I agree to take care of our dog's health needs, safety, exercise, training and quality of life. I also agree to show responsibility by cleaning up after my dog in public places and never letting my dog infringe on the rights of others.

To be a Canine Good Citizen, my dog will:

1. Accept a friendly stranger
2. Sit politely for petting
3. Allow examination by a Veterinarian and handling by a Groomer.
4. Walk on a loose lead
5. Walk calmly through a crowd
6. Sit and down on command and stay in place
7. Come when called
8. React calmly to another dog
9. React calmly to distraction
10. React calmly to supervised separation

Any dog that growls, snaps, bites, attacks, or attempts to attack a person or another dog is not a good citizen.

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Many dogs whine, bark , cry and howl when left alone. Puppies will whine when they are away from their owners. The puppy is scared the pack has left him and is sounding the alarm for help. The reason whining continues is because the dog learns that all he has to do is whine or bark to get attention or food. Often what starts out to be demand for something becomes a habit.

To stop this habit, put your puppy in his place for a short time then as he gets accustomed stretch the time out longer and longer. Spend time in his area give him plenty of toys to play with or bones to chew. If he whines when you leave give a stern loud ‘NO!’ After he has been quiet for a minute give him plenty of praise. Leave and return a few times so he can see that you are not leaving him forever. Return with a treat like a pat or a rub on the belly.

Older dogs that are in the habit of whining.

Get your self and your dog into a routine. A walk in the morning to the park some playtime and some training. If you can, socialize your dog with other dogs and people.

Never give into your dogs whining. Ignore him when he demands attention every time you give in you are training your dog to whinge. You can teach your dog to be quiet by telling your dog to be quiet in a normal voice if he ignores you raise your voice to a very stern ‘BE QUIET’. Repeat this a few times your dog will learn to be quiet on the first command.

Any unusual whining or whining that seams to start for no reason should be checked out by your vet.

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What does it mean and why should I do it?

It means getting you’re dog out and about meeting new dogs and people in a friendly environment. Letting your dog investigate in it’s own time, things it’s not quiet sure about.

We all tend to put our pets at ease when they are scared by patting them or trying to sooth them, which is the wrong thing to do. Some dogs take this like a reward and think it’s good behaviour. Your puppy might be scared of the lawn mower, whipper snipper, vacuum cleaner or washing machine and try to attack it. We tend to think this is funny to see a puppy act like this, laugh and show our friends how funny it is. Besides being very dangerous this teaches the puppy that it’s all right to be aggressive, this behaviour should not be acknowledged.

We can train our dogs to do the wrong thing without knowing. As the dog gets older and stronger we have major problems, which are very hard to change. Please take time to learn a bit about your pets breeding & behaviour traits this will help you train your dog to be a good companion.

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• Always get your dogs attention before starting to train.
• Learn to communicate with your dog.
• Be extremely patient and praise your dog if it is doing the right thing.
• Concentrate on positive training.
• Only use your dogs name when you heel off, and on recall
• Never call your dog , and then reprimand him.
• Practice consistency and repetition.
• Only praise your dog when the exercise is correct.
• Use a pleasant voice for praise- use a low voice for correction.
• Be as relaxed as possible when training your dog.
• When a command is given, the dog must complete even if it takes • several attempts.
• Be firm but kind. Be the leader.
• Vary routines so that the dog does not anticipate.
• Use a jerk or snap to correct at the dogs height.
• Walk your dog next to a fence to correct if it walking wide.
• Make your “stay” hand signal and voice command clear before moving off.
• Check your correction chain at intervals to make sure it is in the right position.
• As you correct your dog remember to slacken the chain immediately.
• Never think “it will not matter this once” you will teach your dog to think the wrong way.
• Always finish training on a happy note with a game or pat.

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Who is the leader of the pack in your house?
Who eats first?
Who walks through the door first?
Who get’s a pat or food on demand?
Who get’s the best seat in the house?
Who lay’s on the bed whenever they want?
Who leads when walking?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and you are not the boss!

All dogs are pack animals, and need to be led or lead. It is up to you to be leader of your pack. Most dogs are happy to be in a pack, but some have a desire to lead,and will exert a lot of pressure on whoever to be leader.
Some dogs try to move up the ladder by stealth, they work their way up the ladder taking food from the kids, pushing out the door first, jumping up for food while your eating, and demanding a pat while your talking with someone. They get away with it once or twice they start to think well I’m the boss now.

Eat before your dog or put you dog outside while you eat. This shows your dog you are leader. As in the wild the top dog eats first, then the rest have what’s left.
Sit in the best chair, if your dog gets in your chair demand in a very strong voice get off and sit in it yourself. This will enforce your leadership.

Walk out the door first a leader must lead.
Demand respect from your dog.
Demand that your commands are followed.
If it’s alright for your dog to sit on the lounge room furniture great, but make sure when it’s time to move or someone needs to sit, your dog follows your commands immediately.
Do not scream or go troppo at your dog. After the first command is disobeyed, put low growls in your voice. If it takes a few commands don’t get angry. When your dog does the right thing praise it. We need to show our dog when it does the right thing by giving a reward.

Always finish training on a happy note with a game or pat.

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How many times do you want to tell your dog to "sit"?
I hope the answer is "ONE".

It is not difficult to teach your dog that "sit means sit - NOW".

Try following these steps:

1. Remember that you are the leader of the pack. That means that you never ASK Fido to do anything. You TELL him! We all love our dogs, but it is important that we use firm and gentle voice control and that Fido understands that you are the leader.
2. Give the command to sit. Firmly and gently move Fido into the sit position while repeating the command. Gently place one hand under his chin, and the other at the base of the tail. Don't push on his back, as this could hurt him. Make sure your hand is very low, just at the start of the tail. Using a fulcrum action, place him in position.
3. Wait for him to be in position for a couple of seconds. If he jumps up, then again give the command and put him in position. By waiting for even 3 seconds, you are helping your dog to really understand what "sit" means.
4. PRAISE him. Tell him he is a wonderful dog. Go wild!

OK, I hear you say that it didn't work. Your dog did not learn to obey the command first time. Well, he will if you are patient. You may need to do this many times before he gets it. Many, many times.

Remember, only train your dog for a short period dependant on the attention span of your dog. Get to know your dog so that you know when to stop. If the dog is bored, training will become a chore and you will not be successful.

Both you and your dog can learn that training is fun - and never a battle of wills.

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by Janette

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone
Oh where oh where can he be?
I left him on a sit-stay - it was only three minutes
When I returned he was nowhere to see.

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone
Oh where oh where is he at all?
I left him sitting nicely, walked away and turned
But he just won’t respond to my recall.

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone
Oh where oh where, I don’t have a feel.
My arms are aching, my voice is hoarse
How many times do I have to yell heel?

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone
Oh where oh where, what a joker.
He’s not a handbag dog, to carry about in his harness
He wears a check-chain (just don’t call it a choker)

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone
Oh where oh where is this thing?
Vera is calling, Isabelle is pointing,
And Ali expects me in the ring.
It was just a minute, I thought, to have a run and a poo
Little white fluffy dogs make him so hormonal – what can I do?

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone
Oh where oh where can he be?
A well controlled, upstanding member of the community
He’s an all-round Café Society Doggie.

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone
Oh where oh where, that’s the rub,
We train every Sunday, at Murphy Reserve,
We are the Hobsons Bay Obedience Dog Club.

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The hot weather is here. We hear a lot about kids being left in hot cars. This is a terrible thing as it gets very hot in a closed car.

It is no different for a dog locked in a hot car they become distressed very quickly so please think before you stop to go into the super market for a few things.

5 minutes is long enough to do some damage. Always carry some water in the car to give your dog a drink. Cut back on the running around at the park. After a run let your dog cool off a bit in the shade with a drink before getting back in the car to go home or back on the lead to walk home.

There are some very good water & drink containers around in pet shops get one or make your own.

"Cool Coats", Cool Bandanas" and "Cool Mats" are also great aids to prevent your dog from being stressed by the heat. Your pet-shop may stock them, or you can search the internet. Ask our Trainers if you would like more information.

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