Dog breed-specific legislation on its way out in Edmonton

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Doorbell Desensitization Ding, Dong! Are you and your dog ready for the trickiness of Trick or Treating this year? If your dog barks and runs at the door every time the doorbell rings, then this article on noise desensitization is for you. First, what is the barking all about? Doorbells signal change, and the introduction of an outsider to your environment. Barking can be a sign of excitement or anxiety related to these events. They may be guarding your home, or they may be welcoming your guests. In either case, you need to help your dog to relax. To do this you will need a clicker. If you do not have one, they are available at the register at most pet stores or through your trainer. If you have not used one of these during your training, a clicker is a small device with a button that you press to make a consistent noise. This noise will signify when your dog does something correctly. Prior to training, you must charge the clicker, or give it significance to your canine, by clicking the clicker and giving your dog a small, favorite, tasty treat several times in a row without training. Click! Treat. Click! Treat. You will notice that soon your dog will look your way as soon as you click because they understand that a treat is on its way. Second, you will need to create situations that simulate the doorbell environment that you want to change. You will need to have set-up doorbell ringing situations where you are prepared to train your dog. If guests and family members call ahead and are willing to ring the bell for you when they arrive, this is an easy way to naturally create this environment. Otherwise, you will need to employ volunteers to ring the doorbell for you. Have the person ring the bell, then click and treat the dog BEFORE it barks. Have the person repeat their ring several times at 30-60 second intervals. Each time, the dog gets rewarded for being attentive but not barking. Do not open the door every time. This will signal to the dog that just because the door is ringing, there is not necessarily someone waiting to come into their territory. Make sure to have your dog on a leash so that they cannot run to the door. Instead, guide them to come to you when the ring sounds for their click and reward. As your dog clues in to your training and becomes more relaxed at the bell, introduce verbal praise and wait longer and longer after the bell to click and reward the dog. Eventually, the doorbell will signal the need for calm energy to receive their reward, rather than a time to become excited and charge the door. Thirdly, now that you understand the basic premise, here is the doorbell workup routine to prepare yourself for the big day provided by watchandtrain.com: Have your dog on-leash. The time that your dog spends running towards the door barking can feed into his behavior and cause it to continue. Warm him up initially at the beginning of sessions, then do "cold trials". Warm up - one ring, one treat with your dog right near the door, maybe even having him see you press the bell. You can say "Ready?" to give him even more of a hint that you are about to start "the game". Harder - you are farther away from the front door. Even harder - farther still where you try for two or three rings between treats. Say "Good Boy" after each bell and only click and treat (C/T) after the second or third ring. Ready for an even larger challenge? Train your dog to go to another room when the doorbell rings by having your click and treat supplies in another room. When the bell rings, call them to you. Guide them with the leash to your location, if necessary. When they arrive, award them with a click and treat. This will defuse the door-rushing behavior that can sometimes add excitement to the doorbell situation. During these exercises, if your dog shows signs of anxiety (heavy panting, pacing, shaking, etc) or does not seem to be progressing, then you are moving too quickly. Remember, the idea is to reduce stress on your dog. You will need to do many repetitions of each step to fully desensitize your dog. If you would like a one-on-one demonstration of these exercises, please give us a call. We will be happy to help you.
Dog breed-specific legislation on its way out in Edmonton
Those who believe aggression is determined by how a dog is brought up and socialized, as opposed to what breed it is, are pleased members of Edmonton city council have made a move to eliminate breed-specific legislation. There are currently restrictions
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Choose the right dog breed to attract suitors
That guy with the German shepherd? Must be marriage material. The woman with a poodle? Watch out, she’s probably high maintenance. A survey by the startup behind the new pet-centric smartphone app Klooff claims your pet dog could be sending all the right
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Ruff workout: Not all dogs are born to run
Puppy dog eyes that say "Wanna go outside?" can get you moving. If you want a new four-legged friend to accompany you on your fitness endeavors, it's important to consider breed and build to make sure you're evenly matched. The dog for the
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Claim Against Purebred Breeders LLC Dismissed
MIAMI, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --�A Circuit Court Judge in Miami-Dade County last month dismissed a lawsuit against Purebred Breeders LLC [Case Number: 11-38180 CA02], a small business working with reputable dog breeders.� The court determined that the
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Pilot project to re—home cross—breed dogs sees success
SINGAPORE: The first dog adopted by an HDB resident under a pilot project to re—home cross—breeds is settling in well, with a loving and supportive family and neighbourhood. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said in an update
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Edmonton city council hears public wants dog breed restriction bylaw gone
Saphire, a four month old pitbull mix, was up for adoption during the Pet Expo at the Edmonton Expo centre in Edmonton, Alberta on Sunday, January 22, 2012. Saphire and her littermates were found as strays and can be seen at PitBulls for Life.
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