Best Dog Training Program Reviews

Follow this dog training program for six weeks, and youre sure to see ... Review: Take 10 minutes at least 3 times this week to review the commands and ...

Find out the pros and cons to board and train dog training to see if this is right for ... the best way to train a dog, the different dog training options can be confusing. ... for anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the program...

Training a dog using positive reinforcement often calls for the use of dog treats. The best dog training treats are small, soft, and something your dog really enjoys.

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Dog training books are one of the best investments you can make when it comes ... out a 6-week program of training, at the end of which your dog should have a ...

How To Train A Dog Videos Training your pup to come to you on command is an essential part of obedience training. With a little practice, your dog will learn how in no time! … Dogs Videos. How To Teach A Puppy Not To Bite Clothes Nevertheless, nipping in play is a pure conduct for ferrets, as it’s for puppies and

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Blood Tracking Dogs Are Not Hard To Find

Not really, because I am a member of an association of trackers for hire, and I have a yard full of dogs ready to go! I am a breeder and a trainer, so I have dogs of all ages, but I dont sell them in my yard, I train them in my yard, and I sell them in the woods.

I have people calling who want to come to my house and tour my yard, and "see" my dogs. What is the point of looking at dogs if you want a working dog? You need to see them on the job.

Sorry, I dont sell dogs out of my yard, only puppies.
And if you would like references from my many satisfied puppy customers, please ask.

So if you are interested in a started or finished dog, invite me to your lease or hunting camp during deer season, on a weekend when there are several deer being taken and I will show you some blood tracking dogs in action. I will bring finished dogs in case we have a tough track to work, and some started dogs who need to get on as many blood trails as possible during the open season, and puppies. I always have dogs in training, and need places to work them where they can get on multiple tracks even if the deer was already found. Because the deer season is short term, we need to get on as many deer blood trails as possible during the hunting season, and give the new dogs active experiences in as many areas as possible. I also have experienced ready to go finished dogs if you dont want to buy a dog, but need tracking services for hire.

For the most part, I do not sell finished dogs because it gets complicated after a dog is several years old, and is very attached to you.

Just like my experiences with hog dog shoppers, most people(about 95%) call me wanting a finished blood trail dog, assuming they can buy a ready to go, all you need to do is invest money, and voila: you have a working blood tracking dog.
These finished dog shoppers fail to understand the importance of a mutual relationship in the dogs’ functionality. No matter what breed, how well bred, raised, trained, or experienced, a finished dog will always have a big adjustment, going from one person—who they have known and loved all their life—to someone new.
And if they dont know, trust and love you, they wont work for you. If you want to buy a finished dog understand that it will require a lot of time and personal input on your part to develop a relationship of trust
before you will ever get that level of service the dog performed with the original owner.

 Not only does that relationship factor make selling finished dogs damn near impossible, I have people calling me who think they can get my 4 year old finished dog for the price of a puppy.

I am telling you here and now: you want a finished dog and you call me with that in mind, please advise me in advance as to how many thousands of dollars you are willing to spend so you are not wasing my time or yours. I put years into a dog, and it is worth thousands. If you dont believe that, you put years of your time, vet bills, and food expenses into a dog and get back to me on this one.


This brings us back to my most satisfied group of customers—the ones who are getting a puppy and raising it, and working on developing that long term relationship early on, and then having a dog that gets better and better year after year.


 Apparently common sense is not as common as it once was, and that may be the biggest issue causing people to think finding a blood tracking dog is a hard thing to do. Most people are not looking for a puppy or started dog, because they are accustomed to buying and using complex, ready to go, high tech machines to serve them, and all that is required is a purchase, then you turn it on and it is working for you. But a dog is a living breathing animal with feelings and complex emotional needs, that wants to be loved and accepted, and on a regular, if not daily basis. Dogs want to be part of the family, go where you go, do what you do, sleep in the house, guard you, your wife and kids, and your territory, and thats why, of all the domesticated animals out there, dogs are referred to as mans best friend.

Another thing is every dog has his own style of hunting and unless you know the dog and understand what it is doing, you might try to interfere and make the dog do what you want instead of trusting the dog, and letting it do what it knows it needs to do to find your lost deer. For instance some dogs hunt in circles, cover a lot of ground and should be worked off leash. Others are more straight line and on the blood track, and would work much better on leash if that is a restriction relative to your particular lease or management area. For you to trust your dogs actions in the field you must spend a lot of time getting to know how that dog hunts. As much as you might believe you need to train your dog to trail blood, if it is bred right, and raised properly, as mine are, obedience is the most important part of training, and after that, I suggest you let your dog train you to track blood. Where did we ever come up with this concept that we are smarter than them? You might be surprised how much a dog can teach you.

I have joined the Southern Blood Trackers Association, and we are discussing ways to get more dogs and tracking people into service.

Obviously, hiring us to come out with our experienced blood dogs is the most immediate and practical means for most hunters, to get a dog today. But we need to look ahead, and really plan on having one, or more than one for next season.

By that, I mean getting a puppy now, during hunting season, allowing it to be there in the box stand, and in the skinning shed, and raising it for a year and having it well started by next season. Buy a puppy from me, and I am available for consultation and training exercises in the off season to keep you on track.

Or getting a started dog, and working with it on leash  now during the hunting season, and gradually training and evaluating during the off season, so you have one well advanced for next hunting season. 

. We, in the blood tracker association, have obstacles that must be overcome to get more dogs into service. We need your help and want to work with you, the deer hunters, hunting clubs, and with government entities to raise the level of public awareness and the importance of the ethics involved with using working dogs to serve as the blood-tracking experts and minimize the effect of lost and wounded animals.


So, many people come into this looking for a finished dog and end up walking away from that pursuit assuming that blood tracking dogs are hard to find. If all you’re looking for is a finished dog, I agree—it’s going to be hard to find, because there are not that many of us breeding raising and training who are willing to sell our best dogs.

 Started dogs are very much available, from me personally, but you’re going to have to come up with more than money—you have to prove to me that you qualify to get one of these started dogs.
And what I mean by that is; I am very protective of my dogs who have been with me for a year or more.

 Your best bet is to get a puppy and invest time and money—and build a relationship—and as this dog progresses, I am available for consultation, training exercises, and will do anything I can to help bring your puppy into a point of service some day. Send him back to me for a 1 week boot camp at 6 months, for an evaluation and training exercise. Schedule a private class here at my training facility or better yet at your hunting camp or lease for me to work with you and your dog.

If you need blood tracking services for lost or wounded deer, you can call me at 337 298 2630.

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Dog gulps water too fast wont eat food what can I do

Laurens mom with Sophie (black fur) and General Sherman

I got a question from a reader, Lauren, about some issues with her mothers dogs.
The dogs are brother and sister poodle shih-tzu mixes. The brother appears to have gotten more of poodle genes, being a bigger dog, while the sister looks more like a shih-tzu.
Why does that matter?
Lauren said that the female dog has no problems drinking, but the male has a tendency to gulp his water down quickly and shes worried about bloat.
Could the bowl be too low for the male dog?

Her second question was about food, as the dogs are now eating a special diet.
The female dog "has to be on a special urinary control dog food," Lauren wrote.
As with most multi-dog households, it becomes easiest to have both dogs on the same special diet rather than try to keep different foods for each.
"However, neither dog likes this special food, and now brother wont even eat his," Lauren wrote. "I can hand feed sister a few pieces of her special food, but only if she sees her brother eat them too, and then its more of a me too kind of thing."
Lauren wrote that she was concerned treats were given out too freely and now the special food has no appeal for the dogs.

Heres my response, and I welcome any outside input that could help Lauren figure out these issues. I could especially use some help on the height of food dishes — Ive heard some people say a raised bowl reduces a dogs chance of bloat and others say exactly the opposite. Im not honestly sure what the correct answer is, so I welcome some insight on that matter.

 Ill try to answer your questions as best I can; keep in mind Im not a veterinarian.

Bloat is most common on deep-chested dogs and Ive heard pros and cons to adjusting the height of water/food bowls for dogs. With a dog as big as a Great Dane, it is standard to have an elevated bowl. For your case, Im not sure what would be the best to recommend in terms of height.

I do, however, support your recommendation of a segmented bowl or putting something in the water bowl to slow down the gulping. This is probably the best way to fix the problem and can be achieved regardless of bowl height. Its also a relatively cheap fix as bowls like this can be found for a reasonable price at most pet stores.

On food, this is really something Id like you to discuss with the dogs veterinarian because the sister dog does have a medical issue. I can tell you that I have had this issue with my own dog. He has allergies and has been on a variety of specialty foods over the years, not all of them very appealing to him, and we have had food strikes.

Fortunately, because Ive known for years that my dog has food allergies, his palette has not been given the chance to become snobby as he is on a very limited diet and always has been. He thinks a raw carrot or frozen green bean are among the greatest treats in the world. If my dog refuses to eat a new kibble, I know I can add things like chopped carrots (allergy tested and approved) to get him to eat it.

My concern for your mothers dogs is that whatever gets added to the food needs to be approved medically as an item that will not impact her urinary tract issues.

Since tasty treats are standard in the home, you might want to ask the veterinarian about some of those specific items the dogs really like. I have, at times, hidden a treat in the bottom of the food bowl to get my dog to eat. Important to making this work is 1) Showing the dog a treat is being inserted into the food bowl, and 2) Making sure it is well-covered with the kibble so that the easiest course of action for the dog is to eat his way to the treat.

But please do seek veterinary approval for any food items like that. Your mother should be discussing what treats are acceptable given the female dogs health anyhow — a special diet will achieve little if dietary adds like treats are hurting the cause anyhow.

One more thing: Once the veterinarian does approve a treat- or food-add to her diet, remember to take that treat out of the dogs daily treat allowance! If this becomes a regular daily add to get the dog to eat, those calories will keep on building, so make sure youre reducing the dogs non-mealtime treat intake by the same amount to keep the dogs fit and healthy.

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Open letter to Jolly Pets the best dog toy manufacturer in the world

I started to blog about how much Sensi loves his Jolly Pet toys and my first sentence was "I should write a thank you letter to Jolly Pets." The company really deserves it, and so, Ill get two birds with one stone here — a blogpost about the greatest dog toys in the world and a letter I can send to them. So here it goes:

Dear Jolly Pets,

I cannot thank you enough for the years and years of happiness your super durable, well-designed toys have given my dog. He just received his third teaser ball this weekend to celebrate his eighth birthday — thats his fourth Jolly Pets toy over the years.

The deflated soccer ball

Our story begins when Sensi, our pit/lab mix, became about a year old. I went to Petsmart and dropped $16 on a large soccer ball dog toy. The instant I returned home, as I was carrying the toy up the stairs to the front door, Sensi — who was outside — reached up to grab the toy. As soon as his teeth touched it, the ball deflated. Within a half hour, it was shredded into inch-by-inch pieces. "What a waste of $16," I said to my husband. "Im never doing that again."

From then on, I began searching for durable dog toys. By summer, I found Jolly Pets. I ordered the 8-inch Teaser Ball out of a catalog. Id never seen Sensi so tantalized and happy in his life. He paraded that ball around the house like it was made out of gold and diamonds. He would not let that ball out of his sight, making sure to carry it upstairs to bed every night — where he curled up his body around it in the dog bed — and back downstairs every morning. When we let him outside for potty breaks, he would carry the ball to the door and drop it just beside the entry way so it was right there for him upon his return inside.

8-inch Jolly Pets Teaser Ball

That ball lasted for two years. Considering my dogs strong jaws and drive to chew hard, the tenacity with which he tries to figure out puzzles (I am going to get that inside ball out, whatever it takes!) and our encouragement to beat up on his toys however he sees fit, thats a miracle. A toy that lasts two years in our household and is not made of steel is a miracle — theres no other way to put it.

The day that he finally chewed through the tough plastic exterior, after years of strategic chewing, and carefully extracted the inner-ball was definitely one of the proudest moments in his whole life. He ran through the entire basement apartment, showed everyone his long awaited and worked for inner ball and then made his rounds upstairs, making sure everyone saw his special prize. After about a half hour of showing off, he promptly chewed the inner ball to shreds. Whatever. It was his day, his toy, and hed been waiting for years to sink his teeth into that soft-plastic inner ball.

For Christmas that year, I got him the really big dog version of the teaser ball. Its a 10-inch ball and is considerably larger than the 8-inch one. When he unwrapped the package, he was so excited and proud of his supersized version of his favorite toy in the world. It was comparable to telling a 10-year-old hes going on a trip to Disney World. Like with the 8-inch, he paraded it around, slept with it, played with it nonstop, etc.

The Christmas photo, thanks to the 10-inch Teaser Ball

In fact, I took Christmas photos of him that year but I couldnt get him to pose. He wasnt thrilled about the whole ordeal and he wasnt cooperating. On day two of the photo shoot — day one having ended in frustration and failure — I finally got the idea to give him his teaser ball for the photo. He gently rested his chin on the ball and voila! I got the picture Id been waiting for. All he needed was his special toy.

Within a week, hed figured out that the holes on this larger ball were big enough to stick his paws in. Using a crafty combination of both paws and his mouth, he learned how to extract the inner ball. Later that month, I wrote Jolly Pets about the situation and asked if there was any way I could purchase some additional inner-balls to replace the one hed ripped out. The people at Jolly Pets were so wonderful to deal with; they were kind, amused by the story and shipped me a box of five or so inner-balls with a cute note that said "We hope these keep your dog busy for a little while!"

Nowadays, the big teaser ball is pulled out whenever we have something to stuff inside it. Sensi has mastered the art of removing items from the big ball, though, so it doesnt keep him busy for long.

For Sensis eighth birthday this weekend, we decided to replace the 8-inch Teaser Ball that kept him busy for so many years such a long time ago. I cant remember the last time I saw my dog so happy. He played with that ball until he was so tired that he could hardly stay awake. Hed fall asleep with it in his dog bed and every few minutes, swat a paw at it or put his mouth on it. It was like he just couldnt stop himself from playing with the ball, even when he really wanted to sleep. He begged to bring the ball on the couch for a snooze (we let him) and of course, spent the night with his body curled up around the ball in his dog bed. I bet hell play with it all day while were gone too.

Throughout the years, weve also purchased a Jolly Pets toy designed for water. Thats probably the only other toy thats come close to rivaling how much Sensi loves his Teaser Ball.

So, dear Jolly Pets, I cannot thank you enough. Thank you for years upon years of keeping my dog happy. Thank you for creating a toy that is both a challenge to my dogs brain and brawn. Thank you for creating a quality, durable product that can hold up to the most intense chewers. Thank you for the kindness your employees have me treated me with. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Want to learn more about Jolly Pets products? 
Jolly Pets is a division of Horsemans Pride. Click here to visit Horsemens Pride, Inc.
Find the full array of Jolly Pets products online by clicking here, Jolly Pets
Go straight to the Teaser Ball

Shopping tips
Ordering online or through pet catalogs is usually the best deal. Because I didnt think ahead to order one, I picked up the 8-inch Jolly Ball yesterday from Petco in Auburn Hills for a pretty penny — $22 — and there was one left on the shelf. You can find much better deals online and in catalogs. But when it comes right down to it, every penny I spent was worth it to see Sensi with his special toy yesterday.
Teaser balls are also available in smaller sizes for smaller dogs.

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War Dogs

Fighting qualities of this animal native faithful and attached were ignored at what was a good guy, man. Principle, friend in need is a homo sapiens, after finishing the game wolves, bears, mammoths and prehistoric fauna ... all about, and has focused attention on the biggest enemy, another homo sapiens, of course. And with that all the time, and the state dog.

Egyptian frescoes dating as belonging approximately 4 millennium BC depicts the allure of wild dogs, kept on a leash and soldiers engaged in combat with the enemy. Also, the walls of ancient Assyrian temples located in Iraq battle scenes reflect the observed large dogs with bulldog shape, wearing collars of thorns soldiers kept on a leash in some processions.


Roman legions used and Molossian Mastiff Giant, equipped with light body armor, as a, civilized Western world and severely Attila Kun, called, whip of God, maintain a pack of 50 large dogs brought from Asian steppes, with their permanent camps surrounding the fight to prevent any surprise attack.

The ancients, from Pliny the Elder and Aeneas and Homer mention the dogs engaged in battles - such as that from Colophonians - or use in the army as a sentinel or special messengers, equipped with a special collar which carried mail.


Later, Frederick the Great (in 7 Years War), Napoleon (Campaign in Egypt), conquistadorii Spanish (the Mexican and Peru), Native North Americans (in their desperate attempts to resist the Europeans), French Navy (at military installations in Saint-Malo port, between sec. XIV-XVII) - dogs used for various military activities.
Already in the first part of sec. Twentieth most European countries used dogs in their armies and police work.


First Military School for Dogs of War was founded in Germany in Lechernich, near Berlin, the Imperial General Staff available in 1884. Two years later, when dogs were first officially mentioned units, was developed and training manual, valid during WWI.

Use more to guard the prisoners in camps during the Second World War, dogs continued their military service believer in modern conflicts. Their extreme devotion was often speculated, reaching even in the situation that, in 1988, Israeli forces use Rotweiller breed dogs, equipped with a bomb on suicide missions against Arab militias sheltered in bunkers, in the conflict in Lebanon. Even in the first Gulf War dogs were present, some 1,200 French forces using German Shepherd dogs trained to guard baggage, stationed troops and airfields.

Modern military tactics decreased intake of dogs in military campaigns in which man no longer bored to all involved - with or without cause. However, when situations require it, the generals have always in view of the promising potential, canine recruits. So these guys are generals, stubborn!

The best, of course, is that these beautiful animals be allowed to remain cheerful and affectionate companions of people pacifists. However, do not be surprised if, ever, when the language of dogs will be deciphered, your dog to whisper, Can not you believe it, but I had two great grandparents in Vietnam ... causing havoc in there!.

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Book Review Im a Good Dog

Last week I attended a book signing and discussion at Powells Books in Portland with Ken Foster who is the author of the new book Im a Good Dog: Pit Bulls, Americas Most Beautiful (and Misunderstood) Pet.

Throughout the discussion I caught myself nodding my head constantly the entire hour.  Every word that came out of Kens mouth resinated with me and made me itch to start reading the book.  From his discussion about his own pit bull rescue in New Orleans called The Sula Foundation to his work with BAD RAP and Animal Farm Foundation which both helped contribute ideas, stories, and photos to the book-- my head was sore from all of that nodding!

As soon as I got home I plopped myself on the couch and began to read Kens book which is filled with beautiful color photography that captures the true essence of pit bull type dogs.  Along with the images, Ken writes about topics such as the origin of the breed, rescue work, and pit bulls as family dogs.  I was so excited to even see a picture of our friends from Two Pitties in the City showcased on page 21 of the book (the inside scoop is that a photographer attended a Chicago SociaBulls walk to gather photos for the book and Mr. B happened to make the cut!).

Ken Foster

Overall I think that Im a Good Dog is an amazing read for pit bull owners as well as for people wanting to learn more about all of the great things that come from owning and working with the breed.  The book is filled with positive stories about pit bulls from the past and present and Ken does an excellent job of shining a light on these dogs for all of the good that they do each and every day.  Not to mention, this book is a very quick read with a bajillion super cute pittie photos.

Ken has been on tour since the end of October, but there are still a few states that he will be visiting in the coming weeks.  If you live close to any of the locations below, I strongly encourage you to attend a signing and discussion:

11/9: Atomic Books, Baltimore, MD
11/10: Books on the Square, Providence, RI
11/12: RJ Julia, Madison, CT
11/13: Nicholas, Ann Arbor, MI
11/14: Summit Brewery, Twin Cities with A Rotta Love
11/15: The Book Cellar, Chicago
11/20: Book People, Austin, TX
11/27: Denver, CO

If you dont happen to live close to the tour, you can learn more about Ken and his amazing book courtesy of StubbyDog here.

If youve already had a chance to read the book, what did you think?  Do you have any other dog book recommendations?

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Calm a Hyper Dog 2

Is your dog high strung and hyperactive? A hyper dog can be difficult to deal with on a daily basis. Here are some tips for making your dog more tranquil.

Dogs have unique personalities just as humans do. Some dog breeds are docile and laid back while others are high strung with loads of excess energy and enthusiasm. If you happen to be the owner of a dog who gives new meaning to the term “hyper”, you may need tips on how to calm a dog so you can restore tranquility to your home.

When dealing with a hyper dog, the most important question to ask is, “Why is my dog hyper?” Some breeds naturally have more nervous energy. This is particularly true of dogs in the working class such as the German Shepherd and Border Collie. These breeds need a great deal of exercise and focused activity to help to expend their considerable energy reserves. Smaller dogs can exhibit the similar high energy traits. Most people who have owned a Chihuahua can attest to their predisposition towards nervousness. If you live with a naturally hyper dog, the most important thing is to make sure he gets enough exercise. This can be in the form of a brisk walk several times a day or a fast paced game of ball or frisbee. Regular exercise can work wonders not only for your dog’s health but also for his high strung disposition.



If you’re giving your dog sufficient exercise on a daily basis and your dog is still high strung, there are other steps you can take to calm a hyper dog:

Give Your Dog Safe Toys and Bones to Chew
This is a highly effective way to calm a dog. Some dogs become hyper out of sheer boredom and the simple act of having something to do with their mouth can help to dissipate some of their energy and boredom. If you have a large dog, make sure you choose a bone that’s advertised as indestructible or you could be buying them quite frequently.

Take Your Dog to the Dog Park
This is an excellent way to allow your dog release some of his pent up energy and socialize with other animals. The simple act of socializing with other dogs and humans can make your dog more comfortable around strangers which can reduce stress and anxiety that may be contributing to his hyperactivity. Thirty minutes at the dog park is a great stress reliever for both dog and human.
Do Doggy Massages

A calming dog massage can be a very effective technique to calm a dog. If you don’t know how to do one, you can find instructions on the internet. Even the simple act of grooming or brushing your dog with a soft brush can be soothing and help to relieve his hyperactivity if done on a daily basis.

Don’t Reinforce the Behavior
A dog may become hyper in an attempt to seek attention from you. If you give your dog the attention he seeks, you reinforce the behavior. Ignore your dog when he’s displaying hyperactive behavior and give him positive reinforcement when he’s calm. If done consistently, this can have a positive impact on your dog’s hyperactivity level.

A hyper dog can be a challenge for the whole family. Try incorporating some of these tips to calm a dog into your dog’s daily routine and discover what seems to work for your particular pet. With a little patience, you can help successfully master the art of calming a hyper dog.

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