NICHOLAS WHITE

Copyright © 2010 Nicholas White

All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1460972015
ISBN-13: 9781460972014
 CONTENT

Introduction .........................................................................v

Choosing the Perfect Dog ....................................................1

Crate Training .....................................................................5

Confidence Building ............................................................9

Socialization ......................................................................14

Being the Pack Leader ........................................................16

Teaching the Basic Commands with Verbal Markers.......... 19

Pros and Cons of Different Training Methods ....................27

Do’s and Don’ts of Training .............................................. 30

Importance of Physical and Mental Exercise ......................32

Troubleshooting Common Problems .................................35

Summary ..........................................................................43

About the Author...............................................................44

Puppy Checklists................................................................45
 INTRODUCTION

First off, thank you for purchasing my book. I hope you truly feel that the
information I am about to give was worth more than the purchase price!

About me: I am the founder of one of the most successful dog-training businesses
in the country, Off Leash K9 Training. We currently have 140 training locations
and are always growing. I am United States Marine and former US Secret Service
and have been fortunate enough to be called upon for training by some of the top
athletes and celebrities in the world, ranging from; Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively,
John Cena and Nikki Bella, Logan Paul UFC Champion Jon "Bones" Jones, actor
Scott Eastwood and countless more! I have spent more than 10 years in trial and
error, seminars, schools, and working with thousands of dogs ranging from
household pets to military working dogs to figure out what the best methods
were for raising a happy, confident, friendly, and well-trained dog. So this is 10
years of my life, experiences, and knowledge compiled together to bring you the
best book on raising a happy, confident, friendly, well-trained dog. You will
notice throughout this book I make many analogies comparing dogs to humans;
there are so many similarities and behaviors that we have in common that it is
almost frightening. I’m sure you too will begin to see some of these in your own
dog that you can compare to your children or even yourself. I hope you enjoy
reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I am certain that if you
follow the guidance in this book, you will have a happy, confident, friendly, and
well-trained dog!

v
 CHOOSING THE
PERFECT DOG

IN ORDER TO RAISE THE PERFECT DOG, YOU HAVE TO PICK

THE PERFECT DOG—THAT IS, THE PERFECT DOG FOR YOU.

Many people ask, “What is the best dog to get?” Unfortunately, I cannot answer that, only you can. The
question you should ask yourself is, “What am I looking for in a dog?” Are you looking for a very energetic
dog that needs a lot of exercise, attention, and work (German shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Lab, etc)? Or are
you looking for just a good dog to have as a companion who is completely happy just lying around the
house all day? Or are you looking for something in between? Are you looking for a hunting dog, a
protection dog, or just a companion? All of these are questions you have to ask yourself; your answer will
help you decide what dog is perfect for you. There is no perfect dog. The Belgian Malinois is a very high–
energy, high–maintenance dog and therefore is not meant for everyone. Pugs and poodles aren’t meant for
everyone, either. So it really depends on what you are looking for. Also, look at the expectations you have
for a dog, then ensure the dog you pick is capable of meeting them. Meaning, if you want a dog to do
protection, do not get a beagle; if you want a dog as a running partner, do not pick a bulldog. There is not
one that would be perfect for everyone, but there is a dog that would be perfect for you and what you
want.

Once you decide on the dog you want, now you have the task of finding a good breeder for that specific
type of dog. You should go to a good, qualified breeder, not who many refer to as a “backyard breeder.”
These are often people with no knowledge, training, or handling of dogs who just so happened to have two
dogs, one got pregnant, and now they are selling the puppies. These puppies can have a wide variety of
problems, such as temperament, nerves, aggression, and medical concerns.

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I always recommend finding someone who is a reputable breeder; meaning, their dogs have been tested and
come from good, proven lines, genetically and medically.

If you are against breeders because you think they are just in it for the money, you are mistaken. Often they
make very little profit off their dogs after they pay for food, medical care, and shots. Keep in mind, you
cannot put a price on the eight weeks of headaches, loss of sleep, and messes made in the house by the litter
of pups. I love dogs, however, for the very little profit per dog, it is definitely not worth it for me to take
care of six to 12 puppies for eight weeks.

Now that you have some great breeders lined up, ensure the breeder can deliver the specific type of dog
you are looking for. A big misconception people have is that if they have a German shepherd, a Belgian
Malinois, or a Rottweiler that we can turn him or her into a great protection dog. That is far from the
truth. Generally, protection dogs are bought from breeders who breed specifically for this type of work;
meaning, they will take two high-drive, high-confidence, good-nerved dogs (usually former protection
dogs) and breed them together. Not every dog out of their litter will be successful in this line of work. So,
ensure the breeder you are using is breeding for what you are looking for in your dog. If you want a Lab to
be used as a hunting dog, ensure you are getting a Lab that is bred from a working line. People breed for
families/companions, for looks and show, and for working lines, so you have to ensure the breeder you
choose is breeding not only the breed of dog but also the type of dog that you are looking for.

Once you’ve really narrowed it down to a specific breeder, do your research. Breeders are like any other
business in the world, you cannot take their word for it just because it is their business. Ask for references,
talk to other people who bought the same type of dog you are looking for and contact them. See if their
dog is what they expected, if they had any problems, how their dealings were with the breeder. Remember,
getting a dog is around a14-year commitment, so it is important to ensure that you are getting exactly what
you want. A good breeder will ask you as many questions as you ask them, so red flags should go up if you
can just show up with the money and take their dog without any questions from either side. Generally the
breeder will have an application with a questionnaire, they will want to meet with you in advance, and they
will want to find out as much about you as possible. Also, they should tell you that their dogs are not
available until they are eight weeks old—this is another good indicator to look out for. Up until eight
weeks, the puppies are still with their mother, learning to interact with their siblings, learning vital things
such as bite inhibition (what is acceptable and unacceptable play, etc.). Great breeders want to ensure their
dogs are going to great homes.

I realize that many dogs are bought from shelters and rescue organizations, so maybe you are thinking that
none of this guidance applies to you. Believe it or not, it still applies, just in a different way. If you want to
purchase a dog and you do not want to get it from a breeder nor pay the high price that often comes with
many purebred dogs, then a dog shelter or a rescue organization is a great way to go. As I stated earlier, do
not get a dog from a backyard breeder—someone who is in it only for the money and does not care about
the dog’s health or well-being. Remember, often they are having a litter in the first place due to their
negligence and irresponsibility. So go to a shelter or a rescue organization. These people truly care about
dogs and want to ensure their dogs have a good home. Once you find a good, reputable, nonprofit shelter
or rescue organization, you can apply the same guidance for picking a happy, confident, and friendly dog.

2
Now that you have found a great breeder or shelter, you need to pick the perfect pup from that litter. No
matter what any breeder tells you, you cannot pick a pup that is right for you online or through a photo.
Actually go to their location and choose a dog, even if it’s out of state. If you talk to anyone who has picked
pups out of a litter, they will usually tell you the pup picked them. I am not saying you will get a horrible
dog if you pick one online, I am just saying you will feel much more comfortable and confident about your
choice if you go see them in person. Generally, at eight weeks, you can tell a lot about the pup. If they are
shy, skittish, and hanging out away from everyone in the litter at eight weeks, there is a great chance that’s
how they will be when they are older. However, if they are confident, very open and affectionate, and love
to play tug at eight weeks, there is a great chance that’s how they will be when they are older. These are
things you would know only by actually going and observing the litter for yourself. Then, based on what
you are looking for, you can pick the pup that you think best suits your needs.

When picking dogs for personal protection, we use a breeder who breeds specifically for that type of work,
as I stated above. Once we identify a reputable breeder, we go to their location and put their litter of
puppies through a series of tests. Even if you are just looking for a regular household pet, this is still a great
test to ensure your dog has an overall good temperament. First, you do not want a puppy who is away from
the litter; meaning, off by itself and not socializing or playing with the others. We are looking for the
puppies jumping at their gate in order to great us; this shows they are happy to socialize with people.
Second, we will test their “drive,” in other words, how motivated are they to go after something? We are
looking for dogs that have a great prey drive, so when we roll a ball, we want a puppy that will chase after
it and preferably bring it back. This shows they have a high drive, which is essential. Additionally, we are
looking for that same level of motivation when they play tug; for protection, your dog must have a great
tug drive. As we go through these steps, we are slowly eliminating the pups that do not have these
characteristics.

For their second phase of testing, we will take one-on-one the pups who have passed the prior steps in
order to evaluate them further. One of the things we do is get them really excited by playing with them and
then rolling them over to their backs to see how easily they submit. Ideally, you want a puppy that is
fighting to get up. This shows they are not very quick to submit. We follow that with a drop test, which
involves us playing with the pup and then dropping something loud beside it or making a loud noise
(dropping a metal bowl, a loud clap, etc.). Ideally, you are looking for a puppy that does not overreact to a
loud noise. If they do overreact, we are looking for a quick recovery, meaning, you can quickly get them to
come back and engage them back into the play. One of the final things we do is the pinch test. While
playing with the dog, we give them a pinch on the side until they give a little whimper. This is done to test
their ability to forgive the handler for giving them a correction, meaning, how they react when the handler
gives them an unpleasant feeling. Do they shut down and run away or do they quickly forgive and come
back? We are looking for a puppy that does not immediately run away from us. For those that do run away,
we want one that we can quickly get to come back.

3
If you are getting a dog from a shelter or rescue organization, add in the additional step of taking the dog
out and around other dogs, people, and kids in order to see how they behave with them. This is done to
ensure you are not getting a people- or dog-aggressive dog before you take him home. Often, people get a
dog from a shelter or rescue organization and a week later they have their first encounter with another dog
or child and find their dog is aggressive. An additional step you may want to take is seeing how the dog
from the shelter is with food and toys. While the dog is eating and playing with toys, touch the dog, the
food, and the toy to determine if there is any possible food or toy aggression. Be proactive and find all of
this out before you choose a dog.

This is the basic guideline we use in order to find a good, well-balanced, good-tempered, happy, and
friendly dog. Just to clarify, there are no guarantees in dogs, however, we have found that this is a great
process to follow and it is generally accurate when trying to predict how a dog will be as it gets older. You
will notice on page 51 of this book, I have included a more thorough testing checklist you can use for your
reference! Once you find the perfect dog, follow the guidance in the rest of the book to continuously build
on its level of confidence, drive, socialization, and happiness.

4
 CRATE
TRAINING

First off, congratulations on your new perfect

puppy! Many people do not realize how much
work some puppies can be for the first six months
of their lives, and that’s just the beginning.
Essentially, it is like having a newborn baby in
many ways as you may have already figured out.
Puppies require constant attention and, just like
babies, are more than likely waking you up in the
middle of the night.

IN GENERAL, WITH PROPER CRATE TRAINING, YOUR PUPPY

SHOULD BE ALMOST COMPLETELY HOUSEBROKEN BY THE
AGE OF FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS.

This age can vary depending on how effective you are throughout this process. Remember, your dog does
not decide how long it takes to be house-trained, you do.

You are probably wondering, “Where do I start?” First, get a crate, preferably one with a divider so you can
expand the living space for your pup as it grows. It is nearly impossible to house-train a puppy without
using a crate. Housebreaking a puppy is based entirely on the crate-training system. Crate training teaches
a puppy the crate is its spot to go; it’s the equivalent of its home. More important, it becomes a location to
hold your puppy during the housebreaking process when he cannot be directly supervised.

Pick a crate big enough for your dog to lie down, stand up (without his or her back touching the top of the
cage), and spin around in a circle. Do not put a small puppy inside a large crate. They should have not have
much more room than described above. I always recommend getting a large crate that has the adjustable
divider in it. This way, you only need to buy one crate and can adjust the space as your puppy grows. If you
find your puppy is going to the restroom inside the crate, you may want to reduce the size of the space.
Often, if the crate is too large in relation to the size of your puppy, he does not have a problem going in the
back corner of the crate because he can get far enough away from the mess that it doesn’t affect him as
much.

5
Your puppy should be in its crate a lot for the first couple of months it is home with you. Don’t feel bad
about keeping him in the crate. To put it into perspective, a crib is simply a crate for babies. You put
babies in their cribs to protect them from themselves. A puppy should be looked at the same way.

Take the initiative with your puppy. As a general rule, your puppy will have to go outside approximately 30
minutes after eating or drinking. So if you know he just ate or drank a lot of water, take the initiative and
take him out; do not wait for him to go in the house. Also, it is a good idea to take him out after a good
play session in the house. If you are playing tug, chasing the ball, or getting the puppy really excited, it is
always a good idea to take the initiative and take him out after these sessions, as well.

Using a keyword phrase during housebreaking is very important. From the first day you get your puppy,
start to implement a keyword while your puppy is going to the restroom outside. Most people prefer the
phrase “go potty.” So any time your pup is sniffing in the grass when you take him outside, repeat the key
phrase “go potty.” As soon as your pup uses the restroom, immediately praise him (verbally, physically,
and/or with a treat). Over time, he will associate the key phrase “go potty” with the act of going to the
restroom, about a month into the housebreaking process. After this period, if you see your pup start to
display that he is going to go to the restroom in the house (tail up, sniffing around in circles, etc.), repeat
that phrase he has been hearing from day one, “Do you have to go potty?” He will recognize that key phrase
he has associated with going outside and will run to the door, indicating that he does indeed have to go
out. This is the first step of progress for housebreaking.

Use a bell on a string to teach your puppy to let you know that he has to go outside. Tie a bell to the end of
a string and hang it from the doorknob at approximately your pup’s chest level. Every time you take your
pup outside, ring the bell with his paw. Praise him immediately and open the door. Doing this every time
you go out teaches the dog that ringing the bell equals the door opening. Over a period of time, your pup
will learn: “If I have to go outside to the restroom, I ring bell and the door opens.”

The most important thing to effectively housebreak your puppy is total supervision. I will state it again,
because it is that important: total supervision..What does that mean? Simple; it means if your puppy is not
inside its crate, you or another member of the household should be directly supervising him. Until the pup
is completely housebroken, there should never come a time when he is in a room alone. To put it into
perspective, if you are downstairs with your puppy and decide to take a shower, even if it is just five
minutes, put your pup inside its crate. Again, think of your pup as a baby. If you have a baby and you are
going to jump in the shower or leave the room to fold laundry, would you leave a baby just sitting in the
living room by itself? No, you would put it in the crib. Again, a crib is simply a crate for babies.
If, while supervising your pup, you see him squat and start peeing or pooping, immediately give a loud
verbal, “No!” Pick him up, immediately take him outside, and set him down in the yard. Then repeat that
key phrase, “Go potty.” As soon as he finishes, give praise (verbal, physical, and/or a treat) and take him
back inside. There should never be any punishment involved. Rubbing his nose in it, hitting him, rolling a
newspaper—these are all things that are proven ineffective. More important, it just breaks down the bond
between you and your pup. Physically punishing a puppy for going to the restroom in the house is like
spanking a one-year-old for going in their diaper.

6
Many people ask, “What if I didn’t catch him in the act, but noticed he went to the restroom in the house?”
Very simple, do absolutely nothing. That’s right, do absolutely nothing. Write it off as a failure on your
part, clean it up, and move on. Again, do not punish the puppy. You failed him, he did not fail you. You
violated the biggest rule in housebreaking: You failed to give him total supervision. This is so important it
is worth mentioning once more: If you do not physically catch your dog in the act, chalk it up to a loss on
your behalf and move on. Make it your goal to catch him every single time. For every time your pup goes in
the house without being caught in the act, you add a few more days to the housebreaking process. So, if he
is going in the house a couple times per day without getting caught in the act, the housebreaking process
can be really prolonged..

Your puppy should sleep in the crate every night when you go to bed (again, because if you are sleeping,
you cannot directly supervise him). When you first wake up in the morning, take him from the crate
straight outside and use the key phrase (“Go potty”). If your puppy does not go to the restroom, take him
back in the house and put him back into the crate. Approximately 15 to 20 minutes later. take him out of
the crate, back outside, and repeat the process. Repeat this until your puppy does go to the restroom
outside. This does two things: It prevents him from coming back in and minutes later going to the
restroom in your house and will teach your puppy that he has to go to the restroom or he will keep going
back into the crate until he does. After a few days of this, he will just go outside the first time you take him
out. After he goes to the restroom outside, bring him back into your house and leave him out of the crate,
remembering to directly supervise him.

We recommend that you do not put padding in the crate until the pup is housebroken and more mature.
We feel this is important for a couple of reasons. Most important, if you are gone, your puppy will more
than likely chew, shred, or eat this padding/bedding at some point, which can become a choking hazard for
a small puppy. Additionally, often puppies who have padding in the crate will still urinate in their crate
because the padding acts as a sponge and absorbs the urine. Therefore, it does not bother them to urinate
there; the padding acts as a diaper.

What about puppy pads? I think puppy pads are a bad idea, especially if you have a puppy that will grow
into a large dog. Puppy pads teach the puppy it’s okay to go to the restroom in the house, however, only in
this specific area. I find it much easier to teach them it’s never acceptable to go to the restroom in the
house. Additionally, as the pup grows into a larger dog, do you really want them going to the restroom
inside your house? They may go in a specific spot, however, the smell usually permeates the whole house.

Another important thing to remember is to never let your dog out of the crate if he is actively barking or
whining. This will teach your dog that if he barks and whines long enough, you will let him out. It is like
the child who throws a fit in the middle of the toy store, and then the parents buy the kid a toy. The child
simply learns that if he makes a big enough scene, he will get his way. Dogs learn the same way. So never let
your dog out of the crate if he is actively barking or whining. Doing so rewards bad behavior. Your pup
should learn that he gets out of the crate only when he is quiet. Just to clarify, your new puppy may whine
in the middle of the night to let you know he has to go out. It is then acceptable to let him out of the crate,
take him outside, use the key phrase, then come back in. However, once your puppy is old enough to hold
it throughout the night (generally around three to four months of age), never let him out based on whining
or barking.

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During the housebreaking process, we usually recommend cutting off food and water around 7 p.m. This is
done to ensure that all of the water has passed through the pup’s system by the time you go to sleep
(assuming you are going to bed around 9 p.m. or later). If you cut off food and water at around 7 p.m., it
will minimize having to go in the middle of the night. On page 57, I have included a puppy potty break
cheat guide for your reference. Additionally, do not put food or water in the crate with the pup; again, this
will cause him to have to go to the restroom in the middle of the night.

Never use the crate as a place to punish your puppy, as hard as it sometimes may be. If you start using the
crate as a place of punishment, the pup will start to hate it, will not want to go in, and will no longer see it
as its “home.” Rather, he will see at is a prison. The crate should always be looked upon as something
positive. The crate should be seen by the dog, as you see your bedroom, as a place to go, get away, and relax.
It is also a good practice to feed him in the crate or give him a treat every time he goes in, again, associating
it with something positive.

If you follow all these principles, you should have a very short housebreaking process and a dog that loves
going into the crate.

8
 CONFIDENCE
BUILDING

Anytime we do puppy consultations for new dog owners, one of the main things I discuss is confidence-
building. To me, that is one of the most important things in getting a new dog. If you have a highly
confident and well-socialized dog, the rest is easy. We will talk more in depth about socialization in the
next chapter. Many people think that dogs who bite people are highly confident, and that’s why they bite.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite; generally, they have very low confidence and are not well socialized. A
confident dog knows you are not a challenge or a threat, so there’s no reason to try to “show you.” That’s
why a lot of the smaller dogs bark at people more than the bigger dogs do. Generally, the best fighters do
not cause many problems. There is a reason you do not see people like UFC star Jon Jones in the news for
getting into fights outside the octagon. Because he is confident, he does not need to prove himself to
anyone. The same thing applies to police, military, and personal-protection dogs. Most of their training
revolves around confidence-building. Also, that is why you almost never see in the news that a police,
military, or personal-protection dog mauls a child to death. That is because they are usually well socialized,
highly confident, and they know that child does not pose any threat to them. Unfortunately, you see it in
the news all too often with regular house pets, because of, again, a lack of confidence and socialization.

So, what are some things you can do to ensure your puppy is highly confident? Assuming you got your dog
from a reputable breeder, as discussed earlier, you can use the numerous drills we use with our protection
dogs to make them highly confident.

AS SOON AS YOU GET YOUR PUPPY, START IMMEDIATELY

EXPOSING HIM TO AS MANY NOISES AS POSSIBLE.

Turn on the vacuum, blender, hair dryer, and any other noisy devices you have around the house. I have
seen far too many dogs that run and hide at the sound of a loud noise, especially vacuum cleaners and
thunder. This can be completely prevented if you expose them to these noises at a young age. Expose your
dog to as many noises as possible by the time he is five months old, and while exposing him, make it a
positive experience through verbal/physical praise, treats, etc.

9
What to do if you expose your puppy to a noise (e.g., a vacuum) and he runs and hides from it? Very simple
—bring him back and make him deal with it. One of the many terms we use for this process is “flooding.”
This means you find a noise your dog is afraid of and flood him with that noise repeatedly, every day.
Again, flood him with this experience in a positive way, by giving praise, treats, etc. Fear of noises or things
is a completely unrealistic fear that dogs have, just like humans. So, by making him sit next to the vacuum
cleaner while it’s turned on, he realizes, “I’m not being hurt, I don’t feel any pain, and I am getting praised
for this.” After a short while, that unrealistic fear will go away and the dog will soon realize that it is not a
big deal and will soon pay no attention to it.

What if my puppy hears a lot of noise such as thunder, fireworks, or a car door slam outside and he runs to
me for comfort? Never comfort your dog when he is afraid of something. This only reinforces the fear.
Comfort is simply another kind of praise. Think about that for a second. When you comfort a dog, how is
it different from praising him? You are petting them and talking cute to them in both instances. So when
you break it down, you are praising your dog for being afraid of something. Now, any time it has a reason
to be afraid, it will run to you in order to reap the praise that goes along with the action. So, never comfort
your dog for being afraid. If he hears a loud noise and comes running to you, do not acknowledge him, do
not look at him, touch him, pet him, or talk to him. Again, if he sees it does not get a response from you
and you do not make a big deal out of it, he will not make a big deal out of it, either.

What if I expose my dog to an object that he is afraid of? Same thing—flooding. Flood him with that object
in a positive manner. For some odd reason, we get a lot of dogs that are afraid of the pop a trashcan liner
makes when the owner shakes it out to open it. I recommend the same process as we do with noises. Put
the dog on a leash, hold him, and just keep popping the trashcan liner over and over. Soon enough, he will
not even acknowledge it. Also, if he is afraid of the liner itself, put the liner on your hand and pet him with
it. Again, he will soon realize that it is not that bad, it is not hurting him, and he is getting praised.

Often, if you bring a new object into the house, the puppy will run from it, bark at it, etc. Use the same
concepts as above—put him on a leash, pull him over to the object, and make him deal with it. Generally,
this process will last about 10 minutes or less, and then he will no longer pay attention to the object
because he has now faced his fears.

. ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP FOR CONFIDENCE-BUILDING IN A

PUPPY IS GET HIM ON AS MANY OBJECTS, SURFACES,
TEXTURES, AND ELEVATIONS AS POSSIBLE
There are many dogs we train that are afraid to get up on new objects. This is a direct result of
underexposure to new objects at a young age. In order to prevent this, put your puppy on as many different
things as possible. Set him on chairs, picnic tables, grass, asphalt, dog beds, staircases, wood, concrete,
Tupperware containers, tree stumps, park benches, and anything else you can find. The key is (on the lower
objects) to put him on there, praise him while he is up there, and then make him get off the object by
himself. Again, you are taking away that unrealistic fear by teaching him, “I got up here and was praised. I
got off on my own and I’m fine.”

10
We put dogs in completely unrealistic situations such as a baby pool filled with empty water bottles. We
create situations they are very unlikely to encounter in a real-world situation. Why do it if they would
never have to go into a baby pool filled with water bottles? Simple, if they get used to being in absurd
surfaces and environments, then realistic things are no problem whatsoever and they do not even think
twice about getting on those surfaces.

ANOTHER STEPS TO RAISING A CONFIDENT

DOG IS TO PLAY TUG WITH YOUR DOG.
People do not realize how important this step is in confidence-building. It does not help that there is so
much misinformation out there on this subject that people really do not know what to think. In order to
get our protection dog very tug-driven, meaning they go crazy when they see the tug and will do anything
for it is by limiting their exposure to it. In the Secret Service, our dogs were working for a ball. As soon as
the handlers pull that ball out, the dogs go crazy for it by spinning, barking, etc. So, many people would
ask, “How do I get my dog that motivated for a ball?” First off, it goes back to breeding and genetics, some
dogs from day one just have no interest in tugging or chasing a ball. That is why it is important to know
what type of puppy you are getting and who you are getting it from to ensure that the puppy will be able
to meet the expectations you have for it.

In order to make your pup highly motivated for a ball, tug, or toy, it is essential that he does not have full
access to it. Meaning, he should have only very limited access to that specific toy. If he has access to the ball
or tug all throughout the day, he will never be as highly motivated to work for it.

11
Again, a toy to dogs is like money is to you: If you had unlimited access to money, you wouldn’t be very
motivated to go to work because there is no incentive. The same principles apply with your puppy, if he
has constant access to a toy; there is no incentive for him to “work” for it. A dog will never be too
motivated for something he always has, just like people. The ball or tug becomes a new treat; they get it
only limitedly and on special occasions. If you fed your dog hot dogs every day, three meals per day, for one
year, they would no longer be considered a treat to him—it is now food. So think about the ball or tug the
same way—limited accessibility and only when they do something deserving.

Generally, we will give dogs the toy or play tug with them only when they are doing something good. When
we are training with them, we will do some obedience training, then “mark” the behavior (more on this in
the training section) and immediately reward with a quick game of a tug or by throwing the ball for them
to chase. As soon as we play tug for a minute or two, we will immediately take the tug back and repeat the
training. If we are using the ball, they have it long enough to go get it and bring it back, that’s about it. If
the pup gets the ball and lies down with it, we immediately take it away. Remember, these are not used as
chew toys.

One thing to keep in mind is you do not want to over-train with the tug or the ball. Meaning, you do not
want to keep playing with the dog until he loses interest in the tug/ball. Stop playing when the dog still
wants to keep going. That is what builds up the drive for it. So, when your pup is still in the prime of
wanting to play, we will tease them with the ball or tug and once they get all excited over it, we will simply
turn and put it away to end the session. This really helps build their drive. That way, when you go to pull
the tug/ball out the next time, they immediately want it and want to play. By repeating this sequence over
a period of weeks, you should really see your dog’s drive building up for these devices.

Let me correct some misinformation about playing tug with your dog. The first myth is that playing tug
with your dog can lead to aggression. That is completely false; actually, the opposite is true. Playing tug has
never led to aggression in any dog I have ever seen or worked with. Again, playing tug builds confidence.
As I stated in the beginning of this chapter, confident dogs are not the ones biting.

Second myth: You should always win if you play tug in order to show that you are the alpha-male, the
dominant member of the pack. Also completely false. Beating your puppy in tug is not something that will
teach your dog that you are the leader. What it will do is give your puppy low confidence. Think about it—
imagine if you and I were to play a game of pool at my house every day after work and I always beat you.
How confident would you be in playing pool? Imagine if my friends came over and they always beat you,
too. Where would you be on the confidence scale of 1 to 10? That is where your puppy’s confidence would
be, as well. Now, think of the same scenario but reverse the roles. Now imagine that you always beat me,
every one of my friends, and all of my family members. How high would you be on the confidence scale
then? In your mind, you are unbeatable. Losing isn’t even an option, right? Welcome to the world of how
police, military, and personal protection dogs think. Your pup should always win in the game of tug!

When you start playing tug with your puppy, make it fun, engaging, and exciting. You should get into it as
much as he does, if not more. While playing tug with your pup, pet him, lightly tapping him on his sides,
head, and chest as he tugs.

12
If you scare him off, encourage him back on, repeat the same process, but just don’t do it as much or as
hard. This gets your puppy in the habit of being touched while he is tugging and he will become immune to
the contact. This is good for when he gets older and possibly works a bite sleeve. Even if that is not your
intention for your dog, it is still good to do this drill in order to build confidence while playing tug.

Next, we start incorporating noise desensitization while playing tug with your puppy. Earlier, we talked
about desensitizing them to noises in general, now we are going to apply those same concepts to
desensitizing them while playing tug. Start small with something such as two spoons that you bang
together as you play tug. Again, if the puppy gets scared and backs off the tug, encourage him back on,
then make the same noises but not as loud. Then start to build the noise back up. Once he gets used to this,
find something louder, such as banging on a saucepan with a metal spoon as you play tug. Again, if he
comes off, encourage back on, and make the noise quieter, then build it back up. Once he adapts, find
something even louder, and then repeat this process over and over. This is how we build dogs up to the
point that they bite on a sleeve and we can shoot a gun over their head and they do not even flinch. Again,
this is huge for their confidence.

ANOTHER GOOD THING FOR CONFIDENCE IS PRAISING THE

DOG FOR BARKING WHEN SOMEONE IS AT THE DOOR.
When your puppy gets to be four or five months old, he may run to the door and bark when someone
knocks. Some people take the unfortunate step of quickly telling their dog to be quiet or yelling at him.
Remember, you got a big dog for a form of protection around the house, even if it was just to put on a
good show for a would-be robber. So, I tell everyone they should praise their pup for this behavior. If you
always quickly stop them or quiet them down, they will do exactly as you wish—eventually, they will never
make a noise if someone is breaking in because every time they tried to give you a verbal warning that
someone was outside, you quickly shut them up. Remember, dogs aim to please, so if you always stop your
dog from barking at the sound of someone outside, he will do just that—never bark.

The key is to praise the behavior, but be able to silence them on command when you wish. We always let
our protection dogs bark for a few seconds, praise them, and then give them the “quiet” command. That
way, you are getting the best of both worlds. You have a dog that is alert, gets his confidence up by being
praised when he gives you a verbal warning, and you can control it so it is not over the top or annoying.
The key is you do not want to teach them not to bark, you want to be able to control their barking.

On pages 60-62 I have included an amazing resource of weekly checklists you should utilize in order to
create a very confident and stable dog. If you follow all these steps, you will have a highly confident pup
that is comfortable in any situation.

13
 SOCIALIZATION

WHAT IS SOCIALIZATION? IT IS GETTING YOUR PUPPY

ACQUAINTED WITH AS MANY DIFFERENT ANIMALS,
PEOPLE, AND CIRCUMSTANCES AS POSSIBLE

In my opinion, socialization is one of the most important things in young puppies’ lives. If I were paid
every time we received e-mails or calls about people-aggressive or dog-aggressive dogs, I could have retired
by now. Almost all of these cases stem from a lack of socialization at a young age. When you get any new
puppy, it is extremely important to get him to start interacting with other animals and people.

To get your dog well socialized with people, try having everyone your puppy meets give him a treat.
Imagine if everyone you met gave you $50. You would quickly grow very fond of people; your puppy will,
too. Your pup will start making the association of “people equal great things for me.” You should make it
your mission for your puppy to meet as many people and animals as possible. Not only as many people as
possible, but as many types of people as possible—male, female, children, infants, and even different races.
He should have complete exposure to as many variations of humans as possible.

Socializing your puppy with other dogs and animals is also extremely important. Again, most cases of
aggression result from a lack of socialization. As I write this paragraph, there is a dog in our facility on its
first lesson who is extremely people-aggressive. When I asked the owner how the dog got that way, he
replied, “We never really had him around anyone other than our family.” With this particular Lab, you
cannot even touch him without him trying to bite you. This is why socialization is so important. This
should be something you start doing almost immediately after you bring your puppy home. This teaches
him to properly interact with other dogs at an early age. Ensure you are socializing your dog with other
dogs that are very friendly. Initially, we recommend this socialization should be with only a few dogs at a
time. Also, it should be supervised to ensure it stays safe play.

Do not take your puppy to dog parks for socialization. Yes, you read this correctly, dog parks are a bad idea
in my opinion. Again, we receive many e-mails from people whose dogs are now aggressive toward other
dogs after being bitten at a dog park. People do not realize that this happens all the time, and they just do
not hear about it. Only attacks on people make the news, not attacks on other dogs.

14
 The dogs at dog parks come from a wide variety of backgrounds and their owners often know very little
about their own dog. Unlike a doggy day-care, in a dog-park environment, there are no trained supervisors
walking around, ensuring the play is safe. Also, no evaluations are done in order to accept the dogs into the
dog park. Essentially, you are taking a big gamble by exposing your dog to other dogs you know nothing
about.

Usually, the dogs in dog parks are of various sizes, backgrounds, and levels of training. Essentially, they are
a pack of dogs. Dogs usually consider themselves a pack when there are four or more dogs present. As you
know, any time there is a pack, there has to be a pack leader. In order for a dog to become the pack leader,
he has to assert his force onto other dogs to show them he is in charge of the pack. The end result is a dog
getting bitten. Now, your dog that you have done so great with is now dog-aggressive because he was bitten
by another dog at a dog park, and now he associates dogs with being harmed.

There are numerous other ways to socialize your dog without the use of a dog park, such as taking them to
a doggy day-care. As I mentioned above, doggy day-cares evaluate dogs before admitting them into their
facility, drastically reducing the chances of a dominant dog being there. Additionally, they have trained
personnel constantly monitoring the dogs’ behaviors. In the event that a dog does start displaying any
dominant characteristics, they are immediately corrected or separated from the group. Another good way
to socialize is one-on-one with other known dog-friendly dogs. Or take them to a pet store on the
weekends so they can interact with other dogs and people.

A big misconception many people have is something along the lines of “I want my dog to protect my
family; I don’t want him to be friendly with everyone.” Unfortunately, most people don’t know that
socialization and a protection dog have absolutely nothing in common. In fact, almost all trained
protection dogs are extensively socialized. They love people, kids, animals, and other dogs. They are
friendly with everyone, and are taught to bite only a specific individual on command. An under-socialized
and low-confidence dog is more prone to bite a person at random (a family member, child, neighbor, etc.).
Regardless of what your goals are with your new dog—show, protection, detection, search and rescue, or
just a regular household pet—socialization is one of the most important things you can do with a new
puppy. A well-socialized dog is a much more confident dog, as well. It is confident around all people and
animals. On pages 58 and 59, I have included an amazing socialist checklist you should do weekly!

15
 BEING THE
PACK LEADER

What does it mean that dogs are pack animals? This means they always roam and stick together in a pack.
Lions are the same way; you will very rarely see a lone lion because they travel in packs. Anytime you have a
pack, there has to be a leader in charge of the pack. Think about a pack of dogs like a small business in
America. There is no successful business that does not have someone in charge of it. There has to be
someone in charge in order to make the decisions, ensure the employees are taken care of and have
everything they need, reprimand an employee when he or she does something that goes against the policy
of the company, and ensure the overall success of the business. The pack leader, or “alpha-male,” of a dog
pack essentially has those same responsibilities.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU BECOME THE PACK LEADER IN

YOUR HOUSEHOLD WITH THE ADDITION OF THE NEW
MEMBER OF YOUR PACK (I.E., YOUR PUPPY).
It is important that you teach your new puppy that you are the pack
leader. You must teach him that you are the one who is in charge of the
pack; you make the decisions; you have the best of everything; you decide
when to play with him; and out of your entire family, you must
demonstrate to him that he is the lowest member of the “pack.”

Many people wonder why this is important. This is another very

important process to ensure that you have a happy, confident, and
well-trained dog. Dogs are much happier and stable when they
know their place in a pack, and there is no question about who is
the dominant individual in the house. As some of you may have
already experienced by having dogs, people often say, “My dog
listens to my husband really well and does not listen to me at all.”
Or “My dog will listen to my husband and me, but he will not
listen to the kids.” Again, this is because your dog knows whom
the pack leader is, and listens to him or her. Generally, the person
the dog listens to the best is the one who has displayed the best
pack leader characteristics and he knows that person is in charge.
We are going to discuss many things you can do in order to show
your dog you are the pack leader.

16
One of the most basic things that I always stress to people during their puppy consultations is: Do not let
your dog get on the furniture. This is something a lot of people do not like to hear. However, this can and
often does lead to major problems in the future. One of the problems with letting your dog get on the
furniture is you are bringing them to your level. Essentially, you are teaching them they are on the same
level as you and your family. Remember, dogs should be treated as the lowest members of the pack, not as
equals. Having them sleep on the floor and on their dog beds is just one more thing to reinforce to them
that they are lower members of the pack. Hence, they get the lowest and worst spots to sleep and lie.

Another problem that can be caused with letting them get on the furniture is territorial aggression. I have
talked to many clients who tell me that if they try to get their dog off of the couch, he will growl and snap
at them—again, because now the dog sees this as an invasion of his space. I have talked with numerous
people who tell me that when they try to get into bed with their significant other, their dog will growl at
them. Again, by bringing them to your level, you can create numerous problems with the order of your
pack. You are demonstrating to your dog that he is equal to you; this can lead to many problems.

You should be the first one to do everything. What exactly does that mean, you ask? You should be the first
one to eat, then you feed the dog. You should be the first one greeted when a family member arrives home,
or if you arrive home first, the family members should be greeted and then the dog. Again, you are
reinforcing to him that every member of the family is higher on the pack structure than he is. You should
be the first one out the door and the first one up or down the stairs. Simply put your dog in the sit position
and then allow him to come after you have gone, or hold him back so he cannot pass you. While walking on
the leash, your pup should walk beside you, not in front. Again, leaders walk in the front of the pack. Just
keep in mind when you start to work with your dog that you and your family should be the first ones to do
everything. The dog always comes last.

In military and law enforcement, generally, our dogs do not have any toys that belong to them. This is done
for two reasons, one of which I discussed earlier: Your dog will never be motivated for something to which
he has constant access. The second reason we do this is to show the dog that he owns nothing; all toys are
ours, and he plays with them when we allow him to. He gets them for doing something good, the toy
becomes the treat. Many dogs become toy-aggressive because they have learned that the toys are theirs and
you are trying to take their toy. Again, you are the leader, so you control everything in the house. Just like
my father was our pack leader, so he controlled the remote control, and he only let us have access to it
when he wanted to. Just one more small thing of the many that reaffirmed he was indeed the leader of our
household. Get in the habit of touching and playing with your dog while he is eating, or has a bone or a toy.
This is done to desensitize them to any possession issues that could arise in the future. Again, they learn
that you give the food, toy, bone, or ball, and that you can take it away; it is yours and you are just letting
them temporarily have it.

Another important thing about which I get asked about is when dogs try to force their owners to play with
them or pet them. For example, you are sitting on the couch and your dog comes over and drops his ball in
your lap or lifts up your hand to make you pet him. Those are both examples of your dog trying to make
you interact. As hard as it may be, never give in to this forced interaction. Once you give in, your dog will
always try to force you to interact. If our dogs do this, we simply pay no attention to them. They learn that
their efforts did not pay off and they will no longer try to engage.

17
If you feel you must give your dog a toy, and he keeps dropping it in your lap or next to you, simply put
away the toy. This shows them that by trying to force you to play, they lost their toy. Again, they will stop
doing this because they will equate this action with getting their toy taken. We teach the dogs that we
decide when it’s time to play, not them.

Never feed your dogs from the table. This is a common mistake. If you do this, you will have a dog that
begs, drools, and stalks you and your family at the table. By handing them food from the table, you are
teaching your dog that the table is a great source for amazing food. Imagine if every time you hung around
the table, your father offered up $100. How much would you be waiting at the table? Your dog has the same
mindset as you. If you feel compelled to give your dog table food, wait until everyone from the family has
finished and gotten up from the table. Then you can place some of the leftovers in your dog’s bowl. By
doing so, you are teaching that food never comes from the table and it will only come from his bowl.

Make your dog listen. I always tell our clients, “Never give your dog a command that you are not going to
reinforce.” That is one of the most important things when it comes to advanced training. If you give a dog a
command that you know he knows, you must follow through with it and make him do it, with no
exceptions. If you tell him to sit, down, or come, you must ensure he does it, even if you have to physically
make him do it. Your dog must learn that once you issue a command, there is no way out of it. Just like
with kids, if you let them get away with not doing something you told them to do once, they will try to get
out of it the next 10 times. I always tell my clients, “You will never hear me tell a dog something that he
doesn’t end up doing. Once I say a command, it’s not if he will do it, but whether they do it on their own.
Otherwise I will make him do it.” To me, this is an essential principal in training and being the pack leader.
If my father told me to clean my room, it was getting done and there was no way out of it and I knew that,
so I rarely even tried to get out of it. Apply those same principles to training your dog—if you cannot back
it up, don’t give the command.

18
THE USE
OF A VERBAL
MARKER FOR
TRAINING

First off, if you have purchased a little $3 or $4 device that makes a little click when you press a button, this
is what's called a "clicker." What the clicker does is give the dog a distinct click to mark the behavior that
he just successfully performed. Does it work? Yes, it definitely works in expediting the dog’s learning
process and drastically cuts down on the time it will take your dog to learn a new command.

We refer to as “marker training.” A clicker marks the behavior with a distinct click while a verbal marker
marks the behavior with a distinct word. I generally use a "verbal marker" instead of a clicker, for this, I
use the word “Yes” (said excitedly). Why do I generally do verbal marker vs clicker training? The clicker
training does have some shortfalls to it. Some of the shortfalls to clicker training is that you have to carry
this little plastic device everywhere you go in order to mark the behavior, another shortfall is that they are
small, so if you lose it, you have to buy another one. The biggest shortfall of the clicker (in my opinion) is
that it’s something else you have to hold in your hand while trying to teach the dog something, while also
holding a treat in your other hand. It can become very complicated to juggle everything at once for a
novice. The verbal marker training is free, you can do it anywhere, and you never have to fumble with
anything extra.

How does marker training work? It works exactly the same as clicker training. First, let me explain how
clicker training works. First you must charge the verbal marker. Start by getting your dog to associate
getting a treat every time he hears your verbal marker (we will use the word “yes”). So, in order to teach
your dog that the word “yes” means something good, start by saying the dog’s name. When he looks at you,
immediately say yes (excitedly) and give a treat. Repeat this drill. The treat should come immediately after
the verbal command is given—literally after one second or less. Tell the dog to sit (assuming he knows the
sit command). As soon as his bottom hits the floor, say “yes” and immediately give the treat.

19
Remember, use small pieces of treats when doing the training, that way, your dog will not fill up as fast
and will be more motivated to perform for a longer period of time. Also, it helps if you do these training
sessions before your dog has eaten, increasing motivation for the food reward. If he knows more
commands, give those commands, and say “yes” and immediately give another treat each time a command
is obeyed. This is what we call “charging the marker.” This gets the dog in the routine of knowing that the
word “yes” means something good is immediately going to follow it.

Once you start expanding and go on to teach your dog new tricks that you have learned in books, on
television or the Internet, start applying the verbal marker when teaching new tricks. It will vastly decrease
the time it takes to learn the new command. If you want to teach your dog to down (lie down), when he
does it on his own, mark with a “yes,” then immediately give a treat. Your dog learns, “Whatever I did right
then is exactly what was wanted of me.” That is how it really expedites their learning process.

Marker training is a very fast, easy, effective, and cheap way to train your dog in obedience and you can
teach them some pretty neat tricks. When using marker and treat training, be as creative as possible when
it comes to thinking of new things to teach the dog. Remember, a bored dog is a destructive dog; this is a
great way to keep him entertained. You would be amazed at the number of things they can learn using this
training method.

20
 TEACHING THE BASIC
COMMANDS WITH
VERBAL MARKERS

TEACHING THE
“COME” COMMAND

1. First, find
f nd a high-valued treat. A high-valued treat is simply
fi l something that
ly tha your dog really loves. To give
you a good d hint,
h most dogs
d love
l hot
h dogs.
d I always
l use the
he chicken
hi k or turkey
k hot dogs just because they are
healthier.

2. Create a distraction-free environment for your dog (no TV, no kids running around, no other pets
around, etc.). Start charging your marker as described earlier. Say your dog’s name. When he looks at you,
give the verbal marker “yes” and immediately give a treat. This will help get your dog in training mode.

3. Walk a little bit away from your dog, bend over, and have a treat in your hand at your dog’s eye level.

4. Call your dog’s name, and follow it by the word “come.”

5. As soon as your dog gets to you, immediately mark the behavior with the word “yes” and give the treat.
Repeat this process. Note: Even if you do not have a treat to give your dog every time, still praise him for
coming when called. This way, he will always associate coming when called with something positive.

21
 TEACHING THE
“SIT” COMMAND

1. First, find a high-valued treat—something that your dog really loves. To give you a good hint, most dogs
love hot dogs. I always use the chicken or turkey hot dogs just because they are healthier.

2. Create a distraction-free environment for your dog (no TV, no kids running around, no other pets
around, etc.). Start charging your marker as described earlier. Say your dog’s name. When he looks at you,
give the verbal marker “yes” and immediately give a treat. This will help get your dog in training mode.
3. Put a treat close to your dog’s nose.

4. Move the treat up over your dog’s head, as if you were pushing it between their ears, and lure your dog
into the sit position as you repeat the command “sit.”

5. As soon as your dog is in the sit position, very quickly mark the behavior with a “yes” and give your dog
the treat. Repeat process three to five times until your dog has mastered the sit command.

6. To teach your dog to stay in the sit position until released, put him into the sit position, wait a few
seconds, and then mark it with a “yes” and give the treat. Then, wait 10 seconds before you give the marker
and the treat. Then 30 seconds, one minute, and so on. If the dog gets up before you give the marker,
immediately put him back into the sit position and try again. If you notice he is constantly getting up, you
may be trying to progress too fast for them. Shorten the time you make them sit before you give the
marker, then build the time back up again.

7. Once the dog has mastered staying in the sit position until the marker is given, have him sit, back a few
feet away, then give the marker/treat. Again, as he gets better at it, get further away. This teaches the dog
the “extended sit.” If he gets up before you give the marker, step into him to block him and put him back
into the sit position. Then repeat the drill.

22
TEACHING THE “DOWN” COMMAND

1. First, find a high-valued treat—something that your dog really loves. To

give you a good hint, most dogs love hot dogs. I always use the chicken or
turkey hot dogs just because they are healthier.

2. Create a distraction-free environment for your dog (no TV, no kids

running around, no other pets around, etc.). Start charging your marker as
described earlier. Say your dog’s name. When he looks at you, give the
verbal marker “yes” and immediately give a treat. This will help get your dog
in training mode.
3. Put a treat close to your dog’s nose.

4. Move the treat down to the ground in between his paws. Once your dog
goes down, move the treat away from him—pulling it back toward you, but
keeping it on the ground.

5. Often, the dog’s chest will lower to the ground, but he will keep his
hindquarters up in the air. If this happens, push the lure back into your dog
until he lies down completely. Then, immediately mark it with “yes” and the
treat.

6. To teach your dog to stay in the down position until released, put him
into the down position, wait a few seconds, and then mark it with a “yes”
and give the treat. Then, wait 10 seconds before you give the marker and
treat. Then 30 seconds, one minute, and so on. If he gets up before you give
the marker, immediately put him back into the down position and try
again. If you notice he is constantly getting up, you may be trying to
progress too fast for him. Shorten the time you make him down before you
give the marker, then build the time back up again.

7. Once your dog has mastered staying in the down position until the marker is given, you can have him
down, back a few feet away, then give the marker and treat. Again, as he gets better at it, get further away.
This teaches “extended down.” If he gets up before you give the marker, step into him to block him and
put him back into the down position. Then repeat the drill.

23
ALTERNATIVE METHOD
FOR TEACHING THE “DOWN”
If your dog’s hindquarters stay up in the air, or he isn’t getting the concept of down, try using your leg to
help lure him into the down position. Sit on the floor next to your dog and place the leg that is closest to
him flat on the floor. It should be positioned so that your leg is making an arch position or an upside down
V beside your dog. Once you have this position, hold the treat under your leg and when your dog goes down
to get it, repeat the down command and pull the treat away. He should lower into the down position in
order to go under your leg to get the treat. As soon as this happens, mark the behavior with “yes” and
reward with treat, then repeat the process.

24
TEACHING THE “STAND” COMMAND

1. First, find a high-valued treat—something that your dog really loves.

To give you a good hint, most dogs love hot dogs. I always use the
chicken or turkey hot dogs just because they are healthier.

2. Create a distraction-free environment for your dog (no TV, no kids

running around, no other pets around, etc.). Start charging your marker
as described earlier. Say your dog’s name. When he looks at you, give the
verbal marker “yes” and immediately give a treat. This will help get your
dog in training mode.
3. Put your dog into the sit position.

4. With the dog in the sit position, stand facing your dog and put a treat
in front of your dog’s nose. Slowly pull the treat back toward your chest,
luring your dog with the treat to stand up out of the sit position.
5. As you lure your dog toward you, repeat the command “stand.” As
soon as he gets up out of the sit position and stands up, immediately
mark the behavior with “yes” and a reward.

6. To teach your dog to stay in the stand position until released, put him
into the stand position, wait a few seconds, then mark it with the “yes”
and give the treat. Then, wait 10 seconds before giving the marker and
treat. Then 30 seconds, one minute, and so on. If he moves before you
give the marker, immediately put him back into the stand position and
try again. If you notice he is constantly moving, you may be trying to
progress too fast for him. Shorten the time you make him stand before
you give the marker, then build the time back up again.

7. Once he has mastered staying in the stand position until the marker is given, you can have him stand,
back a few feet away, and give him the marker and treat. Again, as he gets better at it, get further away.
This teaches the “extended stand.” If he moves before you give the marker, step into him to block him and
put him back into the stand position. Then repeat the drill.

25
 TEACHING THE
“HEEL” COMMAND

1. First, find a high-valued treat—something that your dog really loves. To give you a good hint, most dogs
love hot dogs. I always use the chicken or turkey hot dogs just because they are healthier.

2. Create a distraction-free environment for your dog. I always recommend starting the heel command in a
very quiet neighborhood on pavement. The reason we practice on pavement is because there are minimal
scent distractions compared to on grass.

3. Have your dog start by sitting on your left side with a leash on.

4. Have a treat in your left hand, step off, and say “heel.”

5. Try to keep your dog focused on the treat in your hand, aiming to get him to remain beside you with the
treat. Walk approximately 10 feet, stop, have the dog sit, and give the treat. Repeat. As he gets better at it,
walk further distances before the treat is given.

Troubleshooting
• If your dog immediately pulls ahead of you, do a 180° turn, putting him back on your left side and try to
refocus him on the treat.

• If he gets out of position, have him sit, put him next to your left leg, and start the drill again.

26
 PROS AND CONS OF
DIFFERENT TRAINING
METHODS

There are several training methods that can be used to train your dog. One of the most common and
popular methods is reward-based or treat-based training. This training involves finding something that
your dog really likes (ball, hot dogs, treats, tug) and using that as an incentive to get the dog to perform the
desired command. The marker and treat training we discussed in the previous chapter is based on this
method.

The pro to using this system with a dog who already knows the commands is that you have a dog who is
very motivated for the reward. Therefore, they are voluntarily complying with your verbal commands in
order to obtain the reward. The benefit of using this method to teach a dog a new command is he is very
motivated, focused, and eager to please in order to obtain the reward. Often when using a food reward, the
dog will be eager to continue training and learning for long periods of time. Look at it as giving a small kid
one small piece of candy at a time every time he or she does something good. It is not enough to get full,
but it is enough to make them want more. Another major pro to this system is that anyone can do it with
no special knowledge or devices needed. Simply watch a video, grab a pack of hot dogs, and you are all set.
That is why this is the most common method of training—any amateur can use this method to train a dog.

Anyone who has used this method for training can tell you that despite its numerous benefits, there are
also several problems with it, as well. One of the main complaints with reward-based training is reliability.
Remember, this system is based on the dog complying because he wants to get the reward. However, there
will come a time when your dog does not want the reward or he is distracted by something more
interesting than the reward (we call this "competing motivators"). At that point, you have lost all obedience
because your dog is no longer enticed to perform for the reward. As an example, if you are outside, off-
leash with your dog and he spots a squirrel, a bird, or another dog, it will be much more interesting than
the treat in your hand. When he is faced with a decision to go for the treat or take off after the squirrel,
almost always the “prey” object will win. He will take off running to get the better reward and return when
he loses interest in the item that initially distracted him.

The other problem with this system is that there is no consequence for disobedience, meaning, when your
dog takes off down the road and will not come back, there is not much you can do in order to give him a
consequence for bad behavior.

27
Imagine training a child solely based on positive reinforcement; you get a treat if you do well, you don’t get
a treat if you misbehave. The child would disobey fairly regularly. Your dog will do the same.

However, reward-based training is fun for you and your dog and it is a cheap, easy, and fast way to start
teaching your dog a wide variety of commands with almost no expenses or specialized experience needed.
You will be able to teach your dog commands and get decent results with obedience, but you will never
have an amazingly obedient dog with this system.

Another popular training method is the prong collar. The prong collar is lined with metal prongs along the
interior of the collar. The prong collar is designed to replicate the way the mother would correct her pups
in a litter. Or how the alpha-male dog in a pack would correct lower-ranking members of the pack, which
is giving a quick nip on the neck. When your dog does not comply with a command, give a quick jerk on
the prong collar. Increase intensity of the jerk until your dog complies.

The pro to the prong collar is it is more reliable for obedience than the reward-based system. Using the
prong collar, you can still use the reward-based system to motivate the dog, however, now you can use the
prong collar to give an instant correction when the dog doesn’t listen with the reward-based system. A
scenario would be if you had your dog’s favorite ball and you tell him to sit. If he doesn’t, you give a quick
jerk on the prong collar and repeat the command. The prong collar gives him a less than pleasurable feeling
and he complies with the command. If he does not comply with the command, increase the intensity of the
jerk on the prong collar and repeat the command. This is done until the dog complies. Once he does, give
the reward. The dog quickly learns, “If he says sit, I have to do it, so I might as well just do it the first time
and get the reward.”

In my opinion, there are a few flaws with using the prong collar. One of the biggest is consistency of the
correction given, meaning, is your dog being corrected at the same level of correction each day? If you
correct your dog with the prong collar, is your correction (jerking on the prong collar) harder or gentler
than when your wife corrects your dog with it? Or, when you corrected your dog when he really started to
get under your skin, did you correct him much harder than you did yesterday for doing the exact same
thing? When it comes to training, there has to be consistency in order for the dog’s learning to be
maximized.

The second major problem with the prong collar is when your dog is off-leash and away from you. If he is
100 yards away and you call him to come and he doesn’t, what do you do? Now, you are back to the same
problem you had with the reward-based training—off-leash reliability. Even with the prong collar, neither
an instant correction nor a consequence can be given once he is out of your reach.

Overall, prong-collar training is safe, cheap, effective, and very humane when done properly. It is much
more effective and reliable than reward-based training, however, it still has a couple of shortfalls.

My preferred method for training dogs is the electronic collar (e-collar). The e-collar comes with a remote
control that the owner carries. It is based on almost the same premise as that of the prong collar.

28
It gives a subtle stimulation to the dog’s neck area that can be increased in intensity until the dog complies
with the command. Modern e-collars are very safe, reliable, and effective when used properly. In fact,
almost all police, military, and personal protection dogs are now trained using the e-collar. When using the
e-collar, we also use reward-based training for the dog, generally in the form of a toy or praise.

The e-collar has numerous levels of stimulation so its use can be tailored to a specific dogs’ temperament
and the level of distraction encountered. When the e-collar is used properly, the dog does not view it as a
punishment, but views it as a training tool, much like a leash. More important, they actually grow to love it
because they associate the e-collar with going outside, off-leash, and having fun. Where other training
systems fall short, the e-collar picks up. The range of e-collars vary from 400 yards to two miles. With this
system, if your dog is off-leash and you call him to come and he does not, you still can give an instant
correction that increases in intensity until he complies with the command.

The e-collar is safe, very effective, and humane when properly used. The shortfalls of the e-collar is that
they are much more costly than the other training methods; an average e-collar costs around $200. It is
highly recommended that you seek a professional trainer before utilizing this training device. The e-collar
can make a disobedient dog perform with amazing precision in a very short time, however, in untrained
hands it can completely ruin a dog.

Overall, when choosing a training method for your dog, decide what is most important to you—cost,
functionality, or reliability. Whatever method you choose, keep in mind that practice, patience, and
consistency are important to achieve great results using any method.

29
 THE DO’S AND
DON’TS OF
TRAINING

REGARDLESS OF WHAT METHOD YOU CHOOSE TO TRAIN

YOUR DOG, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS YOU DO NOT
WANT TO DO IS TO OVER-TRAIN.
Always end your training sessions when the dog is still having fun and is actively engaged in the training.
Again, you want to make this a fun process, not a dreaded one. This is especially important with puppies.
Everyone wants to get their new puppies trained as rapidly as possible, however, they lose focus of the fact
that they are only two or three months old and have an extremely short attention span. If you find yourself
chasing your puppy or dog around in order to get it to participate in training, the training session was
probably too long and he has completely lost interest. As a general rule, 10-week-old puppies can take
about 10 minutes of training at a time; five-month-old puppies can do about 45 minutes at a time.
Remember, always end training when the dog wants to keep going, to build up the drive to train.

Once your dog knows the command, never reward him for anything less than exactly what you wanted him
to. In training, we see this happen with owners and dogs all too often and it can quickly turn an amazing
obedience dog into a marginal one if it continues. For example, if you give the command “down” and your
dog almost lies down but is still hovering slightly above the floor and you reward that, he will learn that he
does not have to go all the way down in order to get rewarded. By doing this, your dog learns, “Why go all
the way down if I can go halfway and get rewarded? I can do half the job and still get the reward.” I always
tell my clients, “Never reward them once for something you wouldn’t want them to do the next 10 times.”
Dogs are creatures of habit, and they learn amazingly well through repetition. If you reward them once for
something, they will try that same thing the next 10 times, especially if it requires less work. So, never
reward them for something you wouldn’t want them to always do. If they mess up the command or don’t
do it all the way, make them finish it or just start again from the beginning, but do not reward them unless
you want the behavior to be repeated.

Don’t be too quick to incorporate distractions while training your dog. I have found that people find this
hardest to accept when we start training their dog at our facility. Their dog will have just finished the first
lesson and the owner will ask, “Should we start practicing this with a lot of distractions?” No. Your dog has
to be amazing at the commands without distractions before they will be great with distractions.

30
If your dog is mediocre at a command when it is just the two of you practicing, you can expect nothing but
less than mediocre with multiple distractions. It is important to have your dog nearly flawlessly obedient
before you start to incorporate distractions. Once he is to the point of near perfection, the distractions
should be incorporated slowly. Meaning, do not take them to the middle of the dog park and practice as
their first test run with distractions. Start with one other dog around, then two dogs with a couple of
people, and then build up from there. By ensuring they are near perfection and then building them up to
multiple distractions, you are setting them up for success.

Do not make your sessions obedience training with play built in; try to make them play with obedience
built in. What’s the difference? Your mindset. When working with your dog, think of it as playing with him
and throwing obedience into the play. If you think of it this way, and act this way, then your dog will think
the same thing. Dogs are like people—they are much more motivated to learn if they want to do something
versus if they feel like they have to do something. If you take them out with the intention of making them
work on obedience, then they will feel like it is work and will not be as receptive nor motivated. However,
if you are taking them out to play and simply incorporate the obedience into the play, then they will be
much more receptive because they are wanting to learn. When you find a good balance of play and
training, your dog should not even realize he is training.

Do not get frustrated when working with your dog. I know, it sounds a lot easier than it sometimes is.
Remember, if you are properly motivating your dog with whatever drives him (treats, tug, toy, ball, etc.),
then he wants to learn! So, if for some reason he just isn’t picking it up, it is probably more your fault than
his. There is a communication problem, and since you are the only one communicating what needs to
happen, it is a problem on your end. If you find yourself getting frustrated, it’s probably time to stop
training for the time being. Also, this will give you time to stop, calm down, and reevaluate your teaching
style and method. Again, dogs are like people—what works for one does not necessarily work for another.
So, if you saw a great training method on TV, the Internet, or in a book (even this book) do not be afraid
to tailor that to what you find works best for your dog. Do not get tunnel vision and start thinking the
method you saw is the only way to achieve the desired result. Only you know what motivates your dog the
best.

Constantly try to find new things to teach your dog to do. So many people get so focused on teaching them
just the basic commands; those are very boring for your dog once he masters them. As soon as your dog
masters one command, move forward and teach something new, then repeat. Think of your dog like a kid
in school who didn’t just learn addition in math and then was done for the rest of his or her life. One
learned the basics, and once those were mastered, moved up to something harder. Just like with us, for your
dog, learning should be an ongoing cycle that never ends. Dogs that are always learning are never bored. In
fact, dogs love to learn just like people do. It stimulates them mentally and makes them use their brain
instead of just lying around, eating, and going out to the restroom.

31
 IMPORTANCE
OF PHYSICAL
AND MENTAL
EXERCISE
The importance of physical and mental exercise cannot be stressed enough as to what it takes in order to
raise a perfect dog.

DOGS ARE LIKE PEOPLE—THEY NEED STIMULATION, THEY

NEED TO GET OUT, AND THEY NEED TO BE CHALLENGED
BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.

Dogs who are exercised regularly are much happier and healthier than dogs who are not, and the same can
be said for people. I always told my friends, family, and clients that whenever I wrote a book on dog
training, I would include in it my favorite quote, so here it is: “If you do not give your dog a job to do, they
will become self-employed. A self-employed dog will always cost the owner money.” What does that mean?
If you do not keep your dog actively employed through a job (obedience, training, games, etc.) or exercise,
he will find something to do as an outlet of for excessive energy (chew your carpet, eat your couch, chew
your furniture, etc.).

In order to exercise them physically, first keep in perspective what type of dog you have, their needs, and
their age. If you have a puppy, you really shouldn’t be exercising them at all, no more than a simple short
walk. A bulldog requires less physical exercise than a boxer or a Lab. So keep in perspective the age and
breed of your dog in order to get a good gauge of adequate exercise requirements. What is sufficient for
one breed would be too much for another breed, and what is too much for one breed wouldn’t be enough
for another breed. Do some research on your particular dog in order to assess what would be sufficient.

It is an unfortunate misconception that, for most dogs, simply taking them for a leisurely walk once or
twice per day is enough. Often people say, “I walk them twice a day, I don’t understand why they still have
all this excess energy.” Even if you have a dog that is not super high-energy like a boxer or a Malinois, it
generally is still not enough to simply walk him. Think about it—you are taking a dog who is born to run
for a walk at your pace (which is even slower than the dog’s walking pace), and restricting him to a six- to
eight-foot leash while doing so.

32
That is not considered “exercise” to a dog. Do you consider it exercise when you are walking in the mall
next to a four-year-old with very short strides? I highly doubt it. However, if you were outside for 30
minutes or more, running around non-stop, catching the ball, and running back and forth, you would get
pretty worn out. Again, dogs are just like people, if it wouldn’t be enough to wear you out, it definitely is
not enough to wear out your four-legged friend.

I always encourage my clients to take their dogs to an open field near their house, so their dogs can run
around off-leash and chase the ball (for which you have built up their drive). Another good place to take
your dog for some off-leash freedom is to a school on weekends because generally nobody is there. Not only
can you let them run off-leash, but playgrounds generally have some pretty good fixtures to which you can
expose your dog (as discussed in the confidence-building section of this book). Obviously, in order for you
to be able to have your dog off-leash, you have to have some form of control over him so you can recall him
as needed without the fear of him running off.

Another good way to get out some excess energy if you cannot yet trust your dog off-leash, it’s cold out, or
you do not have time to take him to a park is by the use of a treadmill. Start him off on a low incline at low
speeds and at a short distance, then build upon this. Again, only you can decide what would be good for
your specific dog. When you put your dog on a treadmill, you can wrap the leash around the hand grips of
the treadmill. That way he has enough slack so that it is not pulling on his neck, but there is not enough
slack to allow jumping off. Generally, after about a week or two, your dog will start to love the treadmill.
When using the treadmill, always supervise your dog while he is using it.

One of the best ways to tire out your dog is through mental stimulation, which works much faster than any
form of physical stimulation you could impress upon your dog. Our police and military K9s can run all day,
however, if we do a solid hour of obedience or some other form of training with them, they are pretty worn
out. Again, comparing dogs to people, what tires you more, walking one or two miles or doing complex
math problems for one to two hours straight? With the math problems, your head hurts, you feel drained,
you just want to put down the books and shut your eyes. That’s how mental stimulation works with dogs,
as well. Constant thinking creates a lot of mental stimulation, which tires the entire body.

One of the most basic things you can do to keep your dog mentally stimulated is to practice obedience
with him or her—not only practice stuff already mastered, but find new things to teach. Learning
completely new concepts will really wear out your dog fast.

Another fun thing you can do is make your dog really use his nose. Place three shoeboxes on the floor and
hide a treat under one of them. Make your dog sniff out the one with the treat. Once he is sniffing on the
right box, make him sit, then lift the box and reward with the treat. This will teach your dog to use his
nose. Soon he will sit on his own once he finds where the treat is hidden. Start throwing in a keyword
phrase such as “find the treat.” As your dog gets better and better at this game, make it more complex by
adding more boxes, different locations, and different treats.

33
One of the best ways we wear out our dogs is by playing what we refer to as the Tug Game. If your dog is
motivated to play tug, we will get the tug and combine obedience with playing tug. We will have them
down, sit, heel, etc., then give a verbal marker (as discussed in the marker section of this book) such as
“Yes,” and activate playing the Tug Game. Meaning, we will play tug with them for approximately 15 or 20
seconds, have them “out” the tug, give one or two more obedience commands, and once they complete
them, we will give another verbal marker that engages the the Tug Game. We will repeat this for about 15
minutes. Doing this combines mental stimulation (obedience training) with physical stimulation (the Tug
Game). By combining both forms of stimulation, you really wear down your dog much faster. Keep in
mind, you always want to end the Tug Game when he still wants to play more (again, build up that drive).
Never end because the dog has given up and no longer wants to play, which indicates an over-trained dog.

Remember, anything can be taught to your dog as a game; you do not have to find training ways to teach,
just make them up as you go. You can put a treat in one hand but display both hands in a fist to your dog
and try to make them sniff out which hand holds the treat. Take a couple pairs of old shoes and line them
up, putting a treat in one of them, and make your dog find which shoe it’s in. These types of drills really
make the dogs use their senses extra hard, which is good not only for scent development, but it is good for
mental stimulation, as well. Not to mention, it’s a fun game for you and your dog and you will bond while
playing it. There are no limits to the things you can come up with to keep your dog stimulated. Also, it
keeps you stimulated by making you think of new, fun, and creative things to do.

IT CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH

THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE A HAPPY
DOG, THERE MUST BE MENTAL AND
PHYSICAL STIMULATION INVOLVED;
IT’S THE AMOUNT OF STIMULATION
THAT YOU MUST DECIDE.

34
 TROUBLESHOOTING
COMMON PROBLEMS

Now we are going to discuss some common problems that people often encounter with their dogs.
Remember, almost any problem that your dog displays can be corrected if the proper steps are taken. Some
of these problems can easily be fixed yourself, but if the problem is more complex, you may want to consult
a professional trainer or behavioral expert.

Nipping is a problem that many people face with their puppies. It has nothing to do with aggression; it is
simply them playing with you or if you have a herding breed of dog, it is in their instinct to do this. Even
though they are puppies, nips can still be painful and annoying, especially to small children. Nipping is also
a way that puppies play and interact with their litter mates. Remember, dogs do not have hands, so their
only way to play is by using their mouths. However, now that they have a human family, they must be
taught that it is no longer acceptable to play this way.

When a puppy is playing with a litter mate and nips him too hard, the other litter mate will let out a quick
yelp and usually walk away, essentially telling the offending dog, “You played too rough, now I am done
playing with you.” Or, if it gets too rough, often the mother will step in as well and put an end to it. This is
how dogs learn what is acceptable play and what is unacceptable—again, the same way that kids learn.
When the older brother does something to hurt his little sister, mom steps in, gives a consequence and the
older brother learns what he did was too rough.

So if you get a dog that starts nipping, the first thing to try is saying “off” and if he persists, let out a little
yelp and simply end the play session. Essentially, you are replicating the same thing that would happen if
your dog were with his litter mates. If your dog persistently tries to nip at you, simply isolate him from the
family for a few minutes. This becomes your dog’s equivalent of a timeout.

Another method that people find very effective is using a bitter-tasting spray, various brands of which are
out on the market. This is a liquid with a horribly bitter taste that comes in a spray-style bottle. When your
dog nips or chews on something he is not supposed to, repeat the command “off” and if he continues,
simply squirt the liquid into his mouth. By doing this, your dog will learn that if he hears “off” and
continues his behavior, he will soon have this horrible tasting product in his mouth.

35
Many people soon realize that having a puppy is much like having a baby; they are a handful and they get
into everything and put anything in their mouths—socks, shoes, remote control, keys, cords, and any other
fun new “toy” they can find lying around the house. This is a great opportunity to teach them the “out”
command, for which you will find a great use over the course of your dog’s life. Teaching puppies the “out”
command requires him to wear a standard flat collar (not a pinch, choke, or e-collar). As soon as your
puppy gets something in his mouth that he shouldn’t have, give the command “out.” If he does not drop it,
pick him up off of the ground by the collar (so the front paws are off the ground) and repeat the word
“out.” As soon as he drops it, praise him and then try to give him something he can have (a toy, bone, etc.).
Picking up and holding the puppy by the collar cuts off the air supply, so the puppy learns, “I can drop this
object or run out of air.” I can assure you he will drop the object every time. So he begins to associate the
word “out” with dropping whatever is in his mouth on command. The reason we try to replace the object
with a toy is to teach them, “You cannot have that, but you can have this.” Not only does this teach the
“out” command, but it also begins to teach the dog what is his.

Destroying things in your home when you are not there. Once you have the nipping, chewing on objects,
and outing objects while you are home under control, the next problem may be your dog chewing or
destroying things in your home while you are gone. One of the main causes of this problem is simply
leaving your dog unsupervised before he is mentally capable of handling the responsibility. If your dog is
only six or seven months old, he is about the mental equivalent of a four-year-old child. So, ask yourself,
“What would happen if I left my four-year-old out in the house while I went to work?” Likely, the same
thing that happens when you leave your dog out—he would find things and destroy them. So, if you leave
your dog out, and every day you come home to find things have been ruined, you may want to consider
crating your dog until he is older.

36
Generally, we find that most dogs do well enough to be left unattended in the house at about 18 months of
age. At that age, he has the mental capability to handle the responsibility. Additionally, he has had a year
and a half of you correcting him when he chews on something that isn’t his. So, by this time, he has learned
what toys are his and what things are yours. Again, this is a generalization based on working with hundreds
of dogs and clients. Therefore, your dog may need more or less time than this.

Once you feel your dog is able to be in the house unsupervised, start this process in small time increments
and by giving limited access of the house to your dog. Do not just leave him out with free rein of the house
for an entire eight hours. Start by giving him access just to a bedroom for 20 to 30 minutes, and if he does
well, expand that time. As he is left alone longer and longer with no incidents, expand the roaming space,
meaning, take it from a bedroom to an entire floor. Slowly work up to giving him the entire house. Once
taking this step, many people then just keep all bedroom doors shut, essentially leaving the dog to roam
freely in the living room, kitchen, and hallway. Doing this will drastically eliminate problems, especially if
you have children with toys in their rooms. So, just like with all of the training, start off in small times and
spaces, then slowly increase both as your dog gets better and your confidence in him or her increases.

As I touched on at the beginning of this book, the second common cause of a dog destroying things in the
house is lack of exercise and stimulation. Remember, “If you do not give your dog a job to do, they will
become self-employed. A self-employed dog will always cost the owner money.” When a dog does not get
exercised regularly or have some form of mental stimulation through obedience or games, he looks for
things on which to take out his excess energy. One great way for dogs to burn energy is through running or
chewing, which is what they are doing when they lie down and chew on a bone until it disappears. So when
your dog has excess energy built up and you are away, he will look for things to chew. If nothing is
available, he will chew walls, couches, chair legs, etc. Keep in mind, your dog is not chewing the couch to
sabotage you and ruin your life, he just sees it as something to chew on for entertainment.

To prevent your dog from becoming a self-employed dog, ensure he is getting plenty of exercise.
Remember, one or two walks per day is not sufficient exercise for most high-energy dogs. They need a lot
of mental stimulation or a lot of exercise, meaning, off-leash, running around, with a lot of open-space
exercise. Mental and physical stimulation will fully benefit you and your dog.

If you follow the guidance on using the crate and providing your dog with daily physical and mental
stimulation, you will almost completely eliminate the problem of things in your home being chewed on or
destroyed by the new member of your family.

Separation anxiety is when your dog becomes very saddened or depressed when left alone. Some common
symptoms of separation anxiety is your dog destroying things in the house; relieving himself in the house
when you are away; excessive barking, pacing, and panting when he knows you are about to leave; and
breaking out of his crate.

Separation anxiety can be caused by numerous things. Dogs are very social creatures to begin with.
Constantly being with a “pack” is just in their nature. Dogs are descendants of wolves, which are always in a
pack. Wolves know they need to be in a pack to survive. Therefore, they are very rarely alone. Separation
anxiety is more prevalent in some breeds than in others.

37
For example, shepherds, Malinois, and collies are more likely to have separation anxiety than a breed such
as a pug. Separation anxiety is somewhat common in shelter or rescue dogs, as well. These dogs can develop
separation anxiety when they are adopted by a new family. While in the shelter or rescue, they are always
around other dogs and people. When they go to a new family and routine, they may be in their crate or left
alone for eight hours while the family goes to work or school. So the dog goes from constantly being with
people and animals to being left alone. This can create separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety can also be caused by the dog being taken from its mother too early; it may not have
developed the social bonds that a puppy normally would. Puppies removed from their mother and siblings
too early are more likely to develop separation anxiety and excessive barking problems. That is why it is
essential to find a good breeder who will not give puppies away until they are at least eight weeks old.
Lastly, a major change in the dog’s routine can cause separation anxiety. For example, if it is summertime
and you or your children are home a lot or you go on a long vacation together, your dog gets adapted to
being with the pack every day for a prolonged period of time. If suddenly your routine changes—you go
back to work and the kids go back to school—your dog suddenly finds himself home alone every day,
causing him separation anxiety.

There are numerous things you can do to drastically curb this separation anxiety behavior and ultimately
eliminate it. First off, never punish your dog for this behavior. Remember, they are exhibiting this behavior
because they miss you so much. Obviously, you never punish a dog because he misses you and does not
know how to act when you’re not around.

One of the main things you can do to help is providing more separation, meaning, make the dog spend
more time alone. Do not let him be so clingy when you are home with him. If you have a fenced-in
backyard, make him go out and stay out there for short periods of time. If you are home, put him in a
separate room or in his crate throughout the day. While he is separated from you (in a different room or
crate) give him his favorite toy or treat, so he starts associating being separated from you as getting a
reward and it gives him something to do other than thinking about you. Again, never let him out of the
room or crate while he is barking or whining—this will teach him that barking or whining will get him out.
Wait for him to be calm and quiet, go to him, praise him, and let him come back to the family. That way,
he gets used to being separated when you are there, which slowly makes the separation when you are gone
much easier.

When leaving the house, try not to make a big deal out of it. When you put the dog in the crate or are
leaving the house, try to be emotionless—do not squat down and overly pet him while talking cute: “Oh
baby, we are going to miss you,” etc. Just get ready and leave the house without acknowledging the dog. If
you make a big deal out of leaving, the dog, too, will see it as a big deal. The same principle applies when
returning home—be emotionless. Do not open the door, rush over and pet the dog, and tell him how much
you missed him. When you go, leave out toys and something that has your scent on it (an old unwashed
shirt, for example). That way, he will have something that smells like you. This has been known to really
help calm down a dog.

38
Another thing I always recommend doing is filling a Kong with peanut butter and putting in the freezer.
When you are ready to leave, put the Kong out for the dog. This serves two purposes: It gives him
something to do and work on and it gives him a treat when you leave (again, associating you leaving with a
good thing). Also, leave the television or a radio on so the dog still hears people’s voices, creating the
illusion that there are still people around.

Lastly, if you have the time and money, you can always hire a midday dog walker or take the dog to a doggy
day care before you leave for work. This will give him more time with people and less time alone. However,
it should be noted that this does not cure separation anxiety; it just prevents it. Meaning, it’s a short-term
solution to a long-term problem.

Overall, if your dog develops or already has separation anxiety, the best cure is more time apart and even
more separation. Again, it’s important to do more separation while you are home. Start in small
increments and then slowly increase until your dog gets used to being apart from you. Make the separation
as positive an experience as possible and use the techniques listed above. If the separation anxiety continues
to worsen, contact a trained professional.

Excessive barking is a problem many people face with their dog regardless of breed, age, or size. It can
result from a number of things. Like with separation anxiety, some dogs such as hounds, shepherds, and
Labs are naturally more vocal than some of the other breeds. Shepherds are protective dogs, therefore, they
will bark at someone knocking on the door, a noise outside, or someone walking by the house. Labs, like
shepherds, are very prey-driven dogs. Therefore, if they see a squirrel or a cat outside, often they will bark
excessively. Boredom and a lack of exercise can also contribute to excessive barking.

There are a few things you can do to curb or completely eliminate this behavior. One of the easiest and
most immediate fixes is the use of a bark collar. A bark collar is simply a dog collar that has a vibration
sensor built into it. When the dog barks, it delivers a subtle electronic stimulation on the neck, and if the
barking continues, the stimulation gets more intense until it reaches a very uncomfortable level. The dog
will see that every bark is met with an increased stimulation and will begin to associate barking with the
electronic stimulation. The dog will simply quit barking to avoid the stimulation. The great thing about
bark collars is that they work almost immediately. Also, it does not teach your dog not to bark, it simply
teaches him not to bark while the collar is on.

Of course, as stated earlier, mental and physical exercises, keeping your dog stimulated, and desensitizing
him to noises and objects all will drastically help prevent your dog from barking excessively.

Aggression is one of the most common issues that we deal with at Off Leash K9 Training, both dog-on-dog
aggression and people aggression. As I stated earlier, almost all aggression in dogs stem from a lack of
socialization with people and other animals or bad experiences with them (being bitten, beaten, etc.). That
is why I cannot stress enough the importance of positive socialization with other people and animals. If
your dog becomes dog- or people-aggressive, you will probably isolate him from the thing toward which he
is aggressive, when in fact, you need to take the opposite approach. Isolating the dog from the problem will
never address the issue. Consult a trainer who can help you deal with the issue and start positively
socializing your dog around the people or dogs to whom he is aggressive.

39
Counter-Surfing is another common problem for dog owners, especially with dogs who have a very high
motivation for food. This is when a dog jumps up on the counters or tables in an attempt to grab some
food. Obviously, this can be very annoying after you just spent time making dinner; a cake; or something
special for a family or friend, only to find that your beloved furry family member has taken the liberty of
sampling it for himself.

One of the best ways to stop this is by simply being proactive in prevention. Would you leave a box of
candy or bars of ice cream in your five-year-old child’s room? I highly doubt it. This is because you know it
would be too great of a temptation and they do not yet have the acquired discipline that it takes to refrain
from eating. Your puppy or dog has the same mentality. Unless he is older, more mature, or not very food-
driven, he, too, will not yet have the discipline to refrain from swiping your delicious food that is sitting
just out of reach of his mouth.

Other than being proactive, there is really only one solution, which is to give your dog a consequence for
his counter-surfing. This can be done in a couple of ways. If your dog does not have any advanced method
of training (electronic collar or prong collar), when you catch him in the act, immediately give a timeout.
As soon as you see him going for the food, give a loud “off” and put him in timeout, separating him from
the family for a period of time. If your dog is trained with some advanced training method, your trainer
can explain how to use that specific device to curb these behaviors.

Submission urination is also a problem that many new dog owners encounter. It is usually seen in puppies
or abused dogs. Submissive urination is not necessarily a bad thing, even though it may seem quite
annoying when it happens at your house, on your new floors, or on your rug. This is simply a dog’s way of
showing that he acknowledges you are the boss and he has not yet learned other ways to express this.
Puppies will grow out of this behavior, especially with confidence-building drills and obedience training. If
you experience this with your adult dog, it is usually due to insecurity and low confidence, which require
confidence-building drills and obedience.

Never punish your dog for submissive urination—he does this because of low self–confidence, so
punishment will only escalate the problem. Essentially, do nothing to your dog, meaning neither punish
nor praise him. Petting him teaches that it’s a good thing (because he is praised for it). If you pet your dog
and he urinates, immediately stop petting him and walk away.

Excited urination is when your puppy gets so excited by a person, place, or thing that he cannot control his
bladder and may piddle a little bit. Again, you cannot punish him for this. Often puppies are so excited
they do not even realize what they’ve done. So, if you punish them, excited urination can turn into
submissive urination.

A common scenario that causes excited urination is when your dog is home, someone walks in the door,
and immediately greets the dog. The dog starts to learn that when the door opens and someone walks in,
he is immediately played with and has fun. Often when the door opens, the dog gets really excited and as
soon as the person entering touches the dog, he will urinate excitedly.

40
One of the best ways to prevent or help cure this is by socializing and noise/object-desensitization drills as
discussed earlier (see weekly checklist on 59-61). Even if you do all of these things flawlessly, there is still a
good chance your young puppy at some point will display excited urination. Another thing that works
quite well is to have the people who walk in pay absolutely no attention to your dog for a few minutes or
until he is completely calm. This teaches your dog that the door opening or someone walking in means
absolutely nothing and he gets nothing out of it, so he has no reason to be excited. Another good trick is to
make your dog go into a sit or down position before you praise him. Generally, dogs will not piddle if they
are in the sit or down position, which make them contain their excitement in an obedience position. So,
walk in, make your dog sit, and when he does, pet him. If he gets up from the sit position, immediately stop
praising him and make him sit again before the praise continues. This alone will almost completely
eliminate the excited urination.

Digging can be annoying, expensive, and quite frustrating when you have a nicely groomed backyard.
There are numerous reasons that dogs dig up the backyard, however, the main reason is boredom. Notice
that seems to be a common theme in this book? Remember: “A bored dog is a destructive dog.” When your
dog is bored or unexercised, digging is a great outlet of energy. When I tell my clients this, many of them
say something such as, “I don’t see why how he is bored or doesn’t get exercise, we have a whole acre in our
backyard.” I always respond to them with this question: “You have a big neighborhood, correct? Well how
do you get bored when you can go anywhere in your neighborhood?” Even though you may have a big
backyard, it is the same backyard your dog has been in his whole life. It’s the same smells and the same
sights, so now he is bored with it and will look for other things to do for entertainment.

Your dog needs to be in new environments (see checklist on page 62) and needs mental and physical
stimulation regardless of how big your yard is. Another reason dogs dig is they are literally trying to break
out and go into a new territory. Have you noticed your dog has tried to dig under the fence? Again, he is
bored with the big backyard so he tries to get out and find new things to look at, smell, and taste. If you
constantly take him out to new environments, then being out will lose its appeal because it’s nothing new
to him. Another reason he could be digging to escape is if there is a female in heat nearby; he could be
digging to get to the other dog to mate. The only way to eliminate this is by neutering or spaying your dog

Dogs are great savers; they will bury their bones or treats for another day if they do not immediately want
them. An easy way to prevent this is to not let your dog take his bones outside of the house. If you are
letting your dog in the backyard, ensure that he is not taking anything out there with him. That way, he
won’t have any bones or food to bury.

If your dog is not burying anything, not trying to escape by the fence, and is getting plenty of physical and
mental stimulation throughout the day, the problem may be the heat. Dogs quickly learn that it is cooler
just beneath the surface of the ground, so they may dig up a nice cool spot to lie on. A very simple way to
eliminate this is provide them with a cool and shaded area. Preferably have something to lie on that is
elevated from the hot ground. There are many dog beds on the market that are elevated a few inches above
the ground and made with mesh-type fabric so the cool air circulates underneath. These work, are cheap,
last a long time, dogs love them, and they will prevent your dog from digging for a cool spot.

41
Some of the other reasons your dog could be digging are for small game in your backyard or if you are
using any form of bone or blood meal to fertilize your garden. These can create an irresistible scent for
your dog that makes him dig to uncover a bone he thinks is there.

If none of the above methods work, there are commercial products that can be applied directly to plants
and grass. These products give off a repugnant scent that interferes with the dog’s scent (only temporarily).
These products also work great on nuisance animals, as well. This is the easiest solution if you have a
specific area that is being dug up constantly.

Jumping on people is another common problem that can be easily corrected with advanced training (with
an electronic or prong collar). However, if you do not want to use one of these methods or your puppy is
too young to be trained using these methods, there are still a few things you can do to curb this behavior.
Also know that your puppy isn’t trying to sabotage your life and get his muddy paw prints all over your
new shirt. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. Generally dogs jump on people because they really like
them and are seeking affection or play. I know, that still doesn’t make you feel better about the situation.

A good solution is to simply not pay any attention to the dog whatsoever. I know that’s easier said than
done, however, if you have the patience to try this method and see it through, it usually works quite well.
Generally dogs jump to try to engage you and elicit a response. Therefore, if you stand there, arms folded,
and do not acknowledge him in any way, he will soon find that you are rather boring. If that method
doesn’t seem to work, try putting your knee into his chest every time he goes to jump on you. This will
quickly teach the dog that, “Every time I jump, I get an unpleasant feeling in my chest.” A final method is
simply getting him trained in obedience. He learns that jumping gets him nowhere and sitting gets them
praised and/or treats.

Never praise your dog when he jumps on you. Doing so teaches him that if he jumps up on someone
enough, that person will ultimately pet him. So again, you are rewarding a bad behavior. Also, you will
probably find that simply pushing him off may make the problem worse. Pushing them off turns into a
game for many dogs. They think, “I jump, you push, I jump again, repeat. Wow, this is fun.”

42
 SUMMARY

If you follow all the guidance in this book, I can assure you
that you will have a highly confident, friendly, and well-
trained dog. Remember, dogs are animals; they are not kids
and should not be treated like kids. Although they are
members of the family, they have to learn their place in the
family. Their place in the family should always be at the
bottom of the pack. If you treat your dog as an equal to the
family members, you create problems. Dogs are pack
animals; they have to know their place in your pack. Even
though you may see him as an equal, your dog will not see
himself this way. He will try to figure out where he is in your
pack. So you must make it known through doing all of these
steps that he is at the bottom of the pack.
I hope you use all the tools and information in this book in
order to raise the perfect dog.

43
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicholas grew up in the small country town of Urbana, Ohio.

Upon graduating from high school, he immediately joined
the U.S. Marine Corps. During his time in the Marine Corps,
he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. He also
lived in Okinawa, Japan, and spent seven months in
Fallujah, Iraq, where his unit was the first to go into the city
for seven long months of combat operations. Nicholas
received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
for his actions in Fallujah. After getting out of the Marine
Corps, he was hired to do executive protection for one of the
most well-known celebrities in the country. After a few years
of this, he was hired by the US Secret Service. Now, Nicholas
resides in Destin, Florida, where he operates Off Leash K9
Training from.

44
PUPPY CHEAT SHEETS
AND CHECKLISTS

Puppy Evaluation and Scoring

Puppy Evaluation and Scoring Continued
Puppy Vaccination Guide
Things To Buy Checklist
Puppy Services Checklist
Potty Break Cheat Sheet
Daily Handling Checklist
Weekly Socialization Checklist
Daily Texture and Noise Desensitization
Weekly Object Desensitization Checklist
Weekly Experiences Checklist
Puppy Expense Tracker
Puppy Proofing Your House Checklist
CPR For Dogs
Foods That Can Be Poisonous
Pet First Aid Basic Procedures
DYI Pup First Aid Kit

45
PUPPY SELECTION
 PUPPY EVALUATION/SCORING
HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE

Social Awareness -Follows readily, tail up,

-Comes readily, tail up,
(Kneel down (not over bites at feet = 1
bites at hands = 1
the dogs) and coaxes -Follows readily tail up,
-Comes readily tail up,
the puppy to come to Following gets under feet = 2
paws and licks = 2
him or her by (stands up and slowly -Follows readily and tail
-Comes readily and tail is up = 3
encouragingly and is up = 3
gently clapping hands
-Comes readily and tail walks away -Comes readily and tail
is down = 4 encouraging the
and calling. The tester is down = 4
-Comes hesitantly and puppy to follow).
must coax the puppy -Comes hesitantly and
tail is down = 5
in the opposite tail is down = 5
-Does not come, even
direction from where it -Does not come, even
when encouraged = 6
entered the test area). when encouraged= 6

HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE

Retrieving
(the tester crouches -Chases object, picks
-Struggle fiercely and
Elevation Dominance beside the puppy and up, and runs away = 1
bites. 1
(the tester cradles the attracts its attention -Chases object, stands
-Stuggles 2
puppy with both with a crumpled up over, does not return = 2
-No struggle and
hands, supporting the paper or ball. When -Chases object, picks it
relaxed, tail wags. 3
puppy under its chest the puppy shows up, and returns = 3
-No struggle and some interest, the
and gently lifts it two -Chases object, returns
relaxed 4 tester throws the
feet off the ground without it = 4
-No struggle 5 paper no more than
and holds it there for -Starts to chase, loses
-No struggle, frozen, tail four feet in front of the
30 seconds). interest = 5
tense or tucked 6 puppy encouraging it -Does not chase = 6
to retrieve the paper).

HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE

-Struggles fiercely, flails -9-10 seconds before a

and bites = 1 Touch Sensitivity
(presses webbing of response = 1
-Struggles fiercely and -7-8 seconds before a
Restraint flails = 2
feet lightly between
response = 2
(gently rolls the puppy his index finger and
-Settles, struggles with -5-6 seconds before a
on its back and holds thumb. The tester
eye contact = 3 response. = 3
gradually increases
it on its back for 30 -Slight struggle, then
pressure while
-3-4 seconds before a
seconds. You are not settles = 4 response = 4
counting to ten and -2-3 seconds before a
-No struggle, tail low or
using heavy pressure). tucked = 5
stops when the puppy response = 5
pulls away or shows -Almost immediate
-No struggle and avoids signs of discomfort).
eye contact = 6 response = 6

HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE

Social Dominance -Jumps, paws, bites,

(Let the puppy stand and growls = 1 -Locates the sound and
up or sit and gently -Jumps, paws, and walks towards it = 1
stroke it from the head licks = 2 Sound Sensitivity -Locates sound and
to the back while you -Cuddles up and tries (makes a sharp noise, barks at it = 2
crouch beside it. See to lick face = 3 such as banging a -Locates sound and
if it will lick your face, -Sits with petting/ metal spoon on the shows curiosity = 3
an indication of a nudges hands = 4 bottom of a metal -Locates the sound = 4
forgiving nature. -Rolls over, no eye -Backs off and hides = 5
Continue stroking until contact = 5 pan)
-Ignores sound and
you see a behavior -Goes away and stays doesn’t care = 6
you can score). away = 6

Mostly 1s: Strong desire to be pack leader. High drive. Experienced handlers only!
Mostly 2s: Has strong leadership. High Drive. Needs strict structure. Experienced handlers.
Mostly 3s: High energy, needs exercise. Can be a handful. Not ideal for a brand new owner
Mostly 4s: Great pet. Perfect for average dog owner.
Mostly 5s: Fearful, shy, nervy, may lead to fear aggression.
Mostly 6s: Highly independent. Hard to bond with.
PUPPY EVALUATION/SCORING CONT'D
HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE

Chase instinct with -Looks, attacks, and -Walks forward with tail
Prey Item bites = 1 Stability with Object up and bites = 1
-Looks, barks, and tail -Walks forward with tail
HANDLER JOB HANDLER JOB
(The puppy is placed (A noisy object such
up = 2
in the center and the as an umbrella is up and mouths = 2
-Looks and wants to
tester ties a string opened about five feet -Walks forward = 3
investigate - 3
around a bath towel from the puppy and -Looks, stays put = 4
-Looks but does not
and jerks it across the gently placed on the -Goes away with tail
pursue = 4
floor a feet away from ground). down and may hide = 5
-Runs away = 5
the puppy). -Ignores = 6
-Ignores = 6

HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE

-Will go under or into

object to get food = 1 -Will short track to person who hid = 1
-Go to object and tries -Will follow 75% towards person
to access for a bit = 2 Hunting Drive who hid = 2
Food Working Drive
-Will go to the object (Tester shows food or -Will start to follow person who hid’s
(Tester shows food or
quickly give up = 3 ball and runs a very path by 50% = 3
ball and hides under
-Will go towards object - Will start to follow person who hid’s
an easy object such short track and hides
path by 25% = 4
as hat, paper back, but not try to access = 4 behind a small bush -Will show interest in direction of
container, etc) -Will look at object that or object) person who hid = 5
food was in = 5 -Will show no interest in the person
-Will show no interest in who ran and hid = 6
the object = 6

HANDLER JOB DOG'S REPONSE

-Runs, pounces,
wiggles, & paw (High)
-Trots, occasional run,
punches (Medium)
Energy Level -Walks slowly, sits
quietly, stays put (Low)
-Stands rigid, tail down,
ears back. (Stressed)

TOTAL POINTS SCORING

12-24 = Higher drive/more dominant dog

36- 48 = Medium Drive/well rounded dog

60-72 = Low drive, low dominance/nervous dog

Mostly 1s: Strong desire to be pack leader. High drive. Experienced handlers only!
Mostly 2s: Has strong leadership. High Drive. Needs strict structure. Experienced handlers.
Mostly 3s: High energy, needs exercise. Can be a handful. Not ideal for a brand new owner
Mostly 4s: Great pet. Perfect for average dog owner.
Mostly 5s: Fearful, shy, nervy, may lead to fear aggression.
Mostly 6s: Highly independent. Hard to bond with.
PUPPY HEALTH
 PUPPY VACCINATION GUIDE
This is an approximate vaccine schedule. Ultimately, all health and vaccine
related decisions should be made by a vet.

AGE VACCINES

6-8 Weeks Distemper, Parvovirus,

Bordetella

DHPP (vaccines for

10-12 Weeks distemper, adenovirus
[hepatitis], parainfluenza,
and parvovirus)

16-18 Weeks DHPP, rabies

12-16 Months DHPP, rabies

DHPP
Every 1-2 Years

Every 1-3 Years Rabies (as required by law)

43
PUPPY CHECKLISTS
 Things To Buy Checklist

Poop Bags 3'-6' Leash

Training Treats Adjustable Dog Crate

Adjustable Collar Dog Bed

Carpet Cleaner Dog Toothpaste

Dog Toothbrush Chew Toys/Puzzle Toys

Dog Bowl Water Bowl

Microschip and ID Tag Grooming Brush

Dog Food

Puppy Services Checklist

Trainer

Groomer

Veterinarian

Dog Sitter/Boarding
 POTTY BREAK CHEAT SHEET
Roughly how many potty breaks does your puppy need per day?

AGE BREAKS

6-14 Weeks 8-10 Breaks Per Day

14-20 Weeks 6-8 Breaks Per Day

4-5 Months 4-6 Breaks Per Day

5+ Months 3-4 Breaks Per Day

 DAILY HANDLING CHECKLIST

Play with both ears Hug

Check mouth and gums

Put on back and rub belly

Open eyelids Tug on collar

Squeeze each paw Pull on various body parts

Manipulate toenails Wipe body with towel

Pinch skin Put collar/leash on and off

Touch/squeeze muzzle Hold in arms/lap

Stroke tail Pick up

 Weekly Socialization Checklist
People with canes, walkers,
Various women
wheelchairs

Various races of people Teenagers

Various men Children standing/playing

People wearing hats/helmets

Toddlers

People with different facial hair

Infants

Runners, joggers, and bikers

People with backpacks

Various animals (cats, horses, etc)

People with sunglasses

Weekly Dog Socialization Checklist

Various dogs who play well

A dog who will correct pup with

appropriate force and restraint
for being pushy/annoying

Other puppies who play well

Daily Texture Desensitization
Slippery Floors (hardwood, tile,
Concrete
linoleum, etc)

Metal Surfaces (man hole covers,

Stairs
scales, etc)

Grass, Dirt, Gravel, Snow Wet Grass

Unstable surfaces Plastic textures

Daily Noise Desensitization

Thunder Fireworks

Babies/Kids yelling and playing

Alarm clocks

Dogs barking Vaccuum

Cars, motorcycles, etc Doorbells

Weekly Object Desensitization Checklist

Skateboards

Garbage Cans

Shopping Carts

Strollers

Bicycles

Various vehicles

Pots and Pans

Pick up

Brooms

Umbrellas

Plastic Bags

Balloons

Blankets/rugs being shaken

Weekly Experiences Checklist

Suburban Neighborhoods City Streets

Kids playing, bicycles, runners, etc. Cars, horns, surfaces, metal drains,
people, construction work, etc.

Store Parking Lot Inside Buildings

Cars, shopping carts, kids, plastic Different surfaces, textures, elavators,
bags, etc stairs, people, doors, etc

Pet Stores Dog Friendly Events

Different dogs, textures, noises, Different dogs, textures, noises,
different animals, toys, and people different animals, toys, and people

Vet's Office
Dogs, people, surfaces, objects,
textures and handling

Being Left Alone

Ensure your pup is crated, left alone
throughout the day, and used to not
always being with someone.
PUPPY EXPENSES

43
 Puppy Expense Tracker

DESCRIPTION AMOUNT DATE

PUPPY PROOFING
 Puppy Proofing Your House

Put away floor plants, decorations, shoes, and clothing

Secure or remove tablecloths and other hanging fabrics

Put away breakable and small objects on low-lying

tables, ottomans, fireplaces, or other surfaces

Lock up cabinets and secure hazardous

materials

Secure phone wires and electrical

cords

Put away kid's toys and any

small parts or accessories

Clean up the yard

Prevent access to dangerous

areas like the pool, well, drop
offs

Secure lawn products and

chemicals

Check for escape routes and install a proper fencing system.

DOG SAFETY
 CPR FOR DOGS
Lay the dog on their side and remove any obstructions in
the airway. Open mouth, pull tongue forward, extend neck
and sweep mouth with finger if safe to do so.

If the airway is clear, extend the neck, hold the tongue

out of mouth and close the dog’s jaws over their
tongue.

Holding jaws closed, breathe into both nostrils for five

to six breaths. If there is no response, continue
artificial respiration (see below). If there is no pulse,
begin cardiac compressions.

Depress the widest part of the chest wall 1.5 to 3 inches

with one or both hands. Refer to compressions per
minute chart for weight specific info

Continue artificial respiration. Refer to breaths per

minute chart for weight specific info.

COMPRESSIONS BREATHS
WEIGHT WEIGHT
PER MINUTE PER MINUTE
Place hands around rib cage
UNDER 5 LBS and apply cardiac massage UNDER 5 LBS 30+ breaths per minute

5-10 LBS 120 – 140 times per minute 5-10 LBS 30+ breaths per minute

11 – 60 LBS 80 – 100 times per minute 11 – 60 LBS 16 – 20 breaths per minute

60+ LBS 60 times per minute 60+ LBS 12 breaths per minute

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435

FOODS THAT CAN BE POISONOUS
Alcoholic beverages Moldy foods

Apple seeds Mushroom plants

Apricot pits Mustard seeds

Avocados Onions and onion powder

Cherry pits Peach pits

Candy Potato leaves and stems

Coffee Raisins

Garlic Rhubarb leaves

Grapes Salt

Gum Tea

Hops Xylitol (artificial sweetener)

Macadamia nuts Walnuts

Pet First Aid Basic Procedures
Emergency treatment and first aid for pets should never be used as a substitute for veterinary
care. But it may save your pet's life before you can get your pet to a veterinarian.

SEIZURES
-Keep your pup away from any objects (including furniture) that might hurt it. Do not try to restrain the pet.
-Time the seizure (they usually last 2-3 minutes).
-After the seizure has stopped, keep your pet as warm and quiet as possible and contact your veterinarian.

FRACTURES
-Muzzle if possible.
-Gently lay your pet on a flat surface for support.
-While transporting your injured pet to a veterinarian, use a stretcher (you can use a board or other firm surface as a stretcher,
or use a throw rug or blanket as a sling). If possible, secure the pet to the stretcher (make sure you don't put pressure on the
injured area or the animal's chest) for transport—this may be as simple as wrapping a blanket around them.
-You can attempt to set the fracture with a homemade splint, but remember that a badly-placed splint may cause more harm
than good. If in doubt, it is always best to leave the bandaging and splinting to a veterinarian.

BURNS
CHEMICAL:
-Muzzle if possible.
-Flush burn immediately with large quantities of water.

SEVERE:
-Muzzle if possible.
-Quickly apply ice water compress to burned area.

EXTERNAL BLEEDING
-Muzzle if possible.
-Press a clean, thick gauze pad over the wound, and keep pressure over the wound with your hand until the blood starts clotting. This will often
take several minutes for the clot to be strong enough to stop the bleeding. Instead of checking it every few seconds to see if it has clotted, hold
pressure on it for a minimum of 3 minutes and then check it.
-If bleeding is severe and on the legs, apply a tourniquet (using an elastic band or gauze) between the wound and the body, and apply a bandage
and pressure over the wound. Loosen the tourniquet for 20 seconds every 15-20 minutes. Severe bleeding can quickly be life-threatening—get your
animal to a veterinarian immediately if this occurs.

HEATSTROKE
-Never leave your pet in the car on warm days. The temperature inside a car can rise very quickly to dangerous levels, even on
milder days. Pets can succumb to heatstroke very easily and must be treated very quickly to give them the best chance of survival.
-If you cannot immediately get your pet to a veterinarian, move it to a shaded area and out of direct sunlight.
-Place a cool or cold, wet towel around its neck and head (do not cover your pet's eyes, nose or mouth).
-Remove the towel, wring it out, and rewet it and rewrap it every few minutes as you cool the animal.
-Pour or use a hose to keep water running over the animal's body (especially the abdomen and between the hind legs), and use
your hands to massage its legs and sweep the water away as it absorbs the body heat.
-Transport the pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

INTERNAL BLEEDING
Symptoms: bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, coughing up blood, blood in urine, pale gums, collapse,
weak and rapid pulse.
-Keep pup as warm and quiet as possible and transport immediately to a veterinarian.
 DIY
PUP FIRST AID KIT

Scissors Muzzle

Sterile Eye Wash Thermometer

Tweezers Ice and Hot Packs

Tick Remover Tool blanket

Ear Wash Vet-prescribed Pain Relief

Nail Trimmer Large Eye Dropper

Medical Tape Emergency Contacts

Roll Gauze Antibiotic Ointment

Bandages Latex Gloves

Antiseptic Wash/Wipes Antibiotic Ointment

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