Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..
Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 49F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph..
Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 49F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.
When I think about how far dog training has come since I started classes with my first Golden Retriever puppy, I’m amazed. I will date myself here but it was in the mid 80’s and looking back it feels so last century! Twice a day I would put a choke chain on Shana and we would spend at least 15 minutes walking in a circle practicing heel, sits, and downs. About as exciting as watching paint dry!
You could tell that Shana was bored, but she was a good girl and obediently followed along next to me, walking at heel position, and sitting whenever we stopped moving. We won ribbons and were always at the top of our class. But real life was different. Living with Shana was challenging, and outside of class and practice times it was like she was a different animal! I was frustrated and she took full advantage of my inexperience.
Since then so many new techniques and ways to train a dog have evolved. Clicker training, which is wonderful to teach a dog a new behavior; positive reinforcement, to reward the behaviors you want; negative reinforcement, and so on. My favorite though, and it is a game changer, is N.I.L.I.F. – Nothing In Life Is Free!!
The secret to effective training is to not let the dog know when it is happening. It is not a thing you do once or twice a day - it is your day! From the moment you get up until the moment you go to sleep you are training your dog. And if you aren’t doing it with awareness you may be surprised and frustrated at how they behave. They have to have manners when they get fed; they have to sit at the door before being allowed outside; they must walk calmly, and without pulling; and so on throughout the day. Think of all the times you can ask for a sit or down – before you put down their food dish, before going through a door, when you are giving a chewie or toy, before getting in or out of the car, before meeting someone new, and so on - and that is NILIF training.
You slip in a command, demand their attention, refuse to give in to their nudging, give them treats (and take them away), calmly, consistently, and on your terms – not to shush them up or keep them busy because they were begging or being annoying. This is the NILIF school of training and it discretely cements the fact that you are in charge - in your dog’s mind. A very important concept in the world of dogs, and all without a single alpha roll (take that Cesar Millan!). It really is effective and I highly encourage you to give it a try!
“Kidz ‘n Critters” Summer Camp – registration is now open for animal lovers going into grades 2-6 to learn about animals in a fun and educational camp program. For schedule and more details as well as the online registration form, go to https://rpanimalshelter.org/programs-events/summer-camp-2/.
Fix-it Clinics – Free spay and neuters for cats; and $100 dog surgeries (up to 80 lbs.) for low-income Rohnert Park and Cotati residents. Call 588-3531 for an appointment.
Mickey Zeldes is the supervisor at the Rohnert Park Animal Shelter. She can be contacted at mzeldes@rpcity.org.
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular collections.