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Does anyone know of a place for agility training in Monmouth County, New Jersey?

I have done agility with my lab for the past three years. It is great fun for both dogs and people. In terms of training commitment it really depends on how serious you become in the sport and what your level of interest is. We have a 1 hour lesson each week and I try to spend a little time each weekend training. I go to trails three or four times a year and that is enough for my dog and I.
Originally we were doing it "just for fun" and I did very little agility specific training out side of class. Over the past 12 months we have gotten a little more serious about it and have purchased and jump and some weave polls for my yard to help with training.
Some people that I train with go to trails 3-4 times a month! Train 1-2 times a day and have great sucess. I simply don’t have that much time (although I wish I did!). But even with 20-30 minutes on the weekends and 1 hour class each week we have learned a ton! You can train without the equipment at home as well, working on handling skills, turns, stays, come etc. A guy in my class makes his (little) dog jump over a laundry basket to practice. Creativity is definitely a plus.
As far as finding a trainer near Monmout county I would check out www.cleanrun.com go to the events page and you can search out a trainer in your area. Agility is very popular on the east coast (we started up in Mass before heading south to Texas) and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a class. Chris Parker is a world famous trainer based out of NJ, www.speedoggie.com she trains top level competitors, but would probably be able to recommend some good people in your area. I trained with a student of her in Mass.
Good luck and have fun!

I have 2 German Shepherds. 1 mail 1yr. 1 female 9 months. I want to adopt another male German Shepherd that is 21/2 yrs. What is the average cost of training do you think?

Hi there, hope your doing ok!

Here are your options for various kinds of dog training programs:

There are group dog training sessions that usually cost around $40 – $130 and that last four to eight weeks, 1 hour per session.

There are also private dog training sessions, where the trainer himself will visit your house or work place to give your dog a professional training for around two – four weeks. This type costs around $1000 – $2,500 and training session usually last longer compared to group training sessions.

Yes it is quite expensive, but you can rest assured that you will get what you pay for. Most dog trainers focus on different areas of your dog’s attitude and obedience and after that training program, you will begin to appreciate the difference it did for your dog and for you. Standard training classes usually focus on addressing your dog’s chewing, barking, biting and digging behavior.

Here are a few tricks that are free though

Start Using Sign Language to Communicate with Your Dog

Believe it or not, your dog never did learn to obey your voice commands. Sure, it may have appeared to obey "sit, stay, and come" or whatever else you have taught it but really your dog learned to follow some other signal. Your dog learned that when you move a certain way you want to it do the trick.

If you watch yourself, you will start seeing that maybe you pat your leg when you want it to come or raise your hand when you want it to sit. Do the sign without the words and your dog will still do the trick. In fact, teach tricks without the sign and your dog will learn faster.

Start Using Body Language

This goes right along with sign language. Many times, people wonder why my dogs don’t rush the door when the doorbell rings. It is because I have taught them not to do this. I tell people I can teach their dogs not to rush the door in less than five minutes as well. (No one ever believes me.)

I have a volunteer ring the doorbell. When the dogs rush the door, I get between the dogs and the door and loom over the dogs. The dogs back away. I back the dogs up until the dogs get to a predefined point. Then, I go towards the door. If the dogs start towards the door, I turn and loom towards the dogs again until they back up past the point. It takes a few minutes but they get the point. (Sometimes I add the word "back" if they have been trained, but not always.)

This method takes a few doorbell rings for the dogs to learn that they are not to go past the predefined point. Then, I have the owners try the doorbell challenge. The owners are always shocked at how fast the dogs learn not to rush the door. It only took a little body language to learn.

Stop Yelling at the Dogs

This is actually a common mistake. The dogs start barking and people start yelling to be quiet. This is really reinforcing the behavior. In essence, you are telling the dogs there is something to bark about and you are joining in by sounding the alarm.

While this may sound odd, this is an effective maneuver. If your dogs are barking at something outside, call them inside. Even if they only stay inside for a few minutes, you interrupted the pattern and stopped the barking. If they are barking inside, send them out. The message sent is barking equals they must leave the activity and quiet means they get to stay. Never pet a barking dog.

Hope this was helpful

I am getting a 10 week old female american eskimo dog. I need some good books on basic behavioral training, housebreaking, etc. I don’t want a method that uses treats as a means to train the dogs.

Also, how young should one start training a puppy?

Here’s a site where you can get such information, http://miniurl.com/2698

Good luck!

5 tips on how to train your puppy the right way

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Apollo working with Ted during a training session. This clip was taken about 6 months ago but shows him working.

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http://www.mmdogtraining101.com/training-a-dog-to-leave Me teaching Millie to leave her treats

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When we talk about a dog being part of the family, it’s usually because the family took the time to socialize the animal when he was a puppy. The term socialization isn’t necessarily training, it just involves teaching the dog what others expect of them. There are many things that a new puppy should be taught if you want to end up with a great member of the family. These include:

Not peeing in the house. The idea that certain parts of your home make an acceptable place to relieve themselves should be strongly discouraged. It’s only through learning this behavior will your new found friend ever be considered trustworthy enough to be left alone in your home.

Don’t bite. While puppies are naturally curious and playful, biting should not be allowed. It’s during those first few formidable months that the pecking order of your family becomes established. A pet should never be considered alpha dog in the family but be subservient to all humans. This means that although roughhousing and playing around is fine, biting is definitely not acceptable.

Sit. While this is a learned behavior, having control of your dog is critical to them being part of your family. You don’t need a full-grown dog to charge the door each time the doorbell rings. You may however consider it a positive thing when someone comes to the door that your dog announces the visitor by barking then sits obediently at the door. This can add a measure of safety and put the visitor on notice that a dog is also home.

While there are many other behaviors, you can train your dog to do, socialization should start almost immediately. Showing your new puppy what you expect is easy to do, provided that you are a consistent teacher. The key to teaching your dog anything new is to realize that they have a very short attention span and they want to please you. This means that even during socialization or formal training, any effort to teach a new behavior should be fun.

When you first get a new puppy, it’s important that you keep them confined and under control. There’s no point in allowing bad habits to develop that will only need to be broken in the future. This is a good reason why allowing your puppy to potty or relieve themselves in the house on newspapers or piddle pads is not the best way to house train your dog.

Crate training works because it uses your dogs natural instinct of keeping the sleeping area clean. This, along with consistent visits outside and lots of praise will result in your puppy not only getting the idea of what makes you happy, but also helps with the socialization aspect of his young life. Visit the link below for more information on how to quickly house train your dog using the very effective crate training method.

While socialization and formal training may be similar, training looks for certain reliable actions from the animal. With socialization, we give your new best friend a lot of slack in doing the behavior.

Abigail Franks
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/puppy-training-and-socialization-108474.html

With New Year’s having rolled around, it’s resolution time. If you’ve been living with a dog that has behavior issues, then one of your resolutions is likely to be getting your dog trained.

There are several good options available for training. You can buy a book, enroll in a dog obedience class, go online, or even have someone come to your home to assess and train your dog. To figure out which option is right for you, there are a few things you need to know.

First, the most important aspect of dog training is obedience. Basic obedience covers commands such as Sit, Come Here, and Stay, but it also refers to your right as the dog’s owner and pack leader to select the rules that you want him to follow, including appropriate behavior around other dogs, people, and animals.

Second, dogs learn to respect the people that train them. One of the subtle benefits of training is that it is time you spend instructing your dog. Being in charge establishes you as the pack leader and makes it easier for you to get your dog to be obedient.

Third, dog training is an incremental process. This means that you build a well trained, obedient dog one day at a time. This holds true regardless of whether you’re a novice dog owner or a seasoned dog trainer. A seasoned, skilled dog trainer can often create instant changes in the dog’s behavior, but those changes will only stick if the training is continued on an incremental basis. Otherwise the improvements will soon disappear.

Taking these three things together, what they tell you is that dogs learn to be obedient a little bit at a time, that they respect the one who teaches them, and that these short, easy training sessions are what leads to a well trained dog.

The good news is that those are all things you can do.

Books are good because you can study on your own time and at your own pace. There are many topics and authors available, so you can be selective and read up on the topic that concerns you the most. Popular authors include Patricia McConnell, Ian Dunbar, and Cesar Millan.

The downside to books is that you have to pick out the knowledge you need, which can be a challenge if you’re unfamiliar with dog training. The better authors attempt to solve this problem by providing chapter highlights, tables, and takeaways.

DVD’s provide visual instruction on how to interact with your dog. That can be helpful when you are learning the importance of body language, both yours and the dog’s. DVD’s downside is that the information provided is often slim as the time constraints and script limitations lead to overly concise information. In addition, good DVD’s tend to be on the expensive side as they are produced by professional dog trainers who don’t have the capital or market to make lots of copies, instead selling fewer DVD’s at a higher price to match expenses with income and leave a little profit to make it worth their while.

Online programs provide the convenience of accessing the information wherever and whenever you want. A well organized online program provides visual instruction, detailed information, and an opportunity to interact with the site’s community. Dog Academy offers personalized, free online training courses. You can check out the <a href=”http://students.dogacademy.com/assessment.aspx” target=”blank”>Dog Behavior Assessment Form</a> here and enroll in your personalized training program.

Online training, books, and DVD’s are not well suited for handling extreme cases. All three are best suited for normal to disobedient dogs that have problems but that aren’t a real threat to family members or other living beings.

Dog training classes provide a place to go and work with a dog trainer. The trainer will provide an outline for the class as a whole as well as for the individual classes. She will lead the group through the basic commands, imparting wisdom and giving helpful advice throughout. The benefits of dog training classes are access to a trainer, the opportunity for your dog to meet other dogs, and the chance to ask direct questions.

The downside to dog obedience classes is that the more disobedient your dog is going in, the harder the sessions will be on you. Some people end up so distracted by their dog’s antics that they hardly get a chance to learn from the trainer. You also have to travel to the training location.

In-home training sessions are an appropriate option for dogs with major issues. A certified dog trainer, often an expert in the problem area, visits you at your home, observes the dog in the natural environment, and then makes recommendations on how you can solve the problem. The trainer will work with the dog in your presence, showing you how to make effective changes.

The downside to in-home sessions is the price. People pay for in-home sessions when the dog’s behavior has rendered other solutions ineffective.

Each of these options has its benefits and drawbacks. But don’t let that discourage you. With a small time investment of only 10 minutes a day, you can improve your dog’s obedience through training (and don’t forget to provide some exercise for your dog!)

Jon Dakins
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/getting-started-with-training-your-dog-720727.html

In another land and time the Yorkshire terrier was not a small longhaired show dog and pet. Rather, he was a larger rat killing dynamo. Tracing back to the 1600’s the breed was valued in textile mills, mines and farms where pest control was important. In the 1860s era the breed was quite popular in rat killing contests – with the dog credited with being the foundation of the breed showing as well as winning many contests. Huddersfield Ben helped establish the Yorkshire Terrier.

It was 1872 before the breed was brought to the United States, and was recognized by the AKC just six years later. As late as the 1930’s the Yorkshire terrier was said to look as they do today but were closer to 30 pounds, not the 3-7 pounds of today. They were for some time in their history a 12-14 pound wire haired dog known as the “broken-haired Scotch terrier.”

Today the Yorkshire terrier is in the toy, not the terrier, group. Their longer show coat is not a practical point on many farms. With their jobs reduced, they were bred down as pets, a role that they have taken on with overwhelming success.

With their small size few would see them as hero potential. Yet in World War II a Yorkie named Smoky became a war dog, outwardly entertaining soldiers with tricks they taught her. Her small size meant she could do something valuable the big dogs couldn’t – she helped run communication lines through a culvert under a runway. This meant the runway did not need to be shut down for several critical days. After her service she returned to her home in Ohio with her handler. One report was that she was awarded eight battle stars for her service, and her story is remembered many years later.

They have a spirited temperament and are normally an intelligent small dog with a little “fire.” It is worth noting that some can be quite territorial and must be closely watched. Their attacking a much larger dog can prove a fatal flaw if the large dog retaliates. Like other terriers, they can be bold and bossy.

Their independence can be viewed as hard to train by some. They take patience and a willingness to think ahead of the dog. They can be successfully trained for many activities including obedience, agility, earth dog, flyball, canine freestyle, entertainment and pet therapy. Agility courses involve running through a series of obstacles. One of the newer competitions is called rally, evolving from road rally competitions. This also has a series of obstacles, but unlike agility where there is a course to be followed, this involves moving from one sign to another, and you don’t know where you’re going in advance.

Basic obedience training is good for all dogs to learn. The above competition events are an outlet for a Yorkie’s energy – even if you just do it at home for fun. Keep the sessions fun and play-filled.

From a health standpoint Yorkies tend to be rather long lived but they can develop cataracts as they age. An issue with tracheal collapse can result when an improperly trained Yorkie pulls excessively on the leash, although some believe this is partly genetic. Liver issues are not unheard of also, and require veterinary treatment to live a comfortable life. Failure to diagnose and treat this can result in, among other symptoms, seizures and behavioral problems.

Patellar luxation and retinal dysplasia are two other serious disorders that can affect Yorkies. The latter is an eye disorder which can be passed on by genetics. Buying from a reliable breeder is important.

A condition called hemorrhagic gastric enteritis is particularly dangerous to small dogs, with less body reserve than large dogs. Health issues should be discussed with the breeder when you purchase your puppy – many offer health guarantees.

Hypoglycemia is another problem that can occur more often with toy breeds. Because of their small size, they have little reserve. Hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar, can result from temperature, stress or too long between meals. Feed regular meals of good quality food. Keep Karo syrup or honey on hand just in case there is a problem. If your puppy looks sluggish or wobbly rub his gums with the honey or Karo. If you catch it early placing a little on the tongue so he swallows it is good. Do not ignore this – it can be fatal.

With their smaller size extra attention is needed to insure the dog does not become overweight and that they get sufficient exercise. While many people simply carry them, they need to walk, run and play like other dogs also.

For those interested in the show standard it can be found at http://www.akc.org/breeds/yorkshire_terrier/ – and is worth noting by the standard there is specific markings allowed and a maximum weight of seven pounds.

This leaves an opening for pets of those that are slightly larger or don’t have the perfect marking and color allowed. Being a small dog, 2-3 puppies per litter is normal.

There are people who advertise “teacup” or “teeny” Yorkies – many breeders recommend against these extra small dogs due to health issues and other problems that breeding for the extra small size can bring. The breed is already small. There are some that have solid or parti-color dogs – these do not meet the standard and may not be registered.

The long flowing coat of today takes maintenance and regular grooming. This is a breed that is said to not shed – regular brushing takes care of dead and damaged hair. Show dogs are kept up quite intensely, like long-haired dogs of all breeds. That coat that catches the eye also needs much attention. For the pet home, regular brushing to keep the coat from being tangled and matted is important. Be sure to get all the way down into the coat.

For those not wanting to keep up the long coat, get a pair of good electric clippers and clip the belly, “under arm” area, between the hind legs and up to the anal area. While this is basic, it keeps the hair shorter and easier to groom. There are several good grooming guides online and in print that can help guide you to a cut and routine that works best for you and your dog.

Like other long haired breeds use caution bathing so as to not tangle the coat, and rinse all traces out of the coat thoroughly. If desired, and depending on the situation, use a good quality conditioner rinse and rinse thoroughly. Use a hair dryer and comb to comb through and completely dry the coat. Extra caution should be used to not use the high heat that can burn puppies as well as bigger dogs.

A good metal comb with long teeth can be found for under $10 – this gets all the way down into the coat. Comb through the coat to insure no tangles start that can become matts. This doesn’t take a long time if done regularly, and brushes can miss some tangles that can easily be removed when starting, before it gets to a tangled mess.

Teeth should be cleaned regularly, which can be helped with appropriate chew toys. Ears should be trimmed so as to allow them to stand erect.

Joan Rivers and Eva Gabor (of Green Acres fame) are but two celebrities who have a Yorkie as their dog. Others reported to have Yorkies include Bruce Willis, Richard Nixon, Justin Timberlake, Audrey Hepburn and Brett Favre.

In popularity the Yorkshire Terrier has found favor with those in cities, with limited room for a bigger dog. They are second overall with the Labrador Retreiver by AKC standings. For individual cities they top the list in Orlando and are tied with Labradors in Tampa. They’re second most popular in Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Vegas, Miami, New York City, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington D.C. In Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Knoxville, New Orleans, Seattle and Tucson they are third, and the only city they don’t appear in the top ten is Milwaukee.

A lifespan of 12-16 years, sometimes longer, underscores the importance of taking on the puppy for life. Good food, proper care and safe management can result in a dog that is with you for quite some time. Putting time and effort into a good dog is never wasted!

David Beart
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/yorkshire-terrier-679744.html

i was wondering if you new anybody with dog agility training equipment that is used and they are giving away. i dont need anything fancy. i can fix anything broken.

1. You can make agility equipment for less money than you’d pay for even used or broken equipment.

2. Take a look at Jim Hutchin’s book "Do it Yourself Agility Equipment." I’ve got it–it’s great.

3. PVC pipe and a PVC cutter will allow you to make quick, fast jumps. I used it to make a base for my pause table, base for my teeter.

4. If you’re just starting out, stuff like a contact trainer or a buja board are things you will find invaluable and they’re easy to make yourself. In fact, I first taught contacts with my dog using the steps in our house and then a board (just a board).