With the horrible reputation that pit bulls receive in the press and national media, it is not surprising that many Americans believe that pit bulls are simply a “lost breed” incapable of real training. Much of this misperception comes from the fact that pit bulls have been used as fighting dogs. Because pit bulls have the ability to lock their jaws and therefore hand onto an object or opponent for hours at a time, it may seem to casual onlookers like the pit bull simply has a mind of its own and is incapable of being trained into an obedient pet that can be trusted around other people.

The fact remains, however, that any dog breed is capable of training and the pit bull is certainly no exception. While they have a reputation of being harder to train than German shepherds or cocker spaniels, this does not mean that they are incapable of becoming very reliable and trustworthy pets that will listen to the commands of their owners. There are really only five simple things to remember when you are trying to train a pit bull or any large dog breed:

Negative vs. Positive Reinforcement

Tone of Voice

Training Tool

Special Toy

Limited Training Time

Negative vs. Positive Reinforcement

You have to make a decision and stick with it: do you want to use positive or negative reinforcement to train your pit bull? Although many child-rearing experts believe that the only way to raise a child is by using positive reinforcement, this is not always possible with dogs. The reason: the communication barrier. Although a dog is capable of developing a vocabulary of few hundred words, the fact remains that almost everything a person says is a complete mystery to a dog. So while parents can explain why certain behaviors are bad or dangerous, this is not possible with a dog.

Although a person can use special sprays that try to imprint a location upon a pit bull when trying to teach the animal where it is appropriate to use the restroom, it is often far more effective to simply rub the animal’s nose in the feces and tell them “no”. However, misuse of negative reinforcement can have long-lasting consequences which is why it must be used both sparingly, and in conjunction with positive reinforcement. The fact is that any dog, including a pit bull, wants the praise and love of their owners which is why positive reinforcement is so powerful. But, due to the communication barrier, some lessons must be taught using negative reinforcement or else the animal may injure itself or others.

Tone of Voice

Although dogs have a limited vocabulary, they are very much in tune with the mood of their owner. Oftentimes, the mere tone of one’s voice is enough to tell the dog a great deal about its behavior and what the owner wants of it. When trying to train any pit bull, it is important that the owner uses three very distinctive tones when communicating with the animal:

Instructional Tone

Praise Tone

Normal Tone

The instructional tone is very straightforward: it is simply the tone of voice you use when trying to train your pit bull. It should not be negative or condemning, merely firm and unwavering. Each and every time you are trying to train the pit bull, use this tone and do not use it any other time. This is the cue to your animal that it is “work time” and that they are expected to listen to what you have to say.

The praise tone is precisely that: it is a reward to the animal and a way of telling him/her that you are proud of them. It is generally higher-pitched and should be accompanied by a treat of some kind. Again, the animal need not really understand what you are saying, it just needs to know that it did a good job.

Your normal tone is up to you. It is just the manner in which you normally communicate and interact with the pit bull. It only needs to be distinctive from the instructional and praise tones so that the animal does not become confused. Now some of you may have noticed that there is no “punishment tone”and that is for good reason! Any time that an animal does something wrong, do not resort to any negative tone. You want to use your instructional tone and teach the dog that this is not the way to do things. I have personally trained many dogs and have never needed any punishment tone. As I stated earlier, a dog genuinely wants to win your praise and if you are patient with the animal, it will not need any punishment tone.

Training Tool

As I said earlier, you will have to learn to use both positive and negative reinforcement. I am certain that no animal needs physical punishment but they do need a way to understand when they are doing something wrong and this is where the training tool comes in. Now some dog trainers prefer to use a bottle of water to spray the animal when it does something wrong. Honestly, this can be very effective but I personally don’t like the smell of wet dog fur because no matter how clean you keep a dog, they will still smell pretty bad when wet.

Personally, I choose to tape two paint stirrers together and create what is known as a “slap-stick”. The point is that you can lightly slap the animal on its hind quarter with the stick any time it waivers from your training. This does not hurt the dog but it does create a loud “snapping” sound that they tend to dislike. Remember, a pit bull or any dog has an emotional capacity of a 4 or 5 year-old child. They really do want to please you and you do not need to physically impose yourself upon them. But, you will need some kind of training tool to help you with the negative reinforcement and both a bottle of water and a slap-stick work great.

Special Toy

If the slap-stick is the negative reinforcement tool, then the toy is for positive reinforcement. This can be a tennis ball, stuffed animal, or whatever your pit bull enjoys playing with. The only thing you really need to remember is that this toy must not be available to the dog at all timesit must be seen as a treat! After you are done training the dog for that day, take out their toy and reward them with a few minutes of play time. Just remember to put it back up when you are done because if they have access to it at all times, it will lose its power over the dog and they will not be as motivated during training.

Limited Training Time

Some new pet owners are tempted to try training their dog way too much. They think that by spending more time with the animal, it will take less time to get them to do what they want. Unfortunately, dogs do not work this way. They have a very limited attention span (roughly 20-30 minutestops!) for training. If you spend more than thirty minutes during any one training session, the animal will begin tuning you out. When you notice that the pit bull is starting to lose interest in training, it is probably best that you stop. Over time, you can increase this attention span by slowly extending the training period by a couple of minutes a day. Still, thirty minutes is about the most time you want to spend during any one session.

A pit bull is definitely one of the more intelligent dog breeds and can easily be trained to interact with people without being a threat. Just remember that negative reinforcement must be used sparingly and that an animal will remember a negative experience much longer than a positive one. You need the pit bull to trust you and want your love so do not try the “tough love” approach as it tends to make an animal more aggressive and less likely to listen. By taking the simple steps listed above, you can in fact train your pit bull to be every bit as dependable and loving as any other breed.

About The Author
David Black is a pit bull enthusiast and author of Professional Pit Bull Training Secrets. PitBull Secrets is one of the largest online pit bull communities in the world. http://www.pitbulltrainingsecrets.com.

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Personalized dog lover gifts are the best items for a dog lover on any occasions. There are a variety of dog lover gifts available including dog key chains, dog mouse pads, dog cookie jars, dog pins, dog clocks, dog lover note cards, calendars and watches with dog faces, and the list goes on and on. You can make any of these ‘personalized’ by applying a clever idea. A gift can be easily personalized by writing your own phrase or pasting your own photo on it. A gift basket filled with personalized dog lover gifts is a great gift for a dog lover. You can even hire the services of an artist to engrave your message on the gift.

There are several agencies specializing in personalized dog lover gifts. You name the theme and they bring life to your ideas. Every town has at least a couple of good stores selling personalized gifts. Browse through the Internet, and you’ll find numerous online stores selling personalized and custom-made dog lover gifts.

Prices differ from one company to another. It depends largely on just how personalized you want the dog lover gift to be. If you have a very special method of embossing in mind, for example, you would probably be charged more than if you were just asking for a plastic tag with the name “”Rex”" already appearing on it. Manufacturers can mass produce many types of personalized gifts, but they cannot produce others. So decide on your budget and your wishes, and then hit up one of these companies for assistance.

Dog Lover Gifts provides detailed information on Dog Lover Gifts, Unique Dog Lover Gifts, Dog Lover Gift Baskets, Personalized Dog Lover Gifts and more. Dog Lover Gifts is affiliated with Gourmet Food Gifts.

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My family recently lost our beloved cat, Misty. She was 22 years old, a rich and long life for that of an animal, but as fellow animal lovers know, a huge loss for her family.

Thinking about Misty I am reminded how much we sophisticated and intellectual humans can learn from our animal friends. Not only by the genuine way they represent themselves, but also how they see us. Our pets see us as perfect. They don’t notice our laugh lines, a few extra pounds, or a mispronounced word. They see us as we once saw ourselves at about the age of three or four years old, before we taught ourselves to focus on minor imperfections and to morph ourselves into people we are not in order to impress others or simply fit in.

They see the authentic self behind our facades. In their loving eyes we are successful by simply being ourselves. They believe in us and know there is nothing we can’t do. After all, we throw a ball perfectly and can do it over and over again, we are the best chefs, not to mention masseuses, and we love to surprise them with special gifts and treats.

Remember when you were a child and the world was your oyster. You were always your authentic self and did not care about what other people thought. As adults, many of us are only able to experience this freedom with our pets.

As a Life Coach, I encourage you to focus on how your pet sees you and try to remember how you felt about yourself and what you enjoyed around the age of three or four. Your pet and your inner child know you are perfect and whole the way you are. There is nothing that can hold you back from your goal, except your own mindset. Love and see yourself as your pet does and there will be nothing you can’t conquer!

“In memory of Misty Hummel. Through her loving eyes I always knew I was perfect just the way I am”.

Karen Hummel, MPA
Chronic Pain Coach/Speaker
karen@chronicpaincoaching.com

Karen Hummel is a Chronic Pain Coach and Speaker. She is dedicated to empowering chronic pain sufferers to reach beyond the pain to a more fulfilling and joyful life. Pain sufferers from all areas are connected through her website http://www.chronicpaincoaching.com

Karen’s formal education includes a Masters Degree in Health Services Management and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. Karen is an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer with over a decade of training experience and has served as a Wellness Manager for several large corporations. As a Wellness Manager, Karen provided employees with health education and coaching, including one to one and group support on stress reduction, fitness, nutrition, weight management, body image, and smoking cessation, as well as seminars and specialty classes.

Karen’s heartfelt desire to help those with chronic pain stems from her personal experience battling chronic pain for the last eight years after a serious automobile accident.

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The Dachshund is a very popular dog breed today. It is often referred to as the wiener dog or hotdog dog because of its unique shape and size. Dachshunds make great companions and are pretty easy to care for!

This dog is originally from Germany. It was developed to hunt badger there hundreds of years ago. “Dachs” means badger in German, which is how they got their name. Dachshunds have short legs and long bodies in order to go inside the badger burrows and dig the prey out. Later, the miniature dachshund was bred to hunt hare and stoat. Today, this breed is mainly kept to be a companion though.

The coat of the dachshund comes in three different types: smooth haired, longhaired and wirehaired. The longhaired variety has long, straight hair. The smooth haired variety has short, straight and smooth hair that is the same length all over the body. The wirehaired variety has coarse, wiry, harsh hair. The coat comes in many colors, such as sable, cream, red, black and tan, chocolate and tan, gray and tan, fawn and tan, or brindle. There are also three different sizes of the dog, standard, miniature and toy. The standard size usually weighs about twenty pounds; the miniature size usually weighs about nine pounds and the toy size usually weighs about eight pounds.

The Dachshund is very lively, affectionate, bold, curious and mischievous. These dogs are very intuitive and smart. Because of this, they may try to train their owner rather than the opposite. This makes them fairly difficult to train. They can be stubborn when you are training them so be sure you are firm and consistent. Dachshunds love to bark and actually have a pretty loud bark, despite their size. If you let this dog outside, you will need to watch it because dachshunds are obsessive diggers.

Dachshunds absolutely love to be around people. They are very friendly and outgoing. They are also never aggressive or timid. However, because of this dog’s love for people, it can easily become jealous. The Dachshund is not recommended for small children, but it will do fine with older children. They will also usually get along well with other pets, but be careful if you have a large dog because the dachshund can easily get hurt.

The biggest health risk these dogs face is obesity. A dachshund gains weight very easily and if they get overweight this puts far too much strain on their tiny body. You must be careful to ensure that they do not overeat. Some other common health problems of this breed are spinal disc problems, heart disease, diabetes and urinary tract problems. Try not to let this dog jump too much so that they will not hurt their spine.

The Dachshund is very lively, but it actually doesn’t need that much exercise. A short walk once a day or a session of play is enough. They tend to get tired very easily so try not to go on a long walk or play for a long time. Dachshunds will do fine without a yard, so they can even be kept in apartments.

If you own the long haired variety of this dog, you will need to brush the dog every day. The wire haired variety needs to be professionally trimmed twice a year. The smooth haired variety just needs to be rubbed down with a damp cloth every now and then.

Overall, the Dachshund is a great dog to own. They are lots of fun and are very loyal to their owners. Just make sure they are right for you before purchasing one.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dogs.

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The Sealyham Terrier has as its origin the region of Sealyham, in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is a cross of several different terriers and hounds, among them the Bull and the Dandie Dinmont and the Fox terriers and the Westy. Another important part of its genetic makeup is the Flandres Basset Hound. From the Basset the Sealyham acquired the short carriage and the heavy duty front legs capable of digging out burrows quickly and efficiently.

The Sealyham Terrier is a terrier which was custom designed by Captain John Tucker Edwardes, an Otter Hound enthusiast. Captain Edwardes desired to produce a dog which would be agile enough to rout out the Otters from between the rocks and crevices in which they hid, into his waiting pack of Otter hounds. Besides, he reasoned, the landowners of the Wales countryside needed a dog that could more easily get into the burrows of the animals which killed their chickens and destroyed their grain stores. His Sealyham Terrier fit the bill, being speedy enough to run with the hounds and small and agile enough to go to ground and less “scrappy” in nature so that he got along well with the pack. This terrier is by nature more of a pack dog than many terriers, this is perhaps due to the genetic addition of the Basset in the gene pool. Whatever the reason, this terrier, although “game” when it comes to the hunt, is more of a couch potato than other terrier types and is noted for being laid back.

The Sealyham is a small dog about 12 inches at the shoulder, with an appearance of stockiness to his body. The coat is the typical wire coat, being white with patches of badger on the head and ears. It is long and should be hand stripped, although pet owners are more likely to take it to the groomer and have it clipped. He is a dog whose form exemplifies his function. The body is deep chested and the back perfectly straight and while the front legs are short the hind legs have a well bent stifle. In layman’s terms this type of angulation means that the dog is exceptionally agile and suited to the type of terrain that is rough and rocky. It also means that he has endurance and speed, both necessary features for a dog meant to run the otter to the ground. Temperamentally he is a persistent dog and not likely to give in, stubbornness is a trait that can be difficult when it comes to training but is an excellent quality for a dog that hunts.

In modern day, this terrier is not such a hunter and has adapted himself well to civilized apartment life. He is gentle and affectionate and also adaptable. He prefers the indoor life and makes a great city dog, a short walk will suffice for exercise and he is quite happy spending the rest of his time with the family. If he is brought up with other dogs in the household, he gets along well with them.

The Sealyham is very popular as a show dog, having been registered with both the American kennel club and the British Kennel club since 1910.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Dogs

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