November 9th, 2011 
admin Question by Jules: what age can you start teaching dogs tricks?
my puppy is 7 weeks old, is that too soon? i want to start out by teaching her how to sit, and how to wait until i say its ok to eat.
Best answer:
Answer by MayaM
The younger the better. My puppy is 3 months now and we have taught her to sit and shake.
Give your answer to this question below!
November 9th, 2011 admin Question by sunny: Clicker training a puppy to ‘come’? People with clicker training experience only!?
if i am planning on clicker training my new puppy and I was wondering when you are teaching them ‘come’ do you CLICK as soon as they start toward you or wait till they get to you?
thanks
Best answer:
Answer by letterstoheather
http://www.ehow.com/how_4540609_teach-dog-using-clicker.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Simple-Steps-to-Teaching-Your-Dog-to-Come-Back-to-You-Every-Time&id=2300420
What do you think? Answer below!
PoptartHoe says: I was taught to point down to the floor right in front of you and then click. If they start for you click once more and then pet him or give him a treat. trainers have many different ways for this, i think this way is the more effective way.
Or you can click once you’ve called and they come to you. The reason i say this is because you wont always have the clicker around, by calling their name they respond to it either way.
dorothy s says: I have used a clicker for several years however I have never used it for a recall. When you click this denotes the end of an exercise, consequently if you click before your dog gets to you, you will have to give it a treat immediately. In theory this will work if at first you click as your dog starts coming towards you, then get her to come closer each time. Finally you must withhold the click until your dog is close to you.
Clicker training is fantastic, don’t mess around, buy a book and watch videos etc., Lots of people criticise the clicker simply because they are incapable of understanding the concept of this. Clicker training speeds up the training and it’s kind. I have some info in my archives on how to condition a dog to the clicker. email me if you want me to send this to you.
Lily says: Clicker training is a fantastic way to train your dog, what I do is say to my puppy “come” I raise my arm, and have a treat in this hand, then when he gets to me, I click, then treat it works every time, send him away each time and practise this recall.
tiptoptraining says: The quick answer is, as soon as they start coming towards you.
The longer answer is: Break up the behavior and work in small increments. I like to teach a “whiplash turn” as the first step in a recall with puppies (or adults for that matter). This means that I say the puppies name, and he just barely starts to turn his head, and that is when I click. This makes for an incredibly immediate response.
Once I start getting the whiplash turn, I start adding distance. Whereas I start with doing the whiplash turn standing or sitting next to the pup, now I start moving a couple of feet away, and then adding more distance. Each click is followed by reinforcement- food treats, or playing with you, delivered close to you.
After I have gotten to about 12 feet away, I do start varying where I click- most will be immediate, but occasionally I’ll start delaying till the pup has taken a step or two. So out of 10 reps, 8 or 9 will be when the dog does the whiplash turn, and one will be at a different point in the process.
November 9th, 2011 admin Question by mcharmd: will i attract hummingbirds in eastern,wa?
i recently fell in love with the hummingbirds while living on the central oregon coast. ive moked back to eastern, wa and hope i dont have to miss those little guys.
Best answer:
Answer by sarasotagirl2005
costa rica has a lots of hummig birds i dono about va
Add your own answer in the comments!
Biker says: You should see them.
Get a feeder going and they will show up.
suzanne w says: I used to live in the Tri-Cities and we had lots of hummingbirds.
Put the feeders up keep them clean and they will come.
JubJub says: I love hummingbirds too – and I used to live in ‘Eastern’, WA (I think it’s literally middle WA).
I don’t know about hummingbirds and the heat there – just remember they like sugar-water!
Hope you see some…
zoranth says: yes they will come to you, might be different time of year then when your used to seeing them
Cate A says: You should not have any trouble at all getting them. They are beginning to migrate now but you should get a few. Put your feeder out and be patient. If not, begin next March into April. We can’t keep our feeder filled they are so abundant.
November 9th, 2011 admin Question by Magley64…AM: After we get creationism get taught in public school, Should this be our next step?
God never really said HOW he created the moon, so how about this :
The pregnancy of Coatlicue, the maternal Earth deity, made her other children embarrassed, including her oldest daughter, Coyolxauhqui. As she swept the temple, a few hummingbird feathers fell into her bosom. Coatlicue’s fetus, Huitzilopochtli, sprang from her womb in full war armor and killed Coyolxauhqui, along with her 400 brothers and sisters. He cut off her limbs, then tossed her head into the sky where it became the moon, so that his mother would be comforted in seeing her daughter in the sky every night.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyolxauhqui
this question only got 5 answers last time it was asked…
Best answer:
Answer by Eleventy
If Creationism is taught in public schools, my next step is moving to Europe.
Give your answer to this question below!
ErHead says: Ok.. uhh.. the Bible (God’s book, therefore He wrote it..) says that he spoke into being the moon and the sun… how does that not say how He created it… lying is bad.. (that’s in the Bible too if you’ve ever read it..) so don’t teach the kids to lie!!
madnoelle says: Interesting story. Do you think the Intelligent Design-aka-Creationists-will finally quit their *itching if the Genesis creation story is taught along with the other creation stories in a world religion class that’s available to even elementary kids?
November 9th, 2011 admin Question by Magley64…AM: Why aren’t MY religious Views Included in astronomy as an alternative to how the moon was formed?!?!?
The pregnancy of Coatlicue, the maternal Earth deity, made her other children embarrassed, including her oldest daughter, Coyolxauhqui. As she swept the temple, a few hummingbird feathers fell into her bosom. Coatlicue’s fetus, Huitzilopochtli, sprang from her womb in full war armor and killed Coyolxauhqui, along with her 400 brothers and sisters. He cut off her limbs, then tossed her head into the sky where it became the moon, so that his mother would be comforted in seeing her daughter in the sky every night.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyolxauhqui
and don’t say there’s no evidence, because it’s a proven fact that mothers are often comforted by their daughters…
Best answer:
Answer by johnz1363
Go tell it on the mountain……and then jump off!
What do you think? Answer below!
Parrot says: You’re right. I think it’s very important that we teach our kids all sides, such as that one, so that they can look at the information themselves and come to an informed decision.
Fireball226 says: this is too confusing….GODS NAME IS ALMIGHTY…
theories dont belong here..
Yahweh's Toaster AM says: You’re not alone. I want these taught in my school’s science class as well! I’m sick of these EVILutionists trying to keep Huitzilopitchli out of our schools!
Geisha badda bing, badda boom says: haha fireball: ‘theories dont belong here’
quality every time
September 26th, 2011 admin Question by King of Town: What can I do with a neurotic dog? He’s destroying our house!?
My dog (a nine-year-old border collie) is so afraid of rain, wind, and thunder storms that he will literally destroy the house in an attempt to “escape.” We can NOT control him at this time. We recently moved to a new house, where his behavior has become worse. He has torn holes in walls and destroyed the washer-dryer hookups (leading to some flooding) during recent thunderstorms. Is there anything that can be done? We can’t leave the dog alone for fear it may storm while we’re gone, and my dad is threatening to have him put down!
Best answer:
Answer by silver_saire
Get a kennel for him, or a cage with an area of about 10 feet. Or, you could try putting him outside in the yard and build a run for him.
Add your own answer in the comments!
dreamweaver_316 says: You need to talk to a dog trainer about this. It’s difficult to handle on your own, your dog needs to be “desensitized” to the loud noises that frighten it. It takes time and patience but it can be done and it’s the best thing for your dog since it can seriously injure itself in it’s panic. There is hope, please consider this before you put him down.
Jemmy says: I have heard that crate training works. Gives the dog a place that he knows is his own safe space. He knows his boundries there and will learn that his crate will keep him safe. For more info, do some research at pet stores or on-line… good luck
mommyforever55 says: go to the vet and get a tranquilizer for him and give it to him when you know it is going to storm
whippetgirl says: Try asking your vet. There are certain drugs they can prescribe to calm down dogs who have thunder/noise phobias. Also, try a DAP diffuser. Oh, and get a large crate for him. Don’t leave him outside, he will jump a fence or dig out.
If you can’t handle the dog’s fears anylonger, don’t put him down. Contact your local Border Collie rescue. I’m sure you can find them on-line if you do a search.
sweettoni37 says: CALL CESAR on the Animal Planet. LOL Just kidding sounds like your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, They needs some training, If you can not afford then put dog in one area of house with Plenty of Water/Food make sure they can stay cool in Hot weather. The dog needs to be confined to one area of home. When you get off from work each day TAKE DOG FOR A WALK, Your dog has lots of ENERGY that needs to burn up.
KB says: NO, you need OBEDIENCE training. Dogs need RULES to feel safe, and YOU need to learn appropriate responses to this behavior. You might not realize that how you react to this behavior is actually ENFORCING IT! please call a trainer to come to your house to help you out, this dog does NOT need to die, or hurt himself or anyone else.
You can also consider crating the animal while you are gone… spaces like this are often a comfort to dogs, and they treat it like their den, it is NOT a punishment.
knotty21687 says: Well, l do not agree with tranquilizers… l own horses and have owned dogs before. One almost as neurotic as yours. She was a working dog breed like yours, and she would destroy the house. she even ate my grandfathers bomber jacket from wwll. So l know how you feel. There are a few more options that you could look into.
One would be working with a trainer and ”de-sensitizing” your dog, for some reason loud noises bother him and scare him. This will take some time with the trainer, and may cost alot of money, but there are still more options.
Homeopathic remedies seem to work l used to give my horse yucca to give him more energry along with a few other natural things… Garlic supposedly calms the nerves, and l know there are special formulas for dogs. So, maybe try your local healthfood store and ask one of the pharmacists there to help you… you may need to diagnose what is actually scaring your dog. Was he abused at one point?? chased after with things that made loud noises?? this could be why he is afraid of loud noises- he associates it with a punishment.
Finally, the kennel/cage always works. it may help him feel more secure, but you have to watch him that he doesnt go crazy in there and hurt himself. l feel that you should never do to your animal what you wouldnt want done to you.
nanadebbie_nit says: I also had a dog that was this way and the vet prescibed some tranquilizers for her. Also a simple thing is during a storm and if you are at home take her into a small normally quiet room and sit on the florr and hold her and stroke her coat as you try to soothe a small child.
FairlyErica says: Get him a crate for when you leave the house. This is a bajillion times better than having the house ripped up or putting him to sleep. I’d think an airline crate would be better than a wire crate, just in case he freaks out to the point that he’d hurt himself. Airline crate is not as easy to destroy or get hurt up in, I shouldn’t think.
There are a lot of things you can do to desensitize your dog, but it does sound like a pretty severe case of thunderstorm phobia. That wouldn’t be an immediate solution, although it would be good for him if you worked on it. Just google border collie and thunderstorm phobia and I suspect you’d get a ton of ideas.
trueblond195 says: Benadryl works wonders for dogs that are afraid of thunderstorms, fireworks, etc. Talk to a vet and see just how much you should give your dog.
September 26th, 2011 admin Question by YorkieTeeth: How to introduce clicker training to a new puppy?
This summer Im going to get a puppy and I’m going to use clicker training, (It’ll be her/his first time using a clicker.. Of course!) So how do i introduce the clicker to my new puppy? Do I click & give her a treat over and over? Please help!
Best answer:
Answer by 
when you feed it click it when you give it a treat click when you give a cammand click it when you play with it click it
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Swanny says: The short answer is “yes”. You teach the dog to associate the “click” with the reward by clicking and immediately stuffing a treat in her mouth. After a few repetitions (reps) let her wander away a little distance, and click. If she comes running to collect the treat she is ready to train with the clicker.
For more information on clicker training and operant conditioning, read the articles on this website – http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/index.htm
Rebecca says: Yes, that’s how you start. You click and give them a treat. Over and over again without requiring them to do anything to earn it.
Once the dog anticipates the treat after the click, you’re ready to move on. Lure the puppy into a sit (hold the treat over her nose and pull it back) then click as soon as her bum hits the ground, then give her the treat.
Eventually you can phase out the clicker and just use your voice as praise.
animal-lover says: When the dog does something good click it and right after you click give a treat. Repeat this. After a week or so they will know the click means you’ve done good or a treat is coming their way.
Training your family dog using the clicker training approach is particularly family friendly. The joy and work of raising a family dog should be a great family experience. Uniquely, with clicker training, young family members grasp what to do and can easily participate. Clicker training doesn’t rely on strength or physical control. While using clicker training when your does does good or something which you feel is best, give a treat just after that. When doing this for few day or weeks, they will understand that the click means that they have done something good or awesome and their treat is coming right away.
tiptoptraining says: The traditional way is as described, to click,and give treats. If doing it this way, make sure you are performing the mechanical skills properly: click first, then move hand to treat bag (or wherever) and give treat. Many people start moving the treat hand before or as the click occurs, and so this movement becomes what the dog focuses on, rather than the click.
Over the years, many people (including Karen Pryor, who popularized clicker training, and whose website clickertraining.com has tons of great information on it) have realized its not really necessary. Choose an easy behavior, such as hand targeting, and start right in. What I like about this approach is that the dog is also recognizing that it is his behavior that is making the click happen- which is also an important component to understand. When dogs have first learned that click=treat without any behavior component, they must then unlearn the lack of a behavior component (clear as mud?) to understand that their behavior makes the click happen. Dogs do end up “getting it” either way, so don’t stress too much about it.
One exercise I often have new people do is what I call bathroom downs: Take dog, clicker, treats, and reading material (not too interesting!) into the bathroom, close the door, and occupy the obvious furniture. Start reading, ignoring the dog, but keeping an eye out. When the dog lies down, click, and toss a treat, so that the dog gets up to get it. Go back to reading. Initially the dog will probably be excited, but eventuallly will lie back down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Do this for 5-10 reps and quit, then do it again the following day or later the same day.
There are some great resources on clicker training- the website I mentioned above is one, and has both free articles and videos, and also a store for buying more. They sell a DVD called Clicker Puppy that you might like. I also suggest The How of BowWow (and the other BowWow videos!)
Canisclickertraining.com also has some great information, and I videos to go along with it. clickersolutions.com also has good information, free, as well as a very active and supportive listgroup. dragonflyllama.com has a fabulous tiered program and free e-book, as well as a listgroup, if you want to get more detailed instruction. trulydogfriendly.com has a list of trainers that I feel comfortable recommending, most of whom are clicker trainers, none of whom would be advocating anything harsh.
James W says: Each time you click the clicker you should give your dog a treat, but you should only click if your dog listens to you so when you click the clicker your dog will obey. So yes basically
To introduce clicker training to a new puppy, you must have a clicker in your hand, and some small treats in a pocket or nearby. The treats can be small pieces of dry dog food, commercial dog treats, tiny pieces of cheese, or anything you know your dog likes to eat. You have chosen what you are going to train for this session. let’s say it’s “sit.” Your dog wanders over, for whatever reason. He happens to lift his head up, and you click the clicker and give him a treat.
Dog clicker coaching is easy and really effective. Actually, clicker training can be used for most, if not all breeds of any animal, not just dogs. It’s a type of ‘operant conditioning’. It’s an operant conditioning method for training an animal using a clicker, or small mechanical noisemaker, as a marker for behaviour.
September 26th, 2011 admin Question by Peter: Is it bad to feed hummingbirds in the fall?
I heard if you put out nectar they won’t migrate as early as they should and then they will end up running out of food when they leave. How much longer should I put out the feeder? I’m in Upstate NY.
Best answer:
Answer by ms bell
I would keep your hummingbird feeder out a little longer. I usually like to wait a few weeks until I’m sure there aren’t anymore hummingbirds in the area and they’ve migrated south. They could use some extra energy to migrate the long distance to Mexico and Central America, where they spend the winter. They won’t delay their migration south if you feed them.
Give your answer to this question below!
the rooster says: not so ,they run on an internal clock ,when the alarm goes off they migrate ,regardless of the food supply.
birdgirl says: Keeping a feeder out will NOT affect when a bird migrates or keep it from migrating..this is an old wives tale and holds no truth. Just keep the feeder out until you see no more birds coming to it. Here on the west coast we get hummingbirds year round.
L!@M says: In NY, they leave earlier than southern states, because it cools faster. You can try hanging some up for the migrating hummingbirds coming from Canada. When hummingbirds migrate, they go south to Georgia, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. Living in Georgia, I can leave mine up all year and get many different species.
-L!@M
September 26th, 2011 admin Question by Ĵen: At what point does a dogs behaviour become neurotic of the sign of a messed up dog?
Such as a dog loving to chase balls or play fetch etc…
At what point does it cross from the dog doing something he really loves to it being a sign of something else?
Meant to say ”or the sign”…
Best answer:
Answer by Little Hippie
When all the dog does is chase balls, or constantly wants to play fetch. If it seems like a compulsion. Also, tearing things up while his or her owner is away is a sign of psychological trouble. So is snapping or growling at someone who is not acting aggressively, but that can also indicate past abuse.
Add your own answer in the comments!
Jessie Q says: How much interest the dog has the ball, when he sees the ball dose the world still exist?
How has his body language changed? Look for the slight change in body posture, they way he runs, how he carries the ball, the look in his eye.
Will he allow you to have the ball? Or is it a tug-o-war for the next run.
Here is an article you might find informative.
A neurosis may be defined as a functional nervous disorder with no sign of disease of the central nervous system. Psychoneurosis is described as an “emotional maladaptation” due to unresolved unconscious conflicts, and may also be used to describe the condition of many so-called neurotic dogs. This means, to recognize a neurotic dog, we must identify some defective nervous behavioral functions, while ruling out physical injury or disease, such as hydrocephalus, brain tumors, etc.
This can be done in some cases through neurological examinations. Urine and blood analysis can often indicate internal chemical imbalances which are of an organic cause. On the other hand, they may also indicate the presence of severe environmental stressors. Combined with behavioral information, physiologic examinations might indicate a neuroses or the basis for a psychosis. For practical purposes, a dog may be considered neurotic if he shows signs of a functional nervous disorder combined with behavior that is both abnormal and maladaptive for dogs in general.
http://www.dogguidance.com/training/neurotic.htm
Coley ~Gemini is home~ says: This questions i cannot answer and wonder myself. My kids like to get the Cavaliers to chase a laser light,which they love. So it came as no surprise when Bella took to it. However, she crossed the threshold of obsessive behavior. Thinking back, there was no set instance that she was obsessive over it from day one or anything like that. She acted as the rest. But within time she certainly became obsessive. She seeks it out and knows where it is kept and whines. She will bite at the side of the house when the school bus is parked in the driveway since the flashing lights project there. She will wake me up at 630am just so I will open the door so the sunlight can zoom across the room and she can chase it. At night, she will scratch frantically on the door to be let in…only to chase the light from the door opening across the ground and not come it. This is only the tip of the iceberg…the dog is obsessed in every which way over this innocent game that was begun by my kids. Of course, at the start of this behavior the game was no longer allowed. She is corrected and reprimanded for breaking a command (such as down) in the presence of the light source.
IDK…maybe it was the fact she would dive over the other dog to get it…she would stare intently while her muscles twitched waiting for it to reappear. The fact you could not easily distract her away from it? Her excitement over it was extreme. However, I have seen dogs that excited over other things that still minded manners and you could shut them down. So to me, the thing that sets apart neurotic behavior is the lack of ability to shut them down and get them to refocus attention on you.
APBT'S Courage at Its Best! says: I think that falls under obsessed, body language and knowing your dog! Then of course some sign of aggression sets in because the dog is not happy and is not sure of it’s place! *;*
But since I am not positve I will star for my contacts that do!
Greek God AKA Greekman says: Are you kidding, I will take all the “obsessed” dogs you have, as long as its a toy issue you are talking about.
What some people call obsessive, I call a dream dog when it comes to training one for detection.
When you figure that I can test 100 dogs before I can find the “one” that will suit me, yeah, I will take every toy obsessed dog you got.
I know what you mean about “other” behavior in that sense, I had a GSD that would “fixate” on his Kong for HOURS and just chew it, slowly, rhythmically, for ever!!!
It may have bothered some people, but, he was a great patrol/detection dog BECAUSE of his issues and he competed in Sch before that and had scores in the 290′s!!
As long as it is something that does not harm the dog or people around it, I see no problem with it!!
Hope I helped.
Hooch - Proud to be English says: My dog is obssessed with balls and fetch. Sometimes I think that if wasn’t for the fact he’d maul any animal that was killed before bringing it back, he’s make a better retriever than many retrievers out there.
ETA: Launi, my Hooch is a bit like the dog you described. He would run for his ball until he physically collapsed, I’m sure of it. I’m just not ever going to let it get to the point. 20 minutes max. I know when he’s tired and I know when he needs to give it a break. But I honestly do think he could give all the fat, unexercised pet retrievers round here a run for their money.
Launi ~Beware~ My Fangs~ says: I love your questions. Your mind never stops, does it? This is a question I can only give an example. (Coley gave a GREAT example)
My since passed Yellow Labrador was ‘ball neurotic’. And it was just ONE ball. I still have that freaking ball.
Gator would run for the ball as many times as you would throw it. He would wear done his nails to the point they would start to bleed. If I didn’t stop throwing it he would have chased it until he physically became ill or passed out from exhaustion.
Gator’s ‘retrieving instincts’ were obsessive. Something not quite right in that wonderful brain of his.
I think a behavior which gets to the point it will eventually harm the dog or cause the animal to become overwhelmed.
That’s the best I can do with this one. Waiting to see what others say.
mcally says: I had a Springer that was obsessed with tennis balls. She would play fetch for hours, as long as it was with a tennis ball, never anything else. She carried the ball around in her mouth, it went every where with her. If she was drinking, she dropped the ball in the water, drank and picked it back up and went on. If she was eating, the ball was beside the bowl till she was done. Anybody could walk up and take her ball, she never made a fuss. I could trade an old ball for a new one with no problem. Everybody knew she was obsessed but it was never a problem, so we let her have her ball. She lived to be 16 and literally was playing fetch the day before she died so I don’t think it ever did her any real harm.
Aphrodite ☼Dobe uses a PRONG says: Honestly, if a dog loves fetch or is obsessed with its toys – fine by me. Couldn’t care less. All that means to me is that the dog has drive. My dog LOVES his ball on a rope toy – I use it to my advantage by using it in my training because it is something he wants and will work for.
So I don’t really see any other “sign” in that kind of behaviour.
A dog obsessed with chasing wild life – seems like prey drive to me and in that case it may be worked with when someone is trying to train their dog for that kind of thing. Again, not a problem to me.
Now a dog that is obsessed with trying to take a chunk out of anyone they see – well, then that may be a sign of neurotic behaviour that I don’t want to deal with! lol
Generally any behaviour that will cause physical harm to the dog is an unwanted behaviour and is then over its limit.
My Dobe sucks on his blanket. I know that bothers some people – doesn’t bother me one bit. He knows which blankets are his and which one are ours. He will only suck on his own blankets. He’s not harming anyone or himself and if that’s what he wants to do to fall asleep, so be it.
ms manners says: I would say a dog that doesnt have an “off” switch. If you can turn the obsession off, then I would say it is on this side of the line…just a strong drive.
I have had a couple of foster dogs who came close – a JRT mix that was toy-obsessed (he would have been great at flyball), and my current foster – a Frenchie/chi mix whose two favorite toys appear magically at my feet as I move around the house, all day and all night long.
CONSTANTLY.
We have had to come to an understanding about gooey, stinky stuffed toys not coming to bed with us. 
)
Curtis M says: LMAO Greek exactly. If you have a ball, sleeve, or biting a person in the @$ $ obsessed dog I’m jealous.
I train all of my dogs with tugs or rubber balls. I purposely build such an obsession for them if I were to leave them with my dogs they would probably kill themselves by tearing them apart and eating them.
This is why I said in your other question, the average person would call the dogs that I like “unstable”. I WANT a reactive highly driven dog. These dogs are a breeze to train if you know how to train (train a dog like this in Koehler and he’s ruined, a dog like this is suited best for a reward based program…obviously…if he loves the ball so much you’d call it “obsessive”). Every behavior my dogs do, they learned to do it with a ball on a rope or a tug or a piece of food before I EVER gave them one correction.
Are these dogs obsessed? I’d say yes, definitely. But you can use this one to your advantage! Other obsessions which might not be so great would be a dog who chews…chewing is fine, but I had a b**** one time who’d chew a Kong until it was demolished. I had to take her toys away because her GUM LINE was starting to recede…then she turned her sights on her food dish and water pail…I started picking her water dish up and giving it to her after exercise and several times throughout the day (which was a pain)…until she decided to start chewing on concrete walls…by which time I drilled a fricken hole in her run and stimmed her with the nick button of an e-collar every time she started obsessively licking something. That worked (took 2 weeks)…let a behavior manifest and you are training that behavior. It was probably my fault that her obsession went that far.
So in short: The biggest sign would be when a dog hurts themselves to satisfy their obsession. And like I said, my dogs are all obsessed over a ball/tug…if I keep throwing it they’ll keep going to get it…until they die of a heat stroke…literally. And that comes in handy for someone like Greek who needs a dog to keep working in hot weather…granted he doesn’t want them to have a heat stroke! But he does need a dog who’ll not wane in drive when they get tired and hot.
Rotten Rotts says: I have trained dogs that were obsessed with things like chasing their tails to the point of actually chewing off the end, or excessive scratching to the point of injury. I have seen dogs that would chew on rocks until their teeth were worn down, or severe separation anxiety.These are major problems and not a dog with a certain drive.
If the dog is totally fixated and you cannot redirect them by play or commands then that is neurotic. I have seen very few that needed drugs however I don’t like drugging dogs. I think with tons of patience and time, you can help these guys have a more enjoyable life.
September 26th, 2011 admin Question by girl23: When can I start teaching my dog tricks?
I have a 2 month old puppy. When I try teaching her simple tricks like sit, she just bites my hand. Having a treat in my hand won’t help either as the smell just drives her crazy and makes her hyper. Is she too young for tricks? At how many months should I start?
Best answer:
Answer by loveschatter
Hi. I would think as early (young) as possible.
Best luck, God bless.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Christopher says: Well, you generally start training your dog when you first get it if you want to potty train it and sit and all that stuff.
If the dog is biting you then give it trouble. You have to show them who is the alpha aka the boss.
If you dont teach them at an early age it could turn into a big problem.
Generally a No or a tap on the butt or nose will give them the message.
nascarett says: lots of variables…what kind of dog is she? Some breeds train more easily than others…what do you want to teach her? She is still a baby and can only process so much. Call a dog trainer and ask about your specific kind of dog; they’ll let you know the whats and whens.
. f l o w e r . p o w e r . says: I would think to train your puppy as soon as soon as possible ( while there still young). You should get you and your puppy into obedience class. Many classes don’t let them begin until they are 12 to 16 weeks old though. Try this site-
http://www.perfectpaws.com/whytr.html
karen p says: You didn’t state what type dog you have, but all dogs can start learning as soon as they are weaned.
Maybe you should try “get the ball” or the “lets get the newspaper”………our 7-wk old cocker loved chasing things. My husband came home to her fetching the paper at 8 weeks & couldn’t believe it! Maybe the smell in your hand is a distraction….Simple commands like sit, stay and leave it really shouldn’t be taught with treats as a stimulus. NO is still the best policy….Patience & repitition can bring great results. Good luck!
Shanna says: When I bring home a puppy I give them a day or two to settle in, but then the WORK begins! MANY breeders and even a large number of shelters send the pups off to their new homes WAY too soon–and 6-7 weeks IS too soon, in my experience AND research. I recommend bringing home puppy at 10-12 weeks of age as optimal–they learn SO much from their mother and their siblings in that additional 4-6 weeks it is PHENOMINAL!
Such as:
*They learn how to control bite pressure–as momma often will reprimand a pup a LOT better than we can (we are all big softies when it comes to disciplining a cute bundle of puppy fluff), AND munching on a sibling too hard often produces a high pitched “YIP” that tells the offending puppy that “OWWIE that HURTS!”–thus they learn to understand what, if any, is a reasonable bite strength.
*Older puppies often have the best start possible with most of their shots, and any sickly puppies are usually better, or already treated or singled out
*Puppies between 6 to 7 weeks (right when many go to their new homes) often experience heightened anxiety and some may become more fearful and retreat inward, which is often only made worse by their world being dumped upside-down with being in a completely NEW environment, around NEW people, sights, smells, sounds and NOTHING familiar to relate to
Puppies who have gone to their homes too soon can become prime cases for separation anxiety BECAUSE during their stage of insecurity they quickly (and usually unnaturally) bonded to ONE person or ONE other pet or ONE thing (ie blanket, toy, dog pacifyer etc) that they found comfort in, and therefore associate that person, pet or thing leaving with the same extreme sense of loss and confusion that they experienced by being brought home too soon from their littermates and mother and therefore become MORE anxious if they can’t see or be near that person, pet or thing–hence the “velcro dog” phenomenon.
For all who are considering a puppy, I personally recommend bringing them home no earlier than 10 weeks, optimally I would pick 12 weeks.
We can’t change what age you brought your puppy home at, but MY first step would be to get control of the biting issue…ASAP…since your pup missed out on this crucial lesson from its mother and siblings, you must now play the part—if your puppy nips or bites AT ALL in a high pitched, loud “minnie mouse” voice say “OUCHIE!” or “EEP! EEP!”, do your best to imitate the human equivalent of a puppy in extreme pain–by the noise–in puppy play this noise coupled with the end of playtime with the other puppy would send an urgent and STRONG message that “biting hard ENDS playtime”, and ending play time is NO fun–right?
Once this part is mastered you may have already started building the respect factor from your puppy to you, and then they might take training a bit more serious. Having a strong food drive IS in your favor for training behaviors and eventually tricks–BUT you don’t want the pup to become treat dependent, so don’t give a treat ALL the time, and once the desired behavior is learned I would phase the food out almost completely where the praise equals the excitement of food and will suffice most times. Toys are also an excellent motivating tool, so don’t discount that factor either–if your pup responds more seriously and focussed to a toy it is perfectly fine to use a toy!
Keep training sessions short–10-15 minutes at a time, always try to end on a good note with a fun game, and STOP the lesson if the puppy loses interest, or either of you begin to get frustrated or confused. DON’T teach too many behaviors in too little time, as this can easily become confusing and frustrating—pick ONE behavior and focus on it until it is learned, then move on to more complicated tricks–think of it as building blocks–you wouldn’t build a skyscraper without a good foundation and skeletal structure, and behavior and trick training needs to be taken in stages from the basics built up to the more complicated stuff over time.
As far as atheletic tricks and talents, such as agility, jumping, running–ie flyball, frisbee, high impact sports– it is not good to start these activities until the dog is a minimum of 1 year of age–but you should also consider the normal physical growth rate of your breed, as some are slower than others to fully mature in skeletal or muscle structure and could damage their growth plates and joints permanently by being too active and rough on their bodies too soon.
ninjaaa! says: No, she’s definitely not too young to start training for basic obedience. If she can’t sit still during training sessions, train after a walk or a game of fetch. Dogs are much more open to learning once they are physically tired out, and not bouncing off the walls.
Have the treat in your clenched hand; don’t give it to her, no matter how much she mouths your hand. Move your clenched hand up in a vertical line – her nose and eyes should follow it and she should sit. Once she does, open your hand and treat.
This is a good way to teach her to sit – it’s also great because it associates the command with a hand gesture (clenched hand going up) which is always useful (if you need to give your dog a command in the middle of a conversation, if your dog is far away, if your dog develops hearing problems later in life, etc).
Aastha S says: my dog knows sit since i gave him tasty food and he got attracted to it.he was around one month,
No it is not to early. It is best if you teach your puppy early. It can be a lifesaving skill in terms of not eating dropped food that could cause health problems. Also it may be harder at this age but it will definetly pay off in the long haul. Good Luck!
start at eight weeks when you bring home.
the younger the better the youngest is 4 weeks
That is WAY to soon…not only way to soon to train but way to soon to have as well.
Dogs should be given away at 8 weeks of age, in most places it is illegal to get a dog younger then 8 weeks, however or whenever you got the dog from wasn’t reputable and the dog may have health issues or temperamental issues later on in life, ( just letting you know )
I started training my dog at 12 weeks even though puppies aren’t that attention oriented I trained her anyway just so she could get the feel.
The younger the better. Right now, in fact.
Think about it in this way, he is currently learning everything in his surrounding. About you, his home, his bed, food, etc. He’s a sponge!
ETA: I agree with Warrior’s Pride to an extent. I think I should clarify a bit. While your pup’s not going to do flips yet, you should be training from day one on what is & is not acceptable. But, you can start some basics, like sitting, earlier than 12 weeks.