Dog Blog | Dog Treats

Games:
If you or anyone in your family wrestles, rough-houses or plays tug of war with your dog, stop! These games encourage dogs to dominate people physically and to use their teeth. In a dog pack or in a litter, these games are more than just playing - they help to establish pack order based on physical strength. Your dog is already probably stronger and quicker than you are. Rough, physical games prove that to him. He doesn’t need to be reminded of it!
Find new games for him to play. Hide & seek, fetch or frisbee catching are more appropriate. Make sure you’re the one who starts and ends the game, not the dog. Stop playing before the dog gets bored and is inclined to try to keep the ball or frisbee.

Instead, be more productive and take him on nice, long walks on proper dog leashes to get his attention.

Petting and attention:
Alpha dogs are used to being fussed over. In a real dog pack, subordinate dogs are forever touching, licking and grooming the alpha dog. It’s a show of respect and submission. For now, until his attitude has shown improvement, cut down on the amount of cuddling your dog gets. When he wants attention, make him SIT first, give him a few kind words and pats, then stop. Go back to whatever it was you were doing and ignore him. If he pesters you, tell him NO! in a firm voice and ignore him some more. Pet him when you want to, not just because he wants you to. Also, for the time being, don’t get down on the floor or on your knees to pet your dog. That, too, is a show of submission. Give praise, petting and rewards from a position that’s higher than the dog, especially after walking him on dog leashes.

Canine Boot Camp for Alpha Attitude Adjustment

From this day forward, you’re going to teach your dog that he is a dog, not a miniature human being in a furry suit. His mother taught him how to be a dog once and how to take orders. Along the way, through lack of training or misunderstood intentions, he’s forgotten. With your help, he’s going to remember what he is and how he fits into the world. Before long, he’s even going to like it!

Dogs were bred to look to humans for food, companionship and guidance. An alpha dog doesn’t ask for what he wants, he demands it. He lets you know in no uncertain terms that he wants his dinner, that he wants to go out, that he wants to play and be petted and that he wants these things right now. You’re going to teach him that from now on, he has to earn what he gets. No more free rides. This is going to be a shock to his system at first but you’ll be surprised how quickly he’ll catch on and that he’ll actually become eager to please you.

If your dog doesn’t already know the simple command SIT, teach it to him. Reward him with praise and a tidbit. Don’t go overboard with the praise. A simple “Good boy!” in a happy voice is enough. Now, every time your dog wants something - his dinner, a trip outside, a walk, some attention, anything - tell him (remember don’t ask him, tell him) to SIT first. When he does, praise him with a “Good Boy!”, then tell him OKAY and give him whatever it is he wants as a reward. If he refuses to SIT, walk away and ignore him. No SIT, no reward. If you don’t think he understands the command, work on his training some more. If he just doesn’t want to obey, ignore him - don’t give him what he wants or reward him in any fashion.

Make him sit before giving him his dinner, make him sit at the door before going outside, make him sit in front of you to be petted, make him sit before giving him his toy. If you normally leave food out for him all the time, stop. Go to a twice daily feeding and you decide what time of day he’ll be fed. Make him sit for his dinner. If he won’t obey the command - no dinner. Walk away and ignore him. Bring the food out later and tell him again to SIT. If he understands the command, don’t tell him more than once. He heard you the first time. Give commands from a standing position and use a deep, firm tone of voice.

If the dog respects certain members of the family but not others, let the others be the ones to feed him and bring the good things to his life for now. Show them how to make him obey the SIT command and how to walk away and ignore him if he won’t do as he’s told. It’s important that your whole family follows this program. Dogs are like kids - if they can’t have their way with Mom, they’ll go ask Dad. In your dog’s case, if he finds a member of the family that he can dominate, he’ll continue to do so. You want your dog to learn that he has to respect and obey everyone. Remember - his place is at the bottom of the totem pole. Bouncing him from the top spot helps but if he thinks he’s anywhere in the middle, you’re still going to have problems.

Think - you know your dog and know what he’s likely to do under most circumstances. Stay a step ahead of him and anticipate his behavior so you can avoid or correct it. If he gets into the trash and growls when scolded, make the trash can inaccessible. If he likes to bolt out the door ahead of you, put a leash on him. Make him sit and wait while you open the door and give him permission - OKAY! - to go out. If your alpha dog doesn’t like to come when he’s called (and he probably doesn’t!), don’t let him outside off the proper dog leashes. Without a leash, you have no control over him and he knows it.

Petting and attention:
Alpha dogs are used to being fussed over. In a real dog pack, subordinate dogs are forever touching, licking and grooming the alpha dog. It’s a show of respect and submission. For now, until his attitude has shown improvement, cut down on the amount of cuddling your dog gets. When he wants attention, make him SIT first, give him a few kind words and pats, then stop. Go back to whatever it was you were doing and ignore him. If he pesters you, tell him NO! in a firm voice and ignore him some more. Pet him when you want to, not just because he wants you to. Also, for the time being, don’t get down on the floor or on your knees to pet your dog. That, too, is a show of submission. Give praise, petting and rewards from a position that’s higher than the dog.

How to become leader of your pack

Your dog watches you constantly and reads your body language. He knows if you’re insecure, uncomfortable in a leadership role or won’t enforce a command. This behavior confuses him, makes -him- insecure and if he’s a natural leader or has a social-climbing personality, it’ll encourage him to assume the alpha position and tell -you- what to do.

“Alpha” is an attitude. It involves quiet confidence, dignity, intelligence, an air of authority. A dog can sense this attitude almost immediately - it’s how his mother acted towards him. Watch a professional trainer or a good obedience instructor. They stand tall and use their voices and eyes to project the idea that they’re capable of getting what they want. They’re gentle but firm, loving but tough, all at the same time. Most dogs are immediately submissive towards this type of personality because they recognize and respect alpha when they see it.

Practice being alpha. Stand up straight with your shoulders back. Walk tall. Practice using a new tone of voice, one that’s deep and firm. Don’t ask your dog to do something - tell him. There’s a difference. He knows the difference, too! Remember that, as alpha, you’re entitled to make the rules and give the orders. Your dog understands that instinctively.

With most dogs, just this change in your attitude and an obedience training course will be enough to turn things around. With a dog that’s already taken over the household and has enforced his position by growling or biting and has been allowed to get away with it, you’ll need to do more than just decide to be alpha. The dog is going to need an attitude adjustment as well.

Natural leaders and social climbers aren’t going to want to give up their alpha position. Your sudden change in behavior is going to shock and threaten them. Your dog might act even more aggressively than before. An alpha dog will instinctively respond to challenges to his authority. It’s his nature to want to put down revolutionary uprisings by the peasants! Don’t worry, there’s a way around it.

An alpha dog already knows that he can beat you in a physical fight so returning his aggression with violence of your own won’t work. Until you’ve successfully established your position as alpha, corrections like hitting, shaking, or using the “rollover” techniques described in some books will not work and can be downright dangerous to you. An alpha dog will respond to these methods with violence and you could be seriously hurt.

What you need to do is use your brain! You’re smarter than he is and you can out think him. You’ll also need to be stubborner than he is. What I’m about to describe here is an effective, non-violent method of removing your dog from alpha status and putting him back at the bottom of the family totem pole where he belongs and where he needs to be. In order for this method to work, your whole family has to be involved. It requires an attitude adjustment from everyone and a new way of working with your dog, especially when using the proper dog leashes.

 WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?

A lesson in becoming Alphaby Vicki Rodenberg De Gruy

“My dog just tried to bite me! All I did was tell him to move over so I could sit on the couch next to him.”
” My dog got into the trash can and when I scolded her, she growled at me. What’s wrong with her? I thought she loved me!”
” Our dog is very affectionate most of the time but when we try to make him do something he doesn’t want to do, he snaps at us.”
What do these three dogs have in common? Are they nasty or downright vicious? No - they’re “alpha”. They’ve taken over the leadership of the families that love them. Instead of taking orders from their people, these dogs are giving orders! Your dog can love you very much and still try to dominate you or other members of your family.

If domination seems to be an issue, then you might need to perform the proper training to teach your dog who the alpha really is.  Especially during walks in the park, you’ll want to use the proper dog leashes to get the job done right.
 

The Toy Fox Terrier has a true terrier personality and temperament. They are happy, lively and energetic dogs that are always interested in what the family is doing. The Toy Fox Terrier loves to be in the center of the action but they are also more affectionate than many of the terriers and enjoy just sitting with their owners. The Toy Fox Terrier will be very puppyish in his or her behavior, even well into the dog’s senior years. They are highly intelligent and quickly learn an amazing number of words, commands and signals. They can be very curious dogs and will often find something to play with or entertain themselves if left alone for longer periods of time. When provided with toys and time to exercise the Toy Fox Terrier can tolerate being left at home during the day, providing they have lots of attention and interaction with the family in the evenings.

As a breed, the Toy Fox has all the “big dog in a small body” attitude that is a hallmark of the terrier group of dogs. Unlike some of the terriers the Toy Fox will adjust very well to other dogs when properly socialized. If they are not socialized they can be dog aggressive, particularly the intact males. They are also not as independent as other terriers, however they do have a mind of their own and can be stubborn and strong willed at times, so the proper dog leashes are a must. 

The Toy Fox Terrier does best with older children and considerate younger children. As with any toy dog younger kids don’t seem to realize how small the dog really is, which can pose a risk to the dog. The Toy Fox Terrier loves to run and play and is extremely active all through his or her life.

Not a problem barker, the Toy Fox Terrier is still a good watchdog and will bark very loudly to let you know when strangers approach. They may be prone to digging and chasing and are not good companions in homes with other small rodent type pets. When socialized with cats from a young age the Toy Fox Terrier does well with the family cats, but is likely to chase other cats that wander onto the property.

 The Toy Fox Terrier was originally bred and developed in the United States in the early 1900’s. The major bloodlines used to start the breed were from the Smooth Fox Terrier crossed with several other toy breeds and small types of dogs. Selection of the smallest of the Smooth Fox Terriers for early breeding meant that only a small amount of cross breeding was required to develop the Toy Fox Terrier breed.

The goal of the early breeders was to miniaturize the Smooth Fox Terrier and reduce some the independence of the terrier natural to a more elegant and “family friendly” type companion dog. Early crosses to develop the Toy Fox Terrier including Miniature Pinchers, Italian Greyhounds and even the Chihuahua. The breed is now a true breed, meaning that only registered Toy Fox Terriers are used in breeding lines.  Toy Fox Terriers make excellent dogs for walking on dog leashes.

The Toy Fox Terrier was first recognized as a breed in 1936 by the United Kennel Club, but did not receive full recognition in the toy group of the American Kennel Club until January 1 of 2003.

 The Toy Fox Terrier is a very alert looking terrier breed, bright and energetic while also very athletic and fairly muscular in appearance. People that are not aware of the breed often mistake these dogs for Jack Russell Terriers, although there are very definite differences between the two breeds. Generally the Toy Fox Terrier is much smaller, finer boned, shorter coated and much more refined looking than the Jack Russell, and does very well walking on proper dog leashes.

The Toy Fox Terrier has a fox-like face with a wedge shaped head and a strong yet slightly tapered muzzle. The eyes, rims of the eyes and the nose will be very dark on all Toy Fox Terriers except those that have chocolate colors, in which case the eye rims and the nose will be lighter in color, more in keeping with a brownish tone. The eyes are round in shape and are neither protruding nor deep set, but they do have an alert, mischievous and friendly appearance. The ears are very pointed in a broad inverted V shape and are relatively high on the head. The ears are always carried completely erect and alert.

One of the most difficult things to take in about the Borzoi is just how difficult it can be to train them. You can train Borzoi because they are very intelligent animals and they are well known for their talents in the world of hunting. Yet, they are hounds and for that they are often considered to be hard to train for their free spirit and their own mind.

While they are very loyal to their families, they are also very much not willing to please their owners as much as taking the time to meet their own goals and demands. If you are to train them, you do need to use positive training methods. Often, the best methods revolve around building a trust between the trainer and the dog itself before they will begin to listen and do as commanded to do.

Training can be done in a home by the owner or through specialized services. Your goal should be to find a way to get your Borzoi to work with you in terms of training rather than to attempt to discipline them for not interacting with you the way that you want to. Make sure in training to always walk him on the proper dog leashes.

 The Borzoi is a dog that does require play time. They are large animals that often need to be running and playing. In fact, it is necessary to provide this to your dog even when the dog is in a smaller sized area. In order to stay healthy, the Borzoi requires enough room to run. You will need to provide them with some exercise as it is required for their body structure to remain fit. They are mostly muscle under their coat which means exercise to stay fit and healthy.

If you can not find the room to allow the pet to run, you may want to consider taking on a new hobby, such as jogging or running. They will love to accompany you on your runs and are often likely to enjoy the bike too. A fenced in yard is the very best area for the dogs but you can also find much enjoyment with taking them to the park.

When exercising your Borzoi, you should take note in the fact that they are more than likely to take off in one direction or the other, making them very much dogs that need to be watched in any situation, so make sure to walk him on proper dog leashes at all time.