Become The Perfect Dog Owner

By David Burns

Owning a dog can be a joy but only if you have a well disciplined dog that fits easily into your lifestyle.

If you can use your dog's natural instincts, it will make the task of dog training much easier. Your dog will learn obedience much more quickly and the whole training process becomes less stressful for you and your dog, giving you excellent results.

This e-book is quite different to most of the dog training books or videos that you may encounter.

Firstly, it is a lot more comprehensive so that you are not left high and dry wondering what to do next, especially if something is not working out as you wanted it to do.

Secondly, this guide teaches you a "method" rather than how to train a dog to carry out basic individual obedience exercises. This means the dog should obey you in all situations, not just pre-rehearsed training type exercises

Thirdly, this training guide is based on the techniques related to the nature and instincts of the dog. These techniques are "dog-friendly" and are the basis of the mysterious system known as "dog whispering" or "dog listening".

Actually, it is not all that mysterious, but simply utilizes nature and the dog's natural evolved instincts.

So why does this particular dog training method work?

Dogs and wolves evolved from a common ancestor and have very similar instincts and behaviours. We can use this fact if we learn to act as a "Pack Leader" or "Alpha Dog" when training our dog and also in all our daily contact with our dog.

When a dog fails to respond and you find yourself getting agitated and shouting, your raised level of agitation is what a wolf might pick up on when the pack is faced with a threat In other words, you stimulate your dog's fight or flight instincts, which is the last thing you want to do especially in emergency situations.

Instead, learn to think like your dog does. Strangely, with dogs ,there is not as much exchange of audio messaging as you might think. Dogs pick up on subtle visual signals and emotions. Have you ever noticed, how a dog knows you are going to take it for a walk, even before you get out of your chair.

This e-book is laid out in easy and logical steps. It starts with some simple dog psychology to help you understand how your dog thinks. It also includes details about how to solve many serious dog behaviour problems. There are illustrations to help you learn special techniques and there are many useful tips that will make your life as a dog owner easier.

This book will teach you how to train your dog just like a modern professional trainer might do. You will learn a basic foundation method that will put you in the position of "pack leader". This means you can have your dog obey you in unexpected situations. These methods will also help you to solve many individual troublesome problems that might be specific to your own dog.

This is the most comprehensive dog book you will find. It takes you step by step through the whole training process even if you have never trained a dog before.

In addition to the training guide, there are two really useful bonuses included. These are:

1) An essential guide to caring for your dog. This includes details about feeding & dangerous food, diet & nutrition, a weight chart, help to ensure your dog's general welfare, doggie ailments, first aid for your dog and much more.

2) Grooming and bathing your dog including essential health check tips.

If you are serious about training and caring for your dog, this book is a must.
The information contained in it will never go out of date and the book will almost certainly save you money on the vet's bills that you will not have to pay.

This dog training guide "Become The Perfect Dog Owner" is, in fact, a “Dog Owner's Bible.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Burns
• Release date: May 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310422171

David Burns

I decided to write about Wadhams Castle and the historical Knightly deeds of King Arthur and also acknowledging the philanthropist attributes of the Wadham family at the village of ilton, Somerset, England.What else?Simply, I wanted to put Wadhams Castle back on the map - it is a great place. The story of the Moated Stone started as notes about the village where I grew up. Then, when digging into the local history, these notes turned into a story; from the Romans through to King Arthur, the local Scout group and the 101st Airborne.

Book preview

Before you read this book, check out if you are ready to be a Perfect Dog Owner

Introduction

Author and Friends

Over many years I have owned various breeds of dog. Some of these dogs were rescue dogs and a few of them brought with them all sorts of behavioural problems.

No two dogs, owners or situations are the same but the basic nature of the dog is always there

When I originally started training dogs I used the then traditional methods with military type commands and lots of work on the leash (a choke chain and short leash). There were regular training sessions outdoors most days. This training consisted of many set exercises which were repeated until the dog performed them to my satisfaction. The training tended to finish when we went back indoors.

More recently I have become acquainted with dog psychology which is based on the evolution of the dog and it’s inherited wolf characteristics. I have studied the techniques of some of the best and most successful trainers who use this psychological approach. As a result I have changed my own training methods drastically.

The new methods are based on a softer approach

with much more positive encouragement and rewards for the dog. There is no shouting (well! Except when I forget the rules) and the complete adoption of the leader of the pack role.

And you know what? - It really does work. It has turned out to be a great improvement on the old traditional ways of training dogs.

This latest book is based on these successful dog friendly methods and teaches you how to approach the training of your own dog. You will be learning many of the secrets used by

talented dog whisperers (also called dog listeners). At first you may consider the first part of the book to be too much about evolution and theory but stick with it because you will be amazed how much this background information will help you to train your dog.

A qualified and successful professional trainer would understand all this background stuff. It might not necessarily be taught to you as the pupil, but this background philosophy should filter through in the instructions. Learning how to train your dog without the experience and knowledge of a good trainer can be a difficult, however, it will be much more simple if you have learned how your dog actually thinks.

The book is divided into four main sections. The first part is about the history of the evolution of your dog. The second part is background training information. The third part is about hands on training and the fourth part is about practicalities – what happens in real life.

The rest of the book is about training aids and commands and about handling your dog in real life where things do not always go according to the rules.

In the Appendix I have included a small crash course for those of you who need to get control of your dog quickly. You should use this as a temporary measure because long-term success with your dog really does require, at least a minimum knowledge of all the information given in this book. Hopefully you will catch up as soon as you can spare the time.

As you assume the role of Pack Leader and gradually train your dog to become compliant you may wonder if when you eventually complete the training schedule and have an obedient dog is it going to stay that way?

Well the answer is yes…….and............er…… no.

Yes your dog will have learned how to accept it's place in your pack and it will continue to be obedient and behave as you have now trained it to be. However, you cannot leave it at that. You will have to maintain your role as pack leader 24/7 you will also have to control your dog in the way that we will show you in this book.

You will be relieved to know that you should not have to repeat the detailed basic training because once your dog understands what you want it to do it will retain that knowledge and as long as you are consistent in the way you give commands and administer your rules your dog will be well behaved.

It is the principle of the spinning wheel. It may take some effort to get it up to speed but once that is achieved it takes only a little effort to keep it going. There is another thing you will have to get used to and that is you will find much of this book is about training yourself rather than your dog. Remembering the correct command at the exact moment when you need to use it. This can be a tough discipline until you have practised it a little.

It is important that you are not be overwhelmed by all the information here. If possible start with the first exercise and work your way through the manual step by step. This is because each step increases the dog’s obedience and your own confidence until you arrive at the result you require. Of course for some of you there will be an urgent problem to solve and you may choose to tackle that first but you must then go to the first exercise and work through all the training if you want to make permanent changes to your dog’s behaviour.

If you follow the guidance given here you should end up with a better behaved and a happier dog. You should also have some fun along the way.

OK folks its time for you to learn how to get control of your dog.

[Dog Whisperer - The meaning of the term.]

I have tried to find an exact definition and origin of this term but there are several variations the following is based on the definition given in Wikipedia. A horse whisperer is a horse trainer or breaker who adopts a sympathetic view of the motives, needs, and desires of the horse, based on the natural evolution of the horse and modern equine psychology

The term goes back to the early nineteenth century when Daniel Sullivan made a name for himself in England by rehabilitating horses that had become vicious and intractable due to abuse or accidental trauma.

Sullivan kept his methods secret, but people who managed to observe him noticed that he would stand face to face with the troubled horse and often spoke very softly to them. They seemed to think that he must be saying something to the horse in a way the horse could understand and accept because the horses were quickly gentled by his mysterious techniques.

The method is fairly faithfully represented in the novel and motion picture The Horse Whisperer (1998) directed by and starring Robert Redford based on the 1995 novel by Nicholas Evans. Redford plays the title role, a talented trainer with a remarkable gift for taming and controlling horses. The film made the term horse whisperer know to a much wider public.

The basic technique of the horse whisperer which is working with the nature of the horse was also used in the world of dogs – obviously using the natural evolved nature of the dog, hence the term Dog Whisperer.

More recently the term Dog Listener has become used as an alternative but the basic technique of studying the natural behaviour of a dog and working with it is always the same.

First Section

THE BACKGROUND TO TRAINING YOUR DOG

Evolution and History of Dogs – Something You Need To Know

A Wolf Pack may contain between just 2 or up to 30 animals or more

A very long time ago a division took place between certain primitive life forms, each developing along a different path. One was to evolve into a species we have named Canis; the other was to become Homo Sapiens in other words dogs and us.

As the canine species progressed, it evolved into several sub species, most of which have become extinct. One species that survived but is only just hanging on is the African Wild Dog. The species can be dated back about three million years. There was another sub species which appeared more or less naturally about 5000 years ago this was the Dingo which is now somewhat notorious in Australia.

The most adaptable sub species was a wolf like animal which was the forerunner of the modern wolf and our domestic dog. It seems that the division between wolves and dogs took place over thousands of years. However, the differences were not great and even today the DNA of both species is almost identical.

There are some differences between wolves and dogs. Wolves seem to have developed a stronger affinity to the pack. Dogs have this also, but they they are more flexible in their associations and can find their security in a very small pack including with other species (i.e. humans).

One example of differences between dogs and wolves is that dogs are usually rather promiscuous in their mating habits whilst wolves tend to stick with one partner for life.

The wolf in the wild survived well Part of it’s success is based on its evolved social group system were the wolves form a group from just a few animals to in excess thirty animals. This group is known as a wolf pack. The pack will have a clearly defined and able leader and a hierarchy which influences hunting for food over large areas, feeding and breeding.

If you were able to observe a wolf pack in the wild such as Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming you would be amazed at all the dog like characteristics you would observe, e.g. tail wagging, submissive behaviour, play etc.

The wolf sub species which we now know as the dog was flexible enough to engage with humans and for an amazing mutually beneficial relationship to develop and evolve. Quite recently, in evolutionary terms, about 15,000 years ago, early man started to breed from the available animals that best served his needs such as hunting retrieving and companionship. This was the foundation of all the dog breeds we see today

Man has further influenced the outcome of this sub species by developing specific breeds such as the German Shepherd, Jack Russell, Golden Retriever, Lurcher and Beagle etc. all with a specific purpose in mind. It is this intensive breeding by humans over the last 500 years - not different genetic origins, that is responsible for the dramatic differences in appearance among modern dog breeds.

It is possible to change some of the more superficial breed characteristic within about seven generations, however, the basic nature of the wolf seems to be virtually permanent.

From this you will understand that our domestic dogs are derived from a joint ancestor of the wolf, Dogs have many inherited traits and instincts of the wolf. In fact the dog in your living room today is still 95% wolf.

North American Wolf and a German Shepherd

Not Exactly Identical, But Very Near

The Alfa Male or Alpha Female

One important point we need to clear up now is the correct understanding of the role of the Alpha Male or Alpha Female.

Tradition has it that the Alpha male or female have attained their senior role by fighting their way to the top position. They then maintain their position by a constant show of force. The alpha wolf would continue to dominate until it was too old or weak to do so. In this case they would often be driven from the pack and possibly killed by the next contender for the title. All other positions in the pack were also settled by tooth and claw.

In fact this is basically rubbish. Yes, there are sometimes conflicts of leadership and yes there are sometimes conflicts within the pack but think about it.... In the wild, a wolf pack often faces great danger. Starvation is one danger, but so to is the pursuit of food. Some of the animals a wolf pack needs to hunt for food are big and deadly such as the Musk Oxen in the Arctic.

There are also encounters with bears or another pack of wolves competing for the same hunting area. the wolves succeed because the individual wolves work together as a close team. They face danger together, they share the food they obtain and they try to get enough food for the whole pack including the old and lame. Yes the fittest wolves usually eat first but this makes sense if the pack is to maintain it's hunting elite in good health.

The point is the alpha dog maintains it's control over the pack with very little violence and force

There are some dog trainers who still advocate training that includes the dog owner assuming the role of an alpha dog and using some degree of force to emphasise the trainer's dominance. There is even a notable trainer who has appeared on television demonstrating some of these dominant training methods including throwing a dog on it's side and holding it down by the neck. Wrong Wrong Wrong.

It may seem to get short term results, however, this system does long term damage to the trust and relationship between dog and owner, an essential bond necessary for successful training.

You will learn in this book how to become that Alpha Dog to your own dog(s) but without using any sort of force on your best friend. Bear in mind your dog knows you are not actually a dog but will learn to recognise your personal authority in his/her life

The evolved characteristics of dogs are going to play an important part in helping you to master the training of your dog and perhaps gaining an insight into the mysterious world of the Dog Whisperer

Dog Psychology – How it all worked Out

In summary your dog with its inherited wolf-like instincts is a sociable animal, it wants to be part of a pack where it knows its place. This pack animal is able to sense the mood and intentions of the pack so that the pack can work together as one. The dog lives in the present, it does not carry baggage from it’s past and it does not anticipate the future.

The dog communicates with the world very much by sound and scent and rather less by sight. The dog needs regular meals and access to fresh water, it needs regular exercise, it needs to know that there is a strong pack leader and needs to be able to interpret the instructions given by the pack leader. If there is no strong pack leader the dog is programmed to take on the role of pack leader.

Oh! - And also a dog likes to play and have fun.

When these requirements are in place a dog is balanced, calm and receptive to commands. In this state the dog should not exhibit anxiety or delinquent behaviour.

One point about obedience training. A dog , when trained, will usually try to carry out your requirements. If these requirements are beyond it's scope your dog could suffer great distress and even be injured as a result. So do not over feed your dog and do not ask too much of your dog at any one time Remember this applies to both training exercises and play

Remember, Balanced dogs are trainable dogs

Dogs of all Shapes and Sizes

As stated above all dog breeds originate from an ancestor of the wolf and yet If you have ever been to a dog pound or to an open dog show you will find it hard to believe that all the different dog breeds, the long and the tall and the short, could possibly have originated from just one wolf type sub species. However, it is important to understand this fact because it does mean that the basic psychology of the dog is universal, whatever the breed, even if temperament and physical characteristics differ.

This information is useful to you because it means when you have learned how to communicate with your dog and learned how to train it, your skills can be applied to any dog of any breed. You just need to make an allowance for different temperament and physical proportions.

Your Dog Is Not Human

This is very difficult for some people to grasp. Your dog is not human, it does not think or plan ahead in the same way that you do. It tends to live this moment

This means that any rewards for good behaviour must be given at the exact time the good behaviour takes place. If you do have cause to reprimand your dog (this should not happen too often) this reprimand must be at the moment of the miss-demeanour not a few minutes later.

Also on the same theme your dog has a simple association system which means that it associates what is happening at this moment with any reward, stroking, reprimand or any other similar thing that is taking place at the same time. The dog also has the capacity to remember this association for a very long time after the event.

Your dog will not naturally have a taste for sweet things like cookies and your dog does not need to have a deep comfortable sofa of its own. Of course it can soon acquire a taste for these things but if the dog is not given them in the first place it will not miss them or hanker after them.

Your dog will not understand your conversation, although it will pick up on a few words like walk, dinner etc. Dogs are more sensitive to sound than you are (shouting not required) and they are also very sensitive to moods in other dogs and also in people.

Dogs do not have human ambitions to dominate the group they live with but they are programmed to take control and dominate if there is no clear leader of the pack.

In the wild a dog would be a free roaming animal (with the pack), unrestricted by walls and doors. Your dog will not be well balanced if it spends many hours cooped up in a room especially if it is by itself during that time.

Your dog will not be well balanced if you treat it like a human being because evolution has programmed it to be a dog.

The 10 Second Rule

Your dog lives in This Moment, which means that any reward or chastisement must be delivered almost instantly, certainly within 10 seconds to be effective. If you delay longer than this your dog will then associate your praise/chastisement with what is happening at the moment you talk to it, even if nothing is happening by then. This 10 second rule is very important and if you use it well, your training will be enhanced. Ignore the rule and you end up with one very confused dog.

Your Dog Knows What You are Thinking

Well, not quite, but dogs are almost unique in the animal world for their ability to pick up and respond to the emotions of humans (Horses and Elephants are two other species that seem to be able to do this). A dog knows when you are relaxed and happy and when you are angry or fearful. This is why you need to be in the correct frame of mind when you are training or otherwise reacting with any dog.

The Hardest Part of Dog training – Preparing yourself (and the family) to train your dog,

The usual reason for a badly behaved dog is an owner who is completely ignorant of how to train a dog. Some of the worst owners are actually the most caring people who love their dogs very much but have not taken the trouble to learn simple dog psychology, basic dog care and simple training methods

Can You Be A Responsible Dog Owner?

Owning a dog is a serious business and you must think it out carefully – preferably before you buy a dog. However, even if you already own your dog it is never too late to learn how to handle it properly You should also think about retraining yourself to adopt sensible methods of dealing with your dog based on the fact that the dog is