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Dog Training Workshop for Sirius Dog Sanctuary at Fico Café

Dog Training Workshop for Sirius Dog Sanctuary at FICO Cafe Resto

We spent a lovely afternoon with Sirius Dog Sanctuary at Fico Café Resto. The workshop was an eye-opening experience for many and we managed to answer quite a few common questions about certain dog behaviors and the biggest mistakes people do when handling their dogs.
To us, it’s important that we are all aware of how canines think and how we best can get a behavior change in our dogs.

Together, we raised over 200€ to the dogs in need at the shelter!
Thank you all for coming, and a big shout out to Fico, the sweets were amazing! We look forward seeing you all again.

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Excessive Barking and How To Stop It!

This cute little terrier mix Lexi gave Petspot a few poses between commands and basic obedience training.

Nuisance barking can be quite a problem and we are often asked what to do about it.
Barking is perfectly natural for dogs, be it for warning, protection or expressing excitement it is still one of their most important forms of communication. Usually it is not very long lasting and is hardly a problem for most dog owners, they are after all just talking to you, just letting you know what’s on their mind.
But excessive barking on the other hand could be an inconvenience and is mostly caused by plain boredom or lack of stimulation.

Undoubtedly, this is a strong indication that there is a problem that needs to be dealt with. Our initial reaction is to ask ourselves what problems the dog has but what we really need to focus on is us, the humans! Ask yourself these questions: Do you give your dog enough stimulation and exercise? Could you unintentionally be encouraging the barking? Or could the problem simply be that your dog suffers from anxiety?

It mostly comes down to how you treat your dog when they are excited. How many of you pat your dog when they bark, telling them “there, there, it’s ok…” or if the dog is smaller, pick them up when they get excited over something.
Think about that for a second.
You are actually rewarding a behavior that your are trying to get rid of. This is called unintended positive reinforcement and it can do more harm than good.
Touching and patting your dog is rewarding for them, if you give them that reward when they are displaying a behavior we do not want to encourage you are in fact doing the opposite of what you want to achieve.

When clients ask us this question, the first thing that comes to our mind is to teach the dog how to bark. This might seem a bit confusing, but let us break it down for you.
If your dog learns what barking is and knows how to bark on cue, they will also learn what not-barking (i.e being quiet) is and you can just as easily have a command for that too.

Secondly, we want to point out the importance of exercise and stimulation. A dog that gets to have an outlet for all that energy is often a dog that dosen’t feel the need to bark excessively.
Contact our trainer if you want to know more about how to deal with this.

 

 

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Pulling and biting the leash

This is Diego and Mia with their owner who struggles to have them walk nicely close to her.

There can be many reasons your dog bites or keeps mouthing the leash, for example they can be bored, overexcited, frustrated or just like having something in their mouth. You can prevent this by letting your dog have a stick or a toy to carry on the walk. You can also teach your dog the “out” command to let things go.
Some dogs might think the leash is a toy, therefore it might be useful to take away the “charm” of it. By putting the leash in front of your dog, wait until they switch focus onto something else (preferably you) and reward immediately for not being interested.

Pulling can become a big problem if not dealt with in time. If you are experiencing difficulty controlling your dog on walks it’s best to book a training session with us. But here are a few quick tips:

*Keep your dog on a short leash. Don’t worry, they will still get the exercise they need.

*Use small subtile corrections often rather than hard “pops” of tugs on the leash a few times. Sometimes you might need to give a less subtle tug initially to let your dog know that you only accept a certain distance from you.

*When they start pulling change direction. This will throw them off balance a bit and forget what they were pulling towards. Walk a few steps in the other direction and turn around again and continue your walk.

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We visited Stray Haven for some dog training and pictures

Stray Haven rescue dog waiting food

We visited Stray Haven today to help them create new pen groups and take some pictures for their marketing.

To get a sneak peak of the first set of pictures from our visit, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/petspotpro/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1589322651095634

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Sirius Dog Sancturay in Limassol

Today we spent a few hours at Sirius Dog Sanctuary and helped out with a couple of troubled dog. There are many dogs there, so we focused on teaching our methods to the staff and volunteers and worked with the dogs that needed us most.

Helping and training a fearful, shy, scared and nervous dog can take time and it is nothing you do in just a few hours. It’s important to take your time and stay patient while you are gaining more trust and connecting with the dog. A dog can smell and sense your emotional state so the key to training a nervous dog is to stay relaxed, patient, happy and encouraging.

We spent some time with each dog bonding and getting to know them in a quiet room and eventually managed to take these dogs out for a walk individually without and major issues. A little pulling and a little protesting, but over all we believe we had some breakthroughs with them. Our main focus was having them follow our lead. Repeating a simple short walk back and forth again and again they slowly realized that there’s nothing wrong with walking outdoors.

 

You can visit Sirius Dog Sanctuary on Facebook or check out their website for more information on how to help them.
https://www.facebook.com/siriusdogsanctuary/
http://www.siriusdogsanctuary.com/en/home

Or contact us on our website or Facebook for more information on dog training and what we do at the shelters.
https://www.facebook.com/petspotpro

 

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Dog training for everyone in the family

Trainer's Tips, dog walking Cyprus. Amazing young girl with a beautiful young German Shepherd, taking a peaceful dog walk in Kato Paphos, Cyprus. Dog Training Made Easy is a great way to teach young kids how to handle bigger dogs in an easy and fun way!

We recently had en encounter with a family who had a problem with their dog who was pulling and gave them a hard time on walks. They had almost given up hope since the only person in the family that could take the family dog out for a walk was the father.

Our dog trainer came to their home in Paphos Cyprus, made an assessment and taught the family how to deal with pulling behaviour and daily communication in general. It didn’t take long until wife and kid was training and walking the dog without major issues. It’s remarkable how much a few rules and good treats can change the lives of a family struggling to train their dog. Under the right guidance anything is possible.

We left the family hopeful and happy to be able to share the experience of walking their furry family member.

PetSpot’s methods are truly made easy for pet dog owners and we are always so happy when we can help families join the exciting world of dog training.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. We come to Paphos, Polis and Limassol in Cyprus and help you with dog training and behaviour issues.

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German Shepherd Rescue Centre Cyprus in Limassol Dog Training

2017 Calendar picture for GSD Shelter in Limassol

Last week we spent some time with the German Shepherds again in Limassol at GSDRC. There are many Shepherds there in need of training and stimulation.

We try to focus on proper leash walking since it’s an important part of their life in a new home and we need to teach them how to walk properly when walked by their new owners.

PetSpot’s dog trainer worked with a sweet boy named Rex. Rex had no prior leash manners and was totally running the show the second he left the kennel. We started by making sure we were walking along a wall where he had no other choice but to walk either ahead, behind or right next to us. We then added a lure in the form of a treat to get him walking nicely by our leg. Slowly we introduced switching directions and before we finished the session we could let go of the leash and he’d stay right next to us. Training German Shepherds is truly amazing, fun & rewarding.

PetSpot offers dog training services in Paphos, Polis and Limassol and we aim to help as many GSD find a home by offering our services and help to German Shepherd Rescue Center in Limassol.

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Dog training in Polis, Cyprus

PetSpot Pro Playing Prague Ratter in the sand ander a session with PetSpot dog training made easy

Last week we trained a very excited little 6 month mix breed puppy in Polis. His owners were in despair because he is a dog with a very high level of energy. That makes him become hyperactive and easily overexcited and it was too much for them to handle and they were afraid the problem couldn’t be controlled. So they did the right thing and hired a dog trainer to come to Polis and help them out.

Something that is important to think about when dealing with high energy dogs is to control your own mood and level of energy. If you are trying to calm down a dog, your state of mind has to be the complete opposite. Be calm, talk in a low voice, don’t do any sudden movements and get your puppy doing a lot of  “sit-waits” and “stays” before you move on with other commands and dog training.

PetSpot’s trainers teach you how to set the rules of the house, we don’t tell you whether or not your dog is allowed on the sofa or not. Instead we focus on teaching you as a dog owner (in Polis, Paphos or Limassol) how you teach your dog the rules you decide for them.

Another important aspect that is a key part to any sustainable training method is to be consistent in everything you do with your dog and when training them.

Our goal with this specific case is to train and prepare this very highly motivated puppy with basic obedience and move on to our advanced program. His owners will have a completely different life when we have completed the program we have for their four legged family member.

Remember, no dog is a lost case!

 

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Help! My dog Is Not Listening To Me

This is Dora, she's also a terrier mix dog who lives in Tala Paphos in Cyprus with her sister Lexi. They both posed for some pictures between training and playing with Petspot's dog trainer.

To be consistent is key regardless of methodology. Grab your dog’s attention with treats or toys, or anything that’s rewarding for them. Once you have their attention it is important they learn the “look” command.The goal is to never repeat yourself when giving your dog a command. If you ask them to sit they should sit, the first time you say it! If you then go ahead and say “sit” again without correcting the refusal to sit the first time, you are teaching your dog that they are in control of when they sit because they learn that you will keep repeating the commands until they feel like executing it. Control your feelings, if you are worked up or uncertain as you give a command, your dog will turn a deaf ear. Have a friend/family member observe your behavior and give you feedback — or even film it so you can see for yourself. Also ask yourself if your dog truly knows the commands you’re asking for. They simply might not understand what you want them to do. Make sure your entire family is on the same page when it comes to interaction with the dog. As mentioned, consistency is key! Use the same commands, don’t repat yourself and mark the behaviours you don’t like. Pay attention to underlying issues like your dog’s emotional state. They might not listen because they are busy being scared or nervous because of another dog across the street or focused on claiming territory. So much can be gained when you have your dog’s full attention. You will be more successful with keeping them out of trouble like running out into the street or picking up something from the ground when they listen to you. And remember to have fun with your dog 🙂

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Help! My Dog Bites My Hand When Taking A Treat

Trainer's tips. Cyprus dog training. Giving a treat to a German shepherd

We all love an enthusiastic dog, it’s certainly great for dog training but sometimes a bit painful. We’re talking about dogs who accidentally bite your fingers off when taking a treat.
Believe us when we say it can get ugly if a person or a child without experience tries to give a treat to a dog who doesn’t know the concept of taking treats gently. Most dogs with this behaviour is generally the result of people giving the treats the wrong way from the beginning and you want to relieve much of the conflict-induced frustration that occurs when you want to reinforce your dog’s good behavior but also want your fingers to remain intact and connected to your body.

So what we want to do is get the dog in the habit of being gentle when it comes to treats and food, teaching them that lunging and grabbing won’t get them far. There are several ways to teach your dog how to be more gentle and PetSpots methods can be applied to all of them.
Many people instinctively pull their hand away when they notice a dog is really going for the treat, this makes them want to follow the hand and will snap at it. What they basically do is get the dog more excited and that makes it a game for the dog.

Positioning of the treat

First step is to position the treat in the hand in a way that it makes it harder for the dog to bite your fingers, don’t make the mistake of holding the treat between the tip of your thumb, index and middle finger. Another reason not to do that is that you’re showing your dog the treat. Next time you ask your dog to do something and there’s no treat visible , there will be a risk your dog won’t listen to you. Instead try putting the treat in your palm holding it with the base of your thumb. This way you are still able to do all the hand signals and the treat is hidden from the dog. It also makes it harder for your dog to bite a finger when your palm is open flat.

Low value treats

If your dog is already at a point where it hurts when you give a treat, start the training using low value treats. Treats that aren’t as interesting as that piece of sausage or biscuit that your dog loves is going to lower the excitement and it gives you the chance to start working on changing and moulding their behavior into one that will suit you.

Before it gets too bad

One of the techniques you can use for your next step is to aim the treat forward in front of the mouth so that when you present the treat your dog naturally has to move their head backwards to focus on the treat. This simple trick will condition the dog into automatically doing the opposite of lunging forward to get the treat.

Correcting verbally

Close your hand with the treat inside, your dog will smell it and will try to go for it. When you notice they come on too strong you quickly remove the hand and correct them using our corrective word. Try again and again until your hand (palm up) with the treat is so close to your dog that they can take it but they don’t, that’s when you give the treat and reward the behaviour you asked them to do. It takes patience from you and it’s important not to get frustrated with your dog.

Marker training

Marker training is a great method and can be used in these cases as well. Hold a treat in your hand, close your fist around it and offer it to your dog. If your dog bites at your hand, keep it closed; this means either toughing it out or wearing gloves, depending on your dog’s behavior and your tolerance. When they stop biting and just look at your hand give them a treat from your other hand. The mark happens when your dog stops biting and nibbling. Keep doing this until your hand is open completely. You can then slowly move your hand lower to the floor and eventually put the treats on the floor and cover with your hand until the treats can be on the floor totally free to be eaten but your dog just looks at them. This last technique is mostly used for teaching dogs not to eat anything unless given permission to do so, but is equally helpful when teaching them to take treats nicely.

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