Doggy Dan Podcast Show

Show 5 Socializing a new puppy

Listen to the Doggy Dan Podcast Show No.5 by using the player above, or subscribing to iTunes and listening on your mobile device. This post will give you an overview of what’s included in this episode: Socializing a new puppy. If you have a new puppy and want to understand what socializing is all about and why it’s so important then you’ve come to the right place…

If you don’t have a puppy, or yours is already socialized properly, then please, in the comment section below, tell me what issues you’d like me to cover in future episodes.

Alternatively if you have a puppy and want help with other puppy problems or dog training you can go straight to my video website for help and watch my training videos at The Online Dog Trainer - over 300 videos for just a $1 trial!

Why, when, where and how should we socialize your puppy?

Inside the podcast I cover off these important questions:

 Why

Socializing your puppy is one of the most important activities that you can do. It allows them to experience a whole variety of different dogs at an age where they are most tolerant and submissive. Inside the podcast I help you see the whole experience through your dogs eyes so that they have the best experience possible when socializing. Think of it like taking a child to childcare when they are young. It is important that they learn how to behave around many children. This is not to say that they have to be best mates with everyone!

 When

Timing is crucial when it comes to socializing. If you leave it too late then you can really run into trouble. Often you will find yourself balancing advice from your vets that you need to wait for more vaccinations before you socialize your puppy. Inside the podcast I talk through how I would weigh up these two important pieces of information and come to a decision.

 Where

There are many different ways to socialize your puppy, one solution does not suit everyone. You can take your puppy to pre-puppy training, puppy training, doggy day care, the vet, or the park. Many people choose to do the socialization themselves and do a great job. Inside the podcast I point out the benefits and downsides of each option and leave you to decide what suits you best since there is no one way to go about socializing. Do-it-yourself is a perfectly good option when you do it correctly.

How

The most important part is knowing how to actually socialize your puppy in a way that will ensure that they have a good experience and can take that into the next doggy meet and greet. Knowing when and how to step-in to stop overly excited play and when to leave your puppy is crucial to helping set boundaries for your new puppy. Getting this wrong can make the situation worse and create a mountain out of a mole-hill!

The three C’s to socializing

 I also cover off three important aspects to socializing:

1. Calm – how to maintain a calm situation and how it affects your puppies experience.
2. Control – why you need to be in control of your puppy and a simple way to achieve this
3. Choose – the importance of selecting the right dogs or puppies to socialize with and why older dogs are so important.

As you can see there is a massive amount of tips and advice inside the podcast helping you to get this crucial aspect of your puppy training right, first time.

 Some classics mistakes to avoid

 To ensure your success I have decided it makes sense to alert you to some of the biggest mistakes that people make when socializing their puppy and how to avoid them. So often people only find out about these things when the opportunity has passed them by. Sometimes just a little bit of knowledge can make a big difference.

So if you really want to end up with a dog friendly, well behaved, dog-sociable-dog then make sure you are aware of:

1.  The most common error that people make when socializing their puppy
2. The biggest reason that socializing goes wrong and does not work
3. What you need to do to ensure that your puppy stays friendly with dogs as they grow up.

There you go! If you have a new puppy then I suggest that you listen to the podcast and enjoy learning about why, when, where and how to socialize your puppy and the mistakes to avoid so that you end up with the dog of your dreams. And remember, for those of you after immediate help with your puppy training, check out my video website The Online Dog Trainer – you’ll also get access to Project Moses, the 8 week–1 year video diary of me raising my puppy, Moses (over 30 videos).

And to say thanks for reading this post, I'm giving you free access to 5 videos from my training website. Grab them now: Get your free videos.

All the best, and enjoy the socializing - it's so much fun!

Show 4 Excited and aggressive dog greetings

The Doggy Dan Podcast Show No.4 is available now. This blog will give you an overview of what is included in the podcast: Excited and aggressive dog greetings. (If you are not needing help with this topic then don’t worry, the topic you want is coming soon… just leave me a comment and let me know what you'd like me to cover, OK? Alternatively you can go straight to my video website to watch ALL my training videos, over 300, at The Online Dog Trainer - all for just $1!)

So what's in this podcast…

This podcast looks at the very common issue of dogs meeting other dogs on the walk and being so excited barking, pulling and jumping that their behaviour looks anything but friendly. Very often there has been no aggression but your gut instinct tells you that all is not well and it would be wise to nip the behaviour in the bud. I couldn’t agree more. Prevention is better than cure and that's what this podcast is all about.

But first to that question…

Excitement or Aggression?

“So is my dog being aggressive or are they just excited?” This is the big question that many people are asking themselves, (and often me) as their dogs race up bounding and barking at dogs that they meet. The answer is not simply one or the other, and in most cases I would suggest it is a bit of both. As I explain in the podcast the more excited your dog is the more chance that their behaviour may be interpreted at aggressive or threatening and so the calmer your dog is the better your chances of a calm encounter.

What should I do when my dog is pulling and lunging

Inside the podcast I go through in detail your three options...

• Walk away – if your dog is way too excited
• Let them meet – if your dog is calmer than usual
• Calming your dog down, then make a decision – this is where the training comes in

It may sound a bit obvious but having those three options clear in your mind will give you some immediate direction as you approach a dog. Knowing what your options are helps you to select the right one which in turn will help you to achieve your goal.

An amazing journey for answers

I also look at one lady's quest to solve her dog's over-excited barking towards other dogs and how 4 different trainers had given 4 completely different solutions to this issue, none of which have brought her any joy. We look briefly at some of the unsuccessful approaches she has tried, what she has learnt from the 35 dog training books she has read and the fascinating insights that she has gained. This podcast is dedicated to her commitment to finding an answer!

Calming your dog down

The real key to success is understanding how to calm your dog down. Inside the podcast I explain how the following areas will help you achieve this.

1. Practical tools and techniques – some of the methods that I use everyday for calming your dog down that are especially useful on the walk and at the park
2. How being the pack leader at home will result in a completely different dog at the park (calmer!)
3. The trick of calming an over excited dog and what you are trying to achieve when you are training them to be calm. (this is a very subtle point but is crucial for success and often overlooked.)

So if you are are wondering how to interpret and alter your dogs behavior as they approach other dogs then you have found the place. First listen to my free podcast and if you enjoy it and it all makes sense then I’d suggest you get straight onto solving the cause of the problem by checking out my video website theonlinedogtrainer.com

All the best, and enjoy your walks!

Show 3 Dogs fighting in the same house

Dogs fighting in the same house

One of the strangest things about this topic from our human point of view is that it often seems to be for absolutely no reason at all. Your dogs may have lived together for many years, happy and content. Then over a period that could be days or months, the aggression has begun. Very often it seems to be started by one dog more than the other. It can be extremely confusing why it is happening which is why stopping it can be virtually impossible unless you really understand what is going on.

One thing is for sure. All the training in the world is not going to stop your dogs fighting. No amount of puppy training, dog obedience or advanced dog obedience is going to prepare you for what you need in this situation…very likely your dogs attended and passed all these classes. What is required is a certain amount of dog psychology. And that is where I can help.

The real cause of the problem

Dogs are pack animals, with leaders and followers. Fighting between dogs is almost always very closely if not completely linked to a fight to become the pack leader. In my experience the overwhelming factor in stopping dogs from attacking each other is implementing a clear leadership program. This is where both dogs are shown that they are the followers and that you as the human shall decide who does what, where and when. This may sound tough but in fact it is a very gentle approach to calming dogs down.

Once your dogs know that they are not in charge many will simply calm down and live harmoniously with the other dogs in the house. Inside my video website I show you a comprehensive program to becoming the pack leader, just like I would show you during a consultation. This is the key to your solution.

Managing your dogs and their needs

As well as becoming the pack leader to your dogs it is important that you cover off a number of other important aspects when bringing them back together.

• Managing the environment is key especially in the early stages this could mean keeping your dogs apart when you are not around and using a crate or a baby gate to manage the introductions.
• Monitoring your dogs’ energy is crucial to succeeding. Sometimes they will be more relaxed and ready to be together than others. It is up to you to use common sense and pick suitable times to put your dogs together.
• Exercise will tire your dogs out and generally calm them down. If you have high energy dogs especially you will need to put in place a structured exercise plan so that your dogs energy does not build up leading to frustration and then aggression. Built up energy has to go somewhere.
• Understanding how everyone’s actions that live in the house have a huge impact on how the dogs will behave.

Inside the podcast

I have included lots of tips and helpful advice inside the podcast about helping dogs fighting in the same house. Here are a just a few of the topics I have covered off

1. Understanding why it happens from your dogs’ point of view!
2. The importance of staying calm yourself
3. Keeping control of your environment
4. Removing all the triggers and learning to recognise what they are
5. The use of muzzles
6. Why your dog being the pack leader can cause fights

If you are stuck in a situation where your dogs are fighting then rest assured that this method works. So enjoy the podcast, and congratulations on finding the answer to your problem. And remember, for those of you after immediate help with your dog training, check out my video website theonlinedogtrainer.com

All the best, and happy Holidays!

Show 2 Toilet training puppies and dogs

Traditional toilet training

Toilet training is a funny thing in that there are two completely different issues to understand. Firstly there are those puppies (and sometimes dogs) who simply need some help in the area of being reminded where we would like them to go pee pee and poo poo, (this is what we commonly know as toilet training). Read more about it and watch the videos on this free Video Course here: Puppy Potty Training. This issue is usually quite straightforward to solve, however there is often a lot of patience involved. But it has very little, if anything, to do with being the pack leader.

Toilet training as a behavioural issue

Dogs are pack animals and when a dog believes that they are the pack leader a whole host of issues can arise surrounding the area of toileting. Often a dog will have been toileting very happily for several years when suddenly you return to a very large poo in the middle of the carpet and it is completely out of character. This is what I would call a behavioural issue surrounding mixed messages about being the pack leader.

Here is a list of just a few of the signs that suggests that your dog is in need of something other than more basic toilet training:

1. Toileting in the house when you leave (even if it is for a short period)
2. Marking your possessions such as shoes, bed, the children’s clothes
3. Urinating outside then coming inside and finishing off
4. Finding poo or wee right in the middle of the room, almost like your dog is trying to tell you something

When you get these sorts of issues, no amount of training is going to sort things out. Rather you need to understand where your dog is coming from and why they are doing what they are doing. It’s about understanding what your dog is thinking and why. Then the solution will become obvious.

Inside the podcast

I have included lots of tips and help and advice about training puppies. Here are just a few of the topics I have touched on…

• Crate training
• Setting your puppy up to succeed
• Breaking old habits
• The feeding and watering routine
• The power of rewarding
• What to do if your puppy makes a mistake

I think what I have to say will fascinate you even if you don’t have a dog or puppy with these issues. So enjoy the podcast and love your dog.

And remember, for those of you after immediate help with your dog training, check out my video website www.theonlinedogtrainer.com.

Good luck! Comment below and let me know how you get on.

Show 0 - Introduction to Doggy Dan and The Online Dog Trainer

1. Who is Doggy Dan?

Who am I, what do I do, where have I come from and why am I so passionate about sharing my knowledge! If you have just stumbled across me then feel free to check out my other websites www.doggydan.co.nz (my New Zealand dog consult site) and www.theonlinedogtrainer.com (my international online dog training website).

2. So what’s so special about my method?

When you understand how different this method is and how it approaches dog training from such a different angle compared to conventional “dog training” you will start to see why I love it so much.

3. The fun and games of a professional dog trainer

So what do I really get up to on a day-to-day basis? What do I actually do during a consult and how does it work? I’ll cover that off so you know how and why I get to deal with so many dog owners with so many problematic dogs of all breeds and sizes.

4. This method can help YOU today

Whatever your situation I believe that you will find a way to help your dog and improve your situation. I have worked with many people who were about to give up, having tried what they thought was everything. Hope is a good thing… possibly the best of things.

5. The future of dog training is here…

When you see how powerful some of the basic principles are in my method you really begin to wonder how long will it be before everyone starts to implement it under some version or another!

My promise to you

This method uses what I call the Laws of the Universe. So many of the teachings and basic learnings that have proven to be so powerful (such as how to diffuse potentially explosive situations with my two children!) that I have employed many of them in more than just my dog training. As a parent I have found much of this dog training method invaluable in becoming a calm, gentle pack leader for my children.

On the 3^rd May 2013 the largest book publisher in the world will publish my first book called “What The Dogs Taught Me About Being A Parent”, so look out for that. I’ll be in touch with links on where to get it, for the best price.

When you put in place some of the principles that this method is based on, your life will change forever. This podcast is only the beginning.

Questions or Feedback? Leave Me a Message!

If you have a question you’d potentially like answered on the show, or just feedback in general (constructive criticism and praise is absolutely welcome!), feel free to quickly and easily leave a comment below. And, please

Thank you again for your support, and I wish you all the best!

Show 1 Bringing a baby home – dog training

This first show is about something that many of you (and a number of parenting organizations) have requested information about. Bringing home a new baby is a wonderful experience although it can also be a stressful and testing time as you juggle to make everything flow smoothly for everyone in the family.

This podcast provides you firstly with some solid advice in key areas to help you make the initial transition of a baby coming into the home a simple and relaxing experience. Then we look at how to ensure that long term your family unit includes your dog rather than pushing them away.

Here are some of the things I’ve covered off…

How to introduce your baby to your dog

• Some simple pieces of advice to ensure your baby's safety,
• Why taking your dog for a walk beforehand can make all the difference
• Understanding how you create the energy of the room

Safety of babies around dogs

• Two of the most common reasons a dog will snap
• Why babies, food and dogs can be a dangerous combination
• Space invading toddlers and the importance of a doggy safe place

Establishing rules

• Establish rules and boundaries for both your children and your dogs
• A few simple rules that will have a profound effect on your dog
• How you can use your pram or baby buggy to get your dog to heel :)

Helping to establish a bond between your baby and dog

• How feeding time for your baby can become a time for you to relax with your dog
• The importance of staying calm when your baby is screaming
• Training your dog how to behave around a baby mat or blanket

If you enjoy the podcast please point your friends, baby organizations and parenting classes this way… there are a lot of doggy-baby relationships that could benefit with some of this help. There's also more on the blog about this topic: Managing your dog with a new baby at home.

Show 01 The Five Golden Rules of Dog Training

You'll discover:

• Why you need to become the Pack Leader
• Why you think you may be the Pack Leader but in your dog's eyes you are not.
• Who needs to become the Pack Leader
• How becoming the Pack Leader is going to help you

Simple psychology

To understand a dog you really need to know where they're coming from. Learning the 5 Golden Rules will teach you the psychology of dogs. What they think, what they see, and how you fit into their lives – which is very different to how we think we fit into theirs.

Listen now

I encourage everyone to listen to this podcast first, either here on this page by clicking the little play button above, or subscribing to iTunes and using your favourite podcasting app.

If you already know the basics behind the Pack Leader mentality, then you can move on to Golden Rule No.1 and the rest which you'll find inside my membership website, theonlinedogtrainer.com. There you'll find videos and more audios covering every aspect of becoming the Pack Leader.

I strongly encourage every dog owner, all over the world, to learn the Five Golden Rules.