These two herding dogs love their couch and their kitty.  

Dogs and cats often get along splendidly.  But not all dogs love cats, and not all cats like dogs.  In this case, the best advice is everyone else's advice.

Please COMMENT and share your experience of introducing cats to dogs and vice-versa.

Things to consider sharing:

Who was in the house first?

Was the cat/dog around other dogs or cats as a kitten/pup?

Was the cat the decider (just hated the dog)?

Was the dog the decider (could NOT stop chasing the cat)?

Did you use a management device--gate, door, cat escape tree?

Who did you confine?

What helped the situation the most?

When did you feel everything was OK?

When did you realize it wasn't gonna work?

A FIST-BUMP... of course!

At the very least a Presidential Pup needs a Presidential Paw Shake.  SHAKE is one of the first tricks I teach in class.  Its a great way to get the stress of "obedience" out of the way so that everyone can learn.  The dogs easily pick up this fun trick and it can quickly be used to prevent jumping and can also be used later as a reward for complying with obedience commands such as sit, down and stay.

TEACHING YOUR PUP TO RAISE THEIR PAW

Make sure you have a marker word that means:  "You did it!"

Choose a tasty treat -something that will fit in your fist.

Leash your pup.

Prevent your pup from wandering off, step on the leash.

Grip the treat in your fist.

Hold your fist in front of your dog's nose.

Allow your pup to sniff and nuzzle at your fist.

If your pup nibbles at your hand, pull your hand away and hide it behind your back for 3-5 seconds.

Present your fist again and continue to allow your pup to nuzzle and sniff at the treat in your fist.

WATCH YOUR PUP'S PAWS!

The moment your pup lifts a paw, MARK IT!  Use a clicker or your marker-word and then Treat your dog.

Don't wait to long, or set your expectations too high!  Take the first little, itty-bitty attempt your pup puts forth.  Even if all your pup does is lift a paw ever so slightly.  Mark it and pay your dog with a HUGE, TASTY TREAT!

Repeat this until your dog lifts her paw the moment you present your fist.

When your dog is consistently lifting her paw then you change the game...

Don't mark the paw-lift!  WAIT.

Raise your standard.  Use your marker-word only if your pup lift her paw up higher than she had been doing in the past.  

AND, if your pup slaps your fist with her paw, MARK-IT and TREAT!  Use a fantastic treat or lots of yummy treats given al at once.

Expect to teach this trick over several sessions.

Should I use a clicker to train my dog?

A clicker is a fabulous tool for teaching new behaviors to a dog.  Ideally it is used while the dog is learning.  As the dog approaches competency, the new behavior can be named (a command added) and then the clicker can be faded out.

A clicker is much like a camera when used to get action shots.  For example if you were using a clicker to teach a puppy to sit, you might lure the action.  Luring a sit requires that you hold a treat in your hand right up to the pup's nose. Then slowly, very slowly you would move the treat up and behind the puppy's head.  This causes the pup to lean back and their back and their tail-end to drop down.  At this moment, you would CLICK, and THEN give the dog the treat that was in your hand.  The noise the clicker makes tells the dog, "Right then, you earned the treat!"

Later you can lure the behavior without a treat in your hand.  You would still use the same hand-motion & click your puppy for completing the behavior.  After every click you would treat your dog.  The nice thing about the clicker is that you don't need the food on you or in your hand when teaching.  As long as you are good at clicking at the EXACT MOMENT of success you can use 5-10 seconds to get the treat to your dog.

RULES FOR MARKING BEHAVIORS WITH A CLICKER

Click your dog when they do something you like.  Be precise and click the exact moment of success.

If you click-it, you MUST treat your dog.

If your dog does a REALLY, really good job, you still click only once!  You can give them several treats, but click only once.

It is not necessary to aim your clicker at your dog.

Never click unless you intend to train and treat your dog.

The clicker MARKS successful attempts, it does not tell your dog what you want.

NOTES ON MARKING BEHAVIORS WITH A WORD

• When you mark things that your dog does that you like, use one word.

• Always use the same word.

• Pick a word that is special -something you don't use al the time.

• Use the marker word like a camera to catch exactly the moment of success.

• Always follow the marker word with a valuable reward (food, toy, access).

• When your dog has learned the behavior and is successful 95% of the time you can start giving rewards for only the best responses.  Continue to prasie your dog for all correct responses, but use the marker word only if you intend to reward the dog with food, toys, or access to something they wanted.

 

Every dog should learn to come when called; it's a matter of safety.  

It is often easier to teach a puppy to come when called than it is to teach an adult dog.  This is because a puppy is naturally responsive to happy sounding, high-pitched noises.  These noises can be used in conjunction with running backwards, crouching down, and patting the legs to help a puppy respond correctly after the recall command has been given.  To maintain this behavior a food or toy reward should be given to the puppy once they reach the person who called them.

Teaching the older dog to come when called is easy too.

Many of my clients have dogs that are older, or who have been recently adopted.  These dogs are often able to go off-leash on hikes, or to parks, beaches, and dog runs without running away or getting in trouble.  However, many of them will not (or only rarely) come when called.  Generally these clients have been getting by without recall, but would prefer to have better control of their dogs at the park.  For these clients and their dogs it is often unnecessary to follow standard management practices, such as having the dog drag a long leash.  The following exercises are often all that is needed to get started with teaching your dog to come when called. 

Recall Exercises for well-behaved, older dogs.

1) You can't get them to come when called if they can't even look at you when you say their name.  

Practice this on leash walks first.  Say your dog's name, then stop walking forward.  Stand still and remain calm.  Say nothing.  DO NOT REPEAT YOUR DOG'S NAME.  Wait and watch your dog.  As soon as your dog turns and looks at you (usually because they can't figure out why you are being so still and quiet) clearly mark your dog's behavior with a word that means you like what they did.  Then give them a tasty treat and continue walking forward.  Later, try this when your dog is off-leash and has little or no distractions.  Finally, try it with distractions.  If your dog doesn't look at you, simply walk away (no reprimand and no reward).

NOTES ON MARKING WHAT YOU LIKE

• When you mark things that your dog does that you like, use one word.

• Always use the same word.

• Pick a word that is special--something you don't use all the time.

• Use the marker word like a camera to catch exactly the moment of success.

• Always follow the marker word with a valuable reward (food, toy, access).

• When your dog has learned the behavior and is successful 95% of the time you can start giving rewards for only the best responses.  Continue to praise your dog for all correct responses, but use the marker word only if you intend to reward the dog with food, toys, or access to something they wanted.

2) The first rule of teaching a new behavior is to make sure that your dog can do it.  

After your dog is consistently offering the new behavior (sitting, coming, speaking) THEN you can call it something and reward your dog only when you command them to show a specific behavior.  To do this I have my clients GIVE their dog HUGE REWARDS for Auto Check-Ins.  

When rewarding your dog for AUTO CHECK-INS you will NOT CALL your dog.

• Wait for your dog to be willing come to you--even if they are only 10 feet close.

• With your best happy voice PRAISE YOUR DOG LIKE MAD!

• THEN give your dog a fantastic reward--something TRULY YUMMY!!!!

• Now walk away.

• Watch your dog closely.  Try to guess when your dog is going to come to check-in and get a treat.

• When you are 90% accurate on guessing when your dog is about to come to you, then start calling your dog right before they are about to check-in.

• Then stop feeding your dog for auto check-ins and only feed your dog when you call them.
  

When digging becomes your dogs obsession...

 Steps to eliminate digging in forbidden locations.

1. Elimininate free access to the area where your dog has been digging.

2. Give your dog a DIG-PIT.  Create a snad-box for your dog.  Take them to this area and encourage them to dig.  Play in the sand with them in this location.

3. Allow access to the problem area WITH SUPERVISION.  When you dog starts to dig inappropriately, gently guide them to their digging area.

4.  After your dog starts using their new DIG-PIT on their own, interrupt any digging in innapropriate places with a TIME-OUT (30-seconds in a penalty).

Don´t forget that dogs like to dig in cool, damp locations.  Try to make you doggie DIG PIT a fun place to be, not a hot, dry sunny dust bath.