Play is an extremely important part of your dogs’ development.

Playing provides physical exercise, mental stimulation which benefits may aspects of your dogs’ life and helps strengthen the bond between dog and owner.

Puppies begin to play with each other and their mother at about four weeks old. These games help the puppy to develop physically by developing their muscles and coordination, and mentally by teaching all the skills they need to become a balanced and social dog. The mental skills learned by a puppy from their mother and litter mates are how to inhibit bite, hunting skills, shaking and killing prey and communal behaviour.

Puppies learn to play bow to other puppies to invite them to play and you can also see this in older dogs. Puppies also learn through play how to play the dominant / submissive role in their pack and is a good indicator of which dogs are more submissive and which are more dominant (even if it will not be relevant as there will be no future pack once the puppies are separated into separate homes). When dogs play this game you will often see a more dominant dog fall to the ground and roll on its back in a submissive position and this is all part of practising the behaviour and is a great game when the dog can pounce back up again and run away with the prized toy to initiate a chase.

Learning communal behaviour through play forms social bonds and moulds adult behaviour. A puppy who has learnt how to play well from an early age is more likely to be a good communicator, whereas a puppy who has not played, been isolated from other dogs/littermates and/or humans will not have learned bite inhibition, how to communicate and will be more likely to develop fearful and aggressive tendencies to control it’s surroundings in the future.

Play stimulates the dog to be inventive by problem solving and helps the brain develop.
It also teaches action patterns (how to carry out a sequence of events), such as back tracking to find a hidden object. Playing games lets your dog explore using all senses such as sights, smell, touch and listening which helps with socialisation. Your dog will be less fearful and anxious and more confident if he has learnt under safe conditions to play and explore other dogs, humans and objects.

Dogs are natural predators and it will benefit your dog or puppy greatly to include the natural behaviour of hunting, chasing, chewing, retrieving, digging, shaking prey and barking into these games.

In the past we have been discouraged to play games such as tug-of-war with our dogs as we were told it would make our dogs more dominant towards us, especially if they win.
This has since been proven to be a great game, but you must make sure your dog knows the release command.
If we play games such as tug it is a game that uses natural predatory behaviour. Using these natural behaviours as part of a game deflects natural aggression and teaches cooperative behaviour.
NB. * It is important to remember not to let the dog become over-excited or mouth at hands and clothes. If this happens the game must end immediately – it is important to teach the rules of the game to your dog first and to ensure the dog knows the release command*

If you do not allow your dog to use his predatory behaviours in games like these the dog will be more likely to make up his own game using his predatory skills, such as stalking and killing your shoes or digging your flowerbeds.

Play is such a great mental stimulator that it has been shown that the brain deteriorates slower in a dog who has lots of mental games that one that does not, and will be healthier in the long term.

You can use play as a teaching tool also by teaching your dog retrieve, recall, carrying objects and also basic obedience commands. Clicker training and lure and reward are great tools to teach the required actions, you can also teach sequence behaviour with these methods by teaching your dog to do a little more each time to receive his reward until the desired action has been taught.
Always make sure play is fun and rewarding and never punish for the wrong behaviour as your dog will not want to play anymore and you will loose a valuable learning tool.

There are lots of great toys on the market for our dogs which stimulate physical exercise and mental problem solving skills.
These toys include Frisbees for chasing – this uses sight tracking skills and chase and retrieve. My dog likes the sight tracking and chasing but the retrieve is not quite there yet as he prefers the ‘keep away’ game more!

Kong’s are fantastic strong rubber toys with a hollow centre that can be stuffed with treat such as dog biscuits, cheese, chicken and peanut butter (the smellier the better to keep him interested). Kong’s are especially useful if you are leaving the dog for a few hours as it will keep him busy trying to get the treats out of the centre, and he can chew the rubber Kong itself to relieve stress and boredom.

Buster cubes are hard plastic cubes which have a hollow centre or sometimes a maze like centre which treats can be dropped into. The dog can smell the treats and has to learn to push the cube onto each side to be able to receive his treat reward.

Ropes are good to keep teeth clean and allow your dog to chew the correct object. I have always taught dogs to chew the ropes instead of the sofa and it has saved me a lot of money!
Ropes are also great for chasing and killing, if you play tug-of-war with your dog you can both shake and ‘kill’ the prey and is a great bond builder between you and your dog. Make sure however that your dog learns the release command and regularly use the command in the middle of the game with a treat reward to ensure it stays safe and fun.

Hide and seek is a fun way to use your dogs senses to the max. You can hide yourself in the house or outside and shout your dogs’ name. When he hears his name being called he should listen, look and smell his way towards you. When he finds you give him really exited vocal praise and a reward. This will also make him more attentive towards you.

Digging can be a major problem, especially if you have beautiful flower beds. Dogs love to dig and it is a great exploration game. Dogs also dig to find a cool spot to lie in when it is hot weather. I have previously made the mistake of cementing my whole garden due to muddy paw prints all over the house. Since then I have learned how important it is to allow dogs to exercise their natural behaviours and as with hard floored yards, a sandpit can be provided to allow your dog to dig in the correct place. It is great fun to hide toys in the sandpit which your dog will love finding.

Retrieving games are great fun, energy burning, uses visible tracking and also reinforces the recall. Gun dogs are usually the most natural retrievers but some do not seem to use this natural ability. With gentle fun training including positive reinforcements most dogs will learn to love this game. Retrieving lets the dog chase and seek out the ball but can be made even more stimulating by throwing the ball into long grass or bushes so that he also has to use his sense of smell to find the ball.
If your dog enjoys the ‘keep away’ game of running off with the ball rather than bringing it back to you the best and most fun way to tackle this problem is to make it into a game and put it on cue. When your dog gets hold of the ball and does not show signs of bringing it back say ‘I’m gonna get YOU!’ in an exited voice and chase him. He will love the chase and want to keep trying to initiate it.
Keep saying ‘I’m gonna get YOU!’ and chase him a few times. When he tries it again simply ignore him and sit on the floor. He will should come to you and even poke you with the object to get you to chase him again. When he comes to you say ‘come’ and treat him. He will have to drop the ball for the treat.
Then play the game again, and then wait for him to come to you again to initiate the game. This way you can teach him the desired behaviour in a positive way and with no punishments.
When you start punishing your dog for the wrong action you are likely to link the punishment with the game and he will not respond to playing anymore in case he receives a punishment.

Bubble Busting!

The game I like to play is bubble busting. It is fun, cheap and can be played indoors on a wet day.
It is as easy as it sounds, you simply blow bubbles and the dog catches them.
This game makes the dog focus on the bubbles by sight tracking them and then he has to catch them with good timing and coordination. You can also make him use his sense of smell and taste by purchasing bacon flavoured bubbles which are available in most pet stores.
A variation on this is to place a bubble machine outdoors and let your dog chase away till his hearts content. It is a fantastic energy burner, takes almost no time to prepare and great fun for owner and dog.

Kindly submitted by Julie Davies of Puddle Paws

Before you start.
When your dog is running about enjoying himself and you call him he has to do several things.
o He must stop his current activity no matter how interesting it is.
o He must turn in your direction and look for you.
o He must make the decision to come to you rather than do anything else.
You need to understand that this is going to be a big and difficult thing for a puppy to do and also for a dog that’s never been trained. You won’t get perfection all at once and you need to have patience and plenty of treats. If your dog likes squeaky toys then all the better. These are ideal for getting a dog’s attention when it is some distance away from you.

Let’s do the first lesson
If your dog doesn’t come when called then you must start training in a safe place. The garden is a good idea or if it’s raining you can start the training indoors. All you need to do the first time is show your dog a titbit, move backwards a little way and encourage him to come to you. Give him a titbit and praise and do it again. Once he’s got the idea that coming to you is a good thing you can start to say “Fido come” in an encouraging voice and give praise and reward when he comes to you. Don’t expect him to come from any great distance at this early stage.

Moving On to the next stage.
The trick with starting the recall is to watch your dog and choose a time to call when the dog is most likely to come. If the dog is hell bent on chasing next door’s cat you are unlikely to succeed by calling his name when he’s in full chase. If you do try and recall him he’ll simply ignore you and he’ll learn that he doesn’t have to come to you when you use his name and say “Come.”

When your dog is coming to you from a short distance then you can start to practice the recall while he’s ambling about in the garden. All you need to do is to wait until the dog has settled down a bit and is facing in your direction if possible. Then squeak the toy to get his attention. If the dog looks up at you then you can call his name and say “Come.” Be encouraging and as soon as the dog reaches you touch his collar or get hold of it. At the same time give a titbit and praise “What a good dog.” Then let go of the collar and let the dog wander off again. Repeat this a few times and then have a game. You can do this indoors as well from time to time just to reinforce the lesson.

Well done. Your dog is learning to come to you already and he’s mastering the third item in our list which is to come to you rather than do something else.

Let’s take it further.
When you’re sure that your dog understands what you mean by “Fido come” you can take the training a bit further. Once again you can use the garden for training, but this time you’re going to call your dog when he’s facing away from you. Use the squeaky toy to get his attention and call him. Don’t forget to sound encouraging and have some really tasty titbits. Each time your dog responds you must touch the collar or get hold of it as well as giving the praise and the titbit. This is a vital part of training the recall and yet very few trainers seem to include this in their lesson. The reason it’s so important is that some dogs will come beautifully to call and then run off again before you can get hold of the collar.

If you’re having trouble getting your dog to come to you, you can use a lead. Get the dog to face you on the lead and then run backwards. Call the dog’s name “Fido come,” and praise and reward.
Alternatively you can make a complete fool of yourself by making a high pitched squeaking noise and running in the opposite direction. Not many dogs can resist this and sooner or later they will want to join in the game.
Out in the park.
When you are confident that your dog is coming to you and knows what you want it’s time to try it in an open space away from home. You will need a long lead to start with so that you can practice your recalls in complete safety. Only when you are confident that your dog is not going to run off and disappear can you let him off the lead in a public place.
Let the dog have a run round on the long lead and let him get all his sniffing done. Once he’s settled down a bit call him in to you. Use the long lead if necessary and use the running backwards technique. Give a titbit and praise as soon as he comes to you and don’t forget to get hold of the collar.
Sooner or later the time will come when you feel it’s safe to let your dog off the lead. A lot of dogs race away when the lead is unclipped but usually they stay within calling distance and will keep an eye on you to make sure you haven’t disappeared. You can practice your recalls when your dog has finished the initial race around and has had a good old sniff. If he doesn’t come straight away run in the opposite direction and use a high silly voice to get his attention. When he comes back don’t grab him and put him on the lead but do catch hold of the collar and give your praise and reward. Let him go again and repeat the recall from time to time.
One thing to remember is that you should NEVER, NEVER scold your dog if he’s been tardy in coming to you but has eventually responded to your call. If you are angry with him when he comes to you he’ll be even less inclined to come the next time as he’ll be expecting to be told off.

If your dog is having a high old time with other dogs or is otherwise engaged then don’t try to recall if you think he won’t respond. You need to catch the moment when he looks at you or stops what he’s doing. You’re much more likely to get a recall and you won’t have given your dog the idea that it’s OK to ignore you.
Remember that teaching recall is very important as it can save lives if you ever need to recall in a potentially dangerous situation.

Dog Training Saves Lives

PDSA has embarked on a mission to encourage all dog owners to teach their dogs the basic commands of sit, heel, stay, come and drop. Why? Because it could save your dog’s life!

Dogs rely on us to let them know when they are behaving badly or are in danger, so PDSA is urging owners to start a training programme as soon as possible.

Signalling to a dog to leave or drop dangerous items such as a rough stick or glass bottle, could help to prevent serious injury. Glass bottles can break inside the mouth resulting in serious cuts, and sticks can break-up and become embedded deep in a dog’s mouth! Equally, if your dog accidentally slips his lead and darts off towards a busy road, the ‘come’ command could help prevent serious injury to your dog and the public!

To start owners on their way, PDSA has produced a free Dog Training leaflet, which offers guidance on the most useful commands and most effective training techniques.

Statistics from the Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Dog Scheme*, which encourages organisations to promote responsible dog ownership, show a considerable growth both in dog training courses being offered, and participants taking part over the past few years. Last year over 35,000 dogs were enrolled in training classes at various difficulty levels.

PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury comments: “Sadly, I feel that there are still too many untrained dogs around! The benefits of a trained dog are considerable. Some dogs can easily become distracted by other dogs, traffic or people when out walking, so knowing that you have complete control should make your life, and that of your dog, much more happy.

“Training is also a great way of reinforcing the bond between an owner and their dog. With the lighter nights now upon us, more and more people are venturing out for long evening strolls with their dogs, which means good behaviour is very important.”

PDSA recommends using a combination of voice and hand signals and advises owners to use positive techniques when training their dog – rewarding them for good behaviour with treats or extra attention.

The Dog Training leaflet forms part of a larger range of Responsible Pet Care leaflets produced by PDSA. These leaflets cover a variety of pet care topics including, First Aid, Diet and Nutrition and Vaccinations. The leaflets are available from PDSA PetAid hospitals and charity shops nationwide. Further information can be obtained from www.pdsa.org.uk or by calling freephone 0800 917 2509

Advice Supplied by: RSPCA

Positive dog training can happen any time, all the time. You don’t need to get your dog ready in special training equipment. Your pet is usually ready whenever you are. It is recommended that you train in several 5 to 15-minute sessions, for a total of 30 to 45 minutes per day.

This is easier than it sounds. Every time you interact with your dog, you have a great opportunity to train him. By incorporating your practice sessions into your dog’s daily routine, he learns that responding to your behavior cues earns him rewards, it’s not just something he does when you have a leash in your hand.

Practice the ‘Wai’t exercise a few times whenever he goes outside or comes back in. Do some ‘Stay’ practice during walks. Reinforce ‘No Jumping’ when you come home from work. Before you know it, you will have easily exceeded your three to six sessions per day.

In any single training session, pick one or two exercises to concentrate on. Start with something that he is good at to get him tuned in to you. There’s nothing like success and rewards to get him excited about training. Then introduce something new or more challenging. At first, do enough repetitions so that he has an opportunity to figure out what you are asking him to do.

If he doesn’t seem to be getting it, you may need to do more shaping, by breaking the behavior down into smaller pieces and rewarding him more often for small bits of the desired goal behavior. For instance, if he won’t lie down, you may need to click and reward him at first just for looking toward the floor as you move your lure toward the ground.

Keep marking and rewarding as he goes lower and lower, until he is all the way down. If he quits playing the game with you, go back to the point where he was doing well and proceed more slowly, giving more clicks and rewards for smaller pieces of the goal behavior. If you sense that either or both of you are getting frustrated, it’s time for a break. End the training session on a positive note by giving him a treat or playing his favorite game.

Once he gets the hang of it, you can make the future practice sessions for that particular behavior shorter to prevent him from getting bored. How long you train a particular behavior will depend on your dog’s personality and level of training. Some dogs will quit after three or four repetitions while other dogs have longer endurance.

Get to know your dog. If he gets bored after five reps, stop at three, while he is still fresh and enthusiastic. As long as you keep the training interesting for him, you will be able to gradually build up his stamina and attention span. Some dogs will happily repeat a behavior dozens of times because they are looking forward to earning the reward that goes with it. If you encourage this attitude, just performing the behavior itself can become the reward, because it has been so consistently associated with fun and play and other good stuff. When your dog understands and performs the behavior on cue reliably in different environments, then you no longer have to practice that behavior as often.

However we are keen to stress some important facts right from the outset in compliance with our own principles on ensuring dog owners are better informed on responsible dog ownership issues.

All dogs are individuals with individual personalities and as such any advice given in generic form should be treated as such. Written dog training advice is no substitute for the hands on experience that can be delivered by an appropriately experienced professional canine behaviour expert or dog trainer. Written advice is to be used as a reference for increasing your awareness of particular canine behaviour issues – no more, no less.

Aggression issues: Under no circumstances, ever, should aggression issues be dealt with by anything other than the direct advice of a professional. The first port of call for dealing with canine aggression is to see a vet in an effort to rule out any medical issues. Following that a hands on solution is required. Attempting remotely ‘cure’ an aggression issue is a non starter. Please, if you have a problem relating to aggression, see a professional without delay.

Types of training advice: They say there’s more than one way to skin a cat, perish the thought! But there is certainly many, many ways to successfully train a dog – there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way. Here at C-fidos we do not subscribe to any particular dog training ’style’ or school of thought other than the following principles:

1) Successful dog training strategies should be based on developing a happy, healthy, willing response from the dog.

2) Strategies that rely soley on fear or pain are rarely, if ever, successful in develpoing happy, healthy, willing responses – they produce ‘results’ but they will be inferior results and in many cases can lead to enhancing certain problems, not solving them.

3) It is in your and your dog’s interests to learn the basics about different styles of dog training, you can then be assured that you are choosing the best ’style’ of approach for your particular dog.

4) Do not be swayed to follow a strategy that you are not personally comfortable with. As stated at the outset, there are many, many different approaches to dog training – you need to be happy and comfortable with the route you decide to take with your dog. Learn, listen, observe, research – take on board what you can from all sources but NEVER feel pressured in to following one approach over another unless you are comfortable that it is right for you and your dog.

5) Be aware of this fact: There are no standardised ’standard marks’ for professional dog trainers. There are various qualifications, various dog training organisations, various dog training companies and various accreditations. It does NOT make one trainer ’superior’ to another if they happen to be associated with one organisation, have no qualifications or a bag full! Picking a dog trainer or picking someone to give you dog training advice is not quite the same as picking a plumber. There are some basics which can help you, you should firstly be comfortable with the person you’re working with. You should ask them to give you references from other dog owners whom they have helped. You should ask them to tell you about their training philosophies and preferred methods and then decide whether these philosophies appeal to you and the way in which you wish to develop your dog’s behaviour. You should not discount an experienced trainer who happens to have no qualifications and no professional affiliations any more than you should discount a young, newly qualified, professionally affiliated trainer – it’s all about picking the people who you like, are comfortable with and who can deliver the results you are seeking in accordance with the first principle stated in our list.

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If you are a dog behaviour expert, dog trainer or simply a dog owner with a tip – feel free to submit your dog training advice to C-fidos.

We must stress we may not include your advice if we believe it has the capacity to be misintrepreted leading to potential harm to the dog (or owner).

Any advice that runs on the site will be vetted prior to publication and must comply with the principles as outlined above. Whilst we will gladly publish sound, sensible, practical advice here and whilst we will not be biased toward a particular dog training style, company, individual, training organisation or method, any advice published must always be accepted in the spirit in which it is provided i.e as a reference point, as a guide, as something which may or may not be able to help. It is not a cure all or a set-in-stone method by which to ‘fix’ problems and whether it comes from an ‘ordinary’ dog owner or an eminent professional, it is merely a supplement to – not a replacement for – hands on, individually tailored practical advice for a specific dog.

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Submit your tips / advice:

official affiliate of: The Pet Owners Parliament

Many dogs do not like fireworks. Fact. Every year dogs along with many other animals experience fear and confusion, sometimes alone when their owners are away enjoying an organised bonfire.

It is not unusual for dogs to run away or escape from the home when frightened by fireworks so ensuring your garden is ULTRA secure is a must, especially at this time of year.

Our simple 6 point guide should help to ensure your pets can get through the firework season safe and sound.

* It is a good idea to bring any outdoor pets inside for the duration of firework period. If this is not possible, covering kennels up with a blanket at night will give a dog a little protection from the bright flashes and loud bangs. Outside dogs are often used to thunder but fireworks can cause a very different reaction. Always remember how acute a dog’s sense of hearing is. A loud bang to us can feel like volcano erupting to a dog.

* It may be hard, but try and stay with your dog during the majority of the firework season. A dog can often react very differently to a bang when you are not there. If it is possible, see if you can view your dog via a hidden vantage point just to gauge his or her reaction to the bangs. Even though you may elect to stay with the dog, try very hard not to react to the sounds of fireworks yourself. Do your best to ignore the bangs and crashes, showing your dog that there is no imminent danger despite the loud noises and bright flashes.

* Always make sure your dog has his or her own special area where they can go to feel safe. Be it an indoor kennel or a place under the stairs, dogs love to have a den at their disposal.

* It sounds obvious, but try to keep the windows and curtains closed as often as possible during firework season as this will lessen the effect of the noise and bright flashes.

* Normal household noises such as the TV, vacuuming or music can help to distract from the loud noises coming from outside. Maybe firework season is a good time to have a disco at home followed by a few days of vacuuming!

* Last but certainly not least, always ensure your pet has some sort of identification on him or her. It is a sad fact but many dogs do run away from home during firework season, even dogs that has previously shown no fear of fireworks can occasionally take flight at the loud noises and flashes in the sky. Be prepared, your dog has no comprehension why the sudden noises and bright lights and as an animal with ultra sensitive senses, it’s important to be prepared for any sudden displays of anxiety or fear.

YOU ARE FREE TO DISTRIBUTE THIS GUIDE – You are free to re-print, re-publish or re-distribute this guide for the benefit of any pet owner(s) who you believe may find it of value. Please credit C-fidos. Thank you.