ring, the signals you use can be any movements you are comfortable with. Even tricks you teach and good manners can have recognizable hand signals your dog will obey.
When you teach your dog to "back up" use the verbal command "back" as you move forward forcing him to retreat a few steps - but also allow your extended hand to drop down from the wrist and then indicate "back" by sweeping your hand up a few times. This command is useful if your dog sometimes needs to be shooed away from a plate of food on a table or is demanding attention while you are sitting on the couch.
Adding hand signals to your obedience training routine is a simple task and hand signals are often easier for your dog to understand than verbal commands. Use the same signals consistently to reinforce the training.
Dog Clicker Training
If you're thinking of training your dog some basic tricks or even some helpful habits, then you can try dog clicker training. You don't have to be a dog expert if you want to train your dog using this methodology, for you can start getting acquainted with this dog training methodology by reading this article thoroughly, and you will get the basic and the fundamental ideas that you will need to start training your dog using a clicker.
Clickers have been used to train animals at the zoo like birds, monkeys, and dolphins. Given that this has been effective for these animals, using this for dogs is never impossible. The most basic tip in clicker training your dog is using the clicker device. You have to practice clicking the device twice quickly, so that you can be consistent when you do this because this is the core of this training. Without this, you can't get the results that you need, so you have to be consistent on how you click on this because this will serve as your communication bridge to the animal. By clicking the device twice, you can give the dog a sign that you appreciate what the dog did and that you will be rewarding it with a nice treat. You can also click once for another task, so it is important that you establish the difference between clicking once and clicking twice. When you click twice, you have to make sure that you're doing this at the same time that the animal is performing the task, because if you do it earlier or later than the action, it will give a wrong impression to the animal and you can not achieve what you want to achieve. Again, you have to totally consistent in whatever you do with the clicker.
Dog clicker training is one effective way to train your pet. With those basic tips, you can already have a good start in training your dog, and in no time, you can already produce a talented and obedient dog. Thus, you better start training your dog now so that you can already see the results right away.
Dog Training - House Training Your New Puppy
Guide To Dog Training - Tricks To Get The New Pup House Trained
So you brought home a puppy and want to keep it as a pet. There are bound to be changes because of what you did. In order to avoid completely disrupting everyday household activities, better get puppy training started. It is something the new four-legged family member must learn right away.
Toileting learned by the puppy during his first couple of months' stay in the house will stay with him for a lifetime. It's critical that it be done right on the first attempt. Note: most dogs wind up in animal shelters because they had unresolved house training woes.
Dog Training Done The Smart Way
Don't expect the puppy to be completely dog trained before hitting six months. This would be unreasonable. He can't fully control his bowel and bladder movements yet. Puppies can't be left alone for lengthy periods.
Puppy supervision during this time is also a must. However, owners can't guarantee to always be there. If you'll be unavailable for quite a while, keep the pup in a puppy-proof space with the floor covered in disposable, absorptive material or newspapers.
The tiny critter will pee and poo everywhere at first, but eventually he'll favor one corner. Gradually make the paper-filled area smaller until the puppy limits doing his business on the toileting papers. Floor in the doggis-proof room should be different from that of other parts of the house. Soon, the puppy will only eliminate on that specific surface and nowhere else.
If the goal was to simply have the puppy go on papers, congratulations. You're finished with dog training. For owners who'd rather have their pups do number one and two outside, use of the pup-proof room should be limited to instances when they can't be home to supervise. Most puppies initially stay in crates. During this time, cover an area of the crate with paper. Dogs by nature are neat creatures. They'll try their hardest to avoid dirtying the area where they sleep, boosting their self-control.
Outdoor training goes this way. You take the little barker out to an assigned toilet location at 45-minute intervals. Each time he goes on the chosen area, go crazy with the praises. This is a major learning accomplishment in living in your home so don't be stingy with the compliments.
Feeding schedules for pets have to be consistent to be able to anticipate their needs. There's nothing wrong with unrestricted drinking water access, but the same doesn't apply to food. Ditto for letting him do whatever he wants in the house. Wait until he graduates from dog training before doing this. To hasten the process, put a collar with a long lead on him and tie the opposite end on your waistline. He'll like the proximity and minimize the mistakes.
Still, accidents can't be entirely avoided. When they happen, hold off the reprimands. Your dog won't get what brought on the punishment. It might even make him nervous to the point that he thinks he was punished because he eliminated. You could find yourself back to square one.
Dog training requires both a sense of humor and a bit of patience. Be laid back without straying from the pup training schedule you outlined for your pet. The puppy will take its cue from your behavior and be relaxed as well. This will make learning the house training particulars easier.
The bonding period with the puppy is also a good time to begin introducing other directives or commands such as down, sit, stay and come. Go online to find out more about dog training advice. For related videos go to my site
Mal-Shi Shih-Tzu puppies. Cheats
Valintine (white Shih-Tzu, 7 months) and Samu (Mal-shi, 4 months old) show off their tricks first. Sit down, lay down and turn. Samu captured only on the spin-trick. I will teach some new tricks and get to another video!
Intelligent Dog Training
One old joke said that the first and most important step in training a dog was to make sure that you were smarter than the dog, the implication being that you should train the dog instead of the dog training you. This is not a joke. It is a reality. At the time of writing this my best friend is letting her puppy train her. I cannot convince her to train the dog instead. She is otherwise very intelligent.
Until a few years ago most people believed that to successfully train a dog you had to be harsh and tough, to show him who was boss. There were several difficulties with this philosophy. Often the owner would pay someone else to train his dog. Then the dog would obey the trainer out of fear but would not do anything for the owner because he was not afraid of the owner. Many people felt kind-hearted and chose to let the dog do whatever it wanted instead of harshly training it. The result was that the dog was totally untrained and became a nuisance to the whole neighborhood. In extreme cases one of the neighbors poisoned the dog.
Many modern trainers have completely rejected this concept. They have discovered that in general dogs do not completely understand the concept of being punished for doing something wrong. They either become confused or believe that the person doing the punishing is just is a cruel person.
A person using the old philosophy would hit or kick a dog each time it barked in the house and it would take a long time and a lot of hits or kicks before the message got through. An intelligent owner is more likely to simply turn his back when the dog barks. The message gets through in a very short time. He will praise the dog when it relieves itself at the correct place instead of punishing it for relieving itself in the wrong place. This often will decrease the required training time by anywhere from 50 to 75%. The concept is that the dog should be doing whatever it is that you ask him to simply because he wants to please you. This can establish you as the leader of the pack. Pack psychology is still present in modern dogs, although they are probably a few thousand generations removed from their ancestors, the wolves of central Asia. I cannot explain why a dog will accept a human as the leader of its pack but this seems to be the case.
Dogs can be trained to obey a wide variety of verbal commands and/or hand signals. Some have reportedly learned as many as 200 different tricks. These are usually taught to the dog while it is playing with its owner. If this is done properly the dog looks at the lessons as simply a part of a game. The owner either says the key word or makes the key gesture and the dog follows along by playing its part in the game. In effect the dog is working with the owner instead of against the owner. The more the dog learns the better it likes the game. In one extreme case, I have seen a video of a dog dancing a merengue with its owner. The dog appears to really adore its owner. The commentary that I saw with it said that obviously the dog was very well treated to adore its owner so much. I have to agree.
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