Adopting A Puppy - What You Need To Know By Adam Katz

This was a last minute e-mail I sent to a friend in California, who contacted me only a few hours befote she was leaving to pick a puppy from a breeder she's been researching.

(EMAIL FROM ME, STARTS HERE)

Actually, everything looks really good - for a show breeder. And even better, what I really like is that she's doing things with the dogs (using them in commercials) - which to me, suggests that the dogs she's breeding should (in theory, anyway) have solid temperaments.

The only thing I really wasn't crazy about is the way her dogs look. I don't like the pigment or the luster of the coats. But really, that's more of a personal preference, as I'm not a show breed judge.

I also like that she gets the pups started with crate training.

The main test I recommend is that you should cradle the pup in your arms, so that its feet are up toward your chin, and its back is cupped in your hands. The pup should lie still, like a sack of potatoes and just gaze sweetly up into your eyes. If he won't let you turn him upside down, or won't stop squirming... throw him back and pick another one.

If he passes that test, the next one should be to pin him on his side. He might squirm a little bit at first but then settle down and let you hold him in that position... at least for 10-20 seconds.

And finally, find a metal bowl... or something that makes a lot of noise... like a ring of about 20 keys... and while the pups are playing, toss the bowl or object about five feet from the pups (the breeder won't like this, but ignore it, you're picking a companion for the next 15 years, and you want to make sure you get a good one! So don't ask permission... just do it!) Watch the pups. Good pups should run up to it to investigate. Weak pups will cringe and hide. Do not buy a pup that cringes and hides. If the dog just shows indifference, this is okay... but then I'm going to test to see if the pup is deaf or not. If he's not deaf (clap, or shake keys behind the pup, when he's not looking)... but he was still indifferent to the bowl drop... then the dog is still one I WILL consider.

This is really all you need if you're choosing a dog for a pet. You can also test his ball drive, but to be honest, for a pet that's just going to lounge around the house, a pronounced ball drive is unnecessary.

She seems like a good breeder, as far as one can tell from a web site. So, I'm sure she'll help you out. Just be honest about what you are and aren't looking for in a dog.

That's all for now, folks!
Adam

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=69169&ca=Pets

Best Dog Breed - What I Recommend To My Friends By Adam Katz

To recommend a good dog breed to someone, you need to know two things:

1. You must have an in-depth and personal experience with many different breeds. And more specifically, you must have multiple experiences with each breed. When you've been training dogs professionally for about 10 years, you've seen pretty much everything cross your path, at least three or four times. And for the more popular breeds, you've had literally hundreds of experiences that can put you in a very good position to analyze the pro's and con's of each breed.

2. You need to understand both the wants and needs of the family who is looking to adopt a new dog. A couple who have very dominant personalities and no children will generally be able to handle a dog with more horsepower than would a quiet, submissive couple with a few small children.

That being said, here are the top five breeds I recommend to people I don't know very well:

1. Golden Retriever: These dogs have a soft, pliable and easily trainable temperament. They are very pain-resistant and very forgiving to the owner who accidentally steps on a toe or clumsily trips on the dog. Purchased from a good breeder, these dogs are a joy to own.

2. Poodle (any variety): These dogs score extremely high on both the trainability scale and on the intelligence scale. I'm always amazed at how quickly these dogs can pick up an new behavior. It's almost like communicating to a human in dog clothing. If it wasn't for the sissy factor, I'd probably own one myself. Professional dog trainers see very few dog owners who walk through the door with troubling behavior problems. If everyone owned a Poodle, we'd all be out of business.

3. Australian Shepherd: Not to be confused with the Australian Cattle Dog (also an excellent breed but not for the amateur or weak owner) the Australian Shepherd - if obtained from a quality breeder - is fantastic. I don't think that there is anything you can't train this breed to do.

4. Boston Terrier: These dogs are clean and quiet. They make a fantastic house dog and are very easy to get along with. A perfect companion for the elder dog owner, or just somebody who wants a very peaceful dog ownership experience with a breed that is not very demanding.

5. Shetland Sheepdog: Small, easily trainable and possessing a soft temperament, they are intelligent and - with the right training techniques - will learn new behaviors very quickly.

That's all for now, folks!
Adam

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=69166&ca=Pets

Stop Dog Barking By Adam Katz

Dear Mr. Katz,

I have a two year-old female Boxer named Amber and a six year-old female St. Bernard named Crystal. My question is regarding the Boxer, Amber. Whenever my husband and I sit down to eat dinner, watch TV, or when company comes over, she incessantly barks at us. She doesn't want to play with her toys and nothing can distract her from this barking. We try to correct her in a deep tone, but she only gets crazier; i.e.. jumping up, biting our clothes. From reading your book, it seems that she needs a motivational correction, such as her training collar. As of now, we do not leave it on her, except for when she is being walked. Should she be wearing the collar when we are home and she's in the house at all times? Can you please make any suggestions to correct this behavior so when we want to relax or have guests over, it's pleasant. She gets plenty of exercise and tons of attention. I'm not sure what to do. Thanks in advance!!

Christine

Dear Christine:

Remember the section on the pinch collar? And the emphasis I placed on how you will teach your dog to become, 'collar-smart' if you only use the pinch collar during walks?

Remember the part about consistency and how the dog MUST receive a negative association with ANY unwanted behavior? And how just saying, 'NO!' without attaching an association to the word will NOT produce any results? If not, please go back and re-read... it's in there!

'But Adam... the dog has since eaten the book! Please just give it to me, plain and simple!'

Okay... here it is: Your dog must be wearing the pinch collar and the tab ANYTIME you are with her. If you were a canine rather than a human you wouldn't need the pinch collar as you'd just go over to your dog and give her a nip on the neck.

Let's recap: When she barks you need to tell her, 'No!' and then give a firm tug on the leash. If she continues to bark, then either:

- Your correction didn't have any meaning to her...

Or...

- She's testing to see if you're going to correct her for barking THIS TIME just like you did LAST TIME. If your correction is motivational then you'll only need to do this two or three times before the problem stops forever.

That's all for now, folks!
Adam

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=68841&ca=Pets