Who Says You Can’t Teach An Old Boxer Dog New Tricks?

To quote the rock band Chicago, they say “it’s a hard habit to break”. Constantly stereotyping employment, marriage, and singularity: Age is but a barrier however, not for long. With roughly 15 minutes of coaching daily for 2 weeks straight, as outlined by The Animal Planet, even the most stubborn dogs will cave in. These battling canines will sit, roll over, and carry out whatsoever your heart desires. All that’s necessary is a strong sense of regularity, and a mouthful of persistence under your sleeve.

To be able to make this a fast solution, the trainers (or owners) should build a positive attitude. To feel discouraged and upset will not help in any way. In fact, pets one way or another feel how their owners go through; and that would not accelerate the progress for even a little. As for the owner’s part, irrational expectations must not be made for their pets. As opposed to children sent to school for a 12-year formal education to learn the fundamentals,it is very irrational to spend an uptight 12-week program for your dogto obtain the specified behavior, and earn the respect and discipline required. Bear in mind: all relationships need an amount of work.

It also consists of realizing the dog’s previous training, then deciding upon what specific suitable and feasible changes are required for a more significant effect. You highlight the dog after a day’s work with lots of rewards like treats, and verbal praises such as patting him on the head for carrying out a good job. Take it nice and easy, so as not to jolt and mix up the pet. It’s important to improve the behavior in tiny steps as opposed to a total change at the same time.

Nevertheless, there is a distinction. You have to put in mind that training an older boxer dog is knowing that this dog has been trained at one time. Meaning, it has an established thinking about what acceptable behaviors are, and what behaviors are most not accepted. It requires a large amount of endurance to train an older boxer dog, and must be at the very least typical to obtain the most effective outcome.

But do remember that even though the owner is the master, the dog is still an individual, as it has its very own personality; so a bit give-and-take affiliation is not going to hurt. The bottom line is to take pleasure from the whole teaching-an-old-boxer- dog-new-tricks activity, because you create a better relationship with him. That is the main purpose of boxer dog obedience training.

What you give is what you get; hence being the educator, you are accountable for the way your pet reacts. Dogs are social creatures, and are amongst of the most loyal. In case you have a senior dog around who requires a bit of a push, do not worry; you just need to give your little furry friend some spirited motivation. Who ever said you cannot teach old boxer dogs new tricks?

That saying is supposed to be taken more literally on humans, for we have lots of habits that are harder to get rid of.

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Brew To You – New Talking Toy

In my last blog, this muggle went out last Friday and a holiday at that. Needless to say, I stopped by Bed, Bath and Beyond. While browsing through the store, I came across a small bin with dog toys. One in particular caught my eye. 

The minute I picked this toy out of the bin, it went off immediately in a voice between helium induced and a Smurf.  Too darn funny. As you can see it was only $4.99 and I had to have it.

I couldn’t wait to see how Brew would react to this noisy dog toy.  I have to tell you this toy didn’t stop talking from the moment I picked it up and walked through the store. People stared while giving me funny looks. We put the toy in the trunk of the car and we could still hear it going off even in the trunk. We cracked up the entire ride home.

Carrying it into the house, the toy was babbling nonstop from inside the shopping bag. Brew, from the moment he heard the toy was all over me. When I took the dog toy out of the packaging, Brew went nuts. He wanted that dog toy in the worst way.

When the talking toy hit the floor, Brew put his mouth on the hard plastic ball and it was on….

Each time Brew’s mouth closed over the ball it would spout off and he drop it and jump backwards. He would bat it around like a cat, chasing it all over the living room. I never seen a dog twist and torque his body going after this hilarious talking toy.  We laughed so hard, I had tears running down my face. This ball is not much bigger than a tennis ball. I would advise not leaving a dog unintended while playing with this dog toy. You could even put the talking ball into a sock and tie the open end for a little more protection for your dog.

If you get this talking dog toy, I would love to hear how your dog reacted to it.

From Brew To You….
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What I feed Brew, and he loves it!

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Brew To You – Will The Real Brew Please Sit Up!

In a previous blog, I mentioned how in the mornings when Brew woke up, he came into our bedroom and thumped the side of the bed with his paws wanting to be lifted onto the bed.

I thought I would put a picture of the Brew up. As you can see,  most people continually mistake him for a boxer. Brew is an English bulldog mix.

I thought I would give you a little insight to how Brew and I found each other.

I had been without a dog since my divorce in 2006. I had a boxer named Bodie that I loved very much and I had had him since he was eight weeks old.  Sometimes, we have to do what is best for our pets. I needed to move into an apartment when my marriage ended and Bodie was use to a big backyard and freedom to run.

I gave Bodie to a loving couple that had always had boxers and recently lost a  bother and sister pair of boxers. They did not have any children and lived in a huge home. I knew deep down, no matter how it hurt me to my very soul, Bodie would never want for anything.  I, with a heavy heart and my hands shaking, put Bodie in the truck myself and watched the truck pull away until it faded into nothingness. That was one of the hardest things I had done. My eyes tear up even while I am writing this. I am disclosing this because it plays an important part of why I had not gotten another dog.

Fast forwarding to 2010. I now  live on a horse ranch. They have dogs, cats and a heck of a lot of horses. I have horses to ride, dogs and cats to play with but they were not mine. The owner of the ranch keeps telling me I need my own dog. I have never been without a dog that long in my entire life and it is time for me to find another dog to love and love me back…

Come back tomorrow to hear the rest of the story on how Brew and I found each other.

From Brew To You…

 

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What I feed Brew, and he loves it!

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Brew To You -Tip for Making your own dog toy(s)

One of Brew’s favorite toys is “Rock in a Sock”.

One day after going through my socks, I found a ton of single socks with no mates. I saved them in a bag for future use for cleaning.

Brew brought in a small river rock from outside. Brew would lay on his back and just hold the rock in his month. Fear that Brew might accidentally swallow this silver dollar size rock gave me the idea to put the rock into a couple of my spare socks I had stashed in the closet.

I slipped the rock into one sock and knotted the opened end. I then slipped the one sock with the rock into another bigger sock and knotted both ends. You can do this one more time depending on the thickness of the socks.

At any given time, I will find Brew flinging he “Rock in a Sock” toy around the house in complete content. Brew also likes to play Tug of War with his “Rock in the Sock.” The rock is light enough that if is flies free, it will NOT break anything, but has just enough weight to it that I can throw it around for Brew to run after.

Please remember to keep a watchful eye on this toy. I do changed the socks out when they get dirty or Brew chews holes in them.

If you have a tip for Brew and I, please feel free to post your ideas!

From Brew To You…

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What I feed Brew, and he loves it!

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Brew To You – Sunday 11/06/2011

Like every morning, as soon as Brew wakes up (he sleeps on the couch), he heads straight for our bedroom. The bedroom door bangs open and a big bully head accompanied by paws the size of mitts appear on the edge of the bed. The bed is too high for Brew to jump up on. If dad does not lift him onto the bed, Brews next bet is to try mom’s side.

At this point, I get up letting dad sleep. Brew tagging along on my heels follows me to the living room. Usually Brew will jump back up on the couch for a few more hours of much needed doggy sleep. This is my time to get on the net and get some business done. On rare occasions, Brew will feel the need to hang over the back of the couch that faces me working away on the computer and cry and whimper until I get up to spend some quality time on the couch with him.

Lucky for me, this morning Brew found burrowing into the pillows on the couch and sleeping more inviting than trying to get my attention. Whoops, I spoke too soon. I can see a smooshed face staring at me over the back of the couch.  I guess Brew needs “me” time, so off I go.

 

Have a great Sunday from Brew To You….

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What I feed Brew, and he loves it!

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Brew To You

This is the start of a weekly–if not daily–blog about my Bulldog mix dog named Brew. It is funny how much our pets/dogs become part of the family. I have had Brew since he was 4 months old (he is now a little over a year old). Every day Brew brightens my day with his happy morning tail wags and sunny personality. I hope you will come back and leave comments about your dog(s) and what he or she means to you.

My goal for Brew To You blog is having a place for other dog owners to mix and mingle and help each other with issues pertaining to dogs.

Please book mark my website www.dogadviseblog.com. Please feel free to look around the site and take advantage of any free offers!

Sunday, I will talk about how Brew and came to be. See you then!

Have a great Saturday.

From Brew and Me….

 

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What I feed Brew, and he loves it!

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Train Your Buddy To Walk & Dance

Standing and walking on the hind legs are tricks that put an abnormal strain upon the muscles of the back and hind legs and most dogs require considerable practice before they gain sufficient control of those muscles to balance themselves in this unnatural position.

Before you rush into teaching this trick, bear in mind that not all dogs can do this trick, especially the big dogs such as St. Bernard or Great Dane as it is almost physically impossible for them to perform such trick. Sorry. This trick is not for you – Big dog owners!

A dog should first be taught to sit up and after he will do this well, hold a small piece of treat just above his nose and say “Up,” when he will elevate himself just a trifle to get it, and should be allowed to eat it. Give him daily practice at this, making him reach a little higher from day to day until he can balance himself on his hind feet.

Do not keep him at these lessons too long at any one time, as they are very fatiguing, and you must give the muscles plenty of time in which to grow strong, so that he can sustain himself more easily. After he can stand up he should be taught to walk by slowly moving the treat from him, and he will be induced to take first one step and then another toward it. Reward him frequently by letting him have the treat and be careful not to tire him.

Dancing Dog

After a dog can stand erect and walk on his hind legs he can be taught to dance, which consists simply in hopping around on the hind legs and at short intervals turning around.

The simplest method of teaching this trick is to attach a piece of treat to a string, four or five feet long; hold the treat in tempting proximity to the dog’s nose, and so high that he will stand on his hind legs to get to it, and then slowly move it around and he will follow after it any way that you may select. Give a command such as “Dance” to associate this trick with. Say the command when you tempt him with the treat.

Do not keep him at it too long and reward him frequently, so as to keep up his enthusiasm. In the early lessons, your dog simply follows the treat because he wants the reward attached to the end of it, nevertheless with regular practice, your dog will still dance for you even without the reward treat. Over time, he should be able to dance at command and for an occasional reward. Till then, he can be accustomed to dancing when dressed up in fantastic apparel.

Standing On Forelegs

This is one of the most difficult tricks to teach, and you most probably see this trick only in a circus as the position of standing on the front feet alone with the head down and the hind legs elevated is an unnatural one. It will be a long time before your dog learns to balance himself.

However, it is not totally impossible to teach your dog such trick, provided that you put in consistent amount of effort and time to teach and train him. (This trick is mainly for smaller and toy breed dogs only, most big dogs are physically incapable of doing this trick)

To teach this trick, provide yourself with a light cane or a stick, about two feet long. Hold the stick in your right hand and place it under the dog’s stomach, raising his hindquarters with the stick and at the same time placing your left hand on his head, so as to prevent his moving away, thereby forcing him to retain his reversed position; as the dog rises into position the stick should be gradually moved back from his belly until it supports only his hind feet.

Use a command such as “On your head” to associate this trick with and repeat it distinctively during training and remember don’t save on your praises and treats when your dog is progressing and learning. He need plentiful of them to further encourage him to learn the trick.

Repeat this operation at successive lessons until the dog understands what is expected of him and learns to balance himself with but very little assistance or support from the stick, and finally with none at all. Eventually he will learn to take the position at the order, “on your head,” without assistance from the hand or switch.

After a dog can balance himself on his forefeet he can be taught easily to take a few steps by standing in front and calling him to you, and as he gains confidence and experience can be made to walk quite a distance.

Your dog may or may not master any of these tricks mention above. For all you might know, he could be a lazy dog, or maybe you are a lousy teacher. In any case, tricks are still tricks; you shouldn’t be bothered if your buddy can’t perform them because I know you will still love him for what he is, and not performing tricks to entertain friends or yourself.

Training Your Dog To Sit Like You or Beg

The trick of “sitting up” is easily taught to small dogs, but should try not be included in a big dog’s education, as it is difficult for them to preserve their balance.

The training of sitting up is one of the first tricks to teach and forms the groundwork for many other dog tricks. To train a dog to sit up, prepare some treats as a reward, and set your dog on his haunches in a corner, so that he cannot fall either backward or sideways and has very little or no space to lose balance.

Keep him from pitching forward by holding one hand under his chin and with the other hand hold the treat above his nose and keep repeating distinctly and deliberately say, “sit up.” Do not make him sit up too long at any one time, but repeat the lesson frequently and reward him often with plentiful of praise and treats.

During his first lesson he will require considerable assistance from your hand to prevent him from pitching forward, but as he gets control of the balancing muscles and understands what you want, he will depend less and less upon your hand to keep him in position and you can gradually render him less assistance until you will only have to keep one hand in position two or three inches from his neck or chin, so as to be ready to prevent him pitching forward; later on you can withdraw this hand entirely and simply hold the treat just above the level of his head.

By constant practice he will sit up well after you set him up; then he should be set up against the wall, so as to afford him a support for his back only, and after he has been well schooled at this and can keep his position easily, practice him against chair legs, cushions or other objects that afford him less and less assistance, until finally he learns to preserve his balance and sits up without anything to lean against.

During all these lessons the words “sit up” have been impressed upon his mind by frequent repetition, and now comes the final lesson to teach him to sit up as soon as he hears the words, and the chances are, if he has been diligently drilled, it will be necessary only to call him out in the room, show him a treat, hold it up a suitable distance from the floor, say “sit up” and he will do so, when he should be given the treat while still in position.

The only necessity to perfection is to practice him several times a day until he will sit up at the word and without being shown a reward; that can be given him after he has obeyed.

You have now a foundation for many other tricks. He can be taught to beg by moving your hand up and down just in front of his paws, which he will move in unison with yours. He can also be taught to salute by bringing one paw up to the side of his head, or to hold a wooden pipe in his mouth, or to wear a cap on his head or other articles of wearing apparel.

In teaching a dog to submit to being dressed up, do not attempt to get him to wear too many things at once; try him at first with a cap and after he becomes accustomed to that you can put on a coat and gradually accustom him to the other clothing articles.

Enjoy teaching your dog the “sit up” trick and most importantly have fun along the way!